The Mystic Tea Room

[[File:In-a-little-gypsy-tea-room.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Sheet Music: "In a Little Gypsy Tea Room," from [[Tea Leaf Reading in Art]]]]

The Mystic Tea Room is dedicated to the traditional art of fortune telling by tea leaves, also known as tea leaf reading, cup reading, cup tossing, divination by tea leaves, tasseomancy, and tasseography. 

== Greetings ==

[[File:aynsley-buttercups-side.jpg|thumb|200px|right|1950s-era Cup of Knowledge by Aynsley featuring a design of buttercups, from [[The Museum of Fortune Telling Tea Cups and Saucers]].]]

[[File:Evangeline-Day-Astrological-Tea-Cup.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Evangeline Day was a well-known syndicated radio and newspaper astrologer of the 20th century who patented two different [[:Category:Astrology Cups and Saucers|astrology tea cups and saucers]]; this design dates from 1936, from [[Design Patents|Fortune Telling Tea Cup Design Patents]].]]
Hello, and welcome to The Mystic Tea Room.

This tasseomancy site has been online since 2007. It was converted from html to media-wiki in 2011 for increased ease of image categorization, and it now hosts about 450 illustrated pages on tea cups, the history and material culture of tea, tea rooms, and fortune telling by tea leaves. When fully built out, it will be home to at least 1,000 pages of curated tea cup and tea leaf divination tutorials, imagery, and history. 

If you like tea, tea rooms, and tea leaf divination — this site is where to be. If you want to explore everything divination, check out our sister-site, [http://yourwateandfate.co, Your Wate and Fate], where you can read and learn about divination by sortilege, wheels and spinners, palmistry, cartomancy, floriography, and astrology.

==The Museum of Fortune Telling Tea Cups and Saucers==

[[The Museum of Fortune Telling Tea Cups and Saucers]] is dedicated to preserving and popularizing images of fortune telling cups and the traditional divinatory art of reading tea leaves (and coffee grounds) through the presentation of a virtual gallery in which are displayed and interpreted the many beautiful fortune telling teacups and saucers that have been created for the purpose of aiding tea leaf readers and fortune tellers in the practice of the tasseomantic art.

In the Museum, you will find detailed images of dozens of fortune teller's tea cups and saucers, patent drawings for a number of divination cups, brief historical overviews of the designers and manufacturers of fortune telling cups, and a selected bibliography of books and pamphlets about the occult and magical art of tea leaf reading. 

Browse the Tea Cup Index by Name or the Tea Cup Index by Maker and click on the image of any tea cup and saucer set to see more pictures of that cup and saucer and read more about the set's history and how it was used for fortune telling.

* '''[[The Museum of Fortune Telling Tea Cups and Saucers]]'''
* '''[[Tea Cup Makers and Markers]]'''
* '''[[Tea Cup Names, Official and Unofficial]]'''
* '''[[Types of Divination|Tea Cups by Method of Divination]]'''
* '''[[Nations of Origin|Tea Cups by Nation of Origin]]'''
* '''[[Design Patents|Fortune Telling Tea Cup Design Patents]]'''

==Instructions in Tasseomancy==

[[File:Postcard-teacup-tree-health.jpg|200px|right|thumb|According to this 1907 Fred Lounsbury postcard, when tea leaves form an image of a Tree, it is an omen of good health, from [[Tea Leaf Symbols in Art]].]]

[[File:Bamforth-tea-leaf-fortune-good-luck-1930.jpg|200px|right|thumb|A Bamforth comic postcard, circa 1930, showing the image of a lucky black cat in the tea leaves, from [[A Basic List of Tea Leaf Symbols]].]]

Divination by means of tea leaf reading is a long-cherished form of domestic fortune telling. It may be performed at home for oneself, family, or friends, and there are also professional tea leaf readers who will brew a cup for you, allow you to drink it, and read your leaves for you. The information in my article on [[How To Read Tea Leaves]] will help you get started. 

