CHAPTER III
GENERAL THEORIES IN READING THE CUP
At first sight the interior of the cup will show the leaves scattered about apparently haphazard and with no arrangement; just a jumble of tea-leaves and nothing more. In reality they have come to their positions and have taken on the shapes of the symbols for which they stand, by the guidance of the subconscious mind directing the hand in the turning of the cup.
The various shapes and the meanings to be attached to them will at first be puzzling to beginners. A good deal of practice is necessary before the tea-leaf symbols can be accurately interpreted at a glance. That, however, will come later, and in time it will be as easy as reading a book.
If you wish to be a proficient reader of the tea-leaves, practise constantly this interpretation of the shapes and positions of the leaves. Take a cup and follow out the simple instructions for the turning and draining of it, and then carefully study the result.
It is an excellent plan to make a rough copy of the leaves as they present themselves to you in each cup, making notes of the various meanings.
Do not feel dismayed if, when you begin looking at the tea-leaves, you are unable to discover in them anything definitely symbolic. It is certain that nothing will be found if the seer is feeling nervous! Keep a calm, open mind, and do not be in a hurry, for it is under such conditions only that a clear reading of the leaves will be possible. In some cases the symbols are more easily read than in others. Much depends upon the consultant.
The gift of imagination (by no means to be confused with invention) is of the greatest possible importance in discerning the symbols which are of such endless shapes and variety. The seer has to find in the forms of the tea-leaves a resemblance, sometimes it may be but a faint one, to natural objects, e.g., trees, houses, flowers, bridges, and so forth. Figures of human beings and animals will frequently be seen, as will squares, triangles, circles, and also the line of fate.
These signs may be large or small, and the importance of them must be judged by their relative size and position. Suppose, for instance, that a small cross should be at the bottom of the cup, the only one to be seen, the seer would predict that a trifling vexation or a tiresome little delay must be expected; but not for the present, as it is at the bottom of the cup. An alphabetical list of symbols is given later on, so it is not necessary to define them here. The various points of a more general character, however, must be studied before it is possible to give an accurate reading.
It will constantly be found that the stems, isolated leaves, or small groups of leaves, form a letter of the alphabet, sometimes a number. These letters and numbers have meanings which must be looked for in connection with other noticeable signs. If an initial "M" appears, and near to it a small square or oblong leaf, both being near the rim of the cup, it would indicate a letter coming speedily from someone whose name begins with an "M." If the initial appears near the bottom of the cup it shows that the letter will not be coming for some time.