{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_18241/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_18241","id":"gutenberg_18241","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18241","summary":null,"tags":["Category: How To ...","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Fortune-telling by tea leaves"],"text":"Produced by Ruth Hart, ruthhart@twilightoracle.com\n\n\n\n\n Transcriber's note: In Chapter V, I changed the spelling of\n\"collecton\" to \"collection\", in the Interpretation of Fig. 6, I changed\n\"biry\" to \"bird\", and in the Interpretation of Fig. 10, I changed\n\"letteres\" to \"letters.\" All other spelling is unchanged.\n\n\n\n\n-----------------------------------------------\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTEA-CUP READING AND FORTUNE-TELLING BY TEA LEAVES\n\n\nBy A Highland Seer\n\nWith Ten Illustrations\n\n\n\nNEW YORK\n\nGEORGE SULLY AND COMPANY\n\n_PRINTED IN U. S. A._\n\n\n\nCONTENTS\n\n     Preface   11\n     I.   Introduction to the Art of Divination from\n     Tea-Leaves  13\n     II.  Ritual and Method of Using the Teacup   25\n     III. General Principles To Be Observed in Reading\n     the Cup   29\n     IV.  An Alphabetical List of Symbols with Their\n     Significations   39\n     V.   Specimen Cups, with Interpretations   57\n     VI.  Omens   66\n\n\n\nILLUSTRATIONS\n\n     Fig. 1   61\n     Fig. 2   63\n     Fig. 3   65\n     Fig. 4   67\n     Fig. 5   69\n     Fig. 6   71\n     Fig. 7   73\n     Fig. 8   75\n     Fig. 9   77\n     Fig. 10   79\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE\n\nIt is somewhat curious that among the great number of books on occult\nscience and all forms of divination which have been published in the\nEnglish language there should be none dealing exclusively with the\nTea-cup Reading and the Art of Telling Fortunes by the Tea-leaves:\nnotwithstanding that it is one of the most common forms of divination\npractised by the peasants of Scotland and by village fortune-tellers\nin all parts of this country. In many of the cheaper handbooks to\nFortune-telling by Cards or in other ways only brief references to the\nTea-cup method are given; but only too evidently by writers who are\nmerely acquainted with it by hearsay and have not made a study of it for\nthemselves.\n\nThis is probably because the Reading of the Tea-cups affords but little\nopportunity to the Seer of extracting money from credulous folk; a\nreason why it was never adopted by the gypsy soothsayers, who preferred\nthe more obviously lucrative methods of crossing the palm with gold or\nsilver, or of charging a fee for manipulating a pack of playing-cards.\n\nReading the Cup is essentially a domestic form of Fortune-telling to be\npractised at home, and with success by anyone who will take the trouble\nto master the simple rules laid down in these pages: and it is in the\nhope that it will provide a basis for much innocent and inexpensive\namusement and recreation round the tea-table at home, as well as for\na more serious study of an interesting subject, that this little\nguide-book to the science is confidently offered to the public.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER I\n\nINTRODUCTION TO THE ART OF DIVINATION FROM TEA-LEAVES\n\nIt seems highly probable that at no previous period of the world's\nhistory have there been so many persons as there are at the present\nmoment anxious to ascertain in advance, if that be humanly possible, a\nknowledge of at least 'what a day may bring forth.' The incidence of the\ngreatest of all wars, which has resulted in sparse news of those from\nwhom they are separated, and produces a state of uncertainty as to what\nthe future holds in store for each of the inhabitants of the British\nEmpire, is, of course, responsible for this increase in a perfectly sane\nand natural curiosity; with its inevitable result, a desire to employ\nany form of divination in the hope that some light may haply be cast\nupon the darkness and obscurity of the future.\n\nIt is unfortunately the case, as records of the police-courts have\nrecently shown, that the creation of this demand for foreknowledge\nof coming events or for information as to the well-being of distant\nrelatives and friends has resulted in the abundant supply of the want by\nscores of pretended 'Fortune-tellers' and diviners of the Future;\nwho, trading upon the credulity and anxieties of their unfortunate\nfellow-countrywomen, seek to make a living at their expense.\n\nNow it is an axiom, which centuries of experience have shown to be as\nsound as those of Euclid himself, that the moment the taint of money\nenters into the business of reading the Future the accuracy and credit\nof the Fortune told disappears. The Fortune-teller no longer possesses\nthe singleness of mind or purpose necessary to a clear reading of\nthe symbols he or she consults. The amount of the fee is the first\nconsideration, and this alone is sufficient to obscure the mental vision\nand to bias the judgment. This applies to the very highest and most\nconscientious of Fortune-tellers--persons really adept at foreseeing the\nfuture when no taint of monetary reward intervenes. The greater number,\nhowever, of so-called Fortune-tellers are but charlatans, with the\nmerest smattering of partly-assimilated knowledge of some form of\ndivination or 'character-reading'; whether by the cards, coins, dice,\ndominoes, hands, crystal, or in any other pretended way. With these, the\ntaint of the money they hope to receive clouds such mind or intuition\nas they may possess, and it follows that their judgments and\nprognostications have precisely the same value as the nostrums of the\nquack medicine-vendor. They are very different from the Highlander who,\ncoming to the door of his cottage or bothie at dawn, regards steadfastly\nthe signs and omens he notes in the appearance of the sky, the actions\nof animals, the flight of birds, and so forth, and derives there from\na foresight into the coming events of the opening day. They differ also\nfrom the 'spae-wife,' who, manipulating the cup from which she has taken\nher morning draught of tea, looks at the various forms and shapes the\nleaves and dregs have taken, and deduces thence such simple horary\nprognostications as the name of the person from whom 'postie' will\npresently bring up the glen a letter or a parcel or a remittance of\nmoney; or as to whether she is likely to go a journey, or to hear news\nfrom across the sea, or to obtain a good price for the hose she has\nknitted or for the chickens or eggs she is sending to the store-keeper.\nHere the taint of a money-payment is altogether absent; and no Highland\n'spae-wife' or seer would dream of taking a fee for looking into the\nfuture on behalf of another person.