* '''[[:Category:Instructions in Tasseomancy|Instructions in Tasseomancy]]'''
* '''[[How To Read Tea Leaves]]'''
* '''[[A Basic List of Tea Leaf Symbols]]'''
* '''[[:Category:Tea Leaf Reading Instruction Sheets and Booklets|Tea Leaf Reading Instruction Sheets and Booklets]]'''
* '''[[Tea Company Booklets|Tea Company Booklets on Tea and Tasseomancy]]'''

==Tea Leaf Reading in Art==

[[File:Harry-Roseland-Reading-Tea-Leaves-Two-Women-1910.jpg|200px|thumb|right|"Reading Tea Leaves" by Harry Roseland, 1910, from [http://www.mystictearoom.com/lamadama.html Harry Roseland's Fortune Teller Art].]]

The image of a female fortune teller reading tea leaves has, since the 19th century, been a subject of gallery art, popular commercial art, and cartooning. One prominent 19th and 20th century painter who produced many variations on this theme was Harry Roseland. If you like art, you may enjoy my essay on Roseland's art and the Cuban spirit known as La Madama -- it covers several types of African American divination in addition to cup reading. 

While you're here, take a look at the artwork on some of the tea leaf reading and tea company ephemera i have come across in my own research on the subject of fortune telling by tea cups. Here you will find tea leaf reading as idealized and glorified in art. 

* '''[[:Category:Tea Leaf Art|Tea Leaf Art]]'''
* '''[[Tea Leaf Symbols in Art|Tea Leaf Symbols and Omens in Art]]'''
* '''[[Tea Leaf Reading in Art|Tea Leaf Readers in Art]]'''
* '''[[Advertisements for Tea Leaf Reading Services|Vintage Ads for Tea Leaf Readers]]'''
* '''[http://www.mystictearoom.com/lamadama.html Harry Roseland's Fortune Teller Art]'''
* '''[[Tea Company Booklets|Tea Company Booklet Art]]'''
* '''[[The Ceylonese Tea-Plucker in Art]]'''

==The Material Culture of Tea Rooms==

[[File:Blue-Parrot-Tea-Room-Gettysburgh-PA.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Blue Parrot Tea Room, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, interior, postcard front, linen era, from [[Vintage Tea Room Postcards]].]]

[[File:Egyptian-Tea-Room-Kansas-City-Missouri-Don-Luis-Ad.jpg| right|200px|thumb |Egyptian Tea Room, Kansas City, Missouri, where Don Luis, "the Boy Who Sees Tomorrow," provides free readings, from [[Vintage Tea Room Business Cards]].]] 

Reading tea leaves is a form of divination that is known for its many female practitioners, and therefore its history is also the history of women in society. One way to study history is to examine the material culture -- the objects and artifacts associated with a time or a place. 

Here you can learn about the tea room movement and view a world-wide gallery of strange and curious tea rooms of the past, many of which were woman-run and quite a few of which offered a "free reading with every meal."

* '''[[:Category:Tea Rooms|Tea Rooms]]'''
* '''[[Tea Room History]]'''
* '''[[Having Your Fortune Told At a Tea Room]]'''
* '''[[Vintage Tea Room Postcards]]'''
* '''[[Vintage Tea Room Business Cards]]'''
* '''[[Vintage Tea Room Matchbook Covers]]'''
* '''[[Vintage Tea Room Menus]]'''
* '''[[Dating Tea Room Postcards]]'''

==Tea Cultivation and Tea Companies==

In order to read tea leaves, we must first have [[:Category:Tea|tea]]. The cups are covered in [[The Museum of Fortune Telling Tea Cups and Saucers]], but the [[:Category:Tea|tea]] itself enters those beautiful cups as a product of cultivation, export and import, packaging, and advertisement. 

* '''[[:Category:Tea|Tea]]'''
* '''[[Tea Company Booklets|Tea Company Booklets]]'''
* '''[[The Ceylonese Tea-Plucker in Art]]'''
* '''[[Tea Company Cups and Saucers]]'''

==Bibliography of Books about Tasseomancy==

If collecting books is your passion, you may enjoy our Bibliography of Books about Tasseomancy. It will never be complete -- and we look forward to suggestions and contributions of information from our readers. 

