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Has anyone ever offered you a cup of tea? Then did they proceed to offer a tea leaves reading? I may have lost the majority of you with that second question. Tasseography is the art of identifying/interpreting symbols, messages, and shapes found in tea leaves. The art started becoming more popular in the 1800s by the Romani people. After WW1, tea parlors began becoming a more popular place for people to hang out. Women would serve snacks and offer tea leaf readings. The art of tasseography is passed down from the generation to generation between women. 

      Tasseography doesn’t have to be done with tea leaves. It can be done with coffee grounds or even wine sediment; but tea leaves are the recommended. For beginners it is suggested the loose black tea leaves be used. You place them in a preferably light colored cup and pour in the water without steeping. As the tea cools it’s suggested that you focus on the question you’d like answered: as well as transferring your energy into the tea leaves. Keeping in mind that general questions receive general answers. 

      After the tea has cooled and has been consumed with about a tablespoon of tea remaining, the fun part is ready to begin. Holding the cup in your left hand you swirl the tea three times left to right. Invert the cup over a saucer and leave it upside down for about 1 minute and rotate again three times. Turn the cup up positioning the handle towards due South. There should be tea leaves that will be stuck in different shapes and clusters with insights and answers to your question. Of course the placement of the leaves have different meanings. For example:

• Near Handle: relates to your immediate surroundings. 

• Across from Handle: relates to external issues and outside influences. 

• Rim: relates to your present. Also a life changing event may be making its way towards you. 

• Sides: relates to your near future. 

• Bottom: relates to your distant future. 

Placements can depend on timing, connection, and even intensity. So the next time you feel like making yourself a cup of tea maybe you'll leave the tea leaves at the bottom; and try a new type of practice. You never know you could be a natural. Or you could always make your way to a tea parlor.