\n\nIt follows, therefore, that provided he or she is equipped with the\nrequisite knowledge and some skill and intuition, the persons most\nfitted to tell correctly their own fortune are themselves; because they\ncannot pay themselves for their own prognostications, and the absence of\na monetary taint consequently leaves the judgment unbiased. Undoubtedly\none of the simplest, most inexpensive and, as the experience of nearly\nthree centuries has proved, most reliable forms of divination within its\nown proper limits, is that of reading fortunes in tea-cups. Although it\ncannot be of the greatest antiquity, seeing that tea was not introduced\ninto Britain until the middle of the seventeenth century, and for many\nyears thereafter was too rare and costly to be used by the great bulk\nof the population, the practice of reading the tea-leaves doubtless\ndescends from the somewhat similar form of divination known to the\nGreeks as \"_\u03ba\u03bf\u03c4\u03b1\u03b2\u03bf\u03c2_\" by which fortune in love was discovered\nby the particular splash made by wine thrown out of a cup into a metal\nbasin. A few spae-wives still practise this method by throwing out the\ntea-leaves into the saucer, but the reading of the symbols as they are\noriginally formed in the cup is undoubtedly the better method.\n\nAny person after a study of this book and by carefully following the\nprinciples here laid down may with practice quickly learn to read the\nhorary fortunes that the tea-leaves foretell. It should be distinctly\nunderstood, however, that tea-cup fortunes are only horary, or dealing\nwith the events of the hour or the succeeding twenty-four hours at\nfurthest. The immediately forthcoming events are those which cast their\nshadows, so to speak, within the circle of the cup. In this way the\ntea-leaves may be consulted once a day, and many of the minor happenings\nof life foreseen with considerable accuracy, according to the skill\nin discerning the symbols and the intuition required to interpret\nthem which may be possessed by the seer. Adepts like the Highland\npeasant-women can and do foretell events that subsequently occur,\nand that with remarkable accuracy. Practice and the acquirement of a\nknowledge of the signification of the various symbols is all that is\nnecessary in order to become proficient and to tell one's fortune and\nthat of one's friends with skill and judgment.\n\nThere is, of course, a scientific reason for all forms of divination\npractised without hope or promise of reward. Each person carries in\nhimself his own Destiny. Events do not happen to people by chance, but\nare invariably the result of some past cause. For instance, in the\nlast years a man becomes a soldier who had never intended to pursue a\nmilitary career. This does not happen to him by chance, but because\nof the prior occurrence of la European war in which his country was\nengaged. The outbreak of war is similarly the result of other causes,\nnone of which happened by chance, but were founded by still remoter\noccurrences. It is the same with the Future. That which a person does\ntoday as a result of something that happened in the past, will in its\nturn prove the cause of something that will happen at some future date.\nThe mere act of doing something today sets in motion forces that in\nprocess of time will inevitably bring about some entirely unforeseen\nevent.\n\nThis event is not decreed by Fate or Providence, but by the person who\nby the committal of some act unconsciously compels the occurrence of\nsome future event which he does not foresee. In other words, a man\ndecrees his own destiny and shapes his own ends by his actions, whether\nProvidence rough-hew them or not. Now this being so, it follows that\nhe carries his destiny with him, and the more powerful his mind and\nintellect the more clearly is this seen to be the case. Therefore it is\npossible for a person's mind, formed as the result of past events over\nwhich he had no control, to foresee by an effort what will occur in the\nfuture as the result of acts deliberately done. Since it is given to but\nfew, and that not often of intention, to see actually what is about to\nhappen in a vision or by means of what is called the 'second sight,'\nsome machinery must be provided in the form of symbols from which an\ninterpretation of the future can be made. It matters little what the\nmethod or nature of the symbols chosen is--dice or dominoes, cards or\ntea-leaves. What matters is that the person shaking the dice, shuffling\nthe dominoes, cutting the cards or turning the tea-cup, is by these very\nacts transferring from his mind where they lie hidden even from himself\nthe shadows of coming events which by his own actions in the past he\nhas already predetermined shall occur in the future. It only remains\nfor someone to read and interpret these symbols correctly in order to\nascertain something of what is likely to happen; and it is here that\nsingleness of purpose and freedom from ulterior motives are necessary in\norder to avoid error and to form a true and clear judgment.\n\nThis is the serious and scientific explanation of the little-understood\nand less-comprehended action of various forms of divination having for\ntheir object the throwing of a little light upon the occult. Of all\nthese forms perhaps divination by tea-leaves is the simplest, truest,\nand most easily learned. Even if the student is disinclined to\nattach much importance to what he sees in the cup, the reading of the\ntea-leaves forms a sufficiently innocent and amusing recreation for the\nbreakfast- or tea-table; and the man who finds a lucky sign such as\nan anchor or a tree in his cup, or the maiden who discovers a pair\nof heart-shaped groups of leaves in conjunction with a ring, will be\nsuffering no harm in thus deriving encouragement for the future, even\nshould they attach no importance to their occurrence, but merely treat\nthem as an occasion for harmless mirth and badinage.\n\nWhether, however, the tea-leaves be consulted seriously or in mere sport\nand love of amusement, the methods set forth in succeeding chapters\nshould be carefully followed, and the significations of the pictures and\nsymbols formed in the cup scrupulously accepted as correct, for reasons\nwhich are explained in a subsequent chapter.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER II\n\nRITUAL AND METHOD OF USING THE TEA-CUP\n\nThe best kind of tea to use if tea-cup reading is to be followed is\nundoubtedly China tea, the original tea imported into this country and\nstill the best for all purposes. Indian tea and the cheaper mixtures\ncontain so much dust and so many fragments of twigs and stems as often\nto be quite useless for the purposes of divination, as they will not\ncombine to form pictures, or symbols clearly to be discerned.\n\nThe best shape of cup to employ is one with a wide opening at the top\nand a bottom not too small. Cups with almost perpendicular sides are\nvery difficult to read, as the symbols cannot be seen properly, and\nthe same may be said of small cups. A plain-surfaced breakfast-cup is\nperhaps the best to use; and the interior should be white and have no\npattern printed upon it, as this confuses the clearness of the picture\npresented by the leaves, as does any fluting or eccentricity of shape.\n\nThe ritual to be observed is very simple. The tea-drinker should\ndrink the contents of his or her cup so as to leave only about half a\nteaspoonful of the beverage remaining. He should next take the cup by\nthe handle in his left hand, rim upwards, and turn it three times from\nleft to right in one fairly rapid swinging movement. He should then very\nslowly and carefully invert it over the saucer and leave it there for a\nminute, so as to permit of all moisture draining away.