I have always been fascinated by the unseen world. Even from a young age I felt an uncanny connection to the subtle messages forming around me. Whether it was the presence of a spirit, or a string of events that hinted at something coming next. This connection was nurtured and strengthened by my mother and grandmother.

My mother began teaching me to read Tarot cards at an early age. It all began around 5 years old. She would lay the cards out on her bed, and ask me, “What story do you see?” From there we would let our imaginations run wild, building worlds, stories, characters and plots. This was my mother’s way of training my psychic abilities.

When you’re young you need an outlet for all the psychic energy that is happening around you. Divination gives you a unique language for communicating with the Universe. It’s nothing more than a tool… but tools are useful because they help you understand patterns.

What Is Tasseography?

PinTasseography is the magical and ancient art of reading tealeaves. Allowing you to tap into the deep, rich world of the psyche giving insight, guidance and creative prompts. Tealeaf reading has its roots in Asia and the Middle East and has been practiced by everyone from Royalty to housewives. It was even considered an insightful pass-time by the Victorian ladies during afternoon tea.

Loose tea leaves form symbols in the bottom of your teacup to tell a story. While enjoying a cup of tea you infuse it with your essence, creating a catalyst that allows the leaves to paint pictures. Once you learn the language of intuition you can string together symbols to receive insights, and spiritual messages.

The process of reading tealeaves opens doors to the inner world of the psyche. Use your imagination as a pathway to intuition. Once your imagination and intuition intertwine you begin connecting with the Universe. This is a simple process of trusting your creative self.

The Process

To Begin: Preparing the cup and drinking the tea

Begin with a bowl shaped teacup, free of interior decoration. The handle and saucer are a must. Always use loose-leaf tea (English breakfast). Enjoy your cup of tea leaving a teaspoon of liquid in the finished cup! Then the cup is swirled, flipped and left to rest.

Exploring the Interior: seeing symbols and the map

The cup is flipped over to explore the interior. The cup is divided into 3 distinct sections that I call, The Map of the Cup:

The Bottom = Past

The Middle = Present

The Top to the Rim = Future.

The Handle always represents the person being read.

When looking through your cup use the Map, and make note of the most prominent symbols

Story telling: What do you see? What stands out?

Largest symbols are the most important. Begin naming what you see. First impressions always count here! These are usually the correct impression. Don’t filter, just make up a story and begin interpreting.

Is the cup littered with symbols? Does it have one prominent symbol? Does it have well-developed symbols in each area?

Play, explore, and create. Let your child like wonder come through here. The cup is nothing more than a cloudy sky. Gaze at the interior as if you were gazing at fluffy white clouds above you. See shapes, and forms in the shapes of the leaves, and the negative space around them.

There is no wrong way. Let the Universe give you a message.

Interpreting The Message

PinTo help you interpret the symbols that may form in your cup, invest in a dream dictionary. They are great for looking up symbols, and getting a good feeling for their traditional meaning. Many wonderful books are available specifically about symbols… they are worth the investment as well. But the heart of the message comes from your own personal intuition!

Tea leaf readings are wonderful for a general reading, but you can also ask a specific question. When asking a specific questions be mindful of the past, present and future areas. Be very specific with your question. You might even find that the cup only speaks about one area of time when asking a specific question.

I like to take a photograph of the cups interior when I fist begin the reading. This allows me to preserve the images that I’ve seen incase anything moves as the leaves dry out. It is also a great way to reference what you’ve seen in previous readings.

The more you practice, the easier it will become to slip into that space where information comes through. Come to this with an open mind, and heart. And remember to play!

Drop me a note below and let me know how your tea leaf reading went! Was it clear? Did it take time for the images and story to come out? What did you see? What were you seeking?