Virtuous Teas

So I grabbed the smaller bags of tea from Virtuous Teas from Mitzie and E, deciding to try those out today.  It’s a Monday, so it’s a bit of a trial to wake up and go into work.  I am disappointed in the weather, since we were supposed to get some snow last night, and we didn’t get more than a dusting.  So off to work, YAY!
Got into work and had some reports to finish up, so I started a cup of the T’ai (sic) Chi Herbal.  It is a sipping Tea, according to Virtuous Teas’ site.  I can only imagine that a “sipping tea” means that it should be enjoyed a small amount at a time.  I am also assuming this is because the different herbs involved in the mix make it so the tea is to mellow the drinker and they aren’t to consume it like one usually drinks black tea?  I don’t know, and none of my reference books seem to explain the term.  The T’ai Chi Herbal is a mix of “Apple, Silver Linden, Melissa Leaves, Lavender, Rose petals, Blackberry Leaf, Orange Blossom, Mallow Blossom”.

The tea is good, not one I would just drink on a whim, I might have to be in a particular mood.  I do not associate the scent of rose petals to something I am imbibing, and this has a distinct rose scent.  It thankfully is not overpowering to the palate, which is very happy for the other flavors of apple and orange blossom, but I am also not a fan of eating/drinking lavender.  This tea falls into a category of “I like it for now…” and I do plan on finishing the bag of it, but I do not plan to purchase more of this mix.

Next up, more reports and another mix of tea.  I tried the Persephone Organic White blend from Virtuous Teas.  So…Virtuous Teas must have taken this mix down, so I cannot find the exact ingredients, but from the scent and description, this is what I am guessing.  White tea comes from the buds and leaves of the Chinese Camellia sinensis plant. The leaves and buds are allowed to wither in natural sunlight before they are lightly processed to prevent oxidation or further tea processing.  And the scent smells of pomegranate, and as the fruit associated to Persephone is a pomegranate, I think my assumption on the addition of this ingredient is not far off.  I am not sure if the red flecks are just dried pomegranate or if there is saffron flower as well.  So, since it includes the name of Persephone, I feel like I should tell a bit about the myth of why a pomegranate is associated to her in her chthonic persona.

Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, and is a vegetation goddess.  Demeter hid her daughter away from the other gods and even dismissed the advances/suit of Apollo and (possibly) Ares.  So…Zeus, it is said, permitted Hades, who was in love with the beautiful Persephone, to carry her off as her mother Demeter was not likely to allow her daughter to go down to Hades. Persephone was gathering flowers with the Oceanids along with Artemis and Athena (according to Homer) in a field when Hades came to abduct her, bursting through a cleft in the earth. 

Demeter, when she found her daughter had disappeared, searched for her all over the earth with torches.  According to the more popular myths, Demeter neglects the earth and in the depth of her despair she causes nothing to grow. Helios, the sun, who sees everything, eventually told Demeter what had happened and at length she discovered the place of her abode. Finally, Zeus forced Hades to return Persephone.

Ultimately, Hades gives in to the request, but not before tricking Persephone into eating some pomegranate seeds.  This makes it so Persephone has tasted food in the underworld, thus she is obliged to spend a third of each year (the winter months) there, and the remaining part of the year with her mother, Demeter, above.

I like this myth, not for the abduction, but for the interesting explanation for the season of winter and also for the duality that is seen in the person of Persephone as a chthonic deity as well as one of vegetation.  The actual explanation for the dual personality is that Persephone is more than one deity put together, but that doesn’t stop me from appreciating the myth.  Also, the pomegranate is the fruit of life, death, and rebirth in several mythologies/traditions and can possibly be assumed as the Fruit of the Tree in Genesis.  I like this blend a lot; it is soft like most white teas and has one of my favorite fruit tastes, so much happiness.

My Dad and Stepmom, Nancy, sent us a package.  YAY!  It has a French Press in it, some herbal infusions (teas) from Tazo and a pouch each of Organic Peppermint and Chamomile.  I will have to have these when I am at home, since none of them can be consumed when I might fall asleep without help and then add chamomile…yeah…bad plan.  LOL.  There are chocolate truffles from Lindt and awesome travel mugs!  I think they look cute, one is black and one is white with rhinestones.  Probably a bride and groom thing…not sure…but I like them J.

So the bed is being delivered tomorrow…and I am exhausted.  Night night for now.