On the importance of tea

i must admit to not having any caffine when reading as it makes me too hyper and i read too fast!
but when not reading a good coffee is great (am not talking chain store ones either, a proper one)

A couple of years ago we had a tea exchange here on AT. I never knew there were so many teas. I got Australian 'Billy Bong' tea from ravenest. It was too strong for a tarot deck. Maybe a mugwort tea would go before a reading..

Asbestos Mango said:

Is it even possible to read the Tarot without tea? Or do people manage tea-less Tarot, and it's some weird quirk of mine?

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It is VERY possible... I almost ALWAYS read without tea..... now, coffee..... but even so -

I guess I do like to have some kind of drink handy- water is fine - but so I can have a sip when I feel like it.... not for any ritual reason !

You all have obviously never been introduced to the Nissan Backpack Bottle. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000K604P0...e=asn&creative=380341&creativeASIN=B000K604P0

I make 2 at a time with one tea bag. I like my tea black and weak so I get 32 oz from one red rose tea bag.

UNOPENED, the bottles will keep tea scalding hot for 8 hours. hot enough to burn you.

If you are sipping from the bottle and reclosing it in between sips, it stays hot for 2-3 hours. It's safe to keep by your cards (leakproof) and will stay hot longer than any reading.

I take a bottle with me everywhere. When I shop for bags, I make sure it has a pocket for my bottle. I have let it bang around in a bag and it never leaked...but I prefer not to push my luck. For extra leakproof precaution, before placing in bag, release the cap and recover to relieve any pressure that may have built up and make sure NOT to overfill.

24/7 I have hot tea by my side. It really is a security blanket for me. Every once in awhile when sipping from my bottle, while acting anxious, someone will point out that maybe the tea is adding to my anxiety. I tend to growl and say, "believe me you do NOT want to see me without my baby bottle!"

hunter said:

You all have obviously never been introduced to the Nissan Backpack Bottle. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000K604P0...e=asn&creative=380341&creativeASIN=B000K604P0

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I don't LIKE black tea..... except Earl/Lady Grey

But - Red Rose - where are you getting that ? Are you in Canada ? I never noticed.... That is tolerable ! but I still don't need to have the stuff with me at all times.

I'm in the USA. I think I have even purchased Red Rose tea in another country, but it was one that imported a lot of American products, as main items, not specialty items.

LotusSong said:

The thought of having anything liquid near my cards during a reading horrifies me.

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I think of any spills as libations-- offerings.
I have a few decks that have been...err..... 'blessed' a bit by the tea. But then, I like my decks to feel worn-in, well-used... I don't mind bends, tears, scuffs, and spills, as long as the deck is still usable.

I have a very vivid memory of an occasion when a drop of black tea fell on my beloved (unlaminated!) Soprafino deck.. my favorite, favorite, most precious one I own.... I hurriedly tried to wipe it off before it stained (too late) and left a small golden smear across the back of the card. At first, I was horrified... but then, I settled into the idea, and it's not so bad. The card in question was the 3 of cups, so I just think of the RWS image of those women celebrating with cup-bearing arms outstretched, and think maybe they got a little too exuberant, dancing with their beverages.

214red said:

i must admit to not having any caffine when reading as it makes me too hyper and i read too fast!

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I start out a day of readings speaking very slowly and calmly about anything, but am quite sensitive to caffeine, so by the end of the day, after the constant tea-drinking, I am quite animated and speak very fast! I have to make conscious efforts to speak at an understandable pace.
I wonder if clients who usually booked in the early afternoon thought of me differently than those who came later in the evening?

214red said:

i must admit to not having any caffine when reading as it makes me too hyper and i read too fast!
but when not reading a good coffee is great (am not talking chain store ones either, a proper one)

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Actually I never drink caffeine as it makes me too hyper/nervous/stressed, always. I am very sensitive to it. So anything with caffeine I drink would definitely impair my ability to read. Any coffee or tea I drink is always decaf.

Babs

I am from the US, and I am drinking tea right now!
I don't use caffeine but I drink a lot of herbal teas. I don't always drink tea during a reading, but I probably do read better when I have some! ;-)