Tassology - AstroTea is back!

7th September 2009

As Tea.co.uk unveils their revamped AstroTea feature, Alex Fullerton reveals why an online tea leaf reading will become a must-click daily destination.

As long as people have been drinking tea, they have had the urge to predict the future. Unlike horoscopes - another esoteric art form that offers guidance on your future - tea leaf readings, the art of tassology, are personalized to you - the drinker (and not shared with another 1/12th of the population that share your zodiac sign!). A reading will translate the blobs of tea leaves in your cup into meaningful symbols, offering guidance about your future and emotions.

Originating in Asia and the Middle East, the UK has taken to tea leaf readings as heartily as it has taken to drinking tea itself! In Victorian times tea leaf reading became a popular parlour game. At its most basic level, tassology is a fun and healthy way to listen to your feelings. However, finding an expert to read your leaves for you could be tricky while reading your own leaves takes practice. Luckily, Tea.co.uk's instant AstroTea reading means you can have your leaves read without even putting the kettle on! Although we find it's always appropriate to have a cuppa by your side when browsing the internet...

Experience AstroTea by clicking here.

As well as Tea.co.uk's instant option, you can learn to read the leaves yourself. Tuning into your intuition will take time but is certainly worth it. According to the late Amber McCarroll, one of Britain's pre-eminent tea leaf readers, you should decide what type of reading you want (for the day ahead or more long-term) before preparing a cup. In Amber's book, The Magic In Tea Leaves, she advises that readings usually foretell the following 24hours. Therefore the best time to carry out the ritual is first thing in the morning, "A tray of tea in bed and a reading straight afterwards is ideal".

Start by setting the tea tray. If you can, try to find an oak tray as the wood from oak trees give off strong and sympathetic vibrations. Traditionally, china decorated with flowers and symbols will bring special energy, as will linen that has been hand-embroidered with love. Make sure the handles of the pots and cups all face the same way, "to create aesthetic balance". If you can find some wild flowers, pop these in a vase for extra auspice. As Amber reveals, "there is a form of pilgrimage involved in collecting them". Concentrate on the fact that you're preparing for a ritual and keep your mind clear to focus on the results ahead.

When choosing a cup for the reading, don't choose your favourite mug. Try to do the reading in a cup with sloping sides - the high sides of a mug make it tricky to see the symbols in the leaves. Once you've finished drinking your brew - leaving just half a teaspoonful of tea and some leaves - hold the cup in your left hand and speedily spin it three-times, anti-clockwise. Then tip it upside down on the saucer and leave for a minute until the tea has drained away and the leaves are spread around the bottom and sides of the cup. If you're reading the leaves for someone else, make sure the handle faces you.

Inside the cup, the leaves are read clockwise. The symbols at the base of the cup usually refer to "heavy emotional events" with those nearer the rim becoming lighter with fun experiences at the edge. The bigger the symbol, the more importance it will have in the enquirers' life. The area near the handle represents home and family - with strangers and acquaintances at the opposite side of the cup. Events coming towards you are at the right of the cup (when the handle is facing you) and those going away are on the left-hand side.

As well as using loose tea, you can read the leaves from a tea-bag too. Start by clearing a space where you can drink your tea calmly and quietly. While you're drinking your cuppa, leave the tea bag resting on a spoon and once you've finished, squeeze all of the remaining liquid from the bag into the spoon. Pour this into the empty cup then tear into the bag. The ritual of tea leaf reading demands that each shaped bag is torn in a particular way:

• Square bags should be torn at the top, in the shape of a cross to represent the four elements.
• Circular bags should be torn in a crescent shape, again at the top of the bag.
• Tear pyramid bags across the top to create another small pyramid.

Once you've torn your bag, let a small blob of tea fall into the cup along with the liquid and turn it as above... Leave for a minute until the liquid has drained away - you're ready to read! 

With both types of reading, jot down the symbols you find, noting whereabouts they are in the cup. You can find a glossary of tea leaf symbols here.

Image credits:
Leaves in cup: www.tasseography.com
Vintage illustraion: www.crystalinks.com
Modern reading: www.espteaparties.com
Cup on red runner: www.dormouseandtheteapot.blogspot.com