The bibliography is accompanied by cover images of rare books and pamphlets on tea leaf reading from times gone by, as well as by my own annotations about the contents of the books and their authors.

* '''[[Bibliography of Books about Tasseomancy]]'''

== The Mystic Tea Room on Social Media==

As the Mystic Tea Room has grown, so has its community of fans, friends, and followers. If you love this site and have questions or something to contribute, we invite you to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, We post new items every week

* '''[https://www.facebook.com/TheMysticTeaRoom The Mystic Tea Room page on Facebook]'''
* '''[https://www.pinterest.com/catyronwode/the-mystic-tea-room The Mystic Tea Room page on Pinterest]'''
* '''[https://facebook.com/catherine.yronwode The Mystic Tea Room on catherine yronwde's Facebook feed]'''
* '''[https://instagram.com/catherineyronwode The Mystic Tea Room on catherine yronwde's Instagram feed]'''

== Support the Mystic Tea Room ==

[[File:From-the-Land-of-Tea-Cat-Yronwode.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Support me on Patreon! "From the Land of Tea" allows my Patreon subscribers to access bonus articles and scans about tea leaf reading and tea room culture for a small monthly donation.]] 

[[File:The-Stranger-In-The-Cup-Front-Cover-Forum.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The Mystic Tea Room is entirely funded by sales of fortune telling tea cups, Patreon contributions, and sales of the tasseomancy instruction book "The Stranger in the Cup: How to Read Your Luck and Fate in the Tea Leaves" by Gregory Lee White and catherine yronwode. Twelve dollars (plus shipping) will help support this project and get you a copy of "The Stranger in the Cup" from [[Gift Shop|The Mystic Tea Room Gift Shop]]. Read about the book and order it here: [https://luckymojo.com/thestrangerinthecup.html].]] 

All of the material you have access to here -- the fabulous tea cups, the instructive booklets, the nostalgic postcards, the boldly graphic matchbook covers, and all of the historical information researched and shared from the mind of the woman who is making it all happen -- can easily fit into one 8 x 10 foot room in an old Victorian farmhouse, but you would never see it without the investment of the time it takes to produce such a site and the caloric input such a site requires in the form of food for the writer, graphic designer, and database manager, as well as the US currency needed to pay for the computers, software applications, scanners, electricity, and internet connectivity that bring it out of that little room and into the world. So, as you can see, this site is the darling of many, and it is growing at a rapid rate ... but although it is "free," there also is a cost. Your financial support underwrites this cost. Here is how you can help. 

* '''[[Gift Shop|The Mystic Tea Room Gift Shop]]:''' In addition to our function as an online archive of tasseography and tea room culture, The Mystic Tea Room also maintains a small [[Gift Shop]], where unusual, antique, vintage, modern, contemporary, and one-of-a-kind fortune telling tea cups and saucers -- and their accompanying tasseomancy booklets, pamphlets, and instruction sheets -- are for sale. Here you can purchase "The Stranger in the Cup: How to Read Your Luck and Fate in the Tea Leaves" by Gregory Lee White and catherine yronwode. '''[https://luckymojo.com/thestrangerinthecup.html Read all about the book, and order it online here.]''' 

* '''"From the Land of Tea: The Material Culture of Tea and Tea Leaf Reading"''' 
An adjunct to my tasseomancy site, [http://mystictearoom.com The Mystic Tea Room]. Patreon advance web pages. Patrons have private access to web pages one year before they are made available to the public, at the rate of four new web pages per month, distributed at weekly intervals. These web pages fall into a series of interconnected topics or streams of thought. Patrons also have access to a Private Patreon sub-forum within the Lucky Mojo Forum, and will be accorded special Red Star Avatar badges at the Forum. 

