Known as “tasseography” tea leaf divination has probably been around as long as tea, which was used as early as 3000BC in China and seen as an elixir of long life, and was used in the orient as well as a drink. The tea ceremonies performed in Japan have their roots in meditation and creating that quiet space from which insight can spring forth.

Tea came over to Europe much later on in history, and to England around the middle of the 17 th Century, but divination from the dredges left behind a drink was practiced even before then using wine (known as olinomancy). In early times many women would use herbs as brews to help most ailments and would often “read” the dregs of the brew once consumed as an added insight into the root of the problem.

Reading tea leaves is a home based divination tool, something most people can do without the need for training, just a connection to your intuition and practice is all that is needed.

How to read tea leaves

Use traditional loose leaf tea (and a tea pot) to brew your tea, something like Earl Grey or Darleejing is best as they have firmer, separate leaves.

Warm the teapot with hot water and rinse it out, all the while thinking about the dilemma you'd like insight on or the question you would like answering.

Add a spoonful of tea per person drinking it, plus one for the pot and add boiling water, leaving the tea to brew for 4 minutes (longer if you like your tea strong!)

As it brews concentrate on your question, or ask the questioner to focus and let you know what area they need guidance on.

Pour a cupful of tea without using a strainer (if you are reading for someone else let them pour) again think about the question/area you need guidance on.

Now enjoy your tea!

Leave sufficient water in the bottom of the cup to swirl the leaves in, and swirl three times (clockwise for a man, anti clockwise for a woman), using the left hand. Then you or the questioner should turn the cup upside down on wide saucer.

Twist the cup round a further three times in the opposite direction to the way you swirled, using the left hand.

Now turn the cup upright, and look at the images or clumps the leaves have formed inside the cup, noticing where they are in the cup.

To help you understand what any images you can make out refer to, the cup is traditionally divided into quarters:

Quarter by the handle – this represents the questioner and their immediate surroundings

Quarter opposite the handle – this relates to strangers, colleagues and matters away from home, including work and travel.

Quarter to the left of the handle – this is the area of movement out of the questioners life, regarding people, and can indicate people from the past as well

Quarter to the right of the handle – this indicates movement into the life of the questioner, people and events.

Images closer to the rim indicate present or immediate future, and any present further down or at the bottom of the cup are much further ahead – from months to years.

Images

Making out the images is not laid down by any rule books, the art of tea leaf reading relies on your intuition and insight coming to the fore, but it can help to squint at the leaves, so that they blur into some kind of image. Allow your mind to make a connection and go with the first image or word that jumps up, often the same image will mean different things to different people – for instance something that looks like a cross could be a cross to you, a plus sign to someone else, or even a bird to another.

There is no wrong with tea leaf reading, just insights.