We have been open 11 months!  So much has happened during this time…..

We have two lovely art galleries showing amazing art work.  Dianne’s Forest of Light paintings have nearly sold out and they are here only until this Monday—amazing work and an amazing sale going on.

Laurie Baxter’s Havana Angels are a continued lovely presence and all of her statuary photographs are also for sale.

Our boutique is thriving with our retail Venus Sophia Organic Teas, Oso Negro Coffees from Nelson and Blue Sky Clothing from Bali.  Lots of lovely garments and refreshment to choose from.

The tea room just continues to blossom month after month revealing its true intention of creating an oasis in the city, a sanctuary for tea and a place for conversation.

We have changed our hours to reflect the flow of customers.  We are now open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day.

Reservations are always welcomed, as well as call -in take-out orders for local businesses.

Our Sunday music is going strong with Swing on By and Satori Strings.  Melody and Elizabeth are singing and playing celtic on Thursday afternoons and we will soon post all the dates and times.

We look forward to serving you at Venus Sophia Tea Room.  Kettle’s on.

Venus Sophia Tea Room is pure refreshment.

It is a lovely place to have a nice pot of organic tea complete with beautiful tea pots and tea cups.

Have you tried our Oso Negro espressos, lattes or mochas?

We are also pleased to offer tea lattes–try our peach rooibos, roman provence, cream earl grey lattes and ice them for  quenching that summer thirst.

Our menu is light and healthy and pleasing to the taste:  Tomato, mozza, avocado grilled ciabattas, pear roquefort avocado or prosciutto open face melt, and our well-known all-day breakfast wrap filled with veges and cheese and eggs.

Our dessert department offers you a full array of french pastries, raw options and gluten free choices.  A little something for everyone.

We make our own iced teas fresh….hm….shall we have Shuzenji Cherry Rose or maybe a nice cold Chai?

Whatever choice you make, the experience will be enlivening and enriching to your body, soul and spirit.

Venus Sophia Tea Room refreshment at its finest!

At Venus Sophia Tea Room, we not only prepare the space, but we hold it open.  And when you hold open a space you create an environment.  And in that environment, life unfolds and it is an honour to behold.  Within a held space and created environment, something else can happen…..you can enter into it and have your own experience.  The space held open is full of potential and this particular environment is devoted to the world of imagination, inspiration and intuition.  That’s why we call it a tea room with imagination….not just the formed imaginations of bicycles and baskets full of flowers, although they are exquisitely alive, but a place where imagination lives and thrives and can come to life in any given moment; where inspiration can fill one’s heart and mind with joy and where a quiet intuition can lift the veil revealing direction, purpose and understanding.

Venus Sophia Tea Room was created so out of a sense of wonder and experience of beauty, one could enter into a world where the wellsprings of life, the presence of a quickened imagination, and the experience of the world from the inside out could be touched into.  It is not a place where we tell you what to experience, instead, it is a place held open so that you can enter in and have your own experience, your own memories, your own imagination.

We are unique in that we offer tea, refreshments, treasures and place, but more importantly, we hold open an environment of inner beauty and a place where warmth and love can live in the world,  in a tea room commited to the culture of conversation, connectedness and peacefulness.

It is more than the material offerings, yet it exists in time and space.  It is a place held, created and opened to not only enter into and experience and share, but it is a place to love and support.  Imagine if it no longer existed and imagine it in its lovely presence.

Venus Sophia Tea Room beckons and welcomes your rhythm of support by coming for tea, stopping by to say hello,  and ultimately making us part of your day, your week, and  your life.  We can’t exist without you.

Rhythms and rituals, tea times and conversation, quiet moments of reflection and slower moments with friends…..to enjoy each other, the moment, a thought, a memory, an inspiration…..Venus Sophia Tea Room, a place created, not to serve personal needs, but, instead, to hold open the space of beauty, a place of warmth, a culture of peace, and a living wisdom so life can continue to unfold with dignity and purpose….one lovely rose petal at a time.

Kettle’s on.

Do you love “raw food” options?

Are you a tea lover?

Do you have your favourite specialty organic coffee drink?

Let me tell you Venus Sophia Tea Room has opened for you.  We serve the most beautiful dishes like apple, cheddar, chicken open face melts/ brie, mango, avocado quesadillas/ turkey, cranberry goat cheese grilled ciabattas.  Check out our full menu under our menus tab.

We are also now serving another raw food entre:  Lasagna!  And it is to absolutely amazing with its macadamia and cashew cheeses, fresh herbs, and more surprises.  We will have it for three days each week–Saturday, Sunday and Mondays.  Call for reservations.

Our line of 40 organic teas is simply exquisite and satisfying.  Come for a lovely pot of tea with real tea pots and tea cups and enjoy the beautiful ambiance of the tea room.

Our coffees are organic and free trade and everyone says that our Venus Sophia Oso Negro coffee is the smoothest, nicest cup of coffee they’ve ever had.  Join us for excellence.

