Book Review: The Ancient Art of Tasseography

How to Read Tea Leaves and Coffee Grounds

I aim to review at least one book a month on magical, pagan, and polytheist subjects, both fiction and non-fiction. You can find all my book reviews here.

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I was enchanted enough by this book to write an endorsement for it before it was published, and I’m delighted to be able to share a review now that the book has been released.

The Ancient Art of Tasseography by Kylie Holmes manages to be both information-packed and cozy, like sitting down for a cup of tea with a dear friend. The author’s tone is conversational and welcoming, inviting the reader into a world of steaming cups of refreshment and insight.

Tea leaf reading has long fascinated me, and there just aren’t very many resources out there that delve into this culinary-adjacent divination method. This book fills a need in my library, and maybe in yours, too.

When I first read this book, I expected to find the history of tasseography — which is pretty interesting — and the nuts and bolts of the divination method: how to actually interpret those dregs in the bottom of the cup. What I didn’t expect was such a multi-faceted approach to the whole concept, which is what really turns tasseography into so much more than just a simple divination method.

There are, of course, the symbols that you might find in the dregs of your tea leaves or coffee grounds, and how to read them. And Holmes provides a thorough discussion of how to tap into your intuition and focus mindfully and meditatively on what you’re doing.

But her exploration of tea itself encourages the reader to match the type of tea to the subject of the divination and even the season, from types of black and green teas to a broad range of herbal teas. This is somewhat akin to choosing a Tarot deck that “vibes” with the subject you want to do a reading about, and it adds a wonderful dimension to tea leaf reading. The book ends with a selection of tea recipes and instructions for how to create your own tea blend for almost any purpose.

Altogether, The Ancient Art of Tasseography is an enjoyable journey into the many possibilities of this fascinating and fun divination technique.

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About Laura Perry

I'm the founder and Temple Mom of Ariadne's Tribe, a worldwide inclusive Minoan spiritual tradition. I'm also an author, artist, and creator who works magic with words, paint, ink, music, textiles, and herbs. My spiritual practice includes spirit work and herbalism through the lens of lifelong animism. I write Pagan / polytheist / magical non-fiction and fiction across several different subjects and genres. My Minoan entry in the Moon Books Pantheons series is now available for pre-order and will be released on 26 August 2025. While that process percolates along, I’m working on an illustrated book of modern Minoan myths. I’m also an avid herb and vegetable gardener and living history demonstrator.