Since it's Beltane today, I thought I'd share a super easy and effective recipe that gives iced tea that has been charged with the sun's energies. This way of brewing tea was really popular in the 50's, but has recently become less popular because it takes some waiting and a lot of cleaning beforehand. Perfect for sabbats, feasts, or if you need a solar energy boost. You could quite easily incorporate this in to a spell or ritual. So, without further adieu, here's sun tea-
1) Get a glass jar that can hold four cups of water. It needs to be glass because the way this is brewed means chemicals from plastic containers can leach in to the tea. You will need to clean this very thoroughly with the hottest water you can in order to get rid of any bacteria that are sitting in there. Feel free to consecrate or bless the jar if you want.
2) Get five tea bags. It is better to use black tea since the caffeine can inhibit bacterial growth. You can also use the equivalent of five tea bags in loose tea if that's what you have.
3) Get four cups of water. Make sure this is bottled or you boil it beforehand. The reason I am reiterating boiling and cleaning things is because the brewing process is perfect for bacteria growth and there have been some cases of illness from sun tea. However, if you clean and sanitise your materials, you'll be fine.
4) Add water in to the glass jar and add the tea, seal and find a sunny spot in your garden. You can cleanse the spot of negative energies if you wish. Leave the tea to brew for a good few hours- I left mine from 7AM to 4PM, but earlier is probably better and equally as effective. Keep an eye on it- look for good colour, aroma and taste for an indication of readiness. It's all to your personal tastes.
5) Open the jar and observe for any possible patches of bacterial growth- if you cleaned it thoroughly there shouldn't be any at all. Pour in to tall glasses, add sugar, herbs or lemon if you want and add ice, and serve!
Serves 3-4
Blessed be!
