Cicely Kent

“ It is wonderful how rapidly converts are made to this form of divination. Some who in the past have been heard scornfully to assert that they "have no belief in tea-leaves," become the most regular inquirers. Moreover, these sceptics have proved to be very efficient students.
There is always a satisfaction in persuading another to one's own point of view. The more obstinate the opposition, the more glorious the final conquest! ”

“ The slug, at the bottom of the cup, predicts a future disturbance with someone, but the matter will be trifling. The large symbol of the king and queen upon the throne, opposite the handle, foretells a future of honour and wealth, and the assurance of every happiness for this fortunate consultant. ”

“ Owl.—A bad omen of illness, misfortune, and poverty; if flying, you will receive tidings of grief; to lovers this bird is a symbol of bad news or unpleasant rumours; to those who are contemplating new work or enterprise the owl should be regarded as a warning to proceed with caution. ”

“ It is sad for those who have such a dull life, but there is usually some sign, a small happening such as a parcel, or a visit from a friend. These must be made the most of. The pleasure of anticipation will add to the realisation.
A confused looking tea-cup, without any definite symbols, just a muddle of tea-leaves, is useless for the purpose of divination, beyond giving an indication of the state of the consultant's mind, so vague and undecided in its character that it obscures everything. ”

“ Divination by tea-leaves or cards has the candour to be frankly disagreeable when necessary. This is one great argument in favour of its unerring truthfulness. There is no means by which symbols may be coaxed into proclaiming false statements.
The most practised clairvoyant may occasionally make mistakes in her reading of the symbols, but no genuine seer should ever deliberately give a wrong interpretation of them to please her consultant. The business of the diviner is to give what she believes to be a correct and unprejudiced translation of the symbols before her. ”

“ The doll on the side, with the small symbol of a toadstool beside it, gives a warning to the consultant against folly and a bad habit of gossiping when feeling bored in society. The stuffed head of the deer, in this case, shows that much distress is caused by the unguarded talk, and the consultant certainly cannot be described as an "innocent cause."
The various scattered shapeless leaves point to confusion, and a somewhat "happy-go-lucky" nature. The spray of poppies on the circle beneath the handle foreshows that a pleasant experience may be expected in the summer. ”

“ Snake.—This is an unpleasant sign of treachery, disloyalty, and hidden danger, sometimes caused by those whom you least suspect; if its head is raised, injury by the malice of a man is predicted; it is also an indication of misfortune and illness.
Snipe.—This bird signifies the discovery of a useful fact; if flying, hasty news of a great friend.
Snowdrops.—These are a symbol of youth and innocence; this sign may point to some event affecting you and yours which will probably take place about February; if seen in a cross it would foreshow the death of an infant or young child. ”

“ Some divinators of the tea-leaves insist on a concentration of the mind during this turning of the cup, as do many cartomantes whilst the cards are being shuffled; others prefer the mind to be as far as possible free from any definite thought or desire, simply allowing it to dwell on such abstract subjects as flowers or the weather. Personally, I advocate this for both systems of divination; it enables the subconscious mind to assert itself unhindered, whilst the normal mind is in abeyance. ”

“ There are few things more fascinating than personal discovery, and those who become students of divination by tea-leaves, or cards, may safely be promised a taste of this pleasing sensation of achievement. ”

“ A wide, shallow cup is the best kind to use for tea-leaf divination—white if possible. A narrow cup adds to the seer's difficulties, as the tea-leaves cannot be plainly seen. Small cups, too, are objectionable for the same reason, and a fluted cup is even worse. A plain, even surface is required, with no pattern of any kind, as this has a tendency to confuse the symbols. Indian tea and the cheaper mixtures, which contain so much dust and twigs are of no use for reading a fortune, as they cannot form into pictures and symbols that can easily be distinguished. ”

“ Symbolism is a wide subject with many branches. Who can expect to master even its alphabet in a moment? To those who cannot accept the symbols in the tea-leaves on the authority of past experience, reaching over several centuries, I would recommend a careful study of their cups for, say, three months. ”

“ There are, no doubt, some who look upon the tea-leaves merely as a form of amusement, and who entertain their friends in that way. Well, it is a harmless amusement, and is often useful at a very dull tea party! But for those who take it seriously, and regard it as one of the many means of divination, it will be treated with the respect due to such matters.
As in other forms of divination, so with the reading of the tea-cup, a great deal depends on the seer. Those who are naturally clairvoyant will read many events and scenes in the cup which would be passed over by others not so gifted. ”

“ Whale.—A prediction of personal danger which may be averted if you are cautious.
Wheel.—This is symbolic of the wheel of fortune and foreshows a prosperous career or an inheritance of wealth; a broken wheel predicts a bad disappointment as to an expected increase of income or a legacy.
Wheelbarrow.—This sign foretells a visit to the country or a pleasant renewal of friendship with those who live in it.
Whip.—To a woman this sign foretells vexation and trials in her marriage; for a man, it has much the same meaning, and severe disappointment will befall him. ”

“ In the next space the Winecup and Spider, in connection with the sign of Mars, the characteristic of Mars being energy, show the strength, courage, and perseverance needed to carry out a successful career; the Spider being a symbol of concentration, patience, and achievement, whilst the Wine-cup tells of joy and realised ambition. ”

