GreenWitch Tea Blog ~ green tea, health, healing, organics & recipes.

Building Immunity

Tis a challenging, time for most folks right now, physically, mentally and spiritually. For many, the imposed lockdowns and social isolation has caused stress, anxiety and fear. All of which compromise the Immunity. So how in these challenging times do we build Immunity? Well, there are many ways. Amongst the simplest are: Natural antibiotics incorporated…

Tea Blossoms

Tea Blossoms are deservedly popular, they are lovely to look at and make a striking statement at the finest tea party. But we at GreenWitch Tea wanted to add to that; we wanted Tea Blossoms that weren’t just lovely to look at, but were also loaded with health benefits, contained no chemicals nasties or added…

What is a Green Witch?

What is a Green Witch? I think every Green Witch would answer a titchy bit differently to the next; all I profess to do, is speak for me. I start with what is a Witch? I believe Witches to be the wise folk, naturalists, healers, custodians, teachers, story tellers, and spirit warriors. They are the…

Creating an Altar

Creating an Altar all of your very own, gives you a sacred space to offer gratitude, meditate, connect with spirit, reflect, perform rituals, or practice alchemy and magick. Of course, finding peace and harmony within yourself so that you can do these things no matter where you are, is the Super Power to aim for,…

Tea Poetry and Parables

Tea lends itself to musing on life as much as the howl of a wolf, a full moon, or sitting atop a hill looking out at natural beauty; hence Tea Poetry and Parables have been in existence as long as folk have been drinking tea. My humble Tea Poetry and Parable focus for this blog…

Wonder

Wonder ~ ‘a feeling of amazement caused by something beautiful’. I love that feeling! I have wondered at faeries, dragons, nature and the magick of it all, my whole life ~ even more now than I did as a child. For me, Wonder is way too good a feeling to let go of… it is…

ABC of Kindness

Kindness is a conscious act to do something nice for another (or self) with heart, spirit and purity. There are so many opportunities all day long to put kind thoughts into actions. Here’s my wee ABC of Kindness for a few ideas. ABC of Kindness… Action your kind intentions ~ it’s in the doing, that…

Kindness

Kindness is the art of gentleness, care, goodwill, friendliness, generosity and warmth; towards self, others, and Mother Earth. Many folk are feeling the harshness of the world in this present climate. And many who do, find some individual or group responsible for that harshness, and wish, or talk, or push for them to make changes.…

Fun Stuff about Tea

Fun stuff about tea… There’s just heaps of fun stuff about tea! It really is the perfect playmate no matter what you feel like doing. Tea is merriment, party time, quietude, solitude, poetry, peace, and romance. On top of all that, it can also serve as currency, read your future (referred to as tasseography, tasseomancy…

Green Tea for Skin

Many folks now know the health benefits of Green Tea ~ for heart, brain function, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, dental care, age related diseases, increasing longevity, and lowering the risk of cancer. But not a lot of folk know the myriad benefits of Green Tea for Skin. Green Tea for Skin works in many ways,…

Holistic Health

Holistic Health is the concept that your body, mind and spirit are connected and that they all factor equally into your overall wellness. Holistic Health as a phrase, was formed from the word ‘holism’, first coined by Jan Christiann Smuts (statesman, philosopher, naturalist) 100 years ago, to mean that, in nature the tendency is to…

Tea Etiquette

Tea Etiquette in the Orient is considerably different to Tea Etiquette in the Occident (see my last blog). Time honoured rituals abound when drinking tea in in Japan, China, Tibet and most other parts of Asia. Rituals as steeped in Zen, art and appreciation, as they are in Tea. Japan ~ Chanoyu, the Japanese tea…

Tea Etiquette

Tea warms us; refreshes us; brightens, lifts, calms and relaxes us; helps us to contemplate the universe or centre ourselves; and is the perfect way to start off a conversation of lightness, depth, or on how to solve the world’s woes. Given all of that, it is only fitting that when drinking tea, a certain…

How to Sleep Better

In follow-up to my last blog on How to Sleep Better, here is Part Two… If you are interested in optimal health and energy, and you currently have problems sleeping well, How to Sleep Better habits need to become second nature to you. Please see my last blog (two weeks ago) on darkness, reading, writing,…

How to Sleep Better

A Good Night’s Sleep is a wonderful thing, right up there with eating well and exercise in terms of a healthy, energised life. However, it’s something that eludes many folk. Whether it be not being able to fall asleep, waking up too often, or not feeling rested upon waking, tips on How to Sleep Better…

