Reading Tea Leaves
(From the book-Complete Book of Witchcraft by Raymond Buckland)


I have always thought this to be a fascinating way to divine the future so I thought I would share this with you :)

First you brew the tea, loose without a strainer of course. If you can get China tea use that, let the person you are reading for drink the tea, make sure that there is just enough left to swirl the tea around at the bottom of the cup. Ask the person to take hold of the cup and turn it three times clockwise allowing the tea to come to the rim of the cup to be distributed. Then she/he is to invert the cup completely on the saucer.

(make sure the cup has  no designs on the inside to confuse the reading!!)

Now you are going to interpret the various shapes you can see in the tea leaves that are left on the sides and bottom of the cup.

To do this with some sort of accuracy there is a scale you must remember.

The rim of the cup and close to the rim: Represents the present and the upcoming two to three weeks. As you move down the sides you move further into the future.

The very bottom of the cup is the distant future.

Your starting point is the handle of the cup this represents the subject (the person you are reading for) so that the symbols close to the handle affect her personally, while symbols on the opposite side of the cup may only have a passing effect.

Here are some symbols and there meanings.
 
 
Symbol
Meaning
Anchor
End of a journey, safe landing
arrow
disagreement
bell
good news, a wedding
bird
possible journey, companionship
boat
end of friendship, travel
bottle
celebration, success
bridge
travel abroad, new business ventures
broom
end of a problem
butterfly
insincerity
camel
long journey
car
local travel
candle
sudden new idea
castle
legacy, unexpected luck
cat 
female friend, domestic problems
chair
entertainment, relaxation
church
marriage, serious illness
clover
good fortune
cross
hardship,misfortune
crown
honors, credit
cup
love, close friendship
dagger
danger, tragedy
dog
companionship
elephant
advice needed
fan
indiscretion
flag
warning, defense necessary
flower
unhappy love affair
gate
possibility of advancement
gun
trouble, adultery
hammer
hard work rewarded
hand
friendship, help when needed
harp
contentment
heart
love or lover
horse
work
horseshoes
good luck
house
security
key
opportunity
kite
exercise caution
knife
treachery
ladder
advancement opportunities
man
help from an unexpected source
mushroom
complications in business
palm tree
rest period
pipe
thought and concentration
Scissors
domestic quarrels
snake
an enemy
tree
goal achievement
umbrella
temporary shelter
wheel
advancement through effort, money
windmill
big business dealings


 

A little more info on tea leaf reading :)

Chain of small leave: A journey, travel; if two larger leaves are in
close proximity, the excursion is mental and not physical.

Serpentine chain of small leaves: a visit to the mountains; if two
larger leaves are in close proximity, there will be ups and downs in
daily life; inability to settle down.
Three small leaves close to one leaf: A man.

Two leaves close to a small leaf: A woman.
Group of small leaves in a triangular pattern: A child or children.
Heart: Love; a heart broken or crossed by a chain of leaves represents a
broken love affair or divorce.
Triangle: Emotional involvement; jealousy; rivalry. If pointing
downwards this shape indicates a menage a trois, if upwards, ambition
and success are suggested.
Square: Several different possibilities are suggested by this formation;
it may mean that the person concerned is well-established, conservative
and solid character. Bit it can also imply a need for protection, or the
client's failure to excel in his career.

Star: Great success; a sign of genius; spiritual enlightenment. However,
if it falls on or near a heart formation, the passions may be crushed
and replaced by a life of asceticism.

The appearance of more complicated symbols or geometric signs needs
profound study; because of their rarity they are extremely significant.

Many leaves spread all over the cup: A rich or confused character;
extravagance; negligence; generosity.

Very few leaves in the cup: Clarity; direct action in the future.
However, this also indicates poverty in emotional life, and if the
leaves seem to arrange themselves in a provocative way they must be read
with great care so that they offset the poverty of the all-over pattern.

Cross: This means that the client is at a crossroads in life, and that a
personal sacrifice may be necessary. If this pattern is in conjunction
with one large leaf, it can signify death. However, care and tact should
be exercised in making such an interpretation, and it should be
remembered that the possible death is not necessarily that of the
client. Other leaves close by will ward off danger, and show a remedy
for whatever ill is likely to befall him.

Circle: Marriage; a close partnership; fame. A good omen.

Circle with a cross on it: Enforced confinement, possibly in a hospital,
prison, or other institution.

Two parallel lines of leaves: A propitious journey; dreams that will
come true; a long and happy life. Reinforcement of all else seen in the
cup.

Dots: Letters; messages; thoughts.

Stars: Good luck.

Dashes: Surprises.

Flowers: Joy; an engagement and marriage.

Fruit: Good fortune; children.

Daisy: Simple happiness.

Gun or dagger: Danger; strife.

Scythe: A good harvest; a death warning.

Musical instruments: Good company.

Scales: Justice; success at law.

Ladder: Increasing success.

Key: Secrets revealed; knowledge.

House: Stability.

Bottle: Excess; flirtation at a party.

Envelope: News.

Fan: An indiscreet love affair.

Teapot or kettle: Good cheer; contentment.

Pair of scissors: Angry words.

Hammer: Hard work.

There are other general indications:

Time is represented by the different levels of the cup. The rim is the
present, and below this lies the near future, while patterns formed on
the base refer to events that are many years ahead.

Place is indicated by the parts of the cup in which the leaves settle.
Those nearest the handle tell of events that affect the home; the leaves
on the sides suggest distance according to their proximity to the
handle, and those on the base show the place of birth, nationality and
hidden nature of the client.

Letters of the alphabet represent the initials of people concerned in
the reading; the hearer they are to the handle, the closer their
relationship to the client.

Clear symbols are lucky, with the exception of those that represent
illness or death.
Faint symbols tend to be unlucky, suggesting a weak character or lack of
purpose.

Man, Myth, and Magic Volume 20, Article by Basil Ivan Rakoczi