SheHooUsedToWearKevlar asked me the other day why we oldies always leave half an inch of tea in our teacups when we have finished drinking!! Very irritating when loading the dish washer I know, but 'old habits die hard' as they say....
Tea bags did not exist in our day, it was good old 'Tanganda Tea Leaves' or nothing!! And one always avoided drinking the last ounce or so in the cup to avoid getting a mouthful of tea leaves!! Well thats my story and I am sticking to it. But another reason is that my darling friend Margot, who always arrived at teatime, (possibly because Charlie's carrot cake was usually on the menu) used to love reading tea cups.
Those were joyous times. Teacup reading, or tea leaf reading has, I am sure, died out totally now, my beautiful silver tea strainer that we inherited from Mom, lies tarnishing in pride of place in the silver display cabinet. (another perplexing antiquity that modern misses are unable to come to terms with) but that alone is another story.
Tasseography is the Practice of Reading Tea Leaves - for a seemingly innocuous beverage, tea has a dynamic history. The tea trade's past is steeped in colonialism, in violence, and even in revolution. This aromatic beverage's checkered history aside, there's no denying that it's delicious; today, it's enjoyed in nearly every culture around the world. And tea isn't just for sipping. Tea leaves are also used as a divination tool to explore the past, present, and future.
Tasseography (also known as tasseomancy) is the art of identifying symbols and interpreting messages found in the shapes and configurations of tea leaves. Though the practice is simple, the results are often profound, and curious minds have been enchanted by tasseography for centuries. Tasseography is not nearly as popular as tarot reading is today, however, and so it's also less understood.
But Margot was a master at this art. Her beautiful mind could see all sorts of delicious parts of one's life and many an hilarious teatime was spent while our teacups were read.
Margot could also read palms and those delightful violet sloe eyes could look deep into ones very soul and tell all sorts of fascinating truths about all of us giggling girls, who had normally progressed from tea drinking to wine imbibing!!
And so, now you know why Old People leave half an inch of tea in their teacups!!