The Art of Tea

By Patricia Darrow, Astrologer

Here is a guide for the art of drinking tea!

There are various herbal teas for different ailments. All of these herbal teas are natural and contain no caffeine.

The benefits of drinking green tea can help one prevent cancer or heart disease. Another use for tea is that one can rinse their hair with either black tea or Sage tea to help wash away some of the gray. (No harmful chemicals, dyes or bleach in that).

Also don’t throw away the tea bag when you are finished, simply place the tea bag over your eyes to soothe tired or sore eyes.

One can also water their houseplants with any leftover tea to help nourish them.

Lastly, if you are drinking freshly brewed tea leaves, after you enjoy your cup, you can read the leaves!

Tea Leaf Reading:

Tea leaf reading, properly called Tasseography, belongs to a largely growing range of divination methods that include images and symbols. This practice in forming a reading out of tea leaves is actually very easy. Figuring out the meaning, takes some practice, for it calls the reader first to be familiar with the images, second to understand the meaning of each one, and thirdly, to combine the different symbols into a coherent message. All of these steps require both imagination and intuition. Imagination permits the reader to see the potential, while intuition shows the reader the way to the real meaning.

Pick up a cup with a plain-colored inside and with no stains. The person being read should drink the tea, leaving a small amount of liquid. Holding the cup in the left hand, he/she should twirl the liquid gently three times, clockwise, trying to make sure the leaves are carried up to the rim of the cup without spilling over it. The subject then turns upside down, the cup, into a saucer, holding the cup against the saucer for a count of 7 to permit the liquid to drain. When the cup is turned right side up again, the reader can inspect and shed light on the images created. The handle of the cup should be pointed towards the reader. Many leaves mean a full life; just as lots of images sometimes mean these are many issues important to the person. If their meanings contradict, then the subject is confused or undecided. The larger the image, the more forceful the influence and this distinction may help him or her make decisions. In general, dots will emphasize a sign’s importance as will the image of a finger pointing at a sign. The signs near the rim of the cup, refer to the present or near future, while those towards the bottom refer to the past. For some specific signs, the top means lucky, and the bottom means unlucky. Now and then a very clear picture will emerge. More often, you will need to discover the sign within a clump of tea leaves. The same goes for the meanings. You will need imagination not just to see the image, but also to understand what it can mean for a particular person in a specific situation at a specific time. Symbols can be interpreted from the same symbols as in dream books, the tarot, astrological or whatever. For each person the true meaning of a symbol lies within the mind’s ability to see, feel it, and then instinctively connect it with life and experience.