Vendredi: Shapes in the Leaves

Circles, triangles, squares and lines; geometric shapes are some of the easiest to spot when beginning to read tea leaves.  I’ve seen at least two every time I’ve tried.  Getting the hang of what exactly they are trying to say is another business entirely.

The basic shapes, according to Lyons, amount to only seven but the number of combinations is endless.  Here are the seven major geometric shapes and their meanings in tea leaf reading:

Circle: this shape is sometimes said to represent a ring and is therefore thought to be a sign of impending marriage.  It can also represent closure, wholeness or even pregnancy depending on the other patterns surrounding it.

Cross: a cross can be thought of in the same light as “crossed conditions”.  It foretells a stalled venture, unsuccessful enterprise, hostility from others or illness.

Dots: dots are thought to indicate money and are interpreted as adding a financial element to any other shape/pattern they are near or – in particular – surround.

Line: interpreting a line as a path or road seems to be the prevailing notion in tasseography.  The path may be windy, broken, or split off into two possible options.  The interpretation can be elaborated on depending on what pattern(s) touch or cross the line, or seem to wait at the end of it.

Polygon: though rectangles/squares and triangles have their own meanings in tasseography, other polygons like hexagons and octagons are generally lumped into this category.  They represent right action and/or a balanced nature.

Rectangle or square: confinement or restriction are indicated; in unusual circumstances these shapes can foreshadow a prison sentence.  Sometimes the rectangle is interpreted as a coffin, indicating the death of someone known to the petitioner.

Triangle: triangles are read as either facing up or down.  If their high point is facing the rim of the cup, then the petitioner should stay his or her course; their current plans will succeed.  If, on the other hand, the point faces the bottom of the cup, no amount of hard work will bring the petitioner’s endeavor to a successful end.

And there we have the basic geometric shapes and their general interpretations in tasseography.  Next week: animals and other living creatures.  Vendredi heureux ~

Header: The Reading the Tea Leaves by William Hogarth via wikigallery