Spirit Walk Ministry
Cape Cod, Massachusetts
United States
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“Well, Harry's got a wonky sort of cross - that's trials and suffering.
But this here could be the Sun - that's happiness.
So... you're going to suffer but you're going to be happy about it."
Ron Weasley reading Harry Potter's tea leaves, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Tea Leaf Reading or “Tasseography” is a divination method that interprets patterns in tea leaves, coffee grounds, or wine sediments. (Coffee grounds reading is known as “Cafeomancy" and reading of patterns in wine sediment is called "Oenomancy".) While these usually fall under the category of “fortune telling”they may be more a form of augury, the prophetic divining of the future by observation of omens and portents.
The difference between prophecy and fortune telling is that fortune telling is just a prediction about the future while prophecy claims to come directly from a divine or universal source. Prophecy is normally concerned with the big picture of the Universe's "plan" for earth, specific nations or peoples while fortune telling is normally only concerned with specific individuals or circumstances and is neither the main emphasis or the main reason why the “message” is given.
“Being the soothsayer of the tribe is a dirty job, but someone has to do it.”
Like most divination practices, tea leaf reading is based on the concept of synchronicity as put forward by prominent Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung. Simply, synchronicity is "meaningful coincidence." According to Jung, synchronicity, or meaningful coincidence, is evidence of the invisible web of meaning and connection that permeates everything in nature and in the universe.
Carl Jung believed that an individual could actually become aware of this web of meaning and experience his or her place in it (a process that Jung called "individuation.") Jung believed that the more a person individuates, the more synchronicity is bound to occur, and vice versa. Jung wrote many volumes on the power of divination, dreams, symbols, and oracles, all in an attempt to codify this process of individuation, which, in essence, is the path that the soul takes in order to evolve. Jung was influenced by the Chinese divinatory system of the I Ching (“Book of Changes”) and the interpretation of the hexagram symbols that represent certain archetypal images, but also serve as meditative stimulation to individual psychic awareness, much like the patterns of the leaves in the tea cup.
The essential and most basic component of tea or coffee reading is the interpretation of patterns. While some symbols are clear, some patterns or markings have changed meaning as a result of changes through time and culture. For example, modern automobiles and airplanes may signify the same symbols of travel that horses and sailing ships used to portend in past eras.
Alongside logical reasoning, the reader must listen to their own intuition to gain the full meaning of what they see. Along with the shapes themselves, the placement of the shape in your cup also helps to differentiate your fortune.
In my own usage I divide the cup for reading into the 12 houses of the horoscope. Holding the cup with the handle to the left, or eastern position that becomes the ascendant or first house and read these “houses” around the cup in a counter clockwise direction.
Thus, the area across from the handle would be the 7th house cusp representing an area in life dealing with marriage and partnership. But that is only a personal method of reading based on my knowledge of zodiac patterns and something else may work better for you.
Factual information alone isn't sufficient to guide you through life's labyrinthines. You need and deserve regular deliveries of uncanny revelation.
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How to Read Tea Leaves: The Ritual (video)
With all this in mind, you are ready to read your leaves or grounds. While this method of divination can be performed in many ways, the most common method is as follows:
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"There are many books of symbols and their meanings out there,
but don’t limit yourself to using just the ones found in lists.
Do not be afraid to ignore other's interpretations, just go with your own perceptions.
Your mind's eye will reveal a clearer picture than what other's words portray.
Always remember the answers come not from
the rock, the teacup, the shell, or the cards.
The answers come from you.”
Gwendolyn Womack, The Fortune Teller
Alligator - Danger is lurking
Anchor - Secure mooring in troubled waters.
Arrows - The passage of time, approaching news
Birds - Swift and direct travels, change with the seasons
Butterfly - Metamorphosis
Cat - Gossip. sneaking around
Clouds - Hidden difficulties, a storm approachimg
Clown - A happy image for some, but a figure of terror for others
Cow - Prosperity, mother's milk
Cross - Trouble, delay or death
Crow (Raven) - An omen of gloom and death in some cultures (European), a symbol of guidance and foresight in other cultures (Native American)
Crown - Success and honor
Dog - Good and true friend; or a friend needs help
Door - Opportunities rnter through a new opening
Dragon - Entering the realm of Ancient High Magick
Fence/Wall - Limitations, holding things back
Fish - Swimming in the sea of universal consciuosness
Fox - Slyness or backstabbing
Frog - Symbol of transformation; a change is on the way. (see also "Toad")
Goat - A hard headed opponent
Heart - Love or marriage if right way up. Sorrow if upside down
Horseshoe - Good luck to come if pointing up. Luck is running out if pointing down
Hourglass - Time is running out
Lantern - Enlightenment
Lines - A straight line can indicate the direction your path may take. Crooked lines mean tough travels.
Moon - Hidden emotions
Moth - Others eating away at your reources
Owl - A wise influence
Rabbit - The cunning and bravery to overcome a challenge
Rainbow - The most difficult time is now over
Spider - A web of intrigue.
Squirrel - Saving up now for future times of want
Star - Guidance
Sun - Honor and happiness
Sword - An argument taking place between friends or lovers
Toad - A symbol of witches and witchcraft who often appear as a warning of black magic.
Turtle - Slow progress; a sluggard approach
Umbrella - Trouble, but there will be protection
Wheel - Good wheel means good travel. Broken wheel means interuipted journey
Wings - Messages from Heaven.
Wolf - A symbol of cruelty, cunning and greed in some cultures, but in others it represents courage and freedom
Other symbols may be found at Divination By Tea Leaves
Spirit Walk Ministry
Cape Cod, Massachusetts
United States
email