Lesson One: Tessomancy and Xylomancy
We have indeed already studied more of the most popular methods of Divination. In our first lesson of Advanced Divination, we will be studying more "natural" items to use when looking into the future. Tessomancy uses leaves... specifically, tea leaves. These are a more popular divination method used in the wizarding world. Xylomancy, not as well-known or used, involves using twigs. I see a trip to the forest for supplies is in our immediate future!
Before we begin, let's take a moment to review what we have learned about divination from our last course.
Before we begin, let's take a moment to review what we have learned about divination from our last course.
- Divination is the practice of using signs or special powers in order to predict the outcome of the future.
- Divination has always been a part of human culture.
- There are two types of Divination in the world: centaur divination and human divination.
- Overall, there are 12 methods witches and wizards study. You have already mastered astrology, crystal gazing, fire omens, palmistry, and ornithomancy in your last course and will learn the other 7 during this course.
What is Tessomancy?
Tessomancy is, although you might not recognize its official name, a method of Divination that you have at least a bit of knowledge in. Almost everyone has had a cup of tea before. At the bottom of every normal cup of tea (that has not been made with tea bags, of course!) is the leftover tea leaves that helped turn your boring cup of hot water into tea. In divination, it's not the taste of the cup of tea that matters most, it is indeed what is left at the bottom after finishing the cup. Tessomancy is when one reads tea leaves in the shapes left at the bottom of the cup to predict events in the future.
Tessomancy has several other names as well: tasseography, tasseomancy, and tassology. This study of divination began in Medieval Europe, where fortune tellers read messages from shapes seen in substances like wax, lead, and other things that could be melted. A few centuries later, this evolved into tea leaf reading thanks to Dutch merchants selling tea from China on trade routes across Europe.
The Ancient Chinese also were known to study tea leaves. It is said that Chinese monks would drink tea in bell-shaped cups and then would read the patterns that were formed after the tea was drained.
Tea leave reading is found to be popular on the British Isles, including England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. Here, one can easily find special tea cups created with the purpose of reading tea leaves. Tessomancy is not only found in Europe, however. Middle Eastern cultures have also practiced tessomancy since 600 AD by using leftover coffee grounds. The types of coffee most used today for tessomancy including Turkish coffee, Lebanese coffee, and Greek coffee. I think this would be easier for me to practice; I drink much more coffee than tea!
Tessomancy has several other names as well: tasseography, tasseomancy, and tassology. This study of divination began in Medieval Europe, where fortune tellers read messages from shapes seen in substances like wax, lead, and other things that could be melted. A few centuries later, this evolved into tea leaf reading thanks to Dutch merchants selling tea from China on trade routes across Europe.
The Ancient Chinese also were known to study tea leaves. It is said that Chinese monks would drink tea in bell-shaped cups and then would read the patterns that were formed after the tea was drained.
Tea leave reading is found to be popular on the British Isles, including England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. Here, one can easily find special tea cups created with the purpose of reading tea leaves. Tessomancy is not only found in Europe, however. Middle Eastern cultures have also practiced tessomancy since 600 AD by using leftover coffee grounds. The types of coffee most used today for tessomancy including Turkish coffee, Lebanese coffee, and Greek coffee. I think this would be easier for me to practice; I drink much more coffee than tea!
Tessomancy in the Wizarding World
In the wizarding world, tessomancy is studied and practiced only by humans. Centaurs do not partake in this particular type of divination. Tessomancy is studied during third year at Hogwarts and is one of the first methods introduced to a beginning Divination student. It also seems that most Hogwarts students think this method is silly and often make jokes about it. Tea leave readings during Harry's time could be considered a joke; Professor Trelawney was known to read at least one person's cup a year and predict their untimely death. She predicted Harry's death as well as she read his cup and began groaning about seeing the grim in it, as well as three other life-threatening objects.
Witches and wizards have a guide that they use to help them understand and interpret what they see when reading tea leaves. Unfogging the Future, by Cassandra Vablatsky, includes a glossary of symbols and their meanings when reading tea leaves.
Witches and wizards have a guide that they use to help them understand and interpret what they see when reading tea leaves. Unfogging the Future, by Cassandra Vablatsky, includes a glossary of symbols and their meanings when reading tea leaves.
How do we Read Tea Leaves?
Before beginning, one must choose a cup to use. Many people prefer using a simple white cup, but there are lots of other cups made with the specific needs of tessomancy in mind. A lot of these designs come with specific instructions to help you when using. Some of the most popular ones are zodiac cups (which combines tessomancy with astrology), playing card cups (which combines tessomancy with cartomancy), and symbol cups (come with symbols on them representing the most common symbols found when reading tea leaves).
After choosing a cup, the next step is to choose the method of reading: coffee or tea leaves. Both can work, although the coffee option has several different ways to do it:
If you choose tea leaves: Brew your tea, making sure you begin with putting the tea leaves at the bottom of the cup. Drink the tea out of the cup, draining the liquid out of the cup. Then, swirl the cup. Start with the present, reading the cup at the rim and then following the symbols in a spiraling manner, causing the future to be more towards the center. Whatever you do, do NOT cut open a tea bag - this will not work!
