Food & Drink: Wattle Tree Place suits all to a tea
Sisters plan special festivities related to Halloween
By Rachel Pinsky for The Columbian
Published: October 25, 2019, 6:03am
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Wattle Tree Place at 1920 Broadway has added an apothecary teahouse. (Nathan Howard/The Columbian files)Photo Gallery
A hot mug of tea in a cozy spot by the fire is the best way to spend a rainy day or night. That’s what Wattle Tree Place owners (and sisters), Anna Phillips and Sophie Wegecsanyi, thought as they conjured the latest addition to their space on 1920 Broadway — an apothecary teahouse.
“We’re working with a lot of herbs and spices creating intentional candles and things like that and we wanted to nourish people on the inside. Tea was a natural step,” Phillips said.
The teahouse has natural brews like rooibos, Earl Grey, chamomile and peppermint, as well as magical brews created by Phillips with help from Wegecsanyi and the various people who are drawn to Wattle Tree Place.
“We had other people taste it and give feedback on how it makes them feel and where it resonates in their body,” Phillips said. Some of the herbs and spices in the teas come from Wattle Tree Farms, the nonprofit farm the sisters helped form at the Jane Weber Evergreen Arboretum in Vancouver’s Old Evergreen Highway neighborhood.
Each magical tea comes with a special affirmation created by Phillips. The Ground on Down tea with rose, cardamom and cinnamon has an affirmation invoking good luck. The Sunshine Memories, with chamomile, rose and holy basil, has an affirmation shining with memories and warm sunshine.
The tea list and hours, like all things Wattle Tree Place, are evolving. If you can’t find a tea with a recipe and affirmation that you like, you can set up a time to create your own personalized intuitive potion in a one-on-one session or with a group of friends.
The teahouse officially opens on Halloween or Samhain (a Gaelic festival) as part of a Halloween House of Magic and Mystery event. The evening starts with a “high vibe” kids dance party with sound healer Chaz (aka James Chavez). Then there’s a song circle for adults, a magical costume contest, a craft activity (making a wand or a potion), and readings from a fortune teller. Those who bring their own mugs for tea will receive a discount.
Later on, there’s a Connecting to the Ancestors workshop for adults. The organizers encourage participants to bring photos of their ancestors and wear comfortable clothing. Samhain is a festival of the dead. According to Celtic tradition, this is the night when the veil is thinnest between the spirit world and the world of the living — the perfect time to commune with ancestors.
After the grand opening, tea will be served during regular business hours and at Tea and Tarot on Friday nights. (It will not occur Oct. 25, however, because a witches broom-making workshop will take place instead.)
At Tea and Tarot, attendees can sip tea and register for a 15- or 30-minute mini reading with extraordinary card reader Lili Kunley of Mermaids At Play Tarot.
Phillips and Wegecsanyi plan to expand their hours to allow for winter evening tea sipping. They also plan on adding food and other drinks by spring.
Accepting what is and manifesting what will be has kept this magical place in business despite unexpected moves, childbirth, changes and challenges. Helping others to learn this is the gift the owners share with those who wander through their door.
Email Rachel at couveeats@gmail.com. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @couveeats.
