Mardi: Herbal-Wise

Decoctions, tisanes and teas are used in both traditional and magickal healing to keep us healthy or to nurse us back to that state.  Tea proper, whether black or green, has uses in both areas as well.  It is a mild stimulant and diuretic and has astringent properties that benefit skin and hair.  Its magickal uses are somewhat limited in the west but probably only for the fact that it has not been known as long as it has been in the east.

In Wicca, tea is thought to impart courage and strength as well as draw wealth.  Tea is a sign of good fortune, as well as hospitality, in many eastern cultures as well.  Dried tea leaves are burned to draw money to a home or business.  They can also be sprinkled in cash registers and safes for the same purpose.  Scott Cunningham recommends adding them to all money mixtures and sachets.  He also recommends infusions of dark tea to add to any lust-inducing drink.

In hoodoo, tea leaves are not much thought of but odd items are sometimes brewed in boiling water and added to tea or coffee to ensure the fidelity of a partner.  In one such application, women are advised to boil a pair of underwear after wearing it for a day and add some of the resulting “tea” to their lover’s or husband’s morning coffee.  This is thought to ensure his fidelity, at least as long as he does not discern what’s in his morning cup of Joe…  Bonne chance ~

Header:  Lady at a Tea Table by Mary Cassatt c 1883