Of course, for these hot days we also offer cold frappes–matcha, mocha, strawberry, and chai latte.

We have Red Rooibos Tea Fruit Smoothies–wild berry, strawberry, peach and mango

We make our own fresh iced teas complete with fresh fruit.

And our baked goods speak for themselves—from Queen Isabella and Princess Lily cakes to rustic apple tarts, chocolate covered florentines and matcha, lavender and earl grey shortbreads.

We have gluten-free options and raw so everyone can have a treat at the Tea Room.

Kettle’s on, won’t you join us for lovely pot of Venus Sophia organic teas?

We believe that if we hold this unique space open for you, you will have the opportunity to come inside and have your own special experience.  Tea for us is conversation, supporting the culture of tea is supporting enriching conversation….and we experience where there is genuine interest in each other, there is the possibility of friendship, and where there is friendship, there is the emergence of a kind of peacefulness….so won’t you join us supporting a new, living culture of peace?

On this lovely sunny afternoon, we all at Venus Sophia send you our greetings!

As I have just updated our mailing list which is growing and growing, I thought I would take this opportunity to send out a few updates from our last Tea Room News.

We are happy to tell you that the music is evolving and simply beautiful at the tea room.  On Sundays, we have Satori Strings with Elizabeth, Catheryn and Zachary, playing violin, viola and cello.  We also have Swing on By with Dick Pollard and fellow musicians, playing saxophone, bass and rhythm guitar.  The new addition is Melody and Elizabeth from SheNanigan playing and singing beautiful harmonious celtic songs on Fridays.  Below is the list of exact dates and times.  Mark your calendars and plan to come for some refreshment and nourishment on many levels.

Friday, July 23, 2-4 p.m., Melody and Elizabeth, Celtic

Sunday, July 25, 2-4 p.m., Satori Strings, Classical

Sunday, July 25, 4-6 p.m., Swing on By, Swing

Sunday, August 1, 2-4 p.m., Satori Strings, Classical

Sunday, August 8, 2-4 p.m., Satori Strings, Classical

Sunday, August 15, 4-6 p.m., Swing on By, Swing

Sunday, August 22, 2-4 p.m., Satori Strings, Classical

Sunday, August 29, 6-4 p.m., Swing on By, Swing

Melody and Elizabeth will also be playing Fridays in August.  Please check our home page at:  www.VenusSophia.com for exact dates.

I believe I mentioned in our last newsletter that we are going to be babysitting a piano from the Conservatory of Music.  It is still coming and when it does, we will be scheduling pianists to also play at the tea room.  We are very much looking forward to offering opportunities to students from the Conservatory to come and play at Venus Sophia.  And we are just downright delighted at this opportunity which will bring a sense of community to the tea room.  More updates about that coming soon!

Summer in the tea room is delightful!  It is light-filled, open and simply lovely.  The fans are twirling overhead circulating the fresh air blown in from the sea…….  The uplifting music, the organic teas and coffees, and artistic menu continue to bring joy to many.  Now that summer has arrived we are also making our very own iced teas.  We also offer matcha, mocha, strawberry and chai latte frappes, as well as all natural fruit smoothies:  mango, peach, banana and raspberry.  They are thirst-quenching and utterly refreshing.  As usual we serve tea all day in our delightful tea pots and tea cups. And the baked goods are a pure delight to gaze upon and consume.  We offer gluten-free options for lunch and for desserts.  We have a few vegan options as well as some raw food options.  The wonderful thing is that everyone can find something at Venus Sophia.

Our boutique is once again filled with Blue Sky Clothing.  We have organic bamboo yoga and leisure wear, so smooth and natural for your skin.  We have delightfully cool summer dresses and jackets, hand-painted tops and lots of summer purses.  And the important news is that we can now order sizing if what you are looking for is missing.  So please stop by, I’m sure you will enjoy the selection with all sizes available.  One last note about the boutique is that we also have very sweet fairy dresses perfect for children and grandchildren….we often have little girls enter the tea room and leave as fairies…..incredibly cute!

If any of you are following us on our website or facebook page (Venus Sophia Tea Room Group Page), you will know that we have had another delightful article written about us in Monday Magazine.  Many, many people have come and enjoyed the piece.  Please check it out if you missed it.  It is in the Canada Day edition, which you can find online.
http://mondaymag.com/articles/category-archive/category/food-and-life/ Check out the article about us called: A Touch of Class

Our Art Galleries continue to delight everyone.  The Forests of Light series has begun to find a home.  We are selling many paintings.  The quality of light in the old growth and rain forests is simply stunning.  Dianne Ostoich, who is the artist, has lowered her prices so that individuals who love her work, can now take them home.  There are many happy art lovers grateful to her.  Havana Angels, in our front gallery, has also captured the imagination of many.  Many an individual has come and sat down to a nice pot of tea gazing and taking in the beauty and imagery of Laurie Baxter’s photography.  We have decided to extend their stay in the galleries due to popular demand.  We hope you will take a moment to stop by, find a moment of entering into the artistry and even consider supporting the artist while treating yourself to a lovely treat from the tea room.

