Tasseography, or the art of reading tea leaves, has been a mystical and spiritual tool for centuries. It is a form of divination that looks at signs and symbols in tea leaves that remain in a cup after use.
I love tea leaves reading because of its simplicity! All you need is yourself, tea leaves, and a cup. So, how do you learn about yourself by reading tea leaves, and what do all the symbols in the cup mean?
Prepping your Tea Leaves Reading
Before starting your tasseography session, you need to make sure you are prepared! You don’t just need to prepare the tools for the tea leaves reading. You must also prepare yourself.
What Do You Need?
In order to get what you need out of tasseography, you must get a proper old-fashioned teacup.
Coffee mugs won’t do as there isn’t much room for the tea leaves, so go out and purchase a teacup for your practice. You can pick one up at any charity shop, or order one online that is suitable for tea leaves reading.
The cup should be light of color with no markings or patterns. With a light, simple background, you are able to see the signs and symbols of the tea leaves clearly.
You will also need loose leave tea with a broadleaf. The type of tea that you use is really up to you and what you prefer.
Perhaps begin with loose black tea leaves and then experiment with different herbal teas as you progress. You might find that certain herbs provide you with a clearer answer than others.
Charging Your Tea Leaves Reading Tools
Before you begin your session, it is really useful to charge the things that you will be using. By charging the tea leaves and the teacup, you are giving them powerful spiritual energy and releasing any energy that might be attached to them.
A lot of mystics choose to charge their tea leaves under the full moon. This is because the moon is a powerful natural tool and her energy is at its most potent when full. Simply leave your tea leaves out under the light of the full moon for a night.
In order to charge your teacup, you may want to pass it through sage smoke or incense. This is using the elements of air and earth to provide your teacup with energy and mystical power.
You may want to charge the water that you are using for the tea leaves reading. Putting a bowl of water under the light of the full moon or under the light of the sun for six to eight hours will cleanse and charge it.
How To Begin Your Tea Reading
Once you have all the tools that you need and have charged them, it is time to begin your tasseography session!
Firstly, bring a kettle to boil and add the water into a teapot with your chosen tea leaves. Then, sit down with the teapot and the teacup in a safe and quiet place.
If you have an altar, you may wish to read your tea leaves there. As long as you are comfortable and undisturbed, any place will be fine for tasseography.
Setting an INtention
Before you begin your tasseography session, you must spiritually prepare yourself. Firstly, take time to meditate and free your mind of other worries.
Candles and incense can be used during tea leaves reading as they allow you to set the scene, clear your mind, and focus your energy on the tea leaves.
When you feel ready, it is time to set your intention. Figure out what it is that you are wanting to learn from the tea leaves reading and what guidance you are after.
Try to be as specific as possible at this point, as a general reading might not give you the answers that you are needing.
Drink The Tea
When you are relaxed and have set your intention, pour the tea into the teacup and start to drink. While you sip the tea, meditate on your intention and your connection with the universe.
Once there is about a mouthful of tea left in the cup, hold the cup in your left hand and begin to swirl the tea. Swirl the tea three times clockwise.
Now is the time to flip the cup. Place a saucer or napkin over the cup and flip it upside down. This gets rid of any excess water. Wait a moment or two whilst you reconnect and remind yourself of the question that you are needing the answer to.
Then, flip the teacup back over and place the saucer or napkin to one side. Direct the handle of the teacup to yourself in order to read the tea leaves correctly.
Interpreting the Tea Leaves
The tea leaves are in front of you, and now is the time to start reading the signs and symbols! It is important to go into this with an open mind.
At first, look at the leaves and take note if anything sticks out to you. Are there any letters or symbols that you notice straight away?
Listen to your intuition and let your subconsciousness speak up. Work out if any of these symbols and markings relate to things in your life. Perhaps a letter in someone’s name pops up, or you can see the outline of an animal that you relate to.
When you have understood your initial thoughts and feelings about the tea leaves you can dive deeper into their meanings and what the universe is trying to tell you.
Position Of The Tea Leaves
When reading your tea leaves, it is useful to take note of where the tea leaves are sitting in the cup. Each section of the teacup has its own energy and meaning.