\n\nIf he approaches the oracle at all seriously he should during the whole\nof these proceedings concentrate his mind upon his future Destiny, and\n'will' that the symbols forming under the guidance of his hand and\narm (which in their turn are, of course, directed by his brain) shall\ncorrectly represent what is destined to happen to him in the future.\n\nIf, however, he or she is not in such deadly earnest, but merely\nindulging in a harmless pastime, such an effort of concentration need\nnot be made. The 'willing' is, of course, akin to 'wishing' when cutting\nthe cards in another time-honoured form of fortune-telling.\n\nThe cup to be read should be held in the hand and turned about in order\nto read the symbols without disturbing them, which will not happen\nif the moisture has been properly drained away. The handle of the cup\nrepresents the consultant and is akin to the 'house' in divination by\nthe cards. By this fixed point judgment is made as to events approaching\nthe 'house' of the consultant, journeys away from home, messages or\nvisitors to be expected, relative distance, and so forth. The advantage\nof employing a cup instead of a saucer is here apparent.\n\n'The bottom of the cup represents the remoter future foretold; the side\nevents not so far distant; and matters symbolised near the rim those\nthat may be expected to occur quickly. The nearer the symbols approach\nthe handle in all three cases the nearer to fulfilment will be the\nevents prognosticated.\n\nIf this simple ritual has been correctly carried out the tea-leaves,\nwhether many or few, will be found distributed about the bottom and\nsides of the cup. The fortune may be equally well told whether there are\nmany leaves or few; but of course there must be some, and therefore the\ntea should not have been made in a pot provided with one of the patent\narrangements that stop the leaves from issuing from the spout when the\nbeverage is poured into the cups. There is nothing to beat one of the\nplain old-fashioned earthenware teapots, whether for the purpose of\npreparing a palatable beverage or for that of providing the means of\ntelling a fortune.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER III\n\nGENERAL PRINCIPLES TO BE OBSERVED IN READING THE CUP\n\nThe interior of the tea-cup when it is ready to be consulted will\nexhibit the leaves scattered apparently in a fortuitous and accidental\nmanner, but really in accordance with the muscular action of the left\narm as controlled by the mind at whose bidding it has worked. These\nscattered leaves will form lines and circles of dots or small leaves\nand dust combined with stems, and groups of leaves in larger or smaller\npatches: apparently in meaningless confusion.\n\nCareful notice should now be taken of all the shapes and figures formed\ninside the cup. These should be viewed front different positions, so\nthat their meaning becomes clear. It is not very easy at first to see\nwhat the shapes really are, but after looking at them carefully they\nbecome plainer. The different shapes and figures in the cup must be\ntaken together in a general reading. Bad indications will be balanced by\ngood ones; some good ones will be strengthened by others, and so on.\n\nIt is now the business of the seer--whether the consultant or some adept\nto whom he has handed the cup to be read--to find some fairly close\nresemblance between the groups formed by the leaves and various natural\nor artificial objects. This part of the performance resembles the\nlooking for 'pictures in the fire' as practised by children in nurseries\nand school-rooms and occasionally by people of a larger growth. Actual\nrepresentations of such things as trees, animals, birds, anchors,\ncrowns, coffins, flowers, and so forth may by the exercise of the\npowers of observation and imagination be discerned, as well as squares,\ntriangles, and crosses. Each of these possesses, as a symbol, some\nfortunate or unfortunate signification. Such signs may be either large\nor small, and their relative importance must be judged according to\ntheir size. Supposing the symbol observed should be that indicating\nthe receipt of a legacy, for instance: if small it would mean that\nthe inheritance would be but trifling, if large that it would be\nsubstantial, while if leaves grouped to form a resemblance to a coronet\naccompany the sign for a legacy, a title would probably descend upon\nthe consultant at the same time. The meaning of all the symbols of this\nnature likely to be formed by the fortuitous arrangement of leaves in\na tea-cup is fully set forth in the concluding chapter; and it is\nunnecessary therefore to enlarge upon this branch of the subject.\n\nThere are, however, several points of a more general character that must\nbe considered before it is possible to form an accurate judgment of\nthe fortune displayed. For instance, isolated leaves or groups of a\nfew leaves or stems frequently form letters of the alphabet or numbers.\nThese letters and numbers possess meanings which must be sought in\nconjunction with other signs. If near a letter L is seen a small square\nor oblong leaf, or if a number of very small dots form such a square\nor oblong, it indicates that a letter or parcel will be received from\nsomebody whose surname (not Christian name) begins with an L. If the\ncombined symbol appears near the handle and near the rim of the cup,\nthe letter is close at hand; if in the bottom there will be delay in its\nreceipt. If the sign of a letter is accompanied by the appearance of\na bird flying towards the 'house' it means a telegraphic despatch:\nif flying away from the house the consultant will have to send the\ntelegram. Birds flying always indicate news of some sort.\n\nAgain, the dust in the tea and the smaller leaves and stems frequently\nform lines of dots. These are significant of a journey, and their extent\nand direction shows its length and the point of the compass towards\nwhich it will extend: the handle for this purpose being considered as\ndue south. If the consultant is at home and lines lead from the handle\nright round the cup and back to the handle, it shows that he will\nreturn; if they end before getting back to the handle, and especially\nif a resemblance to a house appears where the journey line ends, it\nbetokens removal to some other place. If the consultant be away from\nhome, lines leading to the handle show a return home, and if free\nfrom crosses or other symbols of delay that the return will be speedy:\notherwise it will be postponed. The occurrence of a numeral may\nindicate the number of days, or if in connection with a number of small\ndots grouped around the sign of a letter, a present or a legacy, the\namount of the remittance in the former, the number of presents to be\nexpected, or the amount of the legacy coming. Dots surrounding a symbol\nalways indicate money coming in some form or other, according to the\nnature of the symbol.