Homemade teas are something of a staple in witchcraft.
Especially so for the hearth or kitchen witch.
The act of brewing tea can be used to cast a spell while the tea itself is something of a "magical potion", it can cure ailments and boost health and longevity.
One of my personal favorites, and something I consume regularly, I like to call Immortal Tea.
It's a simple blend of hibiscus leaves and dried elderberries.
Hibiscus and elderberries are both rich in antioxidants.
Antioxidants help cleanse our body of excess free radicals and in the western world, free radicals are in abundance from air pollution, and industrialization.
While we need a healthy balance of antioxidants and free radicals, too many free radicals lead to health issues such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
Hibiscus has been shown to help lower high blood pressure and high blood fat.
It was even shown to reduce obesity in animals when give in larger, concentrated doses.
This doesn't necessarily translate into shedding weight for humans, but it might mean a little metabolism boost, and for someone with PCOS, like myself, that's always welcome.
Elderberry has been used as a medicine since medicine was invented. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, called the elder tree his "medicine chest".
Elderberry has been used as a treatment for many health problems: constipation, joint and muscle paint, respiratory issues, headaches, fever, kidney problems, stress, but most importantly it is believed to help with inflammation. Chronic inflammation is linked to cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's and asthma.
When you put these two superfoods together, you get a powerful 'potion' that boosts the immune system, fights off free radicals and inflammation and thus contributes to longevity.
Which is why I call it, Immortal Tea ;)
It also tastes really nice by itself or with a little bit of sweetener of your choosing.
How to Make Your Own
You'll need some dried Hibiscus leaves and some dried Elderberries. I get all of my herbs here:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/SchmerbalsHerbals
I am not affiliated with this shop in any way. I'm just letting you know where I get them. (They've always been reliable for me so I do recommend them if you're in the States.)
Making the tea, in case you're new to this.
I make mine by the cup because I'm the only person in my house that drinks tea.
So I fill my little infuser half with hibiscus and half with elderberries.
I like a half and half ratio.
You will adjust as you try it out to see what flavor you like best. The berry is a little earthier and the hibiscus a little more tart.
Now the thing with herbal tea is you have to let it steep a little longer than black tea to get all the medicinal benefits and flavor.
For this tea you'll want to let it steep 5 - 7 minutes depending on how much flavor you like.
I'm good at 5 minutes but I don't smoke or anything so my palate is pretty sensitive.
This tea isn't bad all by itself. It's definitely consumable, but if you want to spruce it up a little, you can add a sweetener of your preference.
Sources:
Link, Rachael. “8 Benefits of Hibiscus Tea.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 25 Nov. 2017, www.healthline.com/nutrition/hibiscus-tea-benefits
“What You Need to Know about Drinking Elderberry Tea.” Open Door Tea CT, 6 Mar. 2020, opendoortea.com/blogs/tea-knowledge/what-you-need-to-know-about-drinking-elderberry-tea.
Pathak, Neha. “Elderberry: Health Benefits, Risks, Uses, Effectiveness.” WebMD, WebMD, 21 Sept. 2020, https://www.webmd.com/diet/elderberry-health-benefits#1.
Photo Credit: https://www.pexels.com/photo/tea-with-hibiscus-leaves-6507025/
Hibiscus & Elderberry - Immortal Tea
Monday, September 27, 2021
Homemade teas are something of a staple in witchcraft.
Especially so for the hearth or kitchen witch.
The act of brewing tea can be used to cast a spell while the tea itself is something of a "magical potion", it can cure ailments and boost health and longevity.
One of my personal favorites, and something I consume regularly, I like to call Immortal Tea.
It's a simple blend of hibiscus leaves and dried elderberries.
Hibiscus and elderberries are both rich in antioxidants.
Antioxidants help cleanse our body of excess free radicals and in the western world, free radicals are in abundance from air pollution, and industrialization.
While we need a healthy balance of antioxidants and free radicals, too many free radicals lead to health issues such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
Hibiscus has been shown to help lower high blood pressure and high blood fat.
It was even shown to reduce obesity in animals when give in larger, concentrated doses.
This doesn't necessarily translate into shedding weight for humans, but it might mean a little metabolism boost, and for someone with PCOS, like myself, that's always welcome.
Elderberry has been used as a medicine since medicine was invented. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, called the elder tree his "medicine chest".
Elderberry has been used as a treatment for many health problems: constipation, joint and muscle paint, respiratory issues, headaches, fever, kidney problems, stress, but most importantly it is believed to help with inflammation. Chronic inflammation is linked to cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's and asthma.
When you put these two superfoods together, you get a powerful 'potion' that boosts the immune system, fights off free radicals and inflammation and thus contributes to longevity.
Which is why I call it, Immortal Tea ;)
It also tastes really nice by itself or with a little bit of sweetener of your choosing.
How to Make Your Own
You'll need some dried Hibiscus leaves and some dried Elderberries. I get all of my herbs here:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/SchmerbalsHerbals
I am not affiliated with this shop in any way. I'm just letting you know where I get them. (They've always been reliable for me so I do recommend them if you're in the States.)
Making the tea, in case you're new to this.
I make mine by the cup because I'm the only person in my house that drinks tea.
So I fill my little infuser half with hibiscus and half with elderberries.
I like a half and half ratio.
You will adjust as you try it out to see what flavor you like best. The berry is a little earthier and the hibiscus a little more tart.
Now the thing with herbal tea is you have to let it steep a little longer than black tea to get all the medicinal benefits and flavor.
For this tea you'll want to let it steep 5 - 7 minutes depending on how much flavor you like.
I'm good at 5 minutes but I don't smoke or anything so my palate is pretty sensitive.
This tea isn't bad all by itself. It's definitely consumable, but if you want to spruce it up a little, you can add a sweetener of your preference.
Sources:
Link, Rachael. “8 Benefits of Hibiscus Tea.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 25 Nov. 2017, www.healthline.com/nutrition/hibiscus-tea-benefits
“What You Need to Know about Drinking Elderberry Tea.” Open Door Tea CT, 6 Mar. 2020, opendoortea.com/blogs/tea-knowledge/what-you-need-to-know-about-drinking-elderberry-tea.
Pathak, Neha. “Elderberry: Health Benefits, Risks, Uses, Effectiveness.” WebMD, WebMD, 21 Sept. 2020, https://www.webmd.com/diet/elderberry-health-benefits#1.
Photo Credit: https://www.pexels.com/photo/tea-with-hibiscus-leaves-6507025/
