ABOUT READING TEA LEAVES

 

Tea leaf readings also known as tasseography, tassemancy or tassology; is a creative and intuitive tool used for divination by interpreting images and impressions made by tea leaves in a cup.

 

It is believed that the traditional origination of reading tea leaves stemmed from Asia, Greece and the Middle East.

 

It is also believed that everything in the universe has an energy and that an organic substance such as tea attracts and is receptive to these energies and in turn, is able to transmit information in the form of symbols/images back to you in the form of tea leaves in a cup. Then it is up to you to use your intuition and creativity to define the message that is being sent out to you.

 

Reading tea leaves is a very personal tool much like reading tarot cards; they both are driven by your intuition and every reader has their own style. It is an excellent way to get in touch with your inner self and instinctual thoughts. It is a great way to exercise your creativity because it relates to symbolism. Tea leaf readings can also be a wonderful tool for those who meditate and give us assistance when we need to focus or work through an issue.

 

I do not claim to be an expert in reading tea leaves, but do find it a fun and intriguing way to use and build your intuition. I wish to give you some of the basic principals & guide lines and will try to keep it fairly simple; keeping in mind there are many different theories, methods, beliefs and superstitions.

 

 

HOW TO READ YOUR OWN TEA LEAVES

 

 

The Cup:

Areas inside the cup represents certain aspects of your life, this can be referred to as a map.

 

The Handle: represents you, your family, and your home

 

Opposite the handle: represents work, business and financial matters

 

Sides and the bottom: This is your time scale. Symbols closest to the rim signify immediate future (current or soon to be), symbols around the middle signify future events (weeks, months) and symbols at the bottom of the cup signify the far future (months, years)

 

Use a plain white cup and saucer with a wide mouth. You will be able to get a much clearer reading if the cup is a light colour and not cluttered with designs. They also have psychic cups that you can buy with images right inside the cup itself to make it easier for beginners.

 

 

The Tea:

Loose tea is best to create a reading with. For optimal results the larger and heavier the leaves the better, this will ensure that your symbols and patterns will be more clear and legible therefore easier to interpret.

 

Most varieties will work, among these the black and green teas are favored. If you enjoy herbal tea, then by all means use them. However; bagged tea may be too fine to form good patterns and some believe that it is bad practice to use bagged tea for this purpose.

 

*For those who do not wish to use tea leaves; did you know that you can use coffee grounds (especially Turkish coffee) and wine sediment to create readings with?

 

 

The Method:

Step #1-When you begin, clear your mind as best as you can and relax.

You will need 1 tblsp. Of loose tea leaves placed at the bottom of your cup, add boiling hot water to the leaves. If you need to add sweetener or milk do this now. Then let the leaves settle to the bottom of your cup.

 

Step #2- When your ready begin sipping your tea trying not to swallow the leaves. During this time continue a sense of calmness almost a meditative state of being. If you have thoughts that pop up or that are being persistent this may be your focal point for your reading.

 

Step #3- Finish your tea but be sure to leave about a tblsp. of liquid in your cup, enough to drench the leaves. It is at this time where you should begin to focus on your question. Perhaps you have something in mind, or maybe you just want a general reading and want to let the leaves pick up what they may.

 

Step #4- When you have decided what your reading will be about, pick up your cup and swirl the tea in the cup 3 times in a circular motion. (In the spirit of keeping things simple, I won’t go into the whole debate of left hand, right hand, clockwise, counter clockwise) Swirl and you decide what feels right and comfortable for you. At this point you should being fully focusing on the matter at hand, keeping your question as simple as possible.

 

Step #5- When your done your swirls, flip your cup upside down onto your saucer and leave it there for a moment until all the liquid has drained off, then turn your cup right side up back onto the saucer to examine the patterns and symbols created by the tea leaves.

 

 

Tips for reading:

Begin to read your tea leaves clockwise from the handle, moving in a spiral type motion until you reach the bottom.

 

Pay attention to patterns that are striking or catch your immediate attention

 

Symbols closer to the rim are viewed as important issues and/or life changing events (similar to the major arcana cards in the tarot)

 

Symbols on the sides are fairly significant, but not life altering and are subject to change (similar to the minor arcana in the tarot)

 

Symbols at the base of the cup are issues and events that are not written in stone and can most definitely change due to the time frame being far off into the future.

 

 

The Symbols:

If you have a dream dictionary this could be very helpful in discovering what some of the images are. For those that are familiar with tarot symbolism you can apply these meanings as well. Also there are many websites you can go to to get definitions to help you. In the mean time, I have compiled several definitions and a few ideas to get you started. Remember many symbols are common sense but others may be highly personal and go against the grain of popular belief. For example if you see a bird, a bird may generally represent freedom to many people, however; what if you are terrified of birds? This could mean the opposite, possibly confinement or imprisonment. For this reason this may make you more qualified then others to do your own reading.

 

*Numbers may be viewed as time lines *Letters could be names of people

*Straight lines could be definite occurrences *Curved/wavy lines could mean possible changes *Crystal clear images may be more likely to occur *Shapes such as triangles could mean good karma *Squares may indicate to be cautious * Circles may mean success *Arrows could be directions things are moving in.

 

Here are some positive images: Acorn, anchor, angel, bees, boot, bridge, clover, cow, cup, crown, dove, eagle, fish, flowers, horseshoe, ship, swan, sun, star, wheel, spoon, harp, purse, leaf

 

Here are some negative images: Alligator, bat, black flag, cat,

Coffin, dagger, hourglass, monkey, rat, sword, knots, fox, pig, mask, spider web, wasp, wolf, snake, tornado, tower, gun,