I attended a tea leaf reading workshop at the annual Melbourne Tea Festival. Even as a self-proclaimed woo-woo person, seeing the future through tea leaves had never really appealed to me. But that day, a scene from Harry Potter flashed through my mind, and I wasn’t going to miss a real-life Divination class. I had to experience it. I did—and it was awesome.
Over the weekend, after doing some research, I tried a tea leaf reading session at home. If you’re curious, here’s a step-by-step guide to doing your own tea leaf reading.
9 Steps to Master Tea Leaf Reading and Be Your Own Tasseography Fortune Teller
1. Choose your Tasseography medium
There are different versions of tasseography. You can use loose tea leaves, wine sediment, or coarse coffee grounds (I wish we could read boba from bubble tea too — oh well, one can dream!). I’ve never brewed my own coffee, and I always finish my wine down to the last drop, so tea seemed like the safest option.
2. Get your teacup and saucer
Use a teacup with a good shape and size—nothing too wild, or it might be hard to read. Ideally, go for one with a white or light-colored interior. Don’t forget the saucer—you’ll need it later. Bonus points if you use a teacup you love, rather than a random one. The energy matters.
3. Add the tea leaves and pour hot water
Place some loose tea leaves into the cup and pour hot water over them.
Important: Once there’s liquid in the cup, no one else should touch it.
Tasseography teaches that we are energy beings, and we transfer our energy to the things we touch. Water, it turns out, is a great energy conductor.
I had read about this concept years ago, but it really stuck after hearing the tea leaf reading master explain it. Since then, I’ve tried to be more mindful about transferring my energy by treating the things I own more kindly and intentionally.
4. Sip your tea and relax
This might be my favourite part—any excuse to sit down with a cup of tea and just be. Try to drink as much tea as you can.
5. Tip the cup into the saucer
When you’ve finished your tea, gently tip the cup into the saucer to drain the remaining liquid. That’s what the saucer is for!
6. Flip the cup and read your future with Tasseography
Now, look inside the cup and see what shapes or symbols you notice.
I saw a bird in mine. Birds usually mean news or gifts are on the way, and gifts are always welcome!
The tea leaf reading master also spotted a 3D seahorse from another angle. I haven’t figured out what that means yet (even Google came up short).
Then I saw a paper plane in my near future. Travel! It was not surprising since I was flying to Sydney that weekend. And in the “one-year” section, I saw two floating hearts. That must be something good, right? Maybe it means I’ll be travelling with a loved one. Maybe to Japan? Oh yes, that would be awesome!
7. Take note of the timing
Yes, there’s a way to tell when something might happen. It depends on which part of the cup the symbol appears in. Think of the cup like a clock: starting from the handle and going clockwise, the closer the image is to the handle, the sooner it’s expected to happen.
One exception: if the image is big and dominates the cup, it’s not time-bound—it’s just meant to be.
8. If you don’t like what you see, change it
Yes, really. If you don’t like what you see, change it.
Not in the cup—but in real life. I believe a single shift in perspective or action can change everything.
9. Lastly, enjoy!
A tea leaf reading is meant to be lighthearted and fun. That’s how I see it. Invite your friends, or cozy up solo, pour yourself a cup of tea, and enjoy the ritual.
On my tea leaf image, I saw a half-face and a 3D butterfly. The tea leaf master saw an apple. The woman beside me saw Pinocchio. But my favourite interpretation came from Tina, a fellow blogger I met at the workshop. She said, “It’s clearly a peacock—the symbol of good luck.” Yazzz!
I wonder what brown cultures’ equivalent of tea leaf reading is?
Have you tried it before? Would you? Maybe start with a DIY version—clicking my cup to yours. 🍵✨
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