manzia
Coffee reading
Tasseography (or coffee reading) is the popular divinatory practice that interprets the shapes left by coffee grounds on the cup. It is widespread especially in Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, Lebanon, Syria, Armenia, Egypt and southern Italy, where it is practiced with Turkish coffee brewed in a small unfiltered pot.
Traditional technique
You drink the coffee leaving the grounds in the cup, turn the cup upside down on the saucer and wait for the grounds to drip down the walls. You observe the remaining shapes, reading them as symbols: heart (love), bird (news), snake (caution), road (change), mountain (obstacle), ship (journey), fish (luck).
Origin
Coffee reading spread along with the consumption of Turkish coffee between the 15th and 17th centuries in the Ottoman Empire. It is a domestic and social practice: the reading is often entrusted to an elder of the family and is a moment of informal conversation, not formal ritual.
FAQ
Can I do it with espresso?
Hardly: espresso leaves too little residue. You need a coffee prepared in the Turkish way, with very fine powder cooked in the pot.
Which symbols are most important?
Those near the edge (near future), those near the handle (the person asking), those at the bottom (past). The clarity of the symbol counts more than the complexity.
Is it a religious practice?
No. It is a popular practice, present in Islamic, Eastern Christian and Jewish cultures. It is not codified in any official religion.