Albanian art of coffee ground reading – magic hidden in a coffee cup
What is tasseography and where does it come from?
Tasseography is a mysterious practice of predicting the future based on shapes formed by grounds left after drinking coffee or tea. Though it may seem exotic to modern people, its origins date back to ancient China. From there it traveled to Europe, where it became known only in the 17th century. Dutch merchants were the first to bring tea to European tables, opening the way for this extraordinary form of divination.
Tasseography was particularly popular in the British Isles – the English, Scots, and Irish not only practiced coffee ground reading but created special clay vessels designed exclusively for this practice. However, the idea of divination through beverages was not completely foreign to Europeans – ancient Romans already used oenomancy, predicting the future based on wine sediments.
In this way, coffee ground reading fits into a broader, ancient tradition of predicting the future through shape interpretation – just as with wax pouring. Currently, coffee is most commonly used for this purpose, having completely replaced tea in this practice.
Albanian tradition of coffee ground reading – what does it look like?
What do we need?
In Albanian culture, coffee ground reading is mainly based on traditionally brewed coffee. To prepare it, you need a
How to prepare the perfect coffee for fortune telling?
The entire coffee brewing process requires precision and attention. Add one teaspoon each of coffee and sugar per person to cold water. Place the vessel on low heat and wait for the coffee to start rising – this process should be repeated three times. Each time the foam rises, remove the cezve from heat and let it settle. After the third heating, the coffee should have a thin layer of foam on the surface, and then it can be poured into the cup – without straining.
Important: the coffee must be black, sweet, and freshly brewed. No milk is added for fortune telling, and sugar can only be added during brewing, not later.
Fortune telling ritual step by step
For the fortune telling to be effective, specific rules must be followed:
- Drinking the coffee – always hold the cup in your right hand and drink it in three to seven sips. Don’t drink the grounds!
- Drying the grounds – after emptying the cup, wait about 5 minutes for the grounds to settle and dry slightly.
- Moving the cup – still holding it in your right hand, move the cup from right to left (avoiding circular motions).
- Turning the cup over – turn the cup upside down and wait another few minutes.
- Reading the fortune – analyze patterns and symbols while holding the cup with the handle pointing right.
Map of meanings – how to read symbols from grounds?
The fortune is read considering the position relative to the cup’s handle. Directions have specific meanings:
- Southeast – present time that is passing
- West – distant future
- North – also present time
- Northeast – matters of the heart, love
If there are many shapes and clear figures inside the cup, it means an intense, eventful life for the person having their fortune told. Small but precise shapes indicate a person who has a well-planned future and controls their actions.
Symbols located closest to the cup’s handle suggest events that will happen soon. It’s crucial to focus on large, easily recognizable patterns – smaller ones can be misleading.
How to interpret the appearance of grounds?
The consistency of the remaining grounds also has meaning:
- Thick and dark grounds – indicate a confident, determined person
- Sparse grounds through which you can see the bottom – suggest anxiety, lack of happiness, or inner turmoil
The fortune will be complete only when we can connect individual symbols into one coherent story about the future. It’s a kind of collage of signs that should be read like a map.
When is the best time to read coffee grounds?
Not every day is favorable for fortune telling – the best days are Tuesday and Friday, which are traditionally considered times favorable for magic and prophecies. Sunday, however, is absolutely not suitable for this practice – it’s a day of rest, not predicting the future.
