With the end of October, we feel many things shift. Depending where you live, the leaves change color and fall, and migrating birds cross the sky. The temperature changes, the days grow short, and business-owners sharpen their pencils as we move into Q4. It is a time of reckoning.

As it turns out, for millennia, people in diverse cultures have found this time of year especially significant, specifically the period between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice. For instance, both the Celts and the Maya—high civilizations perched at opposite ends of the pagan world– honored this season as the time of the year when the barrier between the realms, seen and unseen, briefly became permeable.

Both cultures believed that during this “thin” time, both the living and the dead could “cross over”. Echoes of these beliefs, which included the wearing of masks for safe passage when crossing between worlds, pranks, and offerings, persist in the secularized holiday of Halloween. And, some of the resonance and profundity of the season, I feel, explains the contemporary adoption of Dia de los Muertos and its rollicking, yet poetic imagery far beyond its original Mexican roots.

I find this to be a contemplative time of year, and of course I find tea to be an excellent companion for this contemplation. My favorite of the moment is a rare Margaret’s Hope Darjeeling, which is about as profound as a cup of tea can be. Our pick this year from Margaret’s Hope is what’s known as the “first flush of the first flush” among tea-growers and tea-pickers. This tea hits the palate with a burst of fresh nectar, like biting into a perfect apple. The feeling I get from this tea, which is available only in limited quantities, is a feeling not of closure and ending, but of promise: first buds, and dormant energy waiting to burst out. It is, incidentally, fitting to enjoy this tea, with its apple-like essence, as the Jewish New Year 5772 unfolds.

While the frost may not literally be on the pumpkin where you live, the wheel of the seasons has just made a major turn. From all of us at the Art of Tea, May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year!

There’s something about a good oxymoron. This one— Ti Kuan Yin, “Iron Goddess of Mercy”—uniquely captures the complexities of what some tea-drinkers consider to be the world’s best-known and best-loved Oolong.

In English, “iron” would not be a word associated with the quality of mercy. Even if we consider the juxtaposition of words in the context of the Chinese Wu Xing, or Five Phases identified in the Chinese cosmos—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water—Metal is the least yielding, the least merciful. As far as goddesses go, “iron” suggests more of a fierce, Valkyrie warrior-woman as opposed to the bodhissatva Kuan Yin, who hears the cry of the world, eases all suffering, and dries every tear with her unending compassion.

This seeming contradiction is what begins the revealing of this tea. Like so many depictions of Feminine Divinity across all cultures, this Chinese Oolong shows itself in a series of subtle, teasing unveilings.

The optimum steeping temperature for Ti Kuan Yin is 185 – 206 F, for 3 – 5 minutes. I took the middle way for the first steep, bringing the cup to my lips at four minutes. Bliss. I found there to be an elusive waft of grain in the first steep, with a pristine, fruit-blossom aroma.

As an Oolong, this tea is semi-oxidized, offering some of the feeling of both green and black teas. The second steep brought a less floral, nut-like, more roast-y, and deeply soothing note, as if the tea had literally ripened between steeps. Mistakenly thinking that the tea would weaken in value, my second steep was six and a half minutes. This second brew was a transparent amber, full, without a trace of “iron”, or any bitterness.

A number of ancient legends give this tea her name, one involving an iron statue of Kuan Yin who gave the gift of the tea-plant to a humble farmer who cared for her neglected shrine. As with ourselves, rediscovering and honoring life’s sacred places—sweeping out the twigs and dust—always yields revelation.

I especially enjoyed this tea as the weather in Los Angeles moved from brilliant and scorching to a chilly rain. According to the Chinese tradition, Metal is in fact in the fourth position of the Five Phases, associated with Autumn, and closure.

- Victoria Thomas

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Why-you-suh…let’s say that together…Why-You-Suh. Guayusa or Ilex guayusa is one of three caffeinated holly trees known in the world. The other two are its more popular cousin, Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) and Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria). The evergreen, holly-leafed tree originates and almost exclusively grows in the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest. But they can also be found in Peru and Colombia. Guayusa is harvested from trees that grow under shaded canopies. These trees can grow up to nearly 100 feet and live to be over 100 years old.

Although guayusa is not related to the Camellia Sinesis plant, the evergreen shrub that produces tea, guayusa leaves are similarly picked, dried and brewed for drinking. Over the years, guayusa was used as an energy lift because in addition to its caffeine content, it contains stimulants such as methyl xanthine alkaloids, theophyline, and theobromine.

Guayusa travels back to a history of cultural heritage by indigenous tribes in Ecuador. The Jivaro community nicknamed guayusa, “Night Watchman” because they believed it keeps you awake. Even while asleep, you are aware of your surroundings. Everyday the Jivaro woke up early in the morning to boil a pot of guayusa leaves, which they drank while telling stories. This tradition strengthened their kinship with each other and cultivated their relationships. The Jivaro also believed guayusa caused hypnotic effects that induced lucid dreams, which foretold the successfulness of hunting expeditions.