Please keep us in mind when you are in the mood to buy some organic teas for home.  We offer lovely, lovely choices in beautiful red tins and bags complete with beautiful rose labels.  Our teas and tea sales have become quite popular for everyone–and we are happily offering you daily packaged fresh teas.  We are also offering the exquisite Oso Negro organic beans shipped to us fresh after roasting……we are happy to be developing a hardcore following for those beans!

Our final happy announcement is that we are going to be launching our new website in the next few weeks.  I am incredibly excited about it.  I love our current one and I love the imagination to continue creating….so keep your eyes on our webpage and one day you will open it and experience pure joy I’m sure…..

That’s all for now.  Thank you for taking the time to visit with us through our newsletter and we look forward to seeing you soon in Venus Sophia Tea Room….where beauty abounds, love of life radiates and living in wisdom is a way of life…..tea’s on…see you soon….

In peace and friendship,

Jill RoseMary

Venus Sophia Tea Room
540 Fisgard–In the heart of Chinatown
250-590-3953

www.VenusSophia.com
Venus Sophia Facebook Group Page
Find us on Twitter

Imagine a space that is blossoming in roses and held in sanctuary with ivory tones.

Havana Angels and Forests of Light filling the art galleries.

Beautiful summer garments awaiting for you to be enwrapped.

Soft music to lift your senses and open your heart.

Tea fragrances to fill your soul.  Tea pots to bring beauty to the sharing of tea.

And a living wisdom weaving an etheric thread of belonging in and out of every detail, every gesture, every awareness of life that is essential.

Just imagine a tea room open and light-filled, breezy and fresh, warm and inviting, created and held, so the sharing of tea bears meaning, so the conversations or gazes of interest bear fruit and friendship, so a peacefulness can enter the day, your day, our day….so subtle, yet present, quickening something deep inside so  that a memory, a thread of awareness, a joy emerges bringing to the space more light, more energy, more happiness….

Venus Sophia Tea Room….a place to be and become, an environment to share and be shared, an oasis where the wellsprings of life overflow into tea cups and a peacefulness can grow.

Our lovely tea tins are filled and ready for purchase.

Tomorrow, Sunday, is Celtic music from 3 to 5 p.m.

We have organic matcha, mocha and chai frappes.

We serve all natural fruit smoothies.

All our teas are fragrant, full bodied and organic.

All our coffees are fair trade and organic.

We serve tea in lovely teapots with lovely tea cups.

Organic Teas maintain a smaller environmental footprint.

How does an organic tea farm operate?

• Abstinence from using any synthetic fertilizer, pesticide or herbicide.
• Environmental protection of lands surrounding the gardens.
• Replenishment and maintenance of garden soil fertility using natural means.
• Promoting and maintaining biodiversity in the gardens and surrounding lands.

We love the teas we have to offer you.  Stop in and see them all on display.  Your senses will dance in delight as you see and smell the tea aromas laid out for your artistic and tea experience pleasure.

Our teas are perfect gifts for friends.  Remember us for wedding favours.  We would be happy to sit down with you and plan your special favours for your special day.

We are open 7 days a week for your retail tea purchases and for you to come, sit down, and have a nice pot of organic tea.

But there are other ways of growing a business.  There are other starting points and other considerations.

Venus Sophia Tea Room is unique in that the starting premise is to create a living space of beauty held open for the purpose of welcoming others to enter into the tea room.  By entering into something, there is the possibility to perceive environments or remember moments or parts of ourselves often missed or passed over in the racing pace of the day. The exchange of money in this setting, then, is to support the space, the created environment, not just a product or service.

Venus Sophia Tea Room has the unique interest in offering a sanctuary or oasis in one’s day where a calm cup of tea, a meaningful conversation, a sense of wonder or imagination can bubble up from the wellsprings of life to refresh or bring insight to one’s day.

We are not meant to be a fast-paced, service establishment, nor are we offering to make you happy through expectations.  Instead, we are unique in that we prepare an open space for you to enter into where something different transpires….an awareness that substances and essences of that which is living inside of us can be seen outwardly in the beauty and light around us, in the interest we cultivate, in the wisdom that weaves and connects and inspires all of us.  We cultivate the art of accompaniment which, we feel, in some small way can contribute to the culture of peace.

The world is filled with consumerism.  Venus Sophia Tea Room is interested in the arts of compassion, empathy, radiating love, genuine interest, living the wisdom, unfolding the inner beauty, in a place prepared to share with others the understanding that all around us, each and every day, there are challenges beyond our control.  But by entering into the tea room, one can find a moment of repose, a place where imagination can flourish, a lovely conversation that fills one’s heart or brings understanding, music to uplift, tea to enrich, good food to nourish, garments to enwrap, treasures for the soul, and others partaking in the beauty of sharing a moment, sharing a pot of tea, and sharing everyday life together out of a sense of dignity and common purpose.

Welcome into the tea room.