Tea cups, Angels, Egg yolks and roots.

I have been thinking more and more lately of tea leaf readings.

From when I was very tiny, I visited a lovely old lady with my Grandmother. The lady's name was Mrs Williams, and she lived with her only daughter, Mary, and a wise serene looking Siamese cat, whose name I can never recall, but the cat used to like to balance on the arm of the chair or the sofa.

Mrs Williams, Nel, to my Grandmother, used to read our cups for us.

It was always much like a ceremony; boiled water would be poured over tea leaves (not tea bags!) and the tea pot left to "brew". Very carefully, the tea would be poured (without a strainer) into very pristine clean "proper" china tea cups. We would have a cup of tea, and then afterward, the dregs would be left in the tea cup, which we would gently "swish around" (sorry only term I can describe it as!) three times.

Then we would empty out the dregs and the tea leaves would cling to the sides of the cups, in marvellous shapes, designs, and different shades of brown.

The cup would then be passed very carefully to Mrs Williams, who would gaze thoughtfully down inside the cup, and then proceed to "read" for us.

Mrs Williams also read egg yolks. Thats another story. Actually it is a magical thing, reading egg yolks. Truly magical.

Back to the tea leaves. I long lately to go back to my roots. To where I began. To things tried and tested. Like tea leaves. Like horse riding. Like having tea with friends rather than internet chats and e-Mails.

I miss Mrs. Williams and her old fashioned wisdom. I miss watching her eat her breakfast of bread and a banana, with a cup of tea, comfortably sitting in a big squashy arm chair infront of a proper fire and with the tv in a cupboard out of sight.

Often, either on the way to Mrs Williams, or on the way back, we would see a pony pulling a delivery cart. I cannot remember what the pony delivered, all I remember is the lovely steady clip clop on the road. The pony wore blinkers. It was a heavy, dark coloured pony, not black though. A rich deep brown. Think of the benefits now, in this day and age, to have deliveries by pony; our ozone layer I am sure would appreciate it! Some felled trees in woodland are being cleared now by horses; it is lovely to know that they are still working for us, such steady dependable spirits...

I miss horses. I miss the fields and the smells and the simple way of living. I miss going out to collect eggs from the chickens, and I miss the feel of grass under my feet rather than concrete. I miss the warm comfort and healing of a pony that nuzzles you, and those large Cosmic eyes of theirs, their spirit and strength.

A dog mistreated is a horrible sight to see. A pony in distress is another thing. A heartbreaking wrench of a thing. Because for some reason I cant explain, to me a horse / pony is a gift from the Higher Realms of life. An equine Angel of service, offering us their strength, but carrying their own freedom, their own majesty within their spirit, and giving to us humans their own special healing qualities.

If you are ever in need of a hug, and there is a horse/pony near you, go and say hello. I guarantee within seconds you will feel uplifted. You need only to watch a disabled child enjoying a ride, to see their reaction, to know that horses and ponies really do carry Angel blessings of healings and upliftment.

I am off to peer into a tea cup. Off to make some more resolutions at loosing some weight in the hopes that I can go riding again, and off to give grateful thanks for anything good that I can think of that has happened in a day that has been rather "trying" to say the least. To, in Mrs Williams terms, "count my blessings".

Whats in your tea cup today?

love and light

Gina.