A prominent myth illustrates how the Kichwa people chewed on the guayusa leaves to be energized and strengthened, so they would stop being lazy and tired. Ages ago, the Amazon rainforests were over-populated with native tribes. People were always tired and unproductive. One day, a man traveled into the forest and fell asleep next to a tree. Legends say the guayusa tree spoke to him, telling him to eat the leaves. The man listened to the tree, and immediately, he was full of energy, strong and rejuvenated. This experience was passed down throughout the tribe, and eventually this began a tradition of chewing and later drinking guayusa for energy and strength.

I had my first cup of guayusa a few days ago. The beautiful honey hue it created smelled of vibrant earthy tones. It was like a freshly cut lawn on a spring morning after an evening of rain. I could taste the “awakening” almost immediately. The bold caffeine-content was subtle, almost comforting on my palate. It offered rich layers that soothed my throat and soon my entire body.

In addition to Art of Tea’s guayusa, try one of their newest blends also containing guayusa called Happy Tea. This organic certified tea combines guayusa, strawberries, green rooibos, apple bits, Jasmine green tea, hibiscus, rosehips and natural flavors to awaken you. Enjoy the smooth yet mild taste of the guayusa gently paired with the fragrance of sweetness.

-MELISSA CHUA

Tea is wonderful, however it’s enjoyed, and I think there is special pleasure in enjoying tea from a handmade clay cup which has been thrown on a potter’s wheel.  When you drink tea from such a cup, it’s easy to feel the revolving energy which created it. And for each of us, as with the ball of wet clay that becomes a vessel, the challenge is to become centered as the wheel whirls and spins.

The feeling of turning, turning is upon us. Fall is officially here. It is a time of harvest and celebration, and our table is heaped with ripeness and abundance. Then, there is emptiness.

If you’ve ever lived or worked on a farm, or even picked apples or grapes in an orchard or vineyard as a fun family outing, you know this feeling of stillness when all of the fruit has been gathered. The spaces which are created invite gratitude, and contemplation.

The same feeling is also in our cities and towns this time of year. Trees drop their leaves, and we see more sky, even in the middle of Seattle, London, or LA. Looking up, birds migrate in patterns across the new openings. These openings are opportunities for renewal in ourselves, as the old year releases us and a new year begins.

Speaking as someone whose life and work depends intimately upon the renewal of plants, this is just one of the many lessons that the natural world offers. By releasing old patterns, we make space for new growth. Renewal requires this letting go of the old.

With this is mind, you may find inspiration in steeping a pot of tea with a friend, and pouring out your intentions for the new cycle, the new year.

What old patterns would you like to release?

What debris can you clear, in order to make room for more prolific flowering?

What would you intend to “turn around” in your life?

Art of Tea’s “Feel Better Blend” is a customer favorite for letting go of stagnation. This signature blend brings together Ayurvedic and Western herbs. The twist of bracing, autumnal zest and spice— including Organic Fennel, Orange Peel, Licorice, Cinnamon, and even a bit of heat from Chili Pepper—may inspire you to view Fall as a time of new beginnings.

Kinezuka Toshiaki is an organic tea farmer in Shizuoka, Japan. In the 1970s, he founded a collective of organic tea farmers, and over the years he became a vocal advocate for the environmental benefits of organic farming. During a recent trip to Japan, we had the opportunity to ask him about his experiences as an organic tea farmer. Here is part one of our conversation. Check back next week for part two of this discussion of organic tea farming in Japan.

Art of Tea: You’ve said originally switched to organic production in search of better tasting tea. What is the difference between the taste of organic and conventional [non-organic] tea to you?

Kinezuka: Organic tea has a deeper, richer taste. We often receive tea from other [conventional] farmers, and I am always surprised to taste it because it looks very good, but once we brew it, it is not tasty at all.

Art of Tea: When did you make the switch to organic tea production?

Kinezuka: In 1976. Before then, I had a strong dependency on chemicals.

If we go back to the earliest history of agriculture, we cannot find any time with such a high dependency on chemicals. In the 1960s,Japanese agriculture became highly dependent on chemicals, so the dependency has only a short history of about 50 years. In these 50 years, without people realizing it, there was a huge environmental destruction.

Art of Tea: What kind of environmental destruction?

Kinezuka: When I was little, farmers used a very strong chemical in the rice fields. After they sprayed, they would put up a red flag in the field, and the children were not allowed to play in the river. This is why I never learned to swim.

At the same time, the fish disappeared. If there had been a factory up the stream that killed fish and damaged the environment, it would have been a big social issue, but since it was farming, people did not take the same approach. However, farming is one of the biggest polluters.