\n\nIt will be seen that to read a fortune in the tea-cup with any real\napproach to accuracy and a serious attempt to derive a genuine forecast\nfrom the cup the seer must not be in a hurry. He or she must not only\nstudy the general appearance of the horoscope displayed before him,\nand decide upon the resemblance of the groups of leaves to natural or\nartificial objects, each of which possesses a separate significance, but\nmust also balance the bad and good, the lucky and unlucky symbols, and\nstrike an average. For instance, a large bouquet of flowers, which is a\nfortunate sign, would outweigh in importance one or two minute crosses,\nwhich in this case would merely signify some small delay in the\nrealisation of success; whereas one large cross in a prominent position\nwould be a warning of disaster that would be little, if at all,\nmitigated by the presence of small isolated flowers, however lucky\nindividually these may be. This is on the same principle as that by\nwhich astrologers judge a horoscope, when, after computing the aspects\nof the planets towards each other, the Sun and Moon, the Ascendant,\nMid-heaven, and the significator of the Native, they balance the good\naspects against the bad, the strong against the weak, the Benefics\nagainst the Malefics, and so strike an average. In a similar way the\nlucky and unlucky, signs in a tea-cup must be balanced one against the\nother and an average struck: and in this connection it may be pointed\nout that symbols which stand out clearly and distinctly by themselves\nare of more importance than those with difficulty to be discerned amid\ncloudlike masses of shapeless leaves. When these clouds obscure or\nsurround a lucky sign they weaken its force, and vice versa. In tea-cup\nreading, however, the fortune told must be regarded chiefly as of a\nhorary character, not, as with an astrological horoscope, that of a\nwhole life; and where it is merely indulged in as a light amusement to\nwhile away a few minutes after a meal such nicety of judgment is not\ncalled for. The seer will just glance at the cup, note the sign for\na letter from someone, or that for a journey to the seaside or the\nproximity of a gift, or an offer of marriage, and pass on to another\ncup.\n\nIt should be observed that some cups when examined will present no\nfeatures of interest, or will be so clouded and muddled that no clear\nmeaning is to be read in them. In such a case the seer should waste no\ntime over them. Either the consultant has not concentrated his or her\nattention upon the business in hand when turning the cup, or his destiny\nis so obscured by the indecision of his mind or the vagueness of his\nideas that it is unable to manifest itself by symbols. Persons who\nconsult the tea-leaves too frequently often find this muddled state of\nthings to supervene. Probably once a week will be often enough to look\ninto the future, although there is something to be said for the Highland\ncustom of examining the leaves of the morning cup of tea in order to\nobtain some insight into the events the day may be expected to bring\nforth. To 'look in the cup' three or four times a day, as some\nsilly folk do, is simply to ask for contradictory manifestations and\nconsequent bewilderment, and is symptomatic of the idle, empty, bemused\nminds that prompt to such ill-advised conduct.\n\nOf course the tea-cup may be employed solely for the purpose of asking\nwhat is known to astrologers as 'a horary question', such, for instance,\nas 'Shall I hear from my lover in France, and when?' In this case the\nattention of the consultant when turning the cup must be concentrated\nsolely on this single point, and the seer will regard the shapes taken\nby the tea-leaves solely in this connection in order to give a definite\nand satisfactory answer. An example of this class of horary question is\nincluded among the illustrations (Fig. 10).\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IV\n\nAN ALPHABETICAL LIST OF SYMBOLS WITH THEIR SIGNIFICATIONS\n\nA question that will very naturally occur to persons of an enquiring\nturn of mind in regard to the figures and symbols seen in the tea-cup\nis: Why should one symbol necessarily signify one thing and not\nsomething quite different?\n\nThe answer, of course, is that the meanings given to the symbols are\npurely arbitrary, and that there is no scientific reason why one should\nsignify one thing and not another. There is no real reason why the\nace of clubs, for instance, should not be considered the 'House Card'\ninstead of the nine of hearts, or why the double four in dominoes should\nsignify an invitation instead of a wedding, like the double three.\n\nIt is obviously necessary, however, in attempting to read the future by\nmeans of any kind of symbols, whether pips, dots, numbers or anything\nelse, to fix beforehand upon some definite meaning to be attributed to\neach separate symbol and to hold fast to this meaning in all events.\nIn the case of tea-leaves, where the symbols are not mere 'conventional\nsigns' or numbers but actual figures like the pictures seen in the fire\nor those envisaged in dreams, there is no doubt that the signification\nof most of them is the result of empyrical experience. Generations of\nspae-wives have found that the recurrence of a certain figure in the\ncup has corresponded with the occurrence of a certain event in the\nfuture lives of the various persons who have consulted them: and this\nempyrical knowledge has been handed down from seer to seer until a\nsufficient deposit of tradition has been formed from which it has been\nfound possible to compile a detailed list of the most important symbols\nand to attach to each a traditional meaning. These significations have\nbeen collected by the writer--in a desultory manner--over a long period\nof years chiefly from spae-wives in both Highland and Lowland Scotland,\nbut also in Cornwall, on Dartmoor, in Middle England, in Gloucestershire\nand Northumberland. Occasionally it has been found that a different\nmeaning is attributed to a symbol by one seer from that given it by\nanother. In such cases an alternative signification might, of course,\nhave been given here, but as the essence of all such significations\nis that they shall be stable and unvarying, the writer has fixed upon\nwhichever meaning has been most widely attributed to the symbol or\nappears to have the best authority for its adoption, so that the element\nof doubt may be excluded.\n\nAlthough included in their alphabetical order in the list which follows,\nthere are certain figures and symbols which are of so common occurrence\nand bear such definite interpretation that it is advisable to refer to\nthem here in detail. Certain symbols are invariably signs of approaching\ngood-fortune: certain others of threatened ill-luck. Among the former\nmay be mentioned triangles, stars, trefoil or clover-leaves, anchors,\ntrees, garlands and flowers, bridges or arches, and crowns. Among the\nlatter, coffins, clouds, crosses, serpents, rats and mice and some\nwild beasts, hour-glasses, umbrellas, church-steeples, swords and guns,\nravens, owls, and monkeys are all ominous symbols.\n\nSYMBOLS AND SIGNIFICATIONS\n\nABBEY, future ease and freedom from worry.\n\nACORN, improvement in health, continued health, strength, and good\nfortune.\n\nAIRCRAFT, unsuccessful projects.\n\nANCHOR, a lucky sign; success in business and constancy in love; if\ncloudy, the reverse must be read.\n\nANGEL, good news, especially good fortune in love.\n\nAPES, secret enemies.\n\nAPPLES, long life; gain by commerce.