Our individual past, quite apart from the arbitrary laws of heredity, makes the road of our future. Possibly this may account for the curious fact that in dreams the setting is often in childhood's surroundings, while the dream itself is obviously of the present or the future. This shows how the first beginnings of the event which is to come were brought about. It is somewhat like unwinding a cotton reel! There are, no doubt, some who look upon the tea-leaves merely as a form of amusement, and who entertain their friends in that way. Well, it is a harmless amusement, and is often useful at a very dull tea party! But for those who take it seriously, and regard it as one of the many means of divination, it will be treated with the respect due to such matters. As in other forms of divination, so with the reading of the tea-cup, a great deal depends on the seer. Those who are naturally clairvoyant will read many events and scenes in the cup which would be passed over by others not so gifted. Even without this "clear sight," however, the tea-leaves may be read by anyone who has learned the principles and the symbolic meanings given in this book. With a certain amount of intuition and imagination, the tea-cups may be most successfully used to reveal the future. CHAPTER II PRACTICE AND METHOD A wide, shallow cup is the best kind to use for tea-leaf divination--white if possible. A narrow cup adds to the seer's difficulties, as the tea-leaves cannot be plainly seen. Small cups, too, are objectionable for the same reason, and a fluted cup is even worse. A plain, even surface is required, with no pattern of any kind, as this has a tendency to confuse the symbols. Indian tea and the cheaper mixtures, which contain so much dust and twigs are of no use for reading a fortune, as they cannot form into pictures and symbols that can easily be distinguished. Those who desire to have their tea-leaves interpreted should leave about a teaspoonful of tea at the bottom of the cup. It should then be taken in the left hand, and turned three times from left with a quick swing. Then very gently, slowly, and with care, turn it upside down over the saucer, leaving it there for a minute, so that all the moisture may drain away. Some divinators of the tea-leaves insist on a concentration of the mind during this turning of the cup, as do many cartomantes whilst the cards are being shuffled; others prefer the mind to be as far as possible free from any definite thought or desire, simply allowing it to dwell on such abstract subjects as flowers or the weather. Personally, I advocate this for both systems of divination; it enables the subconscious mind to assert itself unhindered, whilst the normal mind is in abeyance.