Until today, there has been destructive construction that killed a lot of the creatures in the river and nature. We used to have many fireflies, but now we don’t see many. At one point, they almost totally disappeared.

Art of Tea: That’s terrible… What is the role of insects on your organic tea farm today?

Kinezuka: A professor observed two farms in Shizuoka from March to November, when the insects are the most active. He compared our farm to a conventional farm 250 meters away. The insects with wings were evenly spread over the two farms. However, the number of insects without wings was steady on the organic farm and it changed suddenly on the conventional farm. Overall, the average was lower on the organic farm, in part because helpful insects like spiders exist on organic farms. They eat the harmful insects. In addition, there was a much wider variety of types of insects on the organic tea farm.

Check back next week to learn how the diverse ecology of organic farms makes better tea.

Tea makes a great party favor, whether the occasion is a birthday, bridal, wedding or baby showers.

Art of Tea’s tea bags were included in the party favor for a soiree for a Los Angeles based Moms group. The Moms loved the tea bags on their night out on town (sans kidlets!). The bags were in a cute little pouch (made by one of the moms) that had the event name on it, providing the host with an easy yet sophisticated way to hand out the little gifts. The women ooh-ed and aah-ed over the aromas that were released when some of them opened their favors, unable to hold off their curiosity.

As the after-event emails trickled in, and the Facebook statuses got updated, the Moms all remarked on how wonderful the tea bags were, how angelic and blissful those few moments of sipping hot tea can be. One Mom said that the Earl Grey Crème was her new favorite, that it was a quick indulgence for her in the morning before the daily routine kicked off.

Art of Tea now offers a Sachet Tea Ceremony Sampler, a beautiful elegant box that holds 2 individually packaged tea sachets.  It makes a wonderful thank-you gift to your guests.

I hope I don’t offend anyone here with this post. According to my resources deep in the Wuyi Mountains there are plenty of wild tea trees but  no Monkeys that pick tea or for that matter have ever picked tea here.

Oddly enough however there appear to be several species of non human primates in this region which are known to open/pop the top off a bottle of beer. Granted there are pictures and old paintings of the tea partnership between Monks and Monkeys trading food for wild tea leaves that could not be reached by humans, however these primates have no interest in the leaf. They prefer another brew.

So why have the name  Monkey in a tea such as our white monkey picked or golden monkey? Monkey Picked Tea refers to a top tier tea. Typically wild thicker leaves are used for this or rarer more precious leaves and buds.

This checkpoint is to prevent tourists, foreigners and uninvited guests away from the protective reserve. The habitat hosts a variety of  rare herbs and botanicals, rock teas, about 1000 residents and a host of wildlife. Tourists are only allowed in the Summer time and this visit was early harvest season so no tourists are allowed in order to protect the reserve’s natural habitat. Since I was traveling with the estate manager the guard let us through without question. Once through the gate the forest opened up to be a pure magical place. With China having many contrasts of population and other environmental concerns this place was surrounded by mountains peaks far away from city culture. These mountain peaks would shoot up at a 90 degree angle at the sky with waterfalls flowing down the side  wild monkeys, tea shrubs, pine and bamboo forests. This is where our famous organic white tea and some of our organic hand crafted oolongs are produced… You can smell and taste the freshness of this area in the tea.

Special thanks to Mr. Zhan. He has been my driver for first 5 days of the journey through Fujian and has successfully honked at every bicycle, tricycle carrier, pedestrian, car, ox, dog, water buffalo, tuk tuk, corner, bridge, village entrance, alleyway, motorcycle, motorcycle truckish hybrid (not thinking eco here just no other frame of reference) car, stone, rolling ball, bus, truck, mountain bend, river bed and fallen bamboo…keeping us safe from harm and ensuring we get to our destinations safe and on time.

Because the crop yield is so low this year many of the farmers that would harvest their commercially grown fields are now looking elsewhere. In other words they are diving deeper into wild beyond the regularly planted crops and going back to find tea plants that were once harvested regularly but the tea plants were left once they stopped producing good leaves. This time allowed the tea plants to rest and develop the natural soil again which created a new focus for farmers this year. Many farmers in Southern Mountains in China are picking just what nature has provided are seeing tremendous results with the taste and monetary value.

This reminds me of the true the sense that we may do our best to plan, to organize and to overstock but nature has a wonderful and sometimes mystical way of showing that the what we need is really out there. In some cases more than we know we just have to look for it. Unfortunately the time for lucking is sparked in our lives by running out of options and making the most of what we got. If this lesson of what is provided in nature is true then let the taste and experience of the wild tea plant such as Wild Honey Sprout and White Monkey Picked be the reminder of our own natural potential.