TURKISH COFFEE READING: TASSEOGRAPHY

TASSEOGRAPHY---TASSE (cup) graphy (writing) It is a method with some variations depending on culture that interprets patterns in tea leaves, coffee grounds and wine sediments. In more modern practices, residues of other beverages such as hot chocolate can also be read and interpreted. What I have participated in is the reading of coffee grounds leftover in a cup of espresso after the liquid is consumed.

HISTORY

From ancient through contemporary times in Greece, Asia, the Middle East, Scottish and Irish cultures and in cultures throughout Eastern Europe, people have been seeking answers to their questions in objects, patterns, abstract images, clouds, the bark of a tree and more. It is and has always been human nature to seek answers to our questions and interpreting various symbols is a way to do that. It’s always interesting to look through a book of symbols, but don’t let that limit you from having your own interpretations! There is never only one specific ‘right’ interpretation of symbolic meaning. 

The sediment remaining in the cup and on the saucer after the liquid has been consumed forms patterns that create a ‘canvas’ of images just waiting to be interpreted. Often there are numbers, shapes, letters, even words. There can be recognizable images including people, animals, specific objects and I have seen musical notes that when played, become a specific melody. I personally most often see mystical beings and those images are what my current paintings are based on. It’s extremely helpful when you do see a recognizable animal to check out the meaning of that animal. There are numerous excellent websites available with this information.

The weaving together of the images appearing in your cup can provide surprising information, clarification and insight. Often, the message(s) are crystal clear yet even when they are not immediately, they most definitely provide relevant food for thought and encourage opening yourself up to various meanings behind the symbolism. It will always weave together and become narrative for you at some point. 

There are different ways in which coffee can be read and interpreted. My personal process is a combination of personal gut instinct and means utilized by various cultures over time. Regardless of whether you have a specific question or are just feeling you need either guidance or confirmation of something you are already doing or thinking about doing, a coffee reading can assist you in often amazing ways. You will just KNOW what the symbols in your cup mean when they are presented to you although you might need a little time to piece it all together, which I can help you with. It’s not unlike that ‘aha’ moment most of us have experienced at various times when things seem to just fall into place with little effort on our part. You can get a reading over the phone after following the instructions I will send you. It’s best to drink the coffee and ‘prepare’ your cup shortly before your reading. You’ll be amazed by what can be derived from looking at the symbolism in your own cup of espresso or chocolate! 

Some interesting points:

Tasseography followed the coffee and tea trade routes and was practiced by Romani Gypsies

Cultures of the Middle East that practice divination in this fashion use leftover Turkish coffee grounds turned over onto a saucer.

Western tasseography can be linked to medieval Europeans who developed their readings from splatters of wax, lead and other molten substances. 

Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England have also produced a number of practitioners and authors on the subject, and English potteries have crafted many elaborate (demitasse) cup and saucer sets specially designed and decorated to aid in tasseography.

Greek: καφεμαντεία, Serbian: гледање у шољу, Turkish kahve falı is traditionally practiced using Turkish coffee as it produces a very thick sediment. The coffee in the cup is consumed, and the sediment is left to settle. Superstition dictates that the querent should not read their own cup, however in modern practice this is not considered to be a barrier

There are several variations of coffee reading. They commonly require for the cup to be covered with the saucer and turned upside-down. In the Turkish tradition, coffee-readers often interpret the cup as being divided into horizontal halves: symbols appearing on the bottom half are interpreted as messages regarding the past, and symbols on the top half are messages regarding the future. The cup may also be interpreted in vertical halves to determine "yes" or "no" answers as well as the overall outcome of the events represented by symbols. For example, some may "read" symbols in the "left" half as "negative" events or outcomes, while symbols in the "right" half are "read" as "positive". Other readers may adhere to the belief that the cup is capable of revealing insights about the past, but it cannot predict events beyond forty days into the future. The saucer may also be incorporated into the reading. As with the cup, different variations exist for what the saucer represents, including whether the saucer sticking to the cup indicates a "positive" or "negative" outcome

Some Romanian methods require that the sediments be swirled around until they cover the majority of the cup's inside surface. Other traditions, such as Turkish and Middle Eastern, do not require this swirling but do require that the cup be turned towards the querent in revealing the fortune. The coffee grounds are given time to dry against the cup before a reading begins

After a reading, the querent will be asked to "open the heart". This is done by placing the right thumb at the inside bottom of the cup and twisting clockwise slightly. This will leave an impression behind that the fortune teller will interpret as the querent's inner thoughts or emotions

This sediment can be known to form patterns or symbols within it, leaving a perfect canvas for interpretation. The only limitation for cup reading is the imagination of the readers themselves. 

Symbols can be many things, including people, animals, physical objects, thoughts, feelings, words and instincts. Often, the reader will interpret symbols together for a prediction as well as acknowledging their individual meanings

For each cup, add 2 teaspoons of the best *Turkish grind coffee you can find to 2 oz. of water in an ibrik, or if you don’t have one (yet), in a small saucepan. Add sugar and cardamom if you like, stir until dissolved and place your ibrik on the stove. Bring it almost to a boil. Pour into cups, serve and enjoy! It’s always nice to have cakes or cookies along with your drink.

*Turkish grind: you can use any kind of coffee, as long as it’s finely ground. This is ‘Turkish grind’. 

Real Turkish coffee is the best…and you can find it readily available online or in your local grocery store.

When you’ve finished drinking your coffee, turn the cup upside down and place it on the saucer. Leave it there a few minutes to drain. Tap the bottom of the cup and turn it right side up. If you are doing this with more people than just yourself, hand your cup to someone else and let them ‘read’ what they see. You might be surprised. 

The sediment remaining in the cup and on the saucer after the liquid has been consumed forms patterns creating a ‘canvas’ of images just waiting to be seen and interpreted. Often there are numbers, shapes, letters, even words. There can be recognizable images including people, animals, specific objects and more. I have seen musical notes that, when played, become a melody. I most often see mystical beings and those images are what my current paintings are based on, hence, the ‘Ancestor Guardians’ and ‘Mystical Animals’ series. It’s extremely interesting when you do see a recognizable animal to check out the meaning of that animal.