Tasseography: How to Read Tea Leaves

I first became interested in tea leaf reading when I was about 19. My mother knew a woman who wished me to perform a spell to help her. She was not a witch and did not practice magick, but she asked that I aid her with something supernatural. Like most honest witches, I did not expect or ask for any payment in return. She was so thrilled with my work, however, that she presented me with a gift: an antique teacup made especially for tea leaf readings. The cup shape is plain, but the outside and inside of the cup is covered in small symbols and pictures carefully hand-painted in black. There were no instructions for reading the symbols or how to use the teacup, so I looked around in books and on the internet to see what I could find about reading the leaves.

Tea leaf reading, or Tasseography, was popular to ancient gypsies and more recently in the Victorian era in Great Britain and the United States. It was practiced throughout and has survived up to today. Usually thought of as "folk magic" it has become a popular method of divination for witches and pagans and is even sometimes by other religions such as Christianity.

Begin by making your tea. For leaf reading, you will want to make the tea without straining the teal leaves out. A cup with a wide mouth and narrow bottom should be used. Drink the tea, leaving just enough tea in the bottom to distribute the tea leaves around the cup, usually about an equal amount of water as tea leaves.. Set the cup on the saucer and turn it around by the handle three times. Then pick up the cup and turn it upside down on the saucer. Take up the cup and begin your divination. Turn the cup on it's side and interpret the symbols you see in the scattered tea leaves. Those closest to the rim of the cup represent the present and those closer to the center of the cup represent the future. The closer they are to the center of the cup, the more distant they are in the future. The symbols closest to the handle affect you directly and those opposite the handle may have little affect on you at all.

Tea Leaf Symbols:

Anchor - Voyage. End of a journey. Safe landing. Successful end to a business or personal affair. Problem unexpectedly solved.
Arrow - disagreement. A letter. Antagonism. Instructions for a journey.
Balloon - Troubles lifting.
Basket - Congratulations due.
Bells - Good news. A wedding.
Bird - News. Companionship. Possible journey.
Boat - Travel. End of a friendship.
Book - Awareness, learning.
Bottle - Celebration. Success.
Bridge - An offer. Travel abroad. Partnership. Introduction to new friends or business.
Broom - End of a problem. Change of jobs. Domesticity.
Butterfly - Insincerity.
Camel - Long journey. Temporary relocation.
Candle - Innovation. Sudden new idea. Ingenuity or serendipity.
Car - Local travel. Introduction to new business associates.
Castle - Legacy. Unexpected financial luck. Good living.
Chain - Success with effort.
Chair - Unexpected guest. Entertainment. Relaxation.
Church - Marriage. Serious illness but not death.
Circle - Frustration.
Clouds - Doubt.
Clover - Good fortune. Unexpected success.
Cow - Prosperity.
Cross - Suffering. Hardship. Discomfort. Misfortune.
Crown - Honors. Credit. Promotion.
Cup - Love. Close friendship. Harmony.
Dagger - Danger. Tragedy. Business complications.
Dice - Loss of money.
Dog - Faithful friends. Friendship. Companionship.
Dots - Wealth.
Dottel Line - Journey.
Dustpan - Strange news.
Egg - Fertility increase.
Elephant - Advice needed, preferably from an old friend.
Fan - Indiscretion. Disloyalty. Infidelity.
Fish - News from abroad.
Flag - Defense necessary. Warning.
Flower - Unhappy love affair.
Flowers - Love, honor, esteem.
Fly - Petty annoyance.
Garden - Abundance.
Gate - Opportunity. Possibility of advancement.
Glove - Luck and honor.
Goat - Misfortune.
Gun - Trouble. Argument. Adultery.
Hammer - Triumph. Hard work which will be rewarded.
Hand - Friendship. Help when needed. Advice.
Harp - Contentment. Ease.
Heart - Love or lover. Confidant.
Hen - A new child.
Horse - Work. A lover.
Horseshoes - Good luck. Start of a new, successful enterprise.
House - Security. Authority.
Key - Unveiling a mystery. Opportunity.
Kite - Exercise caution. Think before acting.
Knife - Treachery. Duplicity. Misunderstanding.
Lace - Fragile matters.
Ladder - Advancement. Opportunities taken.
Ladder - Movement.
Letters - Initials of people.
Lock of hair - Devotion.
Locket - Loyalty and friendship.
Man - Stranger. Visitor. Help from an unexpected source.
Mirror - False facades.
Mouse - Financial insecurity.
Mushroom - Disturbance. Complications in business.
Numbers - Indicative of years, months, weeks, days or hours.
Owl - Scandal.
Palm Tree - A breathing-space. A rest period. Temporary relief.
Pendulum - Indecision.
Penny - Attention to detail.
Pipe (smoker's) - Thought and concentration ahead. Investigate all possibilities.
Question mark - Uncertainty.
Rat - Danger.
Ring - Marriage, partnership.
Scissors - A fight, usually domestic. Double-dealing.
Snake - Temptation. An enemy. A personal hurt, or a love affair.
Spider - Luck.
Square - Protection.
Star - Success.
Straight Line - Definite Plans.
Thistle - High ambitions.
Tree - Success, fruitfulness. Goal achieved. Comfort. Rest.
Triangle - Fortune.
Umbrella - Temporary shelter.
Walking stick - Need support.
Wavy Lines - Uncertainty.
Weathercock - Unreliable.
Well - Dig for knowledge.
Wheel - Advancement through effort. Money.
Windmill - Big business dealings.