Tasseography, or the art of how to read tea leaves, is believed to have been around for nearly as long as there has been tea. According to legend, the practice began in ancient China when friends sat enjoying tea and conversation, as friends still do, when they noticed tea leaves at the bottom of their cups clumped in patterns that looked like objects or symbols that they interpreted as representative of their lives. Through the centuries, the practice has followed tea routes through Asia and Europe and is still alive and well. While tea leaves are traditionally used in tasseography, the art can be practiced using coffee grounds or wine sediment. Tasseography is also called “tasseomancy” and “tasseology.” The word has French and Greek origins, with the French tasse meaning “cup” and the Greek graph meaning “writing.”
Before you gulp down that cup of tea in your hand and begin peering into the bottom of your cup trying to understand what your leftover tea leaves are telling you, there are some tips to observe and rules to follow. While it can take a bit of practice before you are accomplished in how to do tea leaf readings, if you are interested in learning more about this ancient form of divination, read on for some great insights.
Loose Tea and the Right Cups
To do tea leaf reading correctly, you need to choose the proper tea for the job. Loose tea is highly recommended rather than cutting open a tea bag and using the tea inside. This is because loose tea leaves are larger than the leaves used in tea bags -- the larger leaves are more suited to forming recognizable symbols and figures at the bottom of a teacup. Avoid using teas with pieces of fruit or flowers as they will obstruct reading the leaves. Some experts advise leaving the milk and sugar in the fridge and cupboard -- just a straight cuppa for tasseography!
Also, when choosing a cup, a white or light-colored cup works best so that the outlines and dots of the tea leaves can be clearly seen. Our classic Harney & Sons Teacup is a perfect choice. If you’re really interested in the practice of tasseography and want to step it up a notch, there are different sets of cups that are made specifically for reading tea leaves. Three of the most popular:
- Zodiac Cups. Astrological and planetary symbols are contained in these cup and saucer sets, which allows the reader to combine astrology into the reading.
- Playing Card Cups. Want to incorporate some cartomancy with your tasseomancy? “Cartomancy” is divination using playing cards, and these cup/saucer sets with card imagery allow you to mix the two together.
- Symbol Cups. These cup and saucer sets are like having an interpretation cheat-sheet handy. Many of the most common tasseography symbols are incorporated into these sets for handy reference.
While these cup and saucer sets may add some aesthetic or possible interpretive value to your experience, all you need to get started reading tea leaves is a plain white teacup. No fancy equipment required. Another option: in China, a traditional gaiwan cup is very popular for reading tea leaves, as the traditional way to drink tea from a gaiwan includes leaving the tea leaves in the cup rather than straining them out.
Preparing Your Tea
Making a cup of tea with the intention of reading the leaves is about the simplest cup you’ll ever make. Simply choose your loose-leaf tea -- any black, green, or oolong tea will do -- and place a teaspoon of the leaves directly into your cup. Add your hot water and let the leaves steep for a few minutes. Leave the tea in the cup -- no need to strain or use an infuser. After all, the leaves are the star of the show!
The Tea Leaf Reading Ritual
As with all good tea ceremonies, there is a ritual to tasseography.
First, you can either read your own tea leaves, or someone else can read them for you. But the leaves being read must be the leaves of the “querent.” This is the person seeking answers. It is important for the querent to clear their mind while drinking the tea and focus on the specific question they have, as general questions will result in more general, vague answers.
If someone else is reading the tea leaves after the querent has finished drinking the tea, that person is called the reader. A querent can also be the reader of their own tea leaves, but if you are not experienced at reading symbols it is best to seek out someone who is a proficient tasseographer. If you want to learn to read your own, it just takes practice!
To get started, prepare your loose-leaf tea – add a teaspoon of tea leaves to your cup and add water brewed to the proper temperature (our Harney tins will tell you what temp is best for each tea). As it brews in your cup, you can gently stir it but allow the leaves to settle at the bottom before consuming; this prevents too many from going into your mouth. Remember that nothing is added to tea when doing tasseography. This is because milks or sweeteners can alter how the leaves move and distort the contrast or color, making it more difficult to see the images.
When the tea is ready, start taking small sips. As you do this, focus on your question or the situation you’re seeking guidance on. Remember, if you’re doing a reading for someone else, they will ingest the tea.
When about one teaspoon of liquid is left in your cup, it is time to start the reading.
This part can be tricky, so don’t feel discouraged if you can’t do it perfectly right away. Hold your cup a few inches above the saucer and gently swirl the leaves and liquid in a circular motion in a clockwise direction while focusing again on your question. Then, in one swift action, flip the cup upside down and place it on the saucer so all the liquid drains out of the cup. Place a napkin on the saucer before flipping the cup so you don’t accidentally chip or break it. Then spin the cup in a clockwise direction three times on the saucer (while still upside down).
