Crystal balls, tarot cards, and teacups?

___Traditionally when you think about fortune telling a teacup isn't the first thing that comes to mind. I assume most of us picture a swindling haggard old gypsy woman hovering over a luminous little ball of crystal, but this is only a stereotype and it lends no credibility to the true art of divination and the various forms of fortune telling available to us. In this day and age anyone can be a fortune teller...well sort of. I’m not saying you can predict anything that’s legitimate; I’m just saying you can try...and trust me, there are plenty of things for you try. For instance you might be good at Cartomancy, the art of card reading; all you really need is to acquire a simple deck of cards and have access to the definitions (found easily online). Or you could try your hand at palmistry (no pun intended). Why not Tasseography? Never heard of it before? Well that’s what this entry is all about...

___Tasseography is the art of tea leaf reading. In order to practice this all that is required is some loose leaf tea and a teacup to put it in. The subject who wishes to have their fortune told is to drink from the cup and leave a small amount of tea within the bottom (enough so that the bottom is covered), they should then tilt the cup slightly and turn it clockwise three times. After this is completed they can set the cup down and the interpretations can begin. Someone else can read the cup or the subject alone can do so, it’s all personal preference. The reader looks carefully at the tea leaf formations and determines what each resembles. If the formations are far from the rim then these will be predictions for the distant future, if they appear close to the rim then these events should be interpreted as occurring very soon. There are many sites online as well as books available on tea leaf reading that give definitions for nearly any symbol you can imagine, however I’ve found that these definitions can vary substantially so you might try making your own. For example you could ask yourself what a dog symbolizes to you; man’s best friend? or an ill omen? Just remember that this is all for entertainment purposes and not to be taken seriously.

___Now that I’ve given a brief introduction to Tasseography I’d like to touch base with what I really wanted to talk about, my new teacup. I’m fortunate enough to have stumbled upon this lovely little work of art known as a Taltos cup. They were made sometime around the seventies to the eighties and initially were a part of a giveaway contest but were apparently mass produced shortly thereafter. They come under three different makes, I have a Jon Anton. I paid four bucks for this bad mother. They’re not that hard to come by either; after acquiring mine I decided to search for another and have found two more in my city only within two weeks. It’s unfortunate though that many individuals will gouge you on these cups. They’re all over Ebay and usually sell for like ten dollars, if at all, but I’ve seen some pretty greasy individuals claiming that they’re super rare and charging right up the ass for them (one guy was asking eighty?!). If you can find one at a reasonable price then I suggest getting it. I don’t think they will appreciate in value by much but they are quite charming and are a must have for the teacup collector.

___As you’ve probably noticed both the teacup and the saucer look unusual; they’re adorned with symbols depicting the astrological signs, planetary emblems, and just some random stuff. This cup is tea leaf reading made easy, or it would be if I had the booklet that accompanies it. With this teacup (and a few others that are similar in design) you don’t need to interpret what the clumps of tea leaves look like; you just need the definition for whichever symbol they are closest to. Inside the cup along the rim are symbols that are very common in Tasseography; I was able to find most definitions online...however I’m still uncertain as to how one would use the astrological symbols. Assuming it’s similar to using a natal chart I get the impression each planet is a house and it affects whatever symbols fall inside it, but why is there a ship dead center in the bottom?? A ship symbolizes a worthwhile journey, but it doesn’t look too appealing while it’s sunken beneath my tea... I’ve noticed when I set the teacup down the handle can point to whatever zodiac sign is on the saucer beneath it, so I’m guessing that’s how the saucer is used during a reading. Hopefully one day someone can explain to me how to use the Taltos cup as the instruction booklet intended. I don’t drink from it often for fear of breaking it; I’m still in search of another that’s affordable and in good condition so I can lock one up and use the other (I’m the kind of person who takes their action figures out of the box, so yes I brave drinking from antique and collectible teacups). If you were wondering what the teacup reads it says “Perchance this cup will show it thee. Woulds’t thy fortune like to see?” I’ve seen the reverse of this, so I’m not positive which way it should be read. The way it’s been printed on the teacup seems ass backwards, but maybe it’s just me.

___Overall I’m quite satisfied with my antique shop find. The next time someone mentions fortune telling perhaps you’ll picture my little teacup, and maybe you could entertain your friends by reading their tea leaves.
-Sugar Skull