This is a letter from Kyoto sent by the teacher who returned temporarily. In St. Louis, we continue with voluntary training.
Under the guidance of the teacher from Kouri-en, I practiced the “Dairo – Gyaku gatte” ceremony. In February, it’s the season for this procedure, where the ro is larger than usual and placed in the gyaku gatte position. Among the dairo’s various procedures, I practiced the initial charcoal placement and thick tea preparation. The scroll reads “Kouro Itten no Yuki” (Red Hearth, Single Snowflake), describing a single snowflake falling onto a brightly burning hearth. If one were to liken the hearth to one’s own heart, the snow represents the anxiety and regrets that fall incessantly. The teaching advises not to be swayed by these, but to melt away what comes and live on. Flower was the Uguisu Kagura (honeysuckle) and White Camellia. The sweet was kinton mochi. There were various thin tea bowls for February. In the extreme cold of February, I felt warmer in the large hearth.