\n\nAPPLE-TREE, change for the better.\n\nARCH, a journey abroad.\n\nARROW, a disagreeable letter from the direction in which it comes.\n\nASS, misfortune overcome by patience; or a legacy.\n\nAXE, difficulties overcome.\n\nBADGER, long life and prosperity as a bachelor.\n\nBASKET, an addition to the family.\n\nBAT, fruitless journeys or tasks.\n\nBEAR, a long period of travel.\n\nBEASTS, other than those mentioned, foretell misfortune.\n\nBIRDS, a lucky sign; good news if flying, if at rest a fortunate\njourney.\n\nBOAT, a friend will visit the consultant.\n\nBOUQUET, one of the luckiest of symbols; staunch friends, success, a\nhappy marriage.\n\nBRIDGE, a favourable journey.\n\nBUILDING, a removal.\n\nBULL, slander by some enemy.\n\nBUSH, an invitation into society.\n\nBUTTERFLY, success and pleasure.\n\nCAMEL, a burden to be patiently borne.\n\nCANNON, good fortune.\n\nCAR (MOTOR), and CARRIAGE, approaching wealth, visits from friends.\n\nCART, fluctuations of fortune.\n\nCASTLE, unexpected fortune or a legacy.\n\nCAT, difficulties caused by treachery.\n\nCATHEDRAL, great prosperity.\n\nCATTLE, prosperity.\n\nCHAIN, an early marriage; if broken, trouble in store.\n\nCHAIR, an addition to the family.\n\nCHURCH, a legacy.\n\nCIRCLES, money or presents. They mean that the person whose fortune is\nread may expect money or presents.\n\nCLOUDS, serious trouble; if surrounded by dots, financial success.\n\nCLOVER, a very lucky sign; happiness and prosperity. At the top of the\ncup, it will come quickly. As it nears the bottom, it will mean more or\nless distant.\n\nCOCK, much prosperity.\n\nCOFFIN, long sickness or sign of death of a near relation or great\nfriend.\n\nCOMET, misfortune and trouble.\n\nCOMPASSES, a sign of travelling as a profession.\n\nCOW, a prosperous sign.\n\nCROSS, a sign of trouble and delay or even death.\n\nCROWN, success and honour.\n\nCROWN AND CROSS, signifies good fortune resulting from death.\n\nDAGGER, favours from friends.\n\nDEER, quarrels, disputes; failure in trade.\n\nDOG, a favourable sign; faithful friends, if at top of cup; in middle of\ncup, they are untrustworthy; at the bottom means secret enemies.\n\nDONKEY, a legacy long awaited.\n\nDOVE, a lucky symbol; progress in prosperity and affection.\n\nDRAGON, great and sudden changes.\n\nDUCK, increase of wealth by trade.\n\nEAGLE, honour and riches through change of residence.\n\nELEPHANT, a lucky sign; good health.\n\nFALCON, a persistent enemy.\n\nFERRET, active enemies.\n\nFISH, good news from abroad; if surrounded by dots, emigration.\n\nFLAG, danger from wounds inflicted by an enemy.\n\nFLEUR-DE-LYS, same as LILY (q.v.).\n\nFLOWERS, good fortune, success; a happy marriage.\n\nFOX, treachery by a trusted friend.\n\nFROG, success in love and commerce.\n\nGALLOWS, a sign of good luck.\n\nGOAT, a sign of enemies, and of misfortune to a sailor.\n\nGOOSE, happiness; a successful venture.\n\nGRASSHOPPER, a great friend will become a soldier.\n\nGREYHOUND, a good fortune by strenuous exertion.\n\nGUN, a sign of discord and slander.\n\nHAMMER, triumph over adversity.\n\nHAND, to be read in conjunction with neighbouring symbols and according\nto what it points.\n\nHARE, a sign of a long journey, or the return of an absent friend. Also\nof a speedy and fortunate marriage to those who are single.\n\nHARP, marriage, success in love.\n\nHAT, success in life.\n\nHAWK, an enemy.\n\nHEART, pleasures to come; if surrounded by dots, through money; if\naccompanied by a ring, through marriage.\n\nHEAVENLY BODIES, SUN, MOON AND STARS, signifies happiness and success.\n\nHEN, increase of riches or an addition to the family.\n\nHORSE, desires fulfilled through a prosperous journey.\n\nHORSE-SHOE, a lucky journey or success in marriage and choosing a\npartner.\n\nHOUR-GLASS, imminent peril.\n\nHOUSE, success in business.\n\nHUMAN FIGURES must be judged according to what they appear to be doing.\nThey are generally good and denote love and marriage.\n\nINTERROGATION (mark of), doubt or disappointment.\n\nIVY, honour and happiness through faithful friends.\n\nJACKAL, a sly animal who need not be feared. A mischief maker of no\naccount.\n\nJOCKEY, successful speculation.\n\nJUG, good health.\n\nKANGAROO, a rival in business or love.\n\nKETTLE, death.\n\nKEY, money, increasing trade, and a good husband or wife.\n\nKITE, a sign of lengthy voyaging and travel leading to honour and\ndignity.\n\nKNIFE, a warning of disaster through quarrels and enmity.\n\nLADDER, a sign of travel.\n\nLEOPARD, a sign of emigration with subsequent success.\n\nLETTERS, shown by square or oblong tea-leaves, signifies news. Initials\nnear will show surnames of writers; if accompanied by dots they will\ncontain money; if unclouded, good; but if fixed about by clouds, bad\nnews or loss of money.\n\nLILY, at top of cup, health and happiness; a virtuous wife; at bottom,\nanger and strife.\n\nLINES indicate journeys and their direction, read in conjunction with\nother signs of travel; wavy lines denote troublesome journeys or losses\ntherein.\n\nLION, greatness through powerful friends.\n\nLYNX, danger of divorce or break off of an engagement.\n\nMAN, a visitor arriving. If the arm is held out, he brings a present.\nIf figure is very clear, he is dark; if indistinct, he is of light\ncomplexion.\n\nMERMAID, misfortune, especially to seafaring persons.\n\nMITRE, a sign of honour to a clergyman or through religious agency.\n\nMONKEY, the consultant will be deceived in love.\n\nMOON (as a crescent), prosperity and fortune.\n\nMOUNTAIN, powerful friends; many mountains, equally powerful enemies.\n\nMOUSE, danger of poverty through theft or swindling.\n\nMUSHROOM, sudden separation of lovers after a quarrel.\n\nNOSEGAY, the same as BOUQUET (q.v.).\n\nNUMBERS depends on symbols in conjunction with them.\n\nOAK, very lucky; long life, good health, profitable business, and a\nhappy marriage.\n\nOBLONG FIGURES, family or business squabbles.\n\nOWL, an evil omen, indicative of sickness, poverty, disgrace, a warning\nagainst commencing any new enterprise. If the consultant be in love he\nor she will be deceived.\n\nPALM-TREE, good luck; success in any undertaking. A sign of children to\na wife and of a speedy marriage to a maid.\n\nPARROT, a sign of emigration for a lengthy period.\n\nPEACOCK, denotes success and the acquisition of property; also a happy\nmarriage.\n\nPEAR, great wealth and improved social position; success in business,\nand to a woman a wealthy husband.\n\nPEDESTRIAN, good news; an important appointment.\n\nPHEASANT, a legacy.\n\nPIG, good and bad luck mixed: a faithful lover but envious friends.\n\nPIGEONS, important news if flying; if at rest, domestic bliss and wealth\nacquired in trade.\n\nPINE-TREE, continuous happiness.\n\nPISTOL, disaster.\n\nRABBIT, fair success in a city or large town.\n\nRAT, treacherous servants; losses through enemies.\n\nRAVEN, death for the aged; disappointment in love, divorce, failure in\nbusiness, and trouble generally.\n\nRAZOR, lovers' quarrels and separation.\n\nREPTILE, quarrels.\n\nRIDER, good news from overseas regarding financial prospects.\n\nRIFLE, a sign of discord and strife.\n\nRING, a ring means marriage; and if a letter can be found near it, this\nis the initial of the future spouse. If clouds are near the ring, an\nunhappy marriage; if all is clear about it, the contrary. A ring right\nat the bottom means the wedding will not take place.