Tasseography

As a young girl I remember when my mom would take me along to visit her friends. My mom and her friends would catch up over Turkish coffee. My mom would never let me have a sip of her coffee and so I was more persistent to sneak a taste. Finally had the chance to steal a sip and lets just say I was very disappointed. It was so strong, bitter, and gritty. I could not understand how my mother and her friends could drink this coffee all the time. But that afternoon I noticed how all the ladies had their cups placed upside down. Moments later the women took their cups and began to read them. I was curious and amazed with how much information coffee left overs could reveal. I remember my mom and her friends would predict how many kids they would have, what marital obstacles await them, and if they would live a long healthy life. Once the women were through with their cups, I remember taking the cups and examining them. I was confused because I didn't know how a person can interpret the random patterns in coffee remnants. I just loved how the cup looked so beautiful once the remnants were dry. Since I was a little girl I recognized the art that was in the cups and I still love seeing the nearly empty cups.
Tasseography is a divination or fortune telling method that interprets patterns in tea leaves, coffee grounds, or wine sediments.
Traditionally, coffee readers use Turkish Coffee, or any coffee that has grinds that sit at the bottom of the cup. Most of the liquid in the coffee is drunk, but the sediment at the bottom is left behind. It is often believed that the drinker of the coffee should not read their own cup.
There are at least two forms of coffee reading. Both require that the cup be covered with the saucer and turned upside-down. Some traditions, such as in Romania, require that the sediments in the cup be swirled around the inside of the cup until they cover the majority of the cup's inside surface. Other traditions, such as Turkish and Middle Eastern, do not require this swirling but do require that the cup be turned towards yourself for showing your own fortune. The coffee grounds are given time to settle and dry against the cup before a reading begins.
Many interpretations for symbols exist, but one common thread is the color of the symbols. Since most cups used are white or ivory and the grounds are dark, strong contrast exists for the symbols. White is considered a "good" symbol foretelling of generally positive things for the drinker, while the grounds themselves are considered to form "bad" symbols.
Symbols can be many things, including people, animals, and inanimate objects. Usually, the fortune teller will group nearby symbols together for a prediction.
After a reading, the drinker will be asked to "open the heart". This is done by placing the right thumb at the inside bottom of the cup and twisting clockwise slightly. This will leave an impression behind that the fortune teller will interpret as the drinker's inner thoughts or emotions.
There is definitely an artistic aspect of Tasseography that captivates myself and others. I wont drink the coffee but I will stay for my reading and my cup of art!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasseography
- Nabieha Miqbel