When tea leaves gather to the left of the cup, they are referring to things in the past. These events might still be affecting your life and therefore important in answering the questions that you are asking the tea leaves.
When you find symbols to the right of the cup, these refer to things that will occur in your future. The bottom of the cup refers to events in the far future and your life as a whole.
The signs and symbols here will teach you about your path in life and what you need to do in order to achieve your goals.
If tea leaves are gathering around the rim of the cup, they are referring to the present and the world that surrounds you now.
Lines and Dots
The lines and dots that appear in the tea leaves also have specific meanings, so pay attention to any ones that appear in your cup and where they appear.
Dots often refer to abundance. This may be love, money, or spiritual depending on your question and whereabouts the dots appear.
For example, perhaps you see dots on the right of the cup next to a pair of wings. This suggests that you will find an abundance of freedom in the future.
Circles will suggest completion, renewal, beginnings, and endings. Perhaps you find a love heart and a circle close together around the rim of the cup. This suggests that there is an ending of one love and perhaps a new romantic partner very soon on the horizon.
Dashes are often interpreted as referring to opportunities and new, fresh starts. With these symbols comes the chance to let go of the old you and embrace something new. Opportunities will be coming your way.
Dust and Small Tea Leaves
When there are loads of small tea leaves and dust in the cup, you might find it hard to interpret the messages. However, dust and particles often mean their own thing. They will often appear when a journey is about to take place in your life.
If the fragments of tea leaves form a straight line, the journey that you are about to go on will be pretty straightforward. You know where you are going and what to do in order to get there.
If the dust is erratic and does not settle in a straight line, you must know that this journey will not be easy. There will be challenges to your journey, but it will be worth it. You will be able to find inner peace and happiness once you have reached your destination.
Letters
Pay attention to any letters that appear in your tea leaves. If it is a capital letter, this will often be the universe sending you a message about a certain place.
For example, if you see the capital letter M, think of places around you that begin with this letter. Does this relate to the question that you have asked the tea leaves? Can you get the answer to your questions at this place?
If the letter is lowercase, they will most likely refer to a person. Who this person is depending on what the question is that asked the tea leaves and where the letter is in the cup.
For example, you might ask the cup who your next partner will be. If a lowercase m appears to the right of the cup, you know that this person is still in your future and their name contains the letter m. If this letter appears at the rim of the cup or to the left, this is a person you know already.
Numbers
Certain numbers have specific meanings. According to numerology, every number has vibrations and energy that sends messages out into the world. These numbers will appear in your tea leaves reading. For example, if you see the number 6 in your tea leaves, the universe is sending you vibrations of harmony and peace.
Tea Leaves Reading Symbols
Mystical symbolism, objects, animals, and imagery will all pop up in a tasseography reading. They won’t be extremely detailed, but you will be able to work out what is being portrayed in the tea leaves. The things that are depicted will have certain connotations in your mind.
For example, if you see an outline of a lion, you might think of courage and strength. Is the universe asking you to find courage and strength in regards to the situation you are asking the tea leaves about?
The symbols all depend on your own personal beliefs and intuitions, so let your mind wander when reading the tea leaves. It is really important to have trust in your thoughts and allow your own ideas and beliefs to help you interpret the tea leaves.
Individual symbols might mean different things for different people. For example, a cross appearing might be interpreted as a danger sign to someone, but as a spiritual message to another. This is okay and all part of tasseography! The universe and your mind are connected, with your energy flowing through the tea leaves.
If you are feeling stuck at interpreting tea leaves, don’t worry! There is a whole load of books available to buy that give you guides to different symbols and signs and what they might mean. You can also find symbolism dictionaries online that will guide you in your tea leaves reading.
Are You Ready To Read The Future With Tea Leaves?
Tea leaves reading is such an exciting way to understand your past, present, and future. It connects us with the universe, allowing our subconscious psyche to guide us.
Good luck on your journey into tasseography, I hope this article has helped you understand the practice and how it works!
If you enjoy tea leaves reading, there are so many other divination practices that are just as amazing! Check out my in-depth article about palm reading here, or how about trying out automatic writing?
Good luck and let us know in the comments below what your tea leaves have shared with you!