\n\nROSE, a lucky sign betokening good fortune and happiness.\n\nSAW, trouble brought about by strangers.\n\nSCALES, a lawsuit.\n\nSCEPTRE, a sign of honour from royalty.\n\nSCISSORS, quarrels; illness; separation of lovers.\n\nSERPENT, spiteful enemies; bad luck; illness.\n\nSHARK, danger of death.\n\nSHEEP, success, prosperity.\n\nSHIP, a successful journey.\n\nSNAKES are a sign of bad omen. Great caution is needed to ward off\nmisfortune.\n\nSPIDER, a sign of money coming to the consultant.\n\nSQUARES, comfort and peace.\n\nSTAR, a lucky sign; if surrounded by dots foretells great wealth and\nhonours.\n\nSTEEPLE, bad luck.\n\nSTRAIGHT LINE, a journey, very pleasant.\n\nSTRAIGHT LINES are an indication of peace, happiness, and long life.\n\nSWALLOW, a journey with a pleasant ending.\n\nSWAN, good luck and a happy marriage.\n\nSWORD, dispute, quarrels between lovers; a broken sword, victory of an\nenemy.\n\nTIMBER, logs of timber indicate business success.\n\nTOAD, deceit and unexpected enemies.\n\nTREES, a lucky sign; a sure indication of prosperity and happiness;\nsurrounded by dots, a fortune in the country.\n\nTRIANGLES, always a sign of good luck and unexpected legacies.\n\nTRIDENT, success and honours in the Navy.\n\nTWISTED FIGURES, disturbances and vexation; grievances if there are many\nsuch figures.\n\nUMBRELLA, annoyance and trouble.\n\nUNICORN, scandal.\n\nVULTURE, bitter foes.\n\nWAGON, a sign of approaching poverty.\n\nWAVY LINES, if long and waved, denote losses and vexations. The\nimportance of the lines depends upon the number of them and if heavy or\nlight.\n\nWHEEL, an inheritance about to fall in.\n\nWINDMILL, success in a venturous enterprise.\n\nWOLF, beware of jealous intrigues.\n\nWOMAN, pleasure and happiness; if accompanied by dots, wealth or\nchildren. Several women indicate scandal.\n\nWOOD, a speedy marriage.\n\nWORMS indicate secret foes.\n\nYACHT, pleasure and happiness.\n\nYEW-TREE indicates the death of an aged person who will leave his\npossessions to the consultant.\n\nZEBRA, travel and adventure in foreign lands.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER V\n\nA COLLECTION OF SPECIMEN CUPS, WITH INTERPRETATIONS\n\nThe succeeding ten figures are copied from actual tea-cups that have\nbeen at different times subjected to the proper ritual by various\nconsultants and duly interpreted by seers. They are selected out of\na larger number as being representative of many different classes of\nhoroscope, and they should afford students practical instruction in what\nsymbols to look for, and how to discern them clearly as they turn the\ncup about and about in their hands.\n\nBy reference to the interpretations provided upon the pages facing the\nillustrations he will be able to ascertain the principles upon which to\nform a judgment of the cup generally; and this, once he has mastered the\nmethod, he will be able to supplement, by consulting the alphabetical\nlist of symbols and their significations in the previous chapter, and\nin this way will speedily attain proficiency in reading any tea-cup\npresented for his consideration.\n\n\nINTERPRETATIONS AND ILLUSTRATIONS\n\n\n\nINTERPRETATION\n\nFIG.1\n\nThis is a fortunate horoscope. If cup has been turned by a man it shows\nthat he will gain success, honour, and wealth in the profession of a\nnaval officer. If by a woman then her luck is bound up with that of a\nsailor or marine.\n\nThe pistols on the sides show the profession of arms, and the naval gun\nin the bottom of the cup accompanied by a trident the branch to which he\nbelongs. The on one side and the tree on the other are two of the best\nsigns of promotion, rewards, and prosperity. The house near the pistol\npointing towards the handle of the cup indicates the acquisition of\nproperty, but as neither tree nor house are surrounded by dots this will\nbe a town, not a country, residence. The repetition of the initial 'L'\nmay show the name of the admiral, ship, or battle in which the officer\nwill win renown. The triangles confirm the other signs of good fortune.\n\n[ILLUSTRATION 1]\n\nFIG.1\n\n_Principal Symbols_:--\n\n     Two pistols on sides.\n     A cannon in conjunction with a trident in centre.\n     A pear.\n     A tree.\n\n     on sides.\n     A house.\n     A pair of compasses near the rim.\n     Several small triangles scattered about. Initial letters 'L'\n     (twice), 'N,' and 'V' (twice).\n\n\n\nINTERPRETATION\n\nFIG. 2\n\nThere is nothing very significant in this tea-cup. The wavy lines denote\na troublesome journey leading to some small amount of luck in connection\nwith a person or place whose name begins with the initial 'E.' The\nhour-glass near the rim and the place from which the journey starts\ndenotes that it will be undertaken in order to avoid some imminent\nperil. The numeral '4' conjoined with the sign of a parcel shows that\none may be expected in that number of days.\n\n[ILLUSTRATION 2]\n\nFIG.2\n\n_Principal Symbols_:--\n\n     Wavy lines.\n     Initial 'E' in conjunction with Horse-shoe.\n     Hour-glass near rim.\n     Parcel in conjunction with numeral '4.'\n\n\n\nINTERPRETATION\n\nFIG. 3\n\nThis shows, by means of the crescent moon on the side, prosperity and\nfortune as the result of a journey denoted by the lines. The number\nof triangles in conjunction with the initial 'H' indicates the name\ncommences with that letter, and, being near the rim, at no great\ndistance of time. The bird flying towards and near the handle,\naccompanied by a triangle and a long envelope, denotes good news from an\nofficial source. The flag gives warning of some danger from an enemy.\n\n[ILLUSTRATION 3]\n\nFIG. 3\n\n_Principal Symbols_:--\n\n     Crescent moon.\n     Bird flying.\n     Triangles.\n     Flag.\n     Initial 'A' in conjunction with sign of letter in official\n     envelope.\n     Other initials, 'H' and two 'L's.'\n\n\n\nINTERPRETATION\n\nFIG. 4\n\nThe consultant is about to journey eastward to some large building or\ninstitution, shown by the figure at the end of the straight line of\ndots. There is some confusion in his or her affairs caused by too much\nindulgence in pleasure and gaiety, denoted by the butterfly involved\nin obscure groups of tea-leaves near the handle. The tree and the\nfleur-de-lys (or lily) in the bottom of the cup are, however, signs of\neventual success, probably through the assistance of some person whose\nname begins with an 'N.'\n\n[ILLUSTRATION 4]\n\nFIG. 4\n\n_Principal Symbols_:--\n\n     Large tree in bottom of cup.\n     Fleur-de-lys (or lily).\n     Butterfly on side approaching handle.\n     Line of dots leading east to Building.\n     Initials 'N' and 'C.'\n\n\n\nINTERPRETATION\n\nFIG.5\n\nA letter is approaching the consultant containing a considerable sum of\nmoney, as it is surrounded by dots. The future, shown by the bottom of\nthe cup, is not clear, and betokens adversities; but the presence of the\nhammer there denotes triumph over these, a sign confirmed by the hat on\nthe side. The consultant will be annoyed by somebody whose name begins\nwith 'J,' and assisted by one bearing the initial 'Y.'\n\n[ILLUSTRATION 5]\n\nFIG. 5\n\n_Principal Symbols_:--\n\n     Hammer in centre of bottom.