Appalachian Tea Ceremony

What exactly is an Appalachian Tea Ceremony and why might you want to come?

Tea ceremonies have been around for thousands of years, honoring the plant Camellia sinensis, better known as Tea.

In the Appalachian Tea Ceremony, we take the idea of tea time to another realm. An herbal infusion is the liquid that we imbibe, and each ceremony honors a different plant, depending on the time of year. None of these plants served are mind-altering plants, btw. (I get asked this question alot, so clarifying here:-))

This idea of an Appalachian Tea Ceremony came to my friend and mentor, Jessie Wilder, in 2016, who invited me to co-create one with her at an annual summer gathering. In 2019, I got the inspiration to host them regularly.

Due to the logistics of making an herbal infusion, I make the brews before the ceremony. We drink a single highlighted plant infusion first, and then later in the ceremony, I serve a blend which includes that single highlighted plant. I use fresh plants, grown right here on this land.

A more adequate name would be an Appalachian Herbal Infusion or Tisane Ceremony, but that doesn’t sound as catchy;-) An infusion is allowing the plant material to be steeped in hot water for half hour to hours; herbal tea or tisane is when the plant material is steeped only for a few minutes, similar to how Tea is prepared.

The tea ceremony is a local, medicinal, caffeine-free, open-hearted, herbal opportunity for acknowledging the sacred in everyday. A time for slowing down, giving thanks and being present with whatever is bubbling up inside of you that day.

It is as much an infusion of the people who attend it, as it is of the herbs themselves. Each ceremony makes its own flavor.

• Depending on the weather, we offer the ceremony in the gazebo or on the grounds/gardens of this beautiful farm. If too cold or wet, we meet indoors. I make a centerpiece honoring the four elements.
• We sit on backjacks on the ground, although there are chairs for anyone who would prefer them – the most important thing is to feel comfortable.
• We take a few moments to be still and quiet and feel our breath moving in and out of us while receiving a sound bath.
• We choose our mug, bow and acknowledge our ancestors.
• We practice deep listening. We go deeper with the plants. Sometimes a song comes forth. 
• We share tea. We share story. We share. And you can always choose to be silent and not speak a word.

In closing, I offer a salutation, we give back any remaining tea to Earth Mother, and we move into the next layer of our day, hopefully with a more calm, peaceful way of being.

I offer these ceremonies regularly so we may steep ourselves in plant wisdom year round.

But please do come and find out for yourself! And check out this interview of the ceremony in the EatWeeds Podcast or on our local radio station or you could read a wonderful description of it in the second edition of Steve Lorch’s book “How to Make and Grow Tea in the United States” or read from Nina’s Blue Ridge Botanic blog about her own experience at one of my Appalachian Tea Ceremonies!

Cheers!