THE DIVINATION OF TEA LEAF READING
Table of Contents HISTORY CHOOSING A CUP TYPES OF TEA LEAVES PREPARATION RITUAL DIVIDING THE CUP INTERPRETING THE LEAVES SYMBOL GUIDE
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HISTORY
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Tasseography is the practice of studying remains in the bottom of a cup to define the future or answer a question of the seeker. It requires the reader to follow his or her first impressions and intuition as there are no clear signs and symbols to read like tarot cards have. The word ‘Tasseography’ originates from the French ‘tasse’ for ‘cup’ and the Greek ‘graphos’ for the act of writing or drawing. Tasseography literally interprets the shapes that are drawn in the cup. The art of Tasseography originated in China. The Chinese believed the patterns left in the tea cup spelled out good or bad omens and were worthy of study. Over the centuries, tea leaf reading was spread by nomadic gypsies who offered to read fortunes in exchange for a coin.
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CHOOSING A CUP It is custom for the cup to be used only for tea leaf reading. Choose a cup that resembles the shape of an upturned bell, and try to avoid any cups with straight or vertical sides. The cup must be white or light colored with no design that would make it harder to determine the leaves. Make sure the cup has a handle and a saucer, and is smooth in texture.
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TYPES OF TEA LEAVES Black Black tea is allowed to wither, which precedes a process called oxidation during which water evaporates out of the leaf and the leaf absorbs more oxygen from the air. Black teas usually undergo full oxidation, and the results are the characteristic dark brown and black leaf, the typically more robust and pronounced flavors of black teas.
Green Green Tea is allowed to wither only slightly after being picked. Then the oxidation process is stopped very quickly by firing (rapidly heating) the leaves. Therefore, when brewed at lower temperatures and for less time, green teas tend to have less caffeine. Greens also tend to produce more subtle flavor.
White White teas are the most delicate of all teas. They are hand-processed using the youngest shoots of the tea plant, with no oxidation. When brewed correctly, with a very low temperature and a short steeping time, white teas can produce low amounts of caffeine.
Herbal All herbal teas are caffeine-free and made from fruits, flowers, herbs and sometimes with added flavors.
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Rooibos Rooibos is a caffeine-free herb grown in South Africa. It steeps up very full-bodied and very smooth.
Oolong The flavor of oolong teas is typically not as robust as blacks or as subtle as greens, but has its own extremely fragrant and intriguing tones. Oolongs are often compared to the taste and aroma of fresh flowers or fresh fruit.
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Steeping Times Type
Water Temp.
Steep Time
White Green Black Oolong Rooibos Herbal
180 180 206 185 - 206 206 206
1 - 3 minutes 2 - 3 minutes 3 - 5 minutes 3 - 5 minutes 5 - 6 minutes 5 - 7 minutes
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PREPARATION
Once the tea is brewed, the seeker must meditate on the cup as they drink. If there is a specific question they want answered, they can concentrate on that. If not, they should think about their life in general and stop drinking when there is about a teaspoon of liquid left in the cup to cover the tea leaves. At this point, the handle of the cup must be grabbed with the seeker’s non dominant hand to swirl the tea three times in a clockwise direction making sure to cover all sides of the cup with residue. Next, the cup needs to be quickly flipped upside down over the saucer.
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RITUAL Zodiac Symbols Some tasseographers like to use cups with Zodiac symbols to make the reading more personal.
Spoons Special spoons can be used that are decorated with magical symbols that are said to ensure that the truth will be revealed to the reader.
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dividing the cup The handle represents the self or the home and is important in dividing and defining the seeker’s past and future. The upper rim of the cup which touches their lips corresponds with the immediate present, the middle represents the near future, and base of the cup represents the distant future. The seeker should hold the cup so that the handle is pointed towards them. Divided in half by the handle, the left half of the cup represents the past, and the future to the right of the cup.
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Taking this into account, the bottom right half of the cup indicates the far future, while the bottom left half would be the far past. The leaves on the bottom of the cup are considered to be unlucky and an area of forewarning. If symbols are found on the right side of the cup they are said to be bad omens, if on the left side they represent past misfortunes. However, the rim of the cup shows the opposite and any symbols found in this area will be blessed with good fortune. It is not coincidental that this area of the cup is what comes in contact with the lips of the seeker.
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INTERPRETING THE LEAVES The handle is the first area that is read, as it represents the seeker, and symbols that are closer to the handle have a more direct relationship to the seeker. When interpreting leaves, the reader needs to take into account where the symbols are found in the cup. The cup may need to be looked at from all angles in order for symbols to be more easily recognised. The first impression of a symbols is always the correct meaning, and should never be second guessed.
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If two symbols are only a quarter of an inch apart they are referred to as ‘coupled.’ This means they influence each other and that the interpretation of the two symbols must be combined into one. The size of the symbol and the direction it faces also affect the interpretation. The reader’s intuition plays a big part in deciding what these differences mean. A large symbol may suggest its importance in the seeker’s life. A symbol that faces the handle may be interpreted as moving into the seeker’s life, whereas a symbol that faces the opposite direction is withdrawing from the seeker.
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symbol guide Tea leaf readings are extremely personal, as pattern recognition keys into the subconscious. It is always best for the seeker to read his or her own leaves for the most accurate reading. Symbols are learned personally by culture. A symbol’s shape may mean something in one culture but could mean something totally different in another culture. Crescent; moon; receptivity; lunar; introspection
Water; sea; unity; travel; interrupted travel
Circle segments; legato; assimilation; rationality; sleep
Woman; Venus; romance; love
Sum; total; bringing together; archway; net Fuller Circle Segment; do not disturb Motion; movement; echo Fire; mountain; bird Water; clouds Bowl; vessel; summer Cup; glass; wine; celebration Aries; ram; strong emotion; fire Orbit; encircle; moon; quadruplicity; fermata
Sun; energy; power; success; new beginnings Star; good luck; excellence; success Heart; love; romance; home Horseshoe; good luck Cross; Christ; plus; addition Spiral; creativity; energy; time for problem solving Dashes; brief travel; busy Lines; travel; change Warning; caution; stop
Water; bird; purification
Knots; anxiety; stress
Lock; trident; capture; choices
Wheel; inevitable change; progress
Up; yes; good direction
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Man; Mars; action
Down; no; wrong direction
Anchor; stability; difficult to change
Horizontal arrow; no change; smooth travel
Chain; responsibility; series of events
Changes; challenges
Peace
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