So when I had the opportunity to get a (virtual) tea leaf reading with Sandra Mariah Wright and Leanne Marrama, authors of Reading the Leaves: An Intuitive Guide to the Ancient Art and Modern Magic of Tea Divination, I was interested and eager to give it a go. To start, Wright and Marrama first asked me what I wanted to get out of the reading. I kept it relatively simple, asking for clarity around three of the most common topics in divination: my career, my health, and my love life. I held these intentions in my mind as I sipped my cup, with the idea being that I was creating a physical connection between myself and the tea as I went. When there was just a bit of tea left in my teacup, I swirled it around three times, placed a saucer on top, and flipped the cup over. Then, I lifted the cup to reveal the shapes and symbols formed by the leaves. Picking up on the marine theme yet? Water is a sure sign of emotions, and they said the number of sea critters in my reading indicated a lot of emotional stirring in my life, processing through old memories and baggage, and healing to move forward. Connecting with water, then, is a good idea for me, Wright and Marrama said. And perhaps, in the future, they suggested it could be a destination where I meet a new love interest. And indeed, what I was told did give me plenty to think about. Mostly, I felt reassured that I was on the right track in my career and health, and validated, as recent months have been particularly tumultuous. This showed up through a very watery theme, but I received messages of good luck and healing to reassure me. With 1 as the Magician in tarot, I felt empowered by the reminder of my ability to manifest in all areas of my life. And as far as love goes, the manatee got me thinking that perhaps I needed to think about displaying more authenticity if I want to find someone who can appreciate who I truly am. But perhaps my favorite thing about the whole process was how fun, and honestly easy, it all was. That’s the beauty of divination: It’s intuitive work, and we all have access to intuition. “When you explore your intuition, you kick-start it; you open up your imagination,” Wright and Marrama said to me. “And if you get more in touch with your gut, you’re gonna make better decisions for yourself.” When you are willing to explore the language of symbolism during a reading like this, there’s a very good chance something will come up for you. It’s often insight or wisdom you’ve always held within, but sometimes it just takes a new practice to bring it to life.
