 
~ The Art of Reading Tea Leaves ~
TASSEOMANCY or TASSEOGRAPHY
There are many techniques for reading leaves and I will try to explore several of them here. I feel that developing personal technique and practice will result in the best readings.
The Tea
There are people who are adamant about what type of tea should be used for reading. One source I came across proclaimed “it must come from China” but any loose leaf tea will do in a pinch. There are herbs and blends that are believed to enhance psychic abilities which might be considered. Experiment and discover what works best for you.
Heck, you could cut open a tea bag and use the leaves within. Some people may be horrified by the very suggestion, but at the very least it will give you some practice. The problem in doing this is that the leaves in tea bags are so finely ground that they float about in the cup rather than staying close to the bottom as you drink.
 The Cup
There are cups on the market that are specifically for tea reading but all you really need is a cup with a nice wide mouth, round bowl that is plain, and preferably white on the inside. I suggest going to second-hand, antique stores or even garage sales and picking up something that appeals to you. It is a nice idea to choose something that you will use only for tea reading. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, I’ve spent 50¢ for a cup and saucer that work perfectly for reading. You don't have to buy something old though, the cup pictured here would be an excellent choice for tasseography.
Brewing the Tea
To brew a proper pot of tea you first boil water and fill the pot. This will heat it up and keep your tea warmer, longer. Bring a second batch of water just to the boiling point, add your tea to the pot (traditionally this is 1 teaspoon per cup plus 1 more for the pot) then add your water and let it steep. If you are making tea in a pot be sure to check if your tea pot has a strainer on the spout ... its no good trying to read tea leaves if they won't reach the cup!
An easier method is this... add approximately 1/2 teaspoon of tea leaves to your teacup (this will vary depending on the type of tea used and the size of the tea cup so adjust to suit your own tastes). Add barely boiling water. Let stand 3 minutes. Flavour as you normally would and enjoy.
Easier still... just make yourself a regular old cup of tea and add a pinch of loose leaf tea to the cup.
Drinking the Tea
Here is where things start to get more complicated.
I like to keep things as simple as possible and so I just sip the tea, not thinking of anything in particular, using my left hand (I’m right handed) to hold the cup. The reasoning behind using the less dominant hand is so that the drinker does not influence the reading with their will. I drink most of the tea, leaving a bit at the bottom which will allow me to “swirl” the remnants. There are many different ways to drink the tea. Some would say that drinking with the right hand will assist in reading the future while using the left will look into the past, others don’t care at all. Instead of lazily sipping away you might choose to focus intently on a specific question or concern while drinking. Others still will ask you to make a wish or ask a question when you have finished drinking. Do what makes the most sense to you.
The Swirl
When the tea has been all drunk up, take the cup and place a saucer over the top. With both hands swirl it around a few times (I do this counterclockwise just because it is most comfortable for me) then turn them upside down. Wait a few moments, then turn the tea cup over to reveal the leaves.
Here are some other popular techniques:
• using the left hand swirl the cup three times clockwise and overturn it into a napkin or saucer allowing the liquid remnants to absorb into the cloth or drip onto the saucer
• overturn the cup into a saucer and then swirl three times (I can’t see this being a very effective technique but I thought I’d include it anyway)
• the querent holds the cup in left hand, while thinking of a question, they swirl the tea in the cup clockwise thrice, taking at least one sip
• simply let the drinker finish all of the liquid and read the leaves as they sit
• the person whose fortune is to be told should turn the cup three times, counterclockwise by holding the cup in the left hand and turning it using the handle
The Reading
The first thing you might want to do is get an overall feeling of the leaves. Big and clumpy? Perhaps a mess is brewing. A few scattered leaves might mean uneventful times are ahead. I glance into the cup then leave it for a few minutes “to let the leaves settle” before I begin my search for symbols.
A popular reading method is to begin at the handle and look for symbols, shapes and letters around the cup. Anything found around the handle represents something occurring close to, or within the home or it could represent the person asking the question. Symbols close to the rim are said to indicate things are about to happen or will happen very soon. The deeper in the cup the images appear the further into the future they will happen or take place.
Another way to determine time is to look at which side of the handle the leaves are ... to the left are things that happened in the past, to the right events that will happen in the future the handle representing the present and the further away the leaves are from this the further away in time (or perhaps even physical or emotional distance) the occurrences are.
There are other ways to determine time within a tea reading .... I’ve created a few diagrams to help illustrate the various techniques used.
 
I have found that my tea readings deal with events within a couple of days of the reading, so I don't place too much focus on where the leaves are in the cup. Some believe that they can only see 24 hours ahead in their readings. Then there are those lucky ones who can see a lifetime the bottom of a teacup. In this last instance, the cup may be divided into months and then again into years. The top half of the cup would represent the coming year and the bottom half the distant future.
The Symbols
See which symbols jump out at you and grab your attention first. I feel that these are the most important or dominant messages. Those that are hidden, or take longer to find, might mean something more subtle. Don’t look for perfect images, treat tea leaves as you would clouds, use your imagination and impressions.
It is important to understand that symbols hold different meanings for different people. Personal experiences and cultural upbringing will have an effect on our interpretations of the symbols present. When I see a boot I think of long distance travel (not a sign of “Achievement” as it says on a list of interpretations) For me, a black heart is a warning of an upcoming argument, X’s and O’s are love and well wishes, mountains are news from distant relatives and smiling faces are good news or good things to come.
Look into your cup and decide what the meanings the symbols hold for you. Keep a log or tea reading journal to decipher what you see. Definitely look at others interpretation lists, but more importantly trust your own instincts.
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