Reading Tea Leaves
The art of reading tea leaves is a practice steeped (no pun intended!) in history. This practice is rooted in the tradition of the Ancient Celts, an indigenous group to the British Isles, who began the practice over 1000 years ago and passed it down through generations. While its origin is rooted in divination, or attempting to gain insight into the future, its presence in modern life is reflective of the intuitiveness of our body, and how it reveals important knowledge about one’s current state of being. Here’s a guide on how to read tea leaves yourself.
Gathering the Necessities
- Tea – Pu-erh and Gunpowder tea are the traditional teas used in this process, as they grow and release their particles in larger chunks compared to other teas.
- A Cup & Saucer – Traditional teacups used in this practice have a wide brim, and a patternless saucer to help reads the symbols more clearly.
- Warm Water – The warm water allows the tea leaves to release their patterns, thus producing a reading.
Preparing & Brewing the Tea
- Put 2 teaspoons of tea leaves in the teacup.
- Fill the cup with hot, but not boiling water.
- Let the tea steep for 3-5 minutes.
- Hold the handle of the cup and swirl the tea in a circle.
Reading the Leaves
- When you finish the swirl, tap the tea leaves to the center of the cup and look at the shapes created.
- As you look, your inner voice will start speaking to you and your interpretations will come to you.
- Assign meaning to the shapes and symbols.
- Think of how the shapes relate to your current state of being or your goals.
Interpreting the Leaves
Interpreting the shapes created by the tea leaves is an individualized experience. Everyone will form their own associations to the different shapes they encounter, and often times the meanings can be more profound then expected. Here are some of the traditional shapes and their meanings:
- Stars – indicates success, victory and accomplishment.
- Hearts – focused on love, relationships, and emotions.
- Circles – relationship between the person, their goals and their spirit.
- Crosses – usually represent change, progress, or upheaval.
Reading tea leaves can be a fun and interesting activity that can provide insight into the current state of being. It’s important to remember that this is completely individualized and that solely having an openness to the process is all that’s needed to uncover deeper meaning within the shapes and symbols of the leaves.
