By, Mary Murkin
Gather ‘round and ye shall see, many answers in the leaves of your tea. Tea leaf reading is guaranteed to draw a crowd at any restaurant, tea house or neighborhood party. This is a relatively easy, equally light-hearted and very accessible way of gazing into the future. The leaves can speak for others or for the reader.
Reading loose tea leaves is an ancient practice of interpreting patterns made by the leaves in the bottom of your tea cup. The first evidence of tea leaf reading in the western world was in medieval Europe. The heyday of tea leaf reading occurred during Victorian times. The Victorian Era was that period in history when Queen Victoria reigned over the British Empire from 1837 to 1901. This was a period of great peace and prosperity for Britain.
Tea leaf reading took a real nose dive after the invention of the tea bag in 1908. Other forms of entertainment—television, DVDs, computers, internet– also began to push this pastime to the background. HOWEVER, tea leaf reading is beginning to make a comeback! There is a renewed popularity of nostalgic times gone by.
People are rediscovering taking time to enjoy a cup of tea, visit with a friend, share ideas of their thoughts, dreams, or worries, and wonder what the future might hold for them. Tea leaf divination can be done after one has finished their cup of tea and talked about what is on their mind. The tea leaves can tell a story. One must remember that tea leaf reading is a subtle blend of mysticism, imagination, intuition, and story-telling. A good tea leaf reader takes many things into account when preparing to read tea leaves for another person. The main things they focus on are the interests or curiosities of the client who is having a reading. For the most part, tea leaf reading is considered a form of entertainment. One would not base any serious decisions on what the tea leaves had to say. So, to see what the leaves have to show, first pour your cup of tea, and then BOTTOMS UP!