Calming Teas

We all know that a positive attitude lends itself to a positive day, but we also know that some days are just harder than others; either there are extra stressors that day, or we just react more strongly to them. There are many ways of dealing with such days, amongst my favourites are meditation, yoga,…

Smell the Flowers

You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry, don’t worry. And be sure to Smell the Flowers along the way. ~ Walter Hagen(1) Walter nails it for me! Every time you wake it’s a new morning, week, season or year! And it’s just too easy to be caught up in the busyness of it…

Friday the 13th

Friday the 13th – and the number 13 itself – is full of weird and wonderful facts and theories. It seems only fitting to share 13 of them with you… 1. It is not proven when the fear of Friday the 13th started. Some folk believe it comes from biblical origins with 13 guests at…

The Simplicity of Tea

The Simplicity of Tea ~ at its essence tea is as simple as simple can be… leaves, water, boil, drink. But of course, it can also be complex… the perfect tea, an exact temperature to the water, a definitive amount of tea, the precise brewing time, and specific cups and pots to serve the tea…

Healing Power of Frankincense

The Healing Power of Frankincense has been known, utilised and revered by ancient cultures for thousands of years. Frankincense, also called olibanum, comes from a shrubby tree belonging to the genus Boswellia. It grows in the deserts of East African and Arabian regions, and can be so ingenious and resilient in its ability to grow,…

Love

Everybody loves Love! It is the answer to… well, pretty much everything. I of course, do not profess to know what the meaning of life is for anyone at all other than me, but for me, the meaning is ~ love! To give it, receive it, and to live it; that’s where my bliss is.…

Green Tea Essential Oil

Green Tea Essential Oil, like green tea itself, has a myriad of health, skin, and wellbeing benefits. Let me start with what is an essential oil… Essential oils are the concentrated elixirs of plants; extracted from the roots, stems, leaves, bark, seeds and flowers. They are used in minute doses for a range of therapeutic,…

13 Reasons to drink GreenWitch Tea

13 Reasons to drink GreenWitch Tea ~ in a nutshell: Fairtrade, organic, sourcing, tiny green footprint, eco-friendly, purity, taste, quality, value, artistry, service, ethic and love. 13 Reasons to drink GreenWitch Tea ~ elaboration Fairtrade ~ this means every worker from every tea garden that we source our tea from, is paid a fair wage,…

Should my green tea taste bitter?

Should my green tea taste bitter? In a word, no! Green tea should be sweet, crisp, creamy, delicate, nutty, roasty, seeweedy or vegetal ~ but not bitter. If your green tea does taste bitter, it will either be a poor quality tea, or it has been brewed incorrectly. Ways to ensure your green tea is…

Cooking with Flowers

The enjoyment of food is a multisensory experience; from the sound of someone in the kitchen preparing a meal with love, and the delicious, wafting aroma, to obviously the mouth-watering taste of a beautiful meal. However, too often, the visual delight of a meal is overlooked. One of the easiest ways to remedy this, is…

Edible Flowers

Edible Flowers have been enjoyed in ancient cultures for thousands of years ~ lotus and chrysanthemums in China, rose petals in India and Persia, and mallow and violets in Ancient Rome. They are prized not just for their visual aesthetic, but also for their gentle and exotic scents, unique flavours, and abundance of nutrients. There…

Everybody Loves Tea

Everybody loves tea ~ it’s the perfect pick me up, calm me down, set me straight, keep me focused, kind of drink. No wonder it is the drink of choice on a movie set! Whether playing heroes, monsters, detectives, funny folk, good guys or bad guys… Everybody Loves Tea! From my collection of Everybody Loves…

Detox Herbs

Using Detox Herbs is part of natural healing and living in harmony with Mother Nature. The body in its natural state is biologically designed to eliminate toxins. However, our modern lifestyle has immensely increased the amount of toxins we constantly ingest. Polluted water, soil and air, a chemical laden diet, processed food, fluoride, artificial environments,…

Tea and Poetry

Tea and Poetry are a hand in glove fit. Tea’s warmth, comfort, romance, Zen, and whimsy so easily whisk us off to lands of mysticism, forests, flutes, and magick… Tea and Poetry both invite us to step away from the hustle~bustleness into a moment of enchantment. I hope you enjoy my wee collection of Tea…

