Loose Tea Leaves for Tea leaf readings

Rasa

Chronata, it was interesting to read your tea-shop experiences!

I used to read cards in a tea shop, and was often asked about tea leaf readings there, but didn't do those just because I tend to get more out of Tarot. (a tea reading of mine might be long, or might be quite short.. depends how much I see in the cup. Sometimes, I confess, I don't see a lot in there.)
Also, they had so many different types there, and served it in French presses generally, so it just seemed too complicated to try to do readings. I guess I'm particular about how I like to do tea leaves.

I have, recently, offered tea-leaf readings as an add-on to Tarot that I've done in my home.. that way, I can make the tea the way I like, in a cup of my choosing, etc. And I don't feel that I have to be extremely in-depth or complicated, since it's just a supplement to the cards.

I'm curious about the practical bits of your readings (and anyone else's readings whose done a lot of teacup!)... were they just short ones? Or can you speak at length about what's in the cup? Did you find that you were able to answer specific questions with the leaves, or just more general readings?
 

Nevada

laura_borealis said:
I do not like Earl Grey, it is flavored with bergamot (a citrus fruit). A lot of people love it, though. Capt. Picard comes to mind! :D
I loved Earl Grey tea long before I heard of Capt. Picard. My grandmother introduced me to it when I was a teen, in the 70s.

I mainly drink the Bigelow that comes in bags, just because it's the easiest to find, reasonably priced and reasonably good. I'm no connoisseur of tea, in fact I'm mainly a coffee drinker, but I do like tea now and then.

I don't do tea leaf reading.
 

Nevada

BeyondtheVeil said:
It also has this list of loose leaf Teas that would be great for reading tea leaves.
I've read that Orange Pekoe grade tea is "full leaf" tea, so that would be the thing to use for reading leaves, I would think.
 

Chronata

The practical side of reading...well...they can be pretty short, but I am very good at exhausting all the meanings behind one symbol! (if I have the time, of course!) Kind of like tarot...I can go on for 10 minutes with a single card, or I can distill it to the basic meaning, and move on .

And like tarot, I can do a general thing or I canapply what I see to a specific question or focus (for instance, love, work...etc.)
If someone asks specifically about something...say, if they should follow a guy to a music video shoot...then I have to pull out the cards for that question...as I can guess a lot in the tea...but not something quite so specific!

Also, I am known to wax on and on about a particular symbol...then turn the cup, and see something completely different emerge from the same clump!

The way I do readings is to have the querant drink most of the tea first WITHOUT any leaves in it. It's just easier for everyone. If they have been drinking with real loose leaves, then i add some from the strainer in the pot at the very last few sips...otherwise I add my own leaves (dry) at the end.

Both ways work. as long as the querant's lips touch the tea leaves just once, the reading will turn out great!

Then I pour some excess out in another cup(if there is any) until there is about a teaspoon of liquid left with t he leaves.

I swirl, then dump onto a saucer.

I like to use those paper napkins that are really think and absorbant, because the clean up a lot of excess splatter (if there is any) or my fake sham-wow does the trick too.

The best way to read is to close your eyes for a few seconds, and then turn the cup over and look. Usually something ...some shape or symbol ...will jump out immediately.
I check the position in the cup...towards the bottom can be the future OR the past,(how do I know? I make an intuitive guess) towards the top...is more immediate stuff. Towards the handle...affects the querant more personally.
But usually I just trump out the symbolism dictionary in my head, and start figuring out what the symbols could mean.

Sometimes,I have to squint, and get my eyes to go all fuzzy to see something come out of the clumps. But most of the time at least one symbol is very clear right away.

often there is a group of symbols right on top of each other...like a parade. for instance in one recent cup, there was a bunch of stuff all on top of each other...a monkey,brought up the rear, a woman with an umbrella, was preceded by a hobby horse on wheels...(mind you when I looked again, the whole parade resembled something completely different!) It seemed to represent the querant's battling family, and indeed it was she who told me why each symbol represented each member.

Sometimes, if most of the tea leaves have exited and are on the saucer, I will read that too. Sometimes saucer stuff is the past , while everything else in the cup is the "yet to come".

Anyway, that's the basics of how I read. But each cup is a unique challenge, and sometimes all that is thrown out the window for something spontaneous.
 

Nevada

When I was very young my mom used to read our tea leaves. She would have us nearly finish, then turn the cup upside down on a saucer and turn it three times. I'm not sure if that turning three times is a tradition or not, or where she got it. This was the early 60s. I don't remember how accurate she was, either, but I always loved to have her do this. She was an artist and good at finding an image or meaning in the shape the leaves made.

