Have you or someone you know received a Tea Leaf Reading? What is it and how do you perform it? The Art of reading Tea Leafs is called “Tasseography.” The reader of the cup will decipher the leaves, which make symbols that are left in a cup after it has been drank. Each symbol contains a different meaning. There are many different symbols which represent animals and/ or numbers. Depending on where the symbols land in the cup, this then determines the timeframe for the person who’s cup is read. The easiest way I can compare this to would be looking at the clouds and deciphering what you see in them! Tea Leaf readings have been performed for hundreds of years! Some people actually perform this with Turkish coffee too! This is just another divination tool to help guide you to what is happening in your future. In order to perform a proper Tea leaf reading you need to have the correct tea cup and saucer. What is a correct tea cup? Find a tea cup that is white and smooth in the inside of the cup, without any type of color, imprinting or marking on the inside. Think of a Japanese small soup bowl that has white in the inside and is completed smooth. The reason for this is that the tea leafs will get stuck on edges or rims and this will not be an accurate reading. Also, by not having the color or imprinting on the inside of the cup this helps to decipher the symbols easier. Just like the proper Tea cup, you need proper tea leaves. Find tea leaves that do not have pieces of fruit added to them, like Jasmine. Again, this will taint your reading because those pieces of fruit hinder the reading of the symbols. I would suggest the following Teas: English or Irish Breakfast, Earl Grey, Japanese Oolong or Green Tea.

**A side note on the Tea Leaves**
The English or Irish Breakfast Teas have a smaller “dotty” leaves giving the ability to possibly read more symbols in the cup. The Early Grey and Japanese Teas have more texture and dimension thus less symbols to decipher.

How to perform a reading

1. For an individual reading, start by putting a small amount of tea into the cup. Remember if you put too many tea leaves in the cup it will become a blob. So just use a 1/4 of a teaspoon, especially for the Japanese teas that expand in water. Add your water and mix this with a spoon, then let the tea “steep” a few minutes.

For a group reading, start the kettle and let it come to a bowl, then pour the tea into a tea pot. Next, following the directions on the Tea Leaf box depending on the amount of people you are reading for and let that then “steep.” Then pour the tea into each individual cups.

You may add a small amount of milk to your tea but do this sparingly.

2. While drinking the tea, quiet your mind and ask your question. Continue to sip the tea and do your best to avoid consuming the leaves. Leave a small amount of tea left in the bottom to be able to “swirl.”

3. Take your Tea cup and swirl with your non-dominant hand clockwise 3 times. Next gently dump out the remaining tea and let it drain on your saucer.

4. The reader will then take the cup and place handle of the cup and center it toward them. The handle will be directed at ones chest. The handle direction is important as it indicates a timeline. Think of this as “the center” and you are drawing a line down the middle. Any symbols on the left side are going “away from you,” any symbols on the right side are “coming to you.”The reader will then determine the timeline. Mentally cut the tea cup in 3 sections. The rim of the cup and just below are things that are happening now, “present circumstances.” The middle of the cup shows what is going to happen in her next few weeks. The bottom portion shows what is going to happen in the next month or months. The reader can also read the symbols that may have shown up on the saucer too.
5. I also take several pictures of the symbols with my phone’s camera. It is easier to see the symbols and then be able to point them out to the person getting read.

Tea Leaf reading is very simple with a small amount of practice and some imagination! I would recommend the book Fortune telling by Tea leaves by Sasha Fenton. This is a great book to assist with the meanings of the symbols. Enjoy a cup and have a great time deciphering your reading!