Harmony of  Body, Mind & Spirit to Achieve Perfect Health

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The Art of Tea Leaf Reading - A Tempest in a Teacup? 

Yes, I know that many people today claim this, but my Granny really DID read tea leaves and taught me how.  It is one of my most cherished memories of childhood; sitting by the coal fire with her old Brown Betty teapot near by, waiting in anticipation for the tea to brew. It was also one of the few times that I actually got to drink out of a “proper” china cup; they were patterned with a delicate violet flowers and were given to her when she married in 1907. I was very moved to inherit them from her when she passed on to that great tea party in the sky….

Tasseography, sometimes called tasseomancy, is technically a branch of divination where patterns or symbols made by tea leaves in a cup are interpreted. Not a science and not new, it probably developed in China, but it has also been associated with the Eastern European “gypsies”, the Scots, the Irish. Although enjoying a resurgence in New Age and metaphysical philosophy, it is also just plain fun and provides wonderful entertainment at a tea party on a cold afternoon with friends.   

 Tasseography consists of 3 distinct phrases – creating the reading, recognizing the symbols, and  associating them with the inquirer to determine their significance, and thirdly, putting it all together in a way that combines the symbols into a single coherent interpretation. It is a skill that is easy to learn and it provides many hours of light-hearted enjoyment. Like all forms of divination, it acts as the tool or focus to gain insight surrounding a particular question or situation. There are 2 main reasons for doing a tea leaf reading :

1. to prophesy events over the next year
2. to answer a specific question

Preparing for the Reading

Make sure that the cup you use is clean, being white or pastel in color, and do not use a mug! Use loose tea leaves as opposed to emptying a tea bag, as the leaves in a tea bag are too finely ground and will stick together. Choose a tea that you enjoy, as it is always a good part of the experience to actually drink most of the tea before doing the reading. A China tea is a good choice. Do not use milk or sweetener as they will make the leaves sticky. Put about ½ teaspoon of the tea directly into the cup; some people like to make a pot and then pour out the tea, but this often results in a huge deposit of leaves or none at all. Use very hot water in order to help the leaves expand a little which will add to their ability to make patterns. Let the leaves settle as much as possible, then drink the tea slowly, focusing on what you are about to do; leave enough water in the cup to still cover the leaves.

You are now going to slowly tip off the excess water while retaining the leaves in the cup. This will take some practice. Holding the cup’s handle, slowly swirl the water around the entire inside of the cup, and as you do so, let the cup tip slightly over a saucer so that the water spills out. Don’t twirl the cup too quickly or the leaves won’t stick to the cup. It’s inevitable that you will lose some of the leaves during the process, but don’t worry about it.  (Some people just swirl the cup 3 times and then just quickly tip it over onto the saucer; you can do this, but often it will also dump many of the leaves, especially if you have left too much water in the cup). Carefully proceed until all of the water has been emptied and the tea is scattered around the insides of the cup. Now you can turn it upside down and set it on the saucer to fully drain for a minute or so. Now pick up the cup with the handle closest to you.

Interpreting the Leaves

As you turn and look at the cup, make sure that any movement does not disturb the leaves. The drawing below shows how the time of the reading is to be interpreted. Read in a clockwise direction from the handle, so that immediately to the left of the handle is the time closest to the present; moving around the cup you will move through the coming year until you reach the right side of the handle. Leaves that fall close to the rim of the cup, represent events near the beginning of a monthly period, with those further down the side, representing events nearer the end. Any leaves on the bottom of the cup, concern information that pertains to the entire year.

Look first for obvious symbols, those that are alone as opposed to those that may be part of a group. If you are doing a reading for a specific question, unless it particularly involves a time, the time sections of the cup will have no meaning. You will just study the symbols in relation to the question. If symbols are very close to each other, this means that they are connected with each other in some way. You, as the reader, must try and blend the meanings together. Go with your first intuition as to what a symbol represents. Don’t study it for too long and decide that what you first thought it was, you don’t really like! For example, if your instinct tells you a symbol is a slug, don’t try and change it to a butterfly because the latter is more appealing. And finally, don’t try and “make” the symbols mean something. Sometimes “a blob is just a blob”…..

