You may have guessed that I am witchy. Most of my massage treatment is sciencey and evidence-based, but that doesn’t preclude having spiritual personal practices. In pursuit of my witchiness, my earliest teacher was Kirsten. She taught me how to ground energy properly, helped me figure out when I was having a kundalini awakening, and showed me how to use plants in my practice. One of the things she taught me was the use of herbs and spices as an aid for specific desired outcomes such as protecting my energy, soothing my body, and solidifying intentions I’d set. She started me on the path of using herbs in a bath while also drinking the same herbs in a tea, and it’s become one of my favourite practices.
Blending herbs and hot water is comforting in so many ways. Tea can be aromatherapy. Tea engages taste sensation. Tea–internally and externally–can be good for your skin and hair. Herbalist wisdom says tea can affect your energy (chakras, qui, whatever the flavour of your energy-work is). Many cultures have tea rituals; some are sacred, some are performed as part of polite society, some are more personal. However you take your tea, infusing herbs in hot water and drinking it spans most of humanity across time and space.
There is magic and medicine in tea, and so I present ‘As Above, So Below’: seven blends of herbs to soak in and drink while in the bath. Seven teas to support your chakras, to invoke desired moods or states of mind, to steep yourself in aromatherapy, to steam and cleanse your body, or just to relax. You don’t have to be a witch or believe in chakras to enjoy this tea, but for those who are into sacred plant alchemy for the body and soul, these teas will be even more special.
For each tea, I’ve drawn a sigil designed to assist the specific chakra the tea is geared towards, and to amplify the mood indicated in the name of the tea. I recently learned sigil drawing from Sigil Witchery, by Laura Tempest Zakroff. I’ve found sigils enhance my practice; partially because sigil work is a very old tradition, and partially because I subscribe to the idea of headology as defined by Granny Weatherwax:
‘So people see you coming in the hat and the cloak and they know you’re a witch and that’s why your magic works?’ said Esk.
‘That’s right,’ said Granny. ‘It’s called headology.’ She tapped her silver hair, which was drawn into a tight bun that could crack rocks.
‘But it’s not real!’ Esk protested. ‘That’s not magic, it’s—it’s—’
‘Listen,’ said Granny, ‘If you give someone a bottle of red jollop for their wind it may work, right, but if you want it to work for sure then you let their mind make it work for them. Tell ’em it’s moonbeams bottled in fairy wine or something. Mumble over it a bit. It’s the same with cursing.’
— Terry Pratchett, Equal Rites
What about summer? Maybe you don’t like to take hot baths in summer. Maybe it’s too sticky and steamy for the weather we’re about to have. In that case, you may ignore the instructions that I’ve printed on the tea labels and instead, cold-brew your witchy bath tea for a cool bath and a refreshing iced tea. Here’s how: you’ll need two jars with lids, and of course some As Above, So Below tea. Fill the jars with water and put one of the teabags in each jar. Seal the jars and leave them on your counter (or on a windowsill under the moon?) for about 18 hours. Remove the tea bags, and now you can decide how cold you want your tea to be; you can dump the bath jar in a tub full of cool water and drink the other tea room temperature, or you can put both in the fridge before a cool bath.
Of course, Granny Weatherwax also has views about bathing (‘Baths is unhygienic,’ Granny declared. ‘You know I’ve never agreed with baths. Sittin’ around in your own dirt like that.’), so when you’re done steeping yourself in tea, you might like a quick shower to rinse off. The tea bags and packaging I use are all compostable, so you may choose to compost the tea bags, or break them open and use them in other rituals; perhaps as an offering or for tasseomancy.
Currently these teas are only available in person in my studio.