To sign up, go to my Patreon page:  '''https://www.patreon.com/catherineyronwode'''

==Surprise!==

And, finally, some off-topic pages are here: 

* '''[[Uranus in Taurus]]''' is also available at '''[https://yourwateandfate.com/Uranus_in_Taurus YourWateAndFate.com/Uranus in Taurus]'''
* '''[[USA Trains Charles Ro Billboard Reefer Checklist]]'''

== Patron-Funded Galleries Now Open to the Public ==

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<gallery widths="200px" heights = "200px" perrow="3" align="left; cellspacing=2px; cellpadding: 1px 1px 1px 1px;">

File:2024-07-07-Release-FTLOT-Charles-Ro-Reefer-Cars.jpg|July 7th, 2024 -- <br>[[USA_Trains_Charles_Ro_Billboard_Reefer_Checklist|'''USA Trains<br>Charles Ro Billboard Reefer Checklist''']]

File:2024-06-14-Release-FTLOT-Tea-Cup-Mystery.jpg|June 14th, 2024 -- <br> [[Bibliography_of_Booklets_About_Tasseomancy_Issued_by_Tea_Companies|'''Bibliography of Booklets About<br>Tasseomancy Issued by Tea Companies''']]

File:2024-02-07-Release-FTLOT-Vintage-Tea-Room-Business-Cards-and-Advertisements.jpg|February 7, 2024 -- <br> [[Vintage_Tea_Room_Business_Cards_and_Advertisements|'''Vintage Tea Room Business Cards<br>and Advertisements''']]

File:2024-01-21-Release-FTLOT-Old-Virginia-Tea-Rooms.jpg|January 21, 2024 -- <br> [[Virginia_Tea_Rooms|'''Virginia Tea Rooms''']]

File:2023-12-21-Release-FTLOT-Old-Scottish-Tea-Rooms.jpg|December 21, 2023 -- <br> [[Scotland_Tea_Rooms|'''Scottish Tea Rooms''']]

File:2023-11-28-Release-FTLOT-Old-California-Tea-Rooms.jpg|November 28, 2023 -- <br> [[California_Tea_Rooms|'''California Tea Rooms''']]

File:2023-10-14-Release-FTLOT.American-Tea-Room-Business-Cards.jpg|October 14th, 2023 -- <br> [[Gone_But_Not_Forgotten_Tea_Room_Business_Cards|'''Gone But Not Forgotten:<br> Tea Room Business Cards''']]

File:2023-08-14-Release-FTLOT-Nedra-at-the-Gypsy-Tea-Kettle.jpg|August 14th, 2023 -- <br> [[Viewing the Cup|'''Viewing the Cup''']]

File:2023-06-21-Release-FTLOT-More-Tea-Leaf-Reading-Bibliography.jpg|June 21, 2023 -- <br> [[Bibliography of Books about Tasseomancy|'''Tea Leaf Reading Bibliography, <br> Part Two''']]

File:2023-06-14-Release-FTLOT-Tasseomantic-Bibliography.jpg|June 14, 2023 -- <br> [[Bibliography of Books about Tasseomancy|'''Tea Leaf Reading Bibliography, <br>Part One''']]

Image:2023-05-28-Release-FTLOT.Old-Massachusetts-Tea-Rooms.jpg|May 28, 2023 -- <br> [[Massachusetts_Tea_Rooms|'''Old Massachussetts Tea Rooms''']]

File:2022-11-28-RELEASE-FTLOT-Old-English-Tea-Rooms.jpg|November 28, 2022 -- <br> [[England Tea Rooms|'''Old English Tea Rooms''']].

File:2022-10-14-RELEASE-FTLOT.American-Tea-Rooms.jpg|October 14, 2022 -- <br> [[:Category:Vintage_Tea_Room_Postcards#Tea_Rooms_of_the_United_States|'''American Tea Rooms''']].

File:2022-08-21-Release-FTLOT-Commemorative-Cups.jpg|August 21st, 2022 -- <br>[[:Category:Aynsley Cup of Fortune 2018 Commemorative Edition|'''Aynsley Cup of Fortune, 2018''']].

File:2022-07-28-Release-FTLOT-Vintage-Tea-Room-Matchbooks.jpg|July 28th, 2022 -- <br>[[Vintage Tea Room Matchbook Covers|'''Vintage Tea Room Matchbook Covers''']].

