How to Read Tea Leaves: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

Want to know how to read tea leaves? You need a cup, loose-leaf tea and ten quiet minutes. Reading tea leaves (tasseography) is one of the oldest home rituals in the world. The same method works for Turkish coffee grounds. This guide covers each step, from brewing to your first interpretation.

What you need

• A wide, plain cup: white inside, with sloping sides and a handle. Patterns on the inside make shapes hard to see.
• Loose-leaf tea: small, broken leaves (such as Assam or a basic black tea) leave clearer shapes than big whole leaves. Tea bags won't work.
• A saucer to turn the cup over onto.

How to read tea leaves in 7 steps

1. Brew without a strainer. Put a teaspoon of leaves straight into the cup and pour hot water over them.
2. Hold your question in mind. Keep it open: "What should I know about my work this month?" works better than a yes/no question.
3. Drink slowly until about a spoonful of liquid is left with the leaves.
4. Swirl three times anticlockwise with your left hand, so the leaves coat the walls of the cup.
5. Turn the cup over onto the saucer and wait a minute for the last drops to drain.
6. Turn it back and hold the handle toward you. The handle stands for you and your home.
7. Look before you think. Name the first shapes you see: a bird, a heart, a line, a letter. First impressions are the core of tea leaf interpretation.

Where the symbol sits matters

• Rim: the near future, within days.
• Sides: the coming weeks and your current situation.
• Bottom: the past, or slow, deep matters (see our guide to the bottom of the cup).
• Near the handle: things close to home. Symbols pointing toward the handle are coming to you. Symbols pointing away are leaving.

The first symbols beginners spot

Hearts (love), birds (news), rings (commitment), snakes (a rival or hidden worry), trees (growth), roads (a journey or a choice). For the full list, read Tea Leaves Meaning: the complete symbol guide.

Common beginner mistakes

• Using tea bags or a strainer, which leaves nothing to read.
• Reading every speck: focus on the 3 to 5 clearest shapes.
• Ignoring position: the same heart means different things at the rim and at the bottom.
• Reading the same question again straight away. Wait at least a day.

Get a second opinion on your cup

Not sure what that shape is? Take a photo of your cup (tea leaves or Turkish coffee grounds) and Zara will read the symbols, their position and how they connect, in about 60 seconds. Your first reading is free. After that, a single reading costs €0.59, or €2.99 for a pack of 20 so you can follow how your cup changes week after week.

Get my free cup reading