We had our third evening of “How to Read Your Own Tea Leaves” last Thursday and I’m more committed to this event than ever. I’m not sure what I expected when I first started doing these evenings of sharing tea leaf reading, but here’s what I’ve found:
- It attracts people of all interests
- There is fun and laughter, while encouraging thoughtfulness
- People who are not related or known to one another eagerly help each other and interaction is very kind
- The “question” or “wish” that each participant is encouraged to ask him/herself remains completely private to them
- We all experience some kind of revelation during the evening—it’s usually something another participant says or discovers without thinking of its significance
- Drinking a cup of tea and watching the tea leaves unfold as you drink is really relaxing and invites great conversation—whatever comes up
- Most participants leave the evening feeling more clarity around whatever they needed
Often, there is irreverent conversation. The other night I couldn’t figure out what type of bird I was seeing in my leaves and for some reason this seemed important to me. The discussion evolved into me telling the group about the testosterone-crazed male robins at my house who keep banging into my windows to fight with their reflection (thinking it is a rival robin)–I term these “lusty male robins”. This prompted one of our participants to suggest this as a good name for a rock band. I’ve been chuckling about it for three days.
The important thing about these evenings is that no one takes tea leaf reading too seriously or has too-high expectations. There is magic that occurs, but it’s more around the shared experience of our human kindness and laughter.
I’m leading a “How to Read Your Own Tea Leaves” at the Northwest Tea Festival this year—how fun!