Art of Reading Tea Leaves

Have you imagined reading of tea leaves to be an art? But yes, it is. The art of reading tea leaves is a method of fortune-telling wherein the interpretations are based on patterns in tea leaves. The art of reading tea leaves originated in Asia, Ancient Greece and in the Middle East independently. It is believed to have developed thousands of years ago in China. The reading of tea leaves consists of three different phases. The first one is creating the reading; the second step is to recognize the symbols and determining their significance. The last step is to combine the readings into a single interpretation that pertains to the inquirer.

How to Read Tea Leaves
For reading tea leaves, a cup of tea is poured without using a strainer. The tea is then poured away or consumed. The cup is then shaken to drain off any liquid that remains. The diviner looks at the pattern of tea leaves in the cup. The shape the diviner sees may be of a letter, a heart or a ring. There could be a variety in the shapes that a diviner sees in the pattern made by the tea leaves. If the shape of a snake is seen, it is interpreted to be a symbol of enmity. A spade is interpreted as good fortune, a mountain as hindrance and the shape of a house as a symbol of success.

There are different types of teacups that are used for divination.

• The zodiac cups contain planetary symbols and the saucers depict the astrological signs. This type of cups allows the diviner to combine the principles of astrology and tea leaf reading.
• The symbol cups feature some of the common symbols that are found on tea leaves. These symbols are numbered and explained in booklets.
• The playing card cups bear small images of the cards and saucers bear the card interpretations. This form combines cartomancy with the reading of tea leaves.

For the exercise of tea leaf reading, both the diviner and the inquirer should be in a relaxed state of mind. For reading tea leaves you need,

• Tea leaves or granules
• steaming water
• spoons
• a cup and a saucer

As a part of the process of reading tea leaves, the inquirer brews the tea and drinks it. While the tea boils, the inquirer stirs the tea leaves. On drinking the inquirer is supposed to leave some water in the cup. The cup is passed on to the diviner who swirls the liquid inside the cup letting the leaves stick to the insides of the cup. A napkin is placed on the saucer and the cup is inverted over the saucer. The diviner then observes the interior of the cup for symbols and interprets the patterns that appear.

It is a good omen if the tea leaves spill out while stirring. The floating of stalks or leaves while the tea leaves are being stirred indicates the arrival of guests. Bubbles in the tea symbolize prosperity while a pair of spoons kept in the saucer, indicates the arrival of twins in the family. A strong tea signifies a strong bond of friendship while a weak tea is interpreted as the end of a relationship.

During the reading of tea leaves, the seer holds the cup in a way that the handle of the cup points towards the seeker. The handle of the cup symbolizes the home and family of the seeker. Usually, the patterns appearing in the tea leaves are interpreted spirally, wherein the patterns towards the rim indicate near future and those at the bottom of the cup indicate distant future.

The art of reading tea leaves is one of the simplest forms of fortune telling. But being an art, it involves imagination and experience for being able to interpret symbols in tea leaves. The interpretations often depend on the thinking of the diviner and are based on questions put forth by the inquirer. Like any other art, mastery over the art of reading tea leaves requires focused efforts and a zeal to learn.