I'm surprised, with my interest in tarot, that I've never done this as an adult. I'll blame it on teabags. :D I do read clouds from time to time. Similar image finding involved. But that's usually a happenstance - I'm thinking of a question and notice a fitting cloud shape in the same moment. :)
 

Lusi_C

I don't read leaves often, although my daughter has now got a fascination with it, so I might restart...

I use black tea exclusively. My favourite leaves for reading are usually Assam-based or -blended - not sure why!

I actually vary the leaf by the question - for a delicate situation I might use a fine roll like Irish Breakfast, which fans out into fine, sandy images (which are usually a little harder to see, but offer good solid images once I do). For general questions I like a firm, rolled leaf like Earl Grey. Mostly I shop with local tea-houses, which offer proprietary blends, so the examples above are ones most people will recognise.

I tend to sweeten before serving, although go with the party-line on disallowing milk. :) I use my everyday teapots and cups and saucers, and am not fussy on the ritual.
 

medicinalfrog

Hahaha this thread makes me laugh because I apparently am doing everything wrong with my readings. I read the bottom of the cup as the present and the further towards the rim the more futuristic. I also use tea from tea bags, but that is do to a lack of being able to find loose leaf tea.

Probably best I don't read up too much on it, as what I am doing seems to be working for the most part :D
 

celticnoodle

haven't been on this thread in a while, and found i've missed a lot! Anam Cara, a gorgeous tea pot there! i love the lines & the curves and all. a beautiful pot. :)

everyone has really good posts here on the how to's of reading tea leaves. I wanted to bring my tea leaf reading cups back here to our apt. when we were home and forgot them! however, I'm going to try again to read tea leaves with the cups and saucers I have. ya'll are inspiring me to try again!

medicinal frog, you give great readings, however it is you do it! i wouldn't change a thing but continue on as you are!
 

Chronata

Exactly Medicinalfrog! I agree with celticnoodle...
Keep doing it the way you do it!
I have read in books about seeing it that way as well(future towards the top)...and in many of my other divination techniques, the bottom is the past, while the future sits at the top.

I forgot about how much I love Earl Grey...not just to drink,(yummy!) but also for the nice leaf spread!
Thanks for reminding me of that one, lusi C!
I might have to go make a cup right now!
 

BeyondtheVeil

Update

Hi Guys!

I just wanted to update this thread. I have received my tea pot set and an additional cup/saucer. The loose leaf tea arrived the next day. So I had 3 days of packages. :D

My daughter and I enjoyed a cup of Chocolate Chai Tea. I took Chronata's advice and added the leaves after we drank most of the tea. {It was a have to situation as the tea pot had a 'strainer" made into the spout of the tea pot. {It didn't mention that in the description when I ordered it}. I was disappointed, but then Chronata's PM message helped reassure me that it would work even with just adding the leaves. I only got 2/3 pictures, but I think they were pretty clear. The top shaped made me think of a peacock or a poodle jumping and looking backward. :laugh: I took pictures, so I will post them for you to see if you want.


I think that however one can successfully read tea leaves is the way that you should do it. The book that I have quoted in this thread goes on and on about it is just a guide and to figure out what works for you. I agree with that. I appreciate the help in the books and on this thread. :heart:


I think that if you can get an imagine/shape and are able to read the leaves that it makes.. then that is what one should do. I am very surprised at how easily I got the message even though I was sort of hung up on the meaning. I am still not sure about timing, so we will just have to see. I did get a pretty little journal to start using for all of my Tea Leaf readings. I am even taking pictures and putting them in the journal for the days that they belong. I think that would also help in figuring out the meanings {if I were wrong} as time passes.


Anyway.. I also discovered that I am LOVING the tea drinking! Trying new teas is so fun. I am so excited to try all the ones that I bought. {I decided to buy a bunch of 'sample" teas to see if I like drinking them}. It also helps to see how they read. I think any added things into the tea are helpful. I was very surprised that none showed up in my cup though. {I used a spoon to put some in the cup}. Anyway.. I was very surprised at how easy & clear the shapes were. I guess I thought it would be super hard or something. It does come easily and I think using intuition also really helps. I am so glad that I just tried it. I am very excited to keep it up. Unfortunately, I was having a headache tonight, so I skipped tea.


Thanks again to everyone who responded and is also reading this thread and learning. I would encourage any beginners to just get some sample tea that they would enjoy drinking and just go for it! :thumbsup: I am going to take some time to do readings for myself to feel comfortable before attempting with others. I do look forward to practicing on you guys though! :)


Brightest Blesings! :heart:
BeyondtheVeil