“ It is an excellent plan to make a rough copy of the leaves as they present themselves to you in each cup, making notes of the various meanings.
Do not feel dismayed if, when you begin looking at the tea-leaves, you are unable to discover in them anything definitely symbolic. It is certain that nothing will be found if the seer is feeling nervous! Keep a calm, open mind, and do not be in a hurry, for it is under such conditions only that a clear reading of the leaves will be possible. In some cases the symbols are more easily read than in others. Much depends upon the consultant. ”

“ The pillar, near the rim and handle, gives a pleasing assurance of security and loyal friends. The bird flying from the cage brings joyful news, that something which has been an obstacle in the way of the consultant's desires is about to be removed, and much future happiness may be looked for.
The figure of the man fishing from a rock foreshows the arrival of a visitor, who will have some pleasant news to tell. ”

“ It is a recognised fact that writing seen through a medium, whether it be tea-leaves, or a dream, is of importance, and should always be regarded with attention and with an endeavour to understand its message. ”

“ One of the most difficult points in interpreting visions of clairvoyance is the time element; simply because time, as we know it, does not exist. The intuitive faculty is needed for any accurate definition of time, so important to us in our present conditions, so absolutely unimportant to the subconscious self. Let us decide at once, then, that divination by tea-leaves may, and often does, extend to a further vision than that of the twenty-four hours. ”

“ Champagne Glass.—This is a symbol of good fortune and delight; to the sick, a good omen of recovery.
Cheese.—A large cheese denotes that you will benefit by the generosity of prosperous friends.
Cherries.—A love affair, happiness, and health, are the meanings of this symbol.
Chessmen.—These announce the fact that you will be troubled by matters which are difficult to adjust to your satisfaction, and you must expect a certain amount of anxiety and worry. ”

“ The form of a man is seen between the signs of the Bell and Club; near this form is the letter "A," the first letter of the consultant's name. Round this initial letter is a well-formed circle; a trident lies at a little distance from it.
Here is evidence of the joyful news coming from her husband, the tea-leaves in the spaces of the Bell and Club making a prediction of the satisfactory news a safe one. The circle round the letter "A" and the symbol of the trident near, enable the seer to prophesy a good promotion, much success and happiness. ”

“ If the consultant has a lucky number, and this appears with good signs, it promises much success. An unlucky number with gloomy signs predicts misfortune. A journey with a five near obviously points out that it will be taken in five days, or weeks, and so on. Ten dots, close together, means ten pounds or shillings, according to the size and number of the dots. Numbers with the symbol of a legacy show the amount to be expected.
Nun.—This is a sign that you will probably remain unmarried through your own choice; to the married it implies unjust suspicion. ”

“ Few subjects need more patience than those dealing with Psychology. Even those who put their knowledge to a practical use in such studies as divination by tea-leaves, must still plod patiently along a path thickly strewn with new knowledge. The powers of clairvoyance, for instance, cannot be forced or hurried ”

“ The male sex holds aloof and leaves us to "perform these follies." Some ascribe it to man's superiority. Or as briefly summed up by a delightful member of their sex, who when declaiming against the possibility of the future being made visible, said, "With all apologies to you, I must say I am not so profoundly stupid as to believe in these things; it cannot be anything more than rot." ”

“ Who need be dull or bored when the language of symbolism remains to be learned? Perhaps I should say, studied; for completely learned it can never be, seeing that fresh events are constantly occurring in the world, and new symbols appear representing each. ”

“ Simple though they may probably be, there are to be seen in the tea-leaves, a letter, a parcel, a visitor, a wedding, and so on. It is said that no Highland seer would take money for making prognostications as to the future. This, no doubt, is one good reason for their powers as clairvoyants.
It is a misfortune that clairvoyance should ever have to come into the material necessities of money transactions, as it tends to mar the clear vision. ”

“ Drum.—A hazardous enterprise or expedition is the meaning of this symbol.
Drummer.—To a man, this foreshows popularity and a successful public career; to a woman, social success, a large following of friends and admirers, and power of gaining her own ends.
Duck.—A sign of a taste for speculation; if more than one duck, success in work and enterprise, profitable undertakings. ”

“ It is of course a great mistake to be always "looking in the tea-leaves," as some foolish people do twice a day. It is sure to lead to contradictions though there is no harm in the habit of "looking in the cup" each morning as others do, for finding the events likely to happen in the course of the day. ”

“ The desire for knowledge on all Psychic matters has led to an increased demand for various methods of bringing into symbols and pictures that hidden knowledge of the present and the future. That this knowledge can be translated to us symbolically is apparent to everyone—who could doubt it, and still believe in anything at all? ”

“ The seer has to find in the forms of the tea-leaves a resemblance, sometimes it may be but a faint one, to natural objects, e.g., trees, houses, flowers, bridges, and so forth. Figures of human beings and animals will frequently be seen, as will squares, triangles, circles, and also the line of fate. ”

“ In the use of tea-leaves as a means of divination, the more developed the "clear sight," the more interesting and accurate will be the interpretation. Practice is most necessary, especially for those who have less natural clairvoyance than others. ”

“ Arum Lily.—This flower stands for dignity, expectancy, and calm; its fuller meanings must be judged by other symbols around it.
Ass.—If its head is towards consultant, a piece of good news or an event which has long been waited for is near; if its tail, then further patience is necessary, for there will be delay; if it gallops, it gives warning that if people allow themselves to become too boring their friends may reasonably, be expected to avoid them. ”

“ The child's toys show the consultant's association and happiness with children. The figure of the woman seated on the edge of a rock with its curious peak behind her, and the seagull below, suggest that storms at sea will cause distress to some woman known to the consultant. ”