7月のお稽古は酷暑を迎え、葉蓋と洗い茶巾のお稽古をしました。我が家の小さな池に蓮の花が毎日次から次へと花を咲かせてくれています。蓮の葉も生き生きと水面を覆っています。その蓮の葉を蓋にして、お水を張った平茶碗に茶巾を浸して、茶筅、茶巾を仕込みます。涼しい風が茶室を吹きわたっているように感じます。１１代玄々斎宗室の創案の点前。先人の季節を楽しむ趣向に感動です。
We are experiencing extremely hot weather in the Midwest this summer, so we practiced habuta and arai-jakin procedures to create a cool atmosphere. Many lotus flowers have been blooming in my small pond this year, spreading the lively green leaves over the water. I picked some of these leaves and used them as a lid for the water container. We placed the chakin in the hirajawan filled with cold water. With these leaves and chakin in the water, we felt the cool breeze in the tearoom. I’m always impressed by the 11th Iemomoto Gengensai’s idea to enjoy each season—even the hottest one.