\n     A letter approaching the house, accompanied by\n     Dots,\n     Hat,\n     Initials 'Y' and 'J' (accompanied by small cross).\n\n\n\nINTERPRETATION\n\nFIG. 6\n\nA letter containing good news, shown by bird flying and the triangle,\nmay be expected immediately. If from a lover it shows that he is\nconstant and prosperous, owing to the anchor on the side. The large\ntree on the side indicates happiness and prosperity. A letter will be\nreceived from someone whose initial is 'L.' In the bottom of the cup\nthere are signs of minor vexations or delays in connection with someone\nwhose name begins with 'C.'\n\n[ILLUSTRATION 6]\n\nFIG. 6\n\n_Principal Symbols_:--\n\n     Large tree on side.\n     Anchor on side.\n     Bird flying high towards handle.\n     Small cross in bottom.\n     Letter sign close to handle.\n     Triangle.\n     Initial 'L' with letter sign.\n     Other initials, 'C' and 'H.'\n\n\n\nINTERPRETATION\n\nFIG. 7\n\nThe two horse-shoes indicate a lucky journey to some large residence\nin a north-easterly direction, the tree surmounting which denotes that\nhappiness and fortune will be found there and that (as it is surrounded\nby dots) it is situated in the country. The sitting hen in the bottom\nof the cup, surmounted by a triangle (to see which properly the\nillustration must be turned round) is indicative of increased wealth by\nan unexpected legacy. A letter from someone whose name begins with\n'T' will contain a remittance of money, but it may not arrive for some\nlittle time.\n\n[ILLUSTRATION 7]\n\nFIG.7\n\n_Principal Symbols_:--\n\n     Large horse-shoe, edge of bottom, in conjunction with\n     smaller horse-shoe.\n     Line of dots leading E.N.E. to\n     Large building surmounted by\n     Tree, overlapping rim.\n     Flowers.\n     Small triangles.\n     Initial 'T' with letter and money signs.\n\n\n\nINTERPRETATION\n\nFIG.8\n\nThis tea-cup appears to give warning by the flag in conjunction with\na rifle and the letter 'V' that some friend of the consultant will be\nwounded in battle, and as there is a coffin in the bottom of the cup\nthat the wounds will be fatal. On the other side, however, a sceptre,\nsurrounded by signs of honours, seems to indicate that 'V' will be\nrecognized by his sovereign and a decoration bestowed upon him\nfor bravery in battle, shown by the initial 'K' accompanied by a\nletter-sign, and by the astrological sign of Mars, intervening between\nthese and the sceptre.\n\n[ILLUSTRATION 8]\n\nFIG. 8\n\n_Principal Symbols_:--\n\n     Coffin in bottom, in conjunction with 'V.'\n     Flag in conjunction with rifle on side.\n     Sceptre on side.\n     Large initial 'K' with letter sign near sceptre.\n     Astrological sign of Mars between them.\n     Initial 'V' near flag and rifle.\n\n\n\nINTERPRETATION\n\nFIG. 9\n\nIf the consultant be single this cup will, by means of the hare on the\nside, tell him that he will speedily be married. The figure of a lady\nholding out an ivy-leaf is a sign that his sweetheart will prove true\nand constant, and the heart in conjunction with a ring and the initial\n'A' still further points to marriage with a person whose name begins\nwith that letter. The flower, triangle, and butterfly are all signs of\nprosperity, pleasure and happiness.\n\n[ILLUSTRATION 9]\n\nFIG.9\n\n_Principal Symbols_:--\n\n     Hare sitting on side.\n     Butterfly near rim.\n     Heart and ring.\n     Large flower on edge of bottom.\n     Figure of woman holding ivy-leaf in bottom.\n     Triangle.\n     Initials 'A' and small 'C' with dots.\n\n\n\nINTERPRETATION\n\nFIG. 10\n\nThis is typical of the cup being too often consulted by some people. It\nis almost void of meaning, the only symbols indicating a short journey,\nalthough the flower near the rim denotes good luck, and the fact that\nthe bottom is clear that nothing very important is about to happen to\nthe consultant.\n\n[ILLUSTRATION 10]\n\nFIG. 10\n\n_Principal Symbols_:--\n\n     Line of dots leading W.S.W to\n     Flower.\n     Two letters near rim\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VI\n\nOMENS\n\nHow have omens been regarded in the past? An appeal to anciency is\nusually a safeguard for a basis. It is found that most of the earliest\nrecords are now subsisting. See official guide to the British Museum.\nBabylonian and Assyrian antiquities, table case H. Nineveh Gallery, the\nfollowing appears:\n\n\"By means of omen tablets the Babylonian and Assyrian priests from time\nimmemorial predicted events which they believed would happen in the near\nor in the remote future. They deduced these omens from the appearance\nand actions of animals, birds, fish, and reptiles; from the appearance\nof the entrails of sacrificial victims; from the appearance and\ncondition of human and animal offspring at birth; from the state and\ncondition of various members of the human body.\"\n\nIn India, where the records of the early ages of civilization go back\nhundreds of years, omens are considered of great importance.\n\nLater, in Greece, the home of the greatest and highest culture and\ncivilization, we find, too, omens regarded very seriously, while to-day\nthere are vast numbers of persons of intellect, the world over, who\nplace reliance upon omens.\n\nThat there is some good ground for belief in some omens seems\nindisputable. Whether this has arisen as the result of experience, by\nthe following of some particular event close upon the heels of signs\nobserved, or whether it has been an intuitive science, in which\nprovision has been used to afford an interpretation, is not quite\nclear. It seems idle to attempt to dismiss the whole thing as mere\nsuperstition, wild guessing, or abject credulity, as some try to do,\nwith astrology and alchemy also, and other occult sciences; the fact\nremains that omens have, in numberless instances, given good warnings.\n\nTo say that these are just coincidences is to beg the question. For\nthe universe is governed by law. Things happen because they must, not\nbecause they may. There is no such thing as accident or coincidence. We\nmay not be able to see the steps and the connections. But they are there\nall the same.\n\nIn years gone by many signs were deduced from the symptoms of sick\nmen; the events or actions of a man's life; dreams and visions; the\nappearance of a man's shadow; from fire, flame, light, or smoke; the\nstate and condition of cities and their streets, of fields, marshes,\nrivers, and lands. From the appearances of the stars and planets, of\neclipses, meteors, shooting stars, the direction of winds, the form of\nclouds, thunder and lightning and other weather incidents, they were\nable to forecast happenings. A number of tablets are devoted to these\nprophecies.\n\nIt is conceivable that many of these omens should have found their way\ninto Greece, and it is not unreasonable to believe that India may have\nderived her knowledge of omens from Babylonia; or it may have been the\nother way about. The greatest of scholars are divided in their opinions\nas to which really is the earlier civilization.\n\nThe point to be made here is that in all parts of the world--in\nquarters where we may be certain that no trace of Grecian, Indian, or\nBabylonian science or civilization has appeared--there are to be found\nsystems of prophecies by omens.