BASIC SYMBOLS

Airplane - travel over long distance, not just by air; new projects; a rise in position.

Anchor -- hanging upright -- unsettled conditions; lying on side -- reaching a destination or goal.

Angel -- one of the best symbols to find the, it assures protection from all negative influences; spiritual awareness.

Apple -- temptation, usually serious. 

Arm -- extending up -- prayer, asking for help, searching for answers, divine guidance; straight out -- assistance received all given; hanging down -- feeling helpless.

Arrow -- finding the direction you wish to take, the point indicates the outcome versus your expectations.  If it points across the cup, the direction of life is what you expected; if it points downwards, the outlook is lower than expectations; if it points upwards the outlook is much better than expectations.

Balloon -- found celebration, having a good time.

Basket -- recognition received, complement, a ward, order; the gift.  Will 

Bat -- rebirth, transformation of self into new beginning; releasing outdated habits stopped

Bear -- strong protection; nurturing; introspection.

Bell – announcement of it: happy news.

Bird -- communication or message. A flying bird -- the messages on its way; sitting/standing bird -- you are waiting for a message; Duck -- false gossip; Eagle -- success over obstacles; owl -- wise person who will play a key role in your life.

Boat -- inheritance, winnings.

Book -- revelation, learning, openness.

Bottle -- temptation.

Bridge -- cementing a relationship.

Broom -- new home.

Cat -- independence; self reliant.

Chain -- a linked series of events.

Chair -- someone entering (if filled)  or leaving  (if empty) your life.

Crab – difficulties involving a particular person.

Cross -- you will overcome your troubles.

Cup -- criticism.

Dog -- faithfulness, trust.

Door -- opportunity, possibilities.

Dragon -- you are fooling yourself about something, self-delusion.

Egg -- unbroken -- success, increase; broken -- failure. 

Eye -- psychic ability, introspection.

Feather -- insincerity, undependable.

Fish -- increase in material wealth/spiritual growth.

Flag -- you must maintain integrity and do not compromise your standards.

Flower – compliments given, tokens of love and esteem.

Glass -- dissatisfaction with life.

Grapes -- abundant good health.

Gun -- anger, discord.

Hammer -- complaining person.

Hand -- assistance.

Hat -- a new or a difficult role, a rival.

Heart -- love, pleasure.

Horse -- strength and power; good news from one who loves you dearly.

House -- the safety of home.

Key -- success, enlightenment, prosperity.

Kite -- reaching for high goals, with importation, direction.

Knife -- fear.

Ladder -- climbing towards success, a gradual rise stopped

Leaf -- changing health.

Moon -- a change in awareness.

Mountain -- a major challenge ahead, possibly with hindrances.

Nest -- a need for emotional security.

Pin -- a new job.

Pipe -- reconciliation.

Plow -- struggle ahead.

Rabbit -- the fear of disaster of illness; and indignation to stop worrying.

Rainbow -- the most difficult part of your life is over.

Ring -- marriage.

Shoe -- you must increase your efforts. 

Sickle -- illness.

Snake -- transformation, creative power, transmutation.

Spider -- good luck, creativity, being industrious, beginning a new project.

Stairs - success.

Star -- success is guaranteed.

Sun -- happiness, well-being.

Table -- you'll find favor with someone you care about.

Teardrop -- sorrow.

Tree -- strong connection with family.

Umbrella -- protection from harm.

Wheel -- movement, advancement. 

Wolf -- cunning, outwitting those who wish to harm, wisdom, strong protection.

Worm -- patience is required

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The recommendations & information at this site have not been evaluated by the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Any plant substance can cause an allergic reaction in some people. Triple Aspect Herbs cannot be held responsible for claims arising from the mistaken identity of any herbs or from the inappropriate use of any remedy. Do not try to self diagnose or attempt treatment for any serious or long term problem or while undergoing a prescribed course of treatment without consulting a medical professional. At present we only ship within the U.S.  See Shipping Info for limitations and  for orders to Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico.  Copyright © 2002 tripleaspectherbs.com. All rights reserved.

Site last updated on  08/09/2007         Please refer any problems with this site to the webmaster