File:2022-07-21-Release-FTLOT-The-Wishing-Cup.jpg|July 21st, 2022 -- <br>[[Having Your Fortune Told At a Tea Room|'''Have Your Fortune Told at a Tea Room''']]. 

File:2022-02-28-Tier-3-Release-FTLOT-Year-of-Living-Vicariously.jpg|February 28, 2022 -- <br>[[The Year of Living Vicariously|'''The Year of Living Vicariously''']]. 

File:2022-02-14-Release-FTLOT-Fairylite-Foreign.jpg|February 14th, 2022 -- <br> [[:Category:Fairylite Foreign|'''Fairylite Foreign''']].

File:2021-01-07-tier-1-Your-Fortune-in-a-Tea-Cup.jpg |January 7th, 2022 -- <br>[[Your Fortune in a Tea-Cup Postcards|'''Your Fortune in a Tea-Cup Postcards''']].

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</center>

== Galleries for Patrons - Opening to the Public Soon ==

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<gallery widths="200px" heights = "200px" perrow="3" align="left; cellspacing=2px; cellpadding: 1px 1px 1px 1px;">

File:2023-12-14-Tier-2-FTLOT-Old-Tea-Rooms-of-Maine.jpg| December 14th, 2023 -- <br> Patreon page announcement.

File:2023-12-21-Tier-3-FTLOT-The-1965-Regency-Fortune-Cup.jpg| December 21st, 2023 -- <br> Patreon page announcement.

File:2023-12-28-Tier-3-FTLOT-Antique-Divination-Tea-Cups.jpg|December 28th, 2023 -- <br> Patreon page announcement.

File:2024-05-07-Tier-3-FTLOT-Vintage-Tea-Room-Matchbooks.jpg|May 7th, 2024 -- <br> Patreon page announcement.

File:2024-08-28-Tier-3-FTLOT-Vintage-Tea-Room-Menus.jpg|August 28th, 2024 -- <br> Patreon page announcement.

File:2024-09-28-Tier-3-FTLOT-Italian-Tea-Room-Postcards.jpg|September 28th, 2024 -- <br> Patreon page announcement.

</gallery>
</center>

==Some of our Sister-Sites==

'''THE LUCKY W AMULET ARCHIVE by CATHERINE YRONWODE: http://LuckyMojo.com/luckywindex.html '''
* An online book about good luck artifacts: The web's largest illustrated descriptive archive of folkloric amulets, talismans, charms, and magical stuff from many cultures and every era. An education for all.

'''SOUTHERN SPIRITS: WHERE THE SOUTHERN CROSS THE YELLOW DOG: http://SouthernSpirits.org '''
* An annotated and edited collection of rare 19th and early 20th century writings on African American hoodoo and magical spirituality, documented through slave narratives, interviews, and contemporary newspaper and magazine accounts.

'''YOUR WATE AND FATE: THE MATERIAL CULTURE OF FORTUNE TELLING: http://YourWateAndFate.com'''
* An illustrated museum of Divination by Astrology, Crystal Gazing, Palmistry, Kinesiology, Dice Reading, Numerology, and more, documented through post cards, trade cards, lobby cards, spinners, wheels, and talismanic tokens.

'''THE MYSTIC TEA ROOM: TEA LEAF READING GALLERY AND LEARNING CENTER: http://MysticTeaRoom.com'''
* A celebration of the material culture of Tasseomancy, Tasseography, Teacup Divination, and Telling Fortunes by Tea Leaves, featuring a Museum of Fortune Telling Tea Cups and Saucers and a Tea Leaf Readers' Gift Shop.

'''THE LUCKY MOJO CURIO CO. OCCULT SHOP CATALOGUE: http://LuckyMojo.com/catalogue '''
* Lucky Mojo manufactures hoodoo oils, incense, powders, spell kits, and candles. We grow our own herbs and we carry a full line of occult books, amulets, talismans, and religious goods. Complete occult shop inventory online.

==Thanks ==

Thank you for seeking us out, 

<i><b>catherine yronwode</b><br>curator, historian, and docent
<br><b>The Mystic Tea Room</b></i>

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