Interesting Facts about Tea

There are many Interesting Facts about Tea… ‘interesting’ read: fun, funny, surprising and weird. From the fact the Ritz in Hong Kong serves the world’s most expensive high tea at $8,888 per couple, to tea plants can grow over 15 metres tall (50 feet), if they’re not pruned. Here’s some more Interesting Facts about Tea……

Unusual Tea Additions

Unusual Tea Additions occur all over the world. A cup of tea can be made as quirky, sweet, spicy, intoxicating, fun, rich or layered as the person drinking it ~ by adding a few unexpected ingredients. Some Unusual Tea Additions are cultural, some can be determined by climate, others the need to make food and…

A-Z of Chilling Out

A-Z of Chilling Out ~ in amongst the challenges and hectic pace of life, so many folk seem to be missing their moment, and missing the simple but wondrous things that are going on all around them. This little A-Z of Chilling Out list is about bringing some wonder and celebration back into your day,…

Green Tea Smoothie

Green Tea Smoothies ~ are not only delicious, but they’re chock full of nutrients and so many health benefits; especially when you add a ‘super-food’ or two, some healthy fats, and a few organic fruits and vegetables. I use to make my Green Tea Smoothie with Matcha tea, but because I have not yet been able…

Smoking Ceremony

Smoking ceremonies have been used by ancient and traditional cultures around the world for thousands of years. Healers, shamans and spiritual practitioners have cleansed and healed their people with sacred rituals using smoke in a variety of forms ~ such as sweat lodges, smudging and smoking pipes. Many religions also engage in a Smoking Ceremony before…

Raw Caramel Chocolate Slice

This Raw Caramel Chocolate Slice is another of my own recipes. It is raw, vegan, gluten free, incredibly healthy, and totally scrumptious. I use organic ingredients only (kind to all who eat it and to Mother Earth), but that is up to you. Do not let the three layers put you off, there is no…

Mojo Bags

Mojo Bags are also called spell bags, medicine bags, charm bags, gris-gris bags, prayer bags, and amulets. Traditional Mojo Bags originated in Africa and are integrated with a folk magick called Hoodoo (1), not to be confused with Voodoo which is an actual religion. They are given names, fed, and maintained a certain way. However,…

Wisdom in a Teacup

Wisdom in a Teacup abounds; all we have to do is hold each cup with mindfulness. The absolute simplicity of adding water to a leaf while being totally present, brings with it poetry, depth, ritual and meditation. Wisdom in a Teacup is never further away than your next pot. And the joy is, it is…

Fun with Herbs

There are so many ways to have Fun with Herbs. Herbs can be made into magick charms, herbal oils, bath additives, vision enhancers, infusions, healing potions, face lotions, and dream pillows, to name but a few. Mother Nature has supplied us with so many ways to have Fun with Herbs, all you need to add…

How to make Green Tea

How to make Green Tea with a modicum of finesse is up there for me with how to cook a great meal, breathe deeply, or bliss out watching the sun set. A fine cup of green tea is one of life’s simple, exquisite pleasures; for a moment the world slows down, and only tranquility exists.…

Gratitude Rituals

Gratitude Rituals are about setting an intention to be thankful for what is in your moment, your day, your life. Gratitude has become a bit of a buzz word, but it is one of the simplest and most effective practices you can engage in to live a happier, healthier and more joyful life. By engaging…

Tea Poems

Tea Poems vary just like tea does… They can whisk you away to an exotic land or an afternoon adventure with faerie folk… Make a perfect backdrop for a romantic-themed tea party… Or lull you gently into the meditative art of tea. My Tea Poems Part One blog (1) a month or so ago, featured…

Tea Meditation

I love a simple Tea Meditation every morning. It awakens me to the new day, engages each of my senses, prepares me for yoga, and fills me with gratitude for being alive. A Tea Meditation has many benefits: It is a beautiful way to start your day (or is equally lovely at any other time) Brings…

Food for Healthy Skin

Food for Healthy Skin is the cornerstone for a natural glow as healthy skin starts from within. Your diet largely determines the health of your cells (which are the building blocks of your skin and every other part of your body). Given that your skin is your largest organ, it is usually the first part…

Blueberry and Banana Muffins

These Blueberry and Banana Muffins are my own recipe. I use totally organic, vegan ingredients, and they are gluten free. Don’t be misled into thinking that means they won’t be yummy. They are as delicious as they are nutritious. And coupled with the perfect Green Tea (I have suggested a tea below) they are a…

