TEA LEAF READINGS
First a Little History....
Scrying with tea leaves is also called Tasseography. It is an Ancient Chinese practice that spread to Europe with nomadic gypsies in the mid-1800's.
1. Make the Tea Correctly
Use loose tea, any flavor, just don't use tea in a tea bag. You have to use the tea leaves that will actually float in your cup. Try a Chinese tea, or one with a minimum of fine-grained dust.
You need a white teacup with a wide brim. It needs to be white or you won't be able to read the dark leaves at the bottom, and it should have a wide brim so the leaves have a bigger area to stick to at the bottom of the cup. Also a wide saucer and teaspoon.
Place a teapot full of water on the stove. Place the dry leaves on the saucer. If this reading is for you then you stir the leaves around on the saucer, if it's for someone else, make sure they do it.
After water is boiling, throw leaves into the pot...the amount doesn't matter. Once again, if this is for someone else, have them throw leaves in the pot.
Brew the tea without a strainer, making sure that the leaves are loose within the pot. After the tea starts steaming, pour into the white cup, let it cool.
2. Drinking the Tea
When the tea is almost at room temperature, it's ready to drink. If you are reading your own leaves then you need to drink the tea you made. If it's for someone else, they need to drink it. Whoever is drinking the tea needs to concentrate on a specific area in their life, a question they have, or a problem that has been bothering them lately.
Make sure there is still a very small amount of tea and most of the tea leaves in the bottom of the cup. Take the cup in your left hand, swirl it around clockwise, thrice. Cover the top of the cup with your right hand making sure to swirl the leaves up and around the sides and rim of the cup.
3. Reading the Leaves
You are now ready to read the tea leaves. The leaves should be "lumped" together all over in different places in the cup, including the rim, sides and bottom.
Always begin with the interpretation by looking for the simplest symbols first. Several of the leaf "lumps" might clearly form letters, numbers, or shapes.
Letters: refer to names of friends or relatives
Numbers: indicate spans of time, like months or years
Shapes: Triangles-good karma, Squares-take caution, Circles-success
Most of the leaves, though, will form random shapes that actually need to be interpretated. It's important to remember that you should not second guess yourself. Go with what you see first and follow your intuition. If you see an Owl, for example, then that's what it is!
After a few readings you will become more adept to assigning names to symbols, and in doing so, you should be able to interpret about anything. Don't forget to keep in mind that reading tea leaves requires some creativity on your part.
A Few Symbols & Meanings
4 Leaf Clover- good luck
<<<Angel- guardians of hope and wonder
Celtic Knot- long life, eternity, peace
Cross- redemption or salvation
Heart- love, fondness>>>>>>>>>>>>
Kokopelli- fertility, joy, music
Star of David- union, heart, love
Yin & Yang- balance and harmony
Alligator- aggression, survival
Ant- teamplayer, worker
Armadillo- active, nocturnal, protection
<<<<<Bat- guardian of the night, cleaner
Bear- power, adaptability
Bear Paw- strength, mobility
Beaver- builder, gatherer
Bobcat- fierce, loner, intensity
Brontosaurus- harmless giant
Buffalo- sacredness, life builder
Buffalo Skull- sacredness, reverence for life
Bull- strength, warning
Butterfly- metamorphosis, carefree, transformer>>>>
Camel- weary, enduring
<<<Cat- independence, grace, healing
Cougar- leadership, courage
Cow- patience, stoicism
Coyote- prankster, insight, playful
Crane- solitude, independence
Dragon- wisdom, nobility >>>>>>>
Deer- love, gentleness, kindness
Dolphin- kindness, play, bridge man to ocean
Dog- loyalty, protection
Dove- love, peace, gentleness
<<<<<Dragonfly- flighty, carefree
Eagle- divine spirit, connection to Mother Earth>>>
Elephant- long life, self-preservation
Elk- strength, agility, freedom
Fox- cunning, provider, intelligence
Frog- connection with water element>>>>
Giraffe- watchfulness, mobility
Goat- stubborn, omnivorous
Goose- faithful, communicative, traveler
Gorilla- brute strength, adaptability
Grizzly Bear- hunter, nature pharmacist
Hawk-messenger, stopper of time
Hippo- linking water and earth, survival
<<<<<<<Hopi Hand- life, creative, healing
Horse- stamina, mobility, strength
Hummingbird- messenger, stopper of time
Kangaroo- feisty, fun loving
Lion- power, strength, respect
Lizard- conservation, agility
Loon- solitude, song, romance
Manatee- peaceable, unassuming
Mastodon- lumbering giant
Monkey- playfulness, agility
Moose- headstrong, unstoppable, longevity
Mouse- timid, secretive, sneaky>>>>>>>
Orca- focus, power
Ostrich- fickle, fast-moving
Otter- laughter, curiosity,truth, patience
<<<<<<<Owl- wisdom, perseverance
Panda- playful, kindness
Pegasus- carrier of lightning
Pelican- ever watchful, grace
Penguin- playful, loving
Pheasant- confidence, attraction, perseverance
Pig- intelligence, hunger
Polar Bear- fearlessness, power
Pterodactyl- wing finger
Quail- sacred spiral, ceremonial, Holy
Rabbit- alertness, resourceful >>>>>>>>
Raccoon- bandit, shy, determination
Ram- new beginning, teacher, hoarder
Raptor- speedy thief
<<<<<Raven- trickster, mischievous
Rhino- durability, strength
Road Runner- speed, agility, cleverness
Salmon- instinct, persistence, determination
Scorpion- defense, self-protection
Seahorse- confidence, grace
Shark- hunter, survival
Skunk- wary, conspicuous, intense
<<<Snake- shrewdness, transformation
Spider- creative, pattern of life >>>>>>
Squirrel- trusting, innocence
Steer Skull- silent testimony
Stegosaurus- the covered lizard
Swan- grace, balance, festive
Thunderbird- caller of rain
Turkey- smart, elusive
<<<<Turtle- self-contained, creative source
Unicorn- redemption, salvation
Water Buffalo- great strength, hard working
Whale- wisdom, power, cleanser
Wolf- loyalty, success, perseverance>>>>>
Wolf Paw- freedom, success, guidance
Zebra- family-oriented, alert
Zuni Bear- good health
Remember, this is just a sample list...if you ever see an image or symbol not listed here just ask me and I will find the meaning of it.
Brief description of how to use these symbols to get the actual meaning of your
Tea Leaf Reading
Let's say you have just finished your tea. You look at the bottom of the cup and see an image of a "Water Buffalo" for example...for short this might mean that you'll always have great strength in solving your problems but you may have to work very hard to accomplish things.
Wishing you much luck,
LadyLavenStarRaene
