At Samhain I did something new in my private rituals. I made a pot of tea and poured a cup for my ancestors. It felt right at the time. I’ve been thinking about this on and off since then and had decided to do this more often. I’ve been planning to get some loose leaf tea and make a pot of tea to share with the ancestors but today I felt strongly that I needed to make a beginning even though I do not yet have any loose leaf tea.
So I boiled the kettle (with fresh water), warmed the pot, popped in a tea bag and brewed a pot of tea. I have a small and rather beautiful bone china cup and saucer that I used at Samhain for the ancestor’s tea and I used the same cup today. I know that most of my recent ancestors liked a cup of tea and while preparing the tea I thought about them and talked to them.
I left the cup of tea on the shelf by photos of my more recent ancestors until cold with a biscuit and a few grapes. It felt like the right thing to do. It felt good doing this and drinking tea from the pot, sharing tea with them as I would with other freinds and family.
I intend to repeat this ritual sharing of a cup of tea regularly, probably every full moon and hopefully with some good quality loose leaf tea in the future too.
Musings of a Scottish Hearth Druid and Heathen 
i really like the sound of this, it is the kind of ‘formal’ and regular ritual i am looking at beginning as a means of personal observance towards deity.
LikeLike
Not sure if this would go down well with any of the gods or not. I guess it could with some of them, I’ve never considered doing this as way of connecting with deity before.
LikeLike
I think the most beautiful part of spirituality is to be able to get in touch with divine in ways that is meaningful to the you. I really like this. It reminds me of our (Caribbean people) relationship with the dead. On the day of the dead we visit our relatives’ resting place and clean their graves. Then we bring their favorite foods–and drinks–and share it with them.
By the way, I read your reply on GORSEDD ARBERTH and now I’m very intrigued. Any posting on the topic on your blog in the near future?
LikeLike
I will happily acknowledge that my idea of sharing a cup of tea with my ancestors has its roots in what I have learnt of other cultures methods of honouring the dead including the Caribbean and Chinese traditions of feeding and making offerings for the departed.
No plans currently to post on experiences in past meditations here as they are very much in the past. I don’t do very much in the way of meditation now and haven’t for a few years.
LikeLike