Healthy Skin

Healthy Skin is a reflection of your internal health and balance. Like most good things it starts from the inside out. It does not matter what you put onto it, if you are dehydrated, over exposed to the sun, around cigarette smoke, or highly stressed, it is going to show on your skin. Healthy Skin…

Herbal Oils

Herbal Oils are so simple to make, have a myriad of healing benefits, and can be used as a base for homemade massage oils, creams, balms, salves, hair treatments and soaps, as well as to flavour both sweet and savoury cooking. I usually have around eight to ten oils on the go at any one…

How to brew green tea

How to brew green tea? First, heat the water, second, pour it over the tea leaves. This does work. However, people then ask, why does green tea taste bitter? I have blogged already on the generalities of making a perfect cup of tea(1), and how much difference the quality of the water makes(2). This blog…

Tea Wisdom

Tea Wisdom ~ as water is to life and champagne is to celebration, surely tea is to wisdom. Tea and its mysticism have been revered in healing rituals, royal courts, clairvoyant readings, and poetic writings since Tea was first discovered (1). Tea wisdom instructs the warrior, mystic, shaman (2 & 3) and soothsayer (4) alike.…

Tea Poems

Tea Poems have been written since we have been drinking tea… It is just so easy to wax lyrical on the magick and mysticism of the perfect cup, or how a pot of tea melts away the din, or the Zen experience of a meditative tea ritual. Here is a short collection of Tea Poems…

Cooking with Green Tea

Cooking with Green Tea is a simple, yet innovative way of adding some extra green tea nutrients to your day. Tea is actually a herb, and can be used in the same manner that you would use any other herb such as basil, lemongrass or ginger. Cooking with Green Tea adds taste, colour, nourishment and…

Health Benefits of Tisanes

Tisanes are herbal infusions made from any plant other than the tea plant, Camellia sinensis (1). The Health Benefits of Tisanes have been utilised in ancient forms of healing for thousands of years. Ayurvedic, Egyptian and Chinese medicine’s use of herbs can be traced back at least 5,000 years. Hippocrates laid the foundation of modern…

Tisanes

What is tea? All tea ~ white, green, black, yellow, oolong ~ comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. Everything else referred to as ‘tea’, is not! Herbal ‘teas’ are actually Tisanes (the French word for ‘herbal infusion’). Tisanes are made from the fresh or dried leaves, bark, roots, seeds, fruits and flowers of various plants ~…

The perfect cup of Green Tea

The perfect cup of Green Tea is magickal thing! Of course ‘perfect’ is a matter of both perspective and personal taste. I have had perfect cups of tea whilst trekking whose perfection had nothing to do with quality (think old teabag), but rather the tea warmed me and made me grateful to be alive… definitely,…

Green Tea Skin Care

Green Tea’s ritual practices, calming effect and health benefits are the stuff of both legend and scientific studies. Green Tea as Skin Care is now joining that list. Chinese medicine has been using Green Tea for Skin Care (both internally and topically) for centuries, and it is now fast becoming the latest favourite ingredient(1) of…

Stress Management

How to make Stress Management as easy as ABC! There’s no getting away from stress, it’s simply part of life. Anything that places a demand upon you, i.e. elicits a response, is considered stress(1). Technically that means: losing your job, receiving a promotion, going down to the police station, or going on a holiday, are…

Fun facts about Tea

Ancient and modern poems, books, rituals and ceremonies, wax lyrical in word or action, about the mystical and healing properties of tea. However, there is also the whimsical side. The little known, Fun Facts about Tea that delight one’s fancy ~ such as a compress of strong, lukewarm tea will relieve sunburn (true) and you…

The Art of Ageing

The Art of Ageing ~ gracefully, with energy and vibrancy ~ I believe, comes mainly from the inside out. Positive attitude, joy, and zest, sparkle fourth from some people like an effervescent fountain, regardless of their age. Others can be young in years, but seem aged because of a rigid disposition married to an inflexible…

Herbal Medicine Part 3

Herbal Medicine is about living in harmony with Mother Nature and appreciating that our wholistic health is intrinsically connected to living by her laws. Laws that include drinking clean water, eating natural foods, following our circadian rhythm(1), moving our bodies frequently, and wherever possible using nature to heal our ailments. This blog, Herbal Medicine Part…