If you choose coffee: The best type of coffee to use is Turkish coffee because it leaves grounds that sit at the bottom of the cup. So you don't want any grounds floating if you're planning on reading them! Most of the coffee is drank, but there is a bit of coffee allowed to sit at the bottom so that the coffee grounds may settle. This is where the methods differ. The first method calls for the cup to be covered with the saucer before being turned upside down. The saucer is included in the reading as well. They then divide the cup into halves. If dividing the cup into horizontal halves, the bottom serves as the past and the top serves as the future. When dividing the cup into vertical halves, one side reads "yes" and one side reads "no." The next method is swirling the grounds around until they cover the entire bottom of the cup. The last method is turning the cup towards the person who wants their coffee read and allowing the coffee grounds to dry before reading the results.
Reading the symbols: When reading symbols, the symbols you see formed by the dark coffee or tea leaves are "bad" symbols. The symbols you see formed on the background of your cup are "good" symbols. You will want to group your symbols to make an overall prediction. Symbol glossaries for tea leaves can be found in books and on the Internet easily. I will be linking one I found on my sources page.
Overall, the reading of tea leaves and coffee has been a traditional method of divination for many years. It seems to be one of the more fun methods of divination, even if it might end with fruitless information.
After choosing a cup, the next step is to choose the method of reading: coffee or tea leaves. Both can work, although the coffee option has several different ways to do it:
If you choose tea leaves: Brew your tea, making sure you begin with putting the tea leaves at the bottom of the cup. Drink the tea out of the cup, draining the liquid out of the cup. Then, swirl the cup. Start with the present, reading the cup at the rim and then following the symbols in a spiraling manner, causing the future to be more towards the center. Whatever you do, do NOT cut open a tea bag - this will not work!
If you choose coffee: The best type of coffee to use is Turkish coffee because it leaves grounds that sit at the bottom of the cup. So you don't want any grounds floating if you're planning on reading them! Most of the coffee is drank, but there is a bit of coffee allowed to sit at the bottom so that the coffee grounds may settle. This is where the methods differ. The first method calls for the cup to be covered with the saucer before being turned upside down. The saucer is included in the reading as well. They then divide the cup into halves. If dividing the cup into horizontal halves, the bottom serves as the past and the top serves as the future. When dividing the cup into vertical halves, one side reads "yes" and one side reads "no." The next method is swirling the grounds around until they cover the entire bottom of the cup. The last method is turning the cup towards the person who wants their coffee read and allowing the coffee grounds to dry before reading the results.
Reading the symbols: When reading symbols, the symbols you see formed by the dark coffee or tea leaves are "bad" symbols. The symbols you see formed on the background of your cup are "good" symbols. You will want to group your symbols to make an overall prediction. Symbol glossaries for tea leaves can be found in books and on the Internet easily. I will be linking one I found on my sources page.
Overall, the reading of tea leaves and coffee has been a traditional method of divination for many years. It seems to be one of the more fun methods of divination, even if it might end with fruitless information.
What is Xylomancy?
Xylomancy: Divination's most mysterious method. The dictionary definition for Xylomancy is "divination by means of pieces of wood." Pieces of wood is also synonymous with twigs. Not the most descriptive definition, now, is it? Xylomancy is said to be one of the branches of a bigger type of divination called Spodomancy. Spodomancy is using cinders, soots, or ashes. Therefore, Xylomancy can be used in two ways:
- by finding and using twigs found in nature or in a path and using the shapes the twigs make to interpret the past, present, or future
- by using wood or twigs to make marks in ash and then using the marks as meanings or omens.
Xylomancy in the Wizarding World
Xylomancy is not a very popular method of divination in the wizarding world. Xylomancy is taught quite briefly at Hogwarts, although disputably at one time during Harry's early years at Hogwarts there could have been a course dedicated to Xylomancy. All we know for sure is that there is indeed a textbook on what is called an "often overlooked art:" Selina Sapworthy's Xylomancy. Professor Trelawney owned a copy of this book in her tower at Hogwarts. This type of divination would be a type that centaurs would adapt, but no proof has yet been given to the wizarding world that centaurs indeed use Xylomancy. The keyword there is yet!
How do we Practice Xylomancy?
Practicing Xylomancy has evolved over the years. At first, a branch was only considered if it fell naturally. Later, this changed. People who practiced stripped the bark off of the branches and twigs and then tossed them onto the ground in order to form random patterns. This allowed for a more personalized reading of the wood. Therefore, in order to practice Xylomancy, one only needs to gather some twigs and toss them onto the ground. Then, one reads the patterns and shapes formed in order to get his or her reading.
Of course, there are other methods as well. You can actually use the logs in a fireplace to practice Xylomancy! One can watch the way the logs burn in order to make prophetic observations.
While not much is known about Xylomancy, there is enough shared with our world that we can practice at least a simple form of it. Next month, we will be learning about Heptomology and Ovomancy!
Of course, there are other methods as well. You can actually use the logs in a fireplace to practice Xylomancy! One can watch the way the logs burn in order to make prophetic observations.
While not much is known about Xylomancy, there is enough shared with our world that we can practice at least a simple form of it. Next month, we will be learning about Heptomology and Ovomancy!