Tea Leaf Divination

Tasseographers read teacups from the present to the future by starting along the rim at the handle of the cup and following the symbols downward in a spiral manner, until the bottom is reached, which symbolizes the distant future.

Where there are no leaves there are also shapes

The leaves make shapes, and where there are no tea leaves there are also sometimes white shapes bordered by tea leaves - these images are ethereal. They are depictions of emotional events and never concrete objects. The images here speak to each subject's karma and destiny.

What do the symbols mean?

Once you've discerned the simple images, let your creativity take over and apply names to other clumps of leaves. You might see a giant fish hook (or is that an anchor?), you might see an airplane (or is it a butterfly?), a kite (or a coffin?). You must listen to your intuition to glean what the object really means to you in your life.

Good signs

Some good omens include an airplane (a journey), an acorn (financial success), an anchor (stability), and an angel (good news) or an apple (prosperity and or fertility). A dog is a good omen - any wild creature except serpents or lizards are considered good omens. Seeing birds means enlightenment, and finding wild deer in your tea leaves signifies a chance event or a wild encounter is forthcoming.

Bad Omens

Bad omens include ants (tedious work), a down-turned arrow (bad news), or a dagger (back-stabbing). Obviously spotting a coffin in your tea leaves is not a good omen, and neither is a cross of any kind. The Tower is bad. Generally speaking any hard angles usually lead to symbols with more profound consequences.

Where are the symbols inside the cup?

As discussed earlier, the position of the deposits in the cup represents the time line of events. The closer the symbols are to the rim of the cup, the sooner the episode is likely to happen. Anything found on the very bottom of the teacup will occur next year. Objects on the left of the handle might even represent a past occurrence.

Does this ritual work? Tasseography works on two levels. Discussing stressful elements of your life is a very healthy activity for the mind and body. It's the reason we have friends. Also, the leaf patterns in the teacup provide an interesting perspective upon which to examine your life. Symbols present in the residue might trigger a new thought or action that would have been inconceivable before experiencing the ritual.