Tea Superstitions

Tea Superstitions ~ since the legend of Emperor Shen Nung’s(1) discovery of tea nearly 5,000 years ago, to modern, tea leaf fortune-telling, tea is steeped in folklore, magick, whimsy and superstition ~ enough to make a Green Witch’s heart smile. And like all superstitions, Tea Superstitions represent good luck, bad luck, and a wee bit of…

The Art of Happiness

The Art of Happiness ~ that’s some art form isn’t it. What is it? How do you get it down? What are the secrets to the Art of Happiness? I don’t profess to speak for anyone but myself, but I have spent my adult life working in the fields of empowering, healing and protecting, and…

Why buy Fairtrade Tea

Why buy Fairtrade tea ~ we would suggest the number one reason is to ensure that the people who grew and picked your tea are treated ethically and paid fairly. However, there are many other reasons to buy Fairtrade tea. Buying Fairtrade anything, is a way of making sure that the people who worked on…

The ABC of Tea

The ABC of Tea ~ there is a tea, or tea related snippet of whimsy, to match every mood, occasion and letter of the alphabet… A is for Afternoon tea ~ that magickal moment amongst the efforts of your day, a time to pause, and linger blissfully over your favourite cup of tea. B is…

The Art of Zen

The Art of Zen is nothing more than learning to be at one with your present moment. It is a way of emptying your mind of everything other than the ‘task’ at hand. The Art of Zen is perhaps the simplest concept in the world, yet bringing it into everyday living can be more elusive…

The Art of Adapting

The Art of Adapting is essential to the health of our body, mind and spirit. The pace of modern living is a little faster, busier and noisier by the day. Social media creates an ever changing stage; the internet has put the ability to upgrade knowledge (on any subject whatsoever) at our finger-tips; and our workplaces…

Green Tea and Yoga

Green Tea and Yoga are a hand-in-glove fit I believe. Not only for the exceptional health and wellbeing virtues they share, but also for the meditative and zen aspects they both nurture. Green Tea and Yoga are the way I start every day. They are my ‘good morning world’, balancing act. They both ground and…

Herbal Medicine Part 2

Herbal Medicine is the oldest and most widely used form of medicine in the world today. Ayurvedic Medicine has Sanskrit records of Herbal Medicine written more than 5,000 years old. Traditional Chinese Medicine dates back more than 2,500 years. Western herbalism goes back to ancient Egypt. The Greeks developed a comprehensive system of Herbal Medicine…

Herbal Medicine Part 1

Herbal Medicine (also known as herbal remedies or phytopharmaceuticals) is a natural form of healing as ancient as humankind. Every culture on earth includes some form of Herbal Medicine in their traditional treatment of body, mind and spirit. Chinese, Ayurvedic and Australian Aboriginal medicine are three such examples, all with roots that are many thousands…

Coconut, ginger and turmeric tea for health and wellbeing

Coconut, ginger and turmeric tea for health and wellbeing is a little bit of a misnomer. Not the ‘health and wellbeing’ part, but the ‘tea’ part. All Tea, whether it be Green, Black, Oolong, White or Pu-erh, is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. All other ‘teas’, are technically not tea. Any…

Health benefits of Green Tea

The health benefits of Green Tea are numerous. Way too numerous to cover in one blog. So this is Part 1 of an ongoing blog theme ‘Health Benefits of Green Tea’ that I will be periodically writing about. Let me start with the hero of the Green Tea story: EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate)… Once Upon a Time……

Celebrities love tea

Celebrities love tea for the same reasons everybody else loves tea, because, well… what’s not to love. Tea is refreshing, calming, energising and healing. It invites you to stop the bustle a while and quietly reflect upon a question in your mind or the magick of your day. It buoys and recharges you when you…

Green Tea, the natural way to clean your home

Green Tea, the natural way to clean your home, so if your tea is past its use-by date, don’t throw it out. Stale Green Tea leaves can be used instead, to add sparkle to your windows and wooden floors, deodorise your carpet and refrigerator, and when perfumed with herbs, spices or essential oils, they are the…

Tea Rituals from Around the World

Tea rituals from around the world are designed to slow down the busyness of life for a spell, delight your senses, and encourage you to be totally engaged in the joy of your moment. Here is a wee snapshot of a few… In Russia the traditional way of making tea is by heating a ‘samovar’…

How do you make the perfect cup of Green Tea?

I think Nietzsche was writing about making the perfect cup of Green Tea when he wrote: ‘You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, it does not exist’. Well probably not, but he could have been! There are entire books dedicated to making the perfect cup of Green Tea, yet my perfect cup at…

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