Great Creator,
Beautiful mother Earth
We start where we are:
Bringing our fear, our anger, our grief and our gratitude
and our love
Even if we have to light the pipe 100 times
We bring our very selves
the fullness of who we are
to you.
Offering a Cup of Tea
If you were here right now, I’d make you a cup of tea. Not the kind of tea you may be used to drinking, but the kind that is filled with whisperings and reflections and a few bits of tea leaves swirling. The kind that brings stillness into the room, maybe tears.
This kind of tea can work miracles. It’s a good thing to have around when you’re overwhelmed, afraid, sad, worn down, or skeptical.
This tea that I am offering will contain everything you need to begin. The seeds of gratitude, the offerings of our Earth, and the blessings and medicine that come from each element of the world.
The East: Beginnings and the Long View
sunrise, beginnings, the eagle who soars with long sight
spring, green shoots, lustrous hair
the parts of ourselves that are young and need to be nurtured
the part that believes…in…MAGIC
In this part of the circle:
Eagle
Pine
Angelica
Lemon balm
The South: Passion, and Trickery
mid-day; fullness
summer
finding our passion
building a sense of place
embodying humor
keeping passion ignited
gratitude and appreciation
To help in this part of the circle:
Deer
Douglas fir
Rose
Poison oak
The West: Stillness, and the Dark
sunset; harvest
autumn
mapping our emotional landscape
finding meaning within
valuing silence and time alone
walking in the dark
feeling solid in our own wisdom
To help in this part of the circle:
Bear and salmon
Oak
Osha
Mallow
The North: Ancient Magic
midnight; transition; the veil
winter
the roots of our being
wisdom from ancestors and teachers
sharing our wisdom with the world
Plants to help you in this part of the circle:
Raven
Redwood
Usnea
Mugwort
Kyra Epstein 