Now pick up the cup and peer inside. At first, it may just look like a bunch of dark blobs stuck to the sides of the teacup, but little by little, your eyes will begin to see shapes.
Examine the cup for all sides and angles and note what you see and where you see it.
Before you can start reading the leaves, you need a little background on the importance of the cup. Understanding the parts of the cup is vital for performing tasseography effectively. There are three main parts of the cup you will be incorporating into your readings: the bowl, the handle, and the saucer.
The Bowl
The bowl of the cup is the container portion. It is the part that holds the liquid and the leaves, and displays the images. When looking at your cup, imagine that the bowl can be equally divided into three sections: the bottom, the middle, and the top.
These areas of the cup provide a timeline for your readings. If you are reading about the future of a situation, the closer to the bottom the symbols appear, the farther away the event is.
- Bottom: about three months away
- Middle: about one to three weeks away
- Top: about one to seven days away
These three sections can also clarify and acknowledge the past, present, and future.
- Bottom: the past
- Middle: the present
- Top: the future
Some people also categorize these three sections into emotional experience or emotional impact.
- Bottom: negative
- Idle: neutral
- Top: positive
The Handle
The handle is less important than the cup’s bowl, but its associations should still be considered. Symbols that appear near the handle can be used to determine how quickly something will happen, but most often, it is a barometer for how much impact the symbol will have on a person’s life. The closer to the handle something is, the more impactful it will be.
The Saucer
Despite being an entirely different dish, the saucer is an integral part of tasseography as it holds the discarded liquid and tea leaves that do not stick to the cup. Also, sometimes images can form in the saucer, so you should always glance at it before discarding its contents. These symbols are not quite as important as the ones that appear in the cup, but they can act as confirmation of the message received in your reading.
Time to Read the Tea Leaves!
At this point, the reader will carefully observe the leaves in the cup, gently turning it to get a good look at the leaves from all angles. If at first this looks like… well, like a bunch of wet tea leaves stuck to the inside of your cup, don’t give up! Reading tea leaves can seem daunting to a beginner, but with practice, you’ll begin to get the hang of it.
Over the many centuries that tasseography has been practiced, over 150 classic symbols have been cataloged. It takes time and patience to master the art. If you’re really interested in learning how Tea Leaf Reading for Beginners is a helpful resource for getting started. Reading Tea Leaves, authored in 1881 by an unknown author called “A Highland Seer,” is the oldest book written in English on the subject of tasseography and is still considered the definitive book on the art form.
We’re also excited to share that we have published our own book on tea leaf reading! How to Read Tea Leaves is a new book we commissioned. Its author, Claire Goodchild, is an award-winning author, artist, and designer who created the popular tarot deck, The Antique Anatomy Tarot. It is also exquisitely illustrated by Polly Fern, whose work has been shown various galleries around the world, including the MET Museum in New York. The guidebook includes a beautiful set of tasseography cards to make your tea leaf reading experience complete.
Our founder and my grandfather, John Harney, fell into tea leaf reading. Or maybe he was always destined to be a seer. All we know is that a torn and tattered copy of Reading Tea Leaves (mentioned above) ended up on his desk. John felt the right way to go forward was to involve the "Diviner" of America's tea world: James Norwood Pratt. Norwood foresaw the way the tea would become so popular in the USA. Both of these men saw what others could not. So tea leaf reading makes sense to them.
John loved to read people's tea leaves. He went around and would do it at the drop of a hat. The results were always more positive when they used his tea. His favorite prognostication was: “I see a tall handsome stranger coming into your life."
Enjoy this video of John Harney reading tea leaves and interpreting their meaning:
In general, readers are studying the leaves to look for patterns, symbols, lines, figures. Remember, the position of the leaves in the cup is important to the strength of their meaning. A bad omen can be overshadowed by a good omen in a stronger position in the cup -- and vice versa. Think teacup real estate and what matters most: location, location, location!
When it comes to symbols, there are generally five types: animals, mythical beings, objects, letters, and numbers. Their proximity to one another can also impact the meaning. Letters, lines, and dots also have import. Again, this is an ancient art that takes practice to master. Many tasseographers rely on their instincts, having seen tea leaves in so many variations.
Our How to Read Tea Leaves book has the meanings for 66 of the most popular tasseography symbols. If you are interested in learning this wonderful divination tool, our book and card set is an excellent way to get started.
Tasseography experts say that the answers already lie inside you, it’s the practice of opening your mind and being intentional in seeking answers that allow the tea leaves to reveal the answers. Isn’t it always amazing what a cup of tea can do?
