Tea leaf reading is an ancient method of divination, and can be used to help people make decisions about their life.
Equipment Needed
The equipment required for tasseomancy is loose leaf tea, a cup and saucer, a teapot, and a notebook and pen.
Although any cup with a curved base will suffice, some people do prefer to purchase a special tea set or ornate cup and saucer for divination. The cup should be nicely rounded and smooth so that the tea leaves can move around freely.
The cup should have an un-patterned plain interior to make it easier to see the formations made by the tea leaves. When choosing a teapot, ensure that it does not leak and does not contain a strainer or filter, as this would prevent the leaves from going into the cup.
When reading tea leaves only use loose leaf tea, either use white, green, black or oolong, as this provides the tea leaves in the cup. Do not use flavoured or herbal teas as they contain other elements such as flower leaves and petals.
The first mention of tea in literature was in a Chinese dictionary in AD350, and in 780 China imposed a tax on tea. Tea was the Chinese national drink during the T’ang dynasty. The Chinese used tea leaves for fortune telling, as did the Europeans when tea arrived in Europe in the sixteenth century.
It is not possible to practice tasseomancy using teabags. Even if a teabag is cut open and the leaves are used to make tea, the leaves are too small and sometimes have a tendency to float, which does not make drinking the tea a pleasant experience.
How to Make a Cup of Tea
- · Pour some nearly boiling water into the teapot and swirl it around to warm it up. Then pour this water away.
- · Put one teaspoon of loose leaf tea per person into the teapot.
- · Pour sufficient boiling water onto the tea leaves and place a lid onto the teapot.
- · Let the teapot stand for three to four minutes.
- · Pour the tea into the prepared tea cups.
- · Place the cups onto the saucers.
How to Read Tea Leaves
There should be no distractions, and a pot of tea should be made as above. A notebook and pen should be placed beside the teapot, cups and saucers for making notes. The reader’s feet should be firmly on the ground and they should visualise Earth energy coming up through the feet. They need to close their eyes and try to clear their mind. As they breathe in they should imagine that they are sucking in a white light, the light is filling their body and surrounding it in positive energy.
They should then open their eyes and allow the person who is having their tea leaves read to pour out their own cup of tea. It is traditional that only the first cup of tea poured from the teapot should be read, as it ensures that there are enough leaves for an adequate reading.
Whilst drinking the cup of tea the individual needs to think about whether a specific question needs asking, if there is no specific question then they should think about the future. They need to drink until only about a teaspoon of tea remains in the cup, twist the cup three times anti-clockwise, and then put it down on the saucer for 20 to 30 seconds.
The cup should be placed upright on the saucer, and the reader should relax and gaze into the cup. They need to think about which leaves are attracting their attention. Some leaves can be read literally, others are symbolic, always use intuition as a guide.
The top of the cup and the rim indicates the present, here and now. The middle section indicates the next few weeks. The base of the cup indicates the time between three to six weeks away. To the left of the handle indicates the past.
When a shape is seen in the tea leaves, instinct should be used to decide upon the meaning of it. Instinctive reactions are frequently correct and can give an accurate image of the past, present, and future.
Tasseomancy or tea leaf reading can be fun to practice, and can give an insight into people's lives and unanswered questions.
Sources of reference: The Art of Tea Leaf Reading by Jane Struthers