\n\nIt may be accounted for in two ways. One that in all races as they grow\nup, so to speak, there is the same course of evolution of ideas and\nsuperstition which to many appears childish. The other explanation seems\nto be the more reasonable one, if we believe, as we are forced to\ndo, that omens do foretell--that all peoples, all races, accumulate a\nrecord, oral or otherwise, of things which have happened more or less\nconnected with things which seemed to indicate them. In course of time\nthis knowledge appears to consolidate. It gets generally accepted as\ntrue. And then it is handed on from generation to generation. Often with\nthe passage of years it gets twisted and a new meaning taken out of it\naltogether different from the original.\n\nIt would be difficult to attempt to classify omens. Many books have been\nwritten on the subject and more yet to be written of the beliefs of the\nvarious races. The best that can be offered here is a selection from one\nor other of the varied sources. In Greece sneezing was a good omen and\nwas considered a proof of the truth of what was said at the moment by\nthe sneezer.\n\nA tingling in the hand denoted the near handling of money, a ringing\nin the ears that news will soon be received. The number of sneezes then\nbecame a sign for more definite results. The hand which tingled, either\nright or left, indicated whether it were to be paid or received. The\nparticular ear affected was held to indicate good or evil news.\nOther involuntary movements of the body were also considered of prime\nimportance.\n\nMany omens are derived from the observation of various substances\ndropped into a bowl of water. In Babylon oil was used. To-day in various\ncountries melted lead, wax, or the white of an egg, is used. From the\nshapes which result, the trade or occupation of a future husband, the\nluck for the year, and so on, are deduced in the folk practices of\nmodern Europe. Finns use stearine and melted lead, Magyars lead,\nRussians wax, Danes lead and egg, and the northern counties of England\negg, wax and oil.\n\nBird omens were the subject of very serious study in Greece. It has been\nthought that this was because in the early mythology of Greece some\nof their gods and goddesses were believed to have been birds. Birds,\ntherefore, were particularly sacred, and their appearances and movements\nwere of profound significance. The principal birds for signs were the\nraven, the crow, the heron, wren, dove, woodpecker, and kingfisher, and\nall the birds of prey, such as the hawk, eagle, or vulture, which the\nancients classed together (W. R. Halliday, \"Greek Divination\"). Many\ncurious instances, which were fulfilled, of bird omens are related in\n\"The Other World,\" by Rev. F. Lee. A number of families have traditions\nabout the appearance of a white bird in particular.\n\n\"In the ancient family of Ferrers, of Chartley Park, in Staffordshire, a\nherd of wild cattle is preserved. A tradition arose in the time of Henry\nIII. that the birth of a parti-coloured calf is a sure omen of death,\nwithin the same year, to a member of the Lord Ferrers family. By\na noticeable coincidence, a calf of this description has been born\nwhenever a death has happened of late years in this noble family.\"\n(_Staffordshire Chronicle_, July, 1835). The falling of a picture or a\nstatue or bust of the individual is usually regarded as an evil omen.\nMany cases are cited where this has been soon followed by the death of\nthe person.\n\nIt would be easy to multiply instances of this sort: of personal omen or\nwarning. The history and traditions of our great families are saturated\nwith it. The predictions and omens relating to certain well known\nfamilies, and others, recur at once; and from these it may be inferred\nthat beneath the more popular beliefs there is enough fire and truth to\njustify the smoke that is produced, and to reward some of the faith\nthat is placed in the modern dreambooks and the books of fate and the\ninterpretations of omens.\n\nOMENS\n\nACORN.--Falling from the oak tree on anyone, is a sign of good fortune\nto the person it strikes.\n\nBAT.--To see one in day time means long journey.\n\nBIRTHDAYS.--\n\n     \"Monday's child is fair of face,\n     Tuesday's child is full of grace,\n     Wednesday's child is full of woe,\n     Thursday's child has far to go,\n     Friday's child is loving and giving,\n     Saturday's child works hard for its living;\n     But a child that's born on the Sabbath-day\n     Is handsome and wise and loving and gay.\"\n\nBUTTERFLY.--In your room means great pleasure and success, but you must\nnot catch it, or the luck will change.\n\nCANDLE.--A spark on the wick of a candle means a letter for the one who\nfirst sees it. A big glow like a parcel means money coming to you.\n\nCAT.--Black cat to come to your house means difficulties caused by\ntreachery. Drive it away and avoid trouble.\n\nCHAIN.--If your chain breaks while on you means disappointments or a\nbroken engagement of marriage.\n\nCLOTHES.--To put on clothes the wrong way out is a sign of good luck;\nbut you must not alter them, or the luck will change.\n\nCLOVER.--To find a four-leaf clover means luck to you, happiness and\nprosperity.\n\nCOW.--Coming in your yard or garden a very prosperous sign.\n\nCRICKETS.--A lucky omen. It foretells money coming to you. They should\nnot be disturbed.\n\nDOG.--Coming to your house, means faithful friends and a favourable\nsign.\n\nDEATH-WATCH.--A clicking in the wall by this little insect is regarded\nas evil, but it does not necessarily mean a death; possibly only some\nsickness.\n\nEARS.--You are being talked about if your ear tingles. Some say, \"right\nfor spite, left for love.\" Others reverse this omen. If you think of the\nperson, friend, or acquaintance who is likely to be talking of you, and\nmention the name aloud, the tingling will cease if you say the right\none.\n\nFLAG.--If it falls from the staff, while flying it means danger from\nwounds inflicted by an enemy.\n\nFRUIT STONES OR PIPS.--Think of a wish first, and then count your stones\nor pips. If the number is even, the omen is good. If odd, the reverse is\nthe case.\n\nGRASSHOPPER in the house means some great friend or distinguished person\nwill visit you.\n\nHORSESHOE.--To find one means it will bring you luck.\n\nKNIVES crossed are a bad omen. If a knife or fork or scissors falls to\nthe ground and sticks in the floor you will have a visitor.\n\nLADYBIRDS betoken visitors.\n\nLOOKING GLASS.--To break means it will bring you ill luck.\n\nMAGPIES.--One, bad luck; two, good luck; three, a wedding; four, a\nbirth.\n\nMARRIAGE.--A maid should not wear colours; a widow never white. Happy\nomens for brides are sunshine and a cat sneezing.\n\nMAY.--\"Marry in May, and you'll rue the day.\"\n\nNEW MOON on a Monday signifies good luck and good weather. The new moon\nseen for the first time over the right shoulder offers the chance for a\nwish to come true.\n\nNIGHTINGALE.--Lucky for lovers if heard before the cuckoo.\n\nOWLS are evil omens. Continuous hooting of owls in your trees is said to\nbe one of ill-health.\n\nPIGS.--To meet a sow coming towards you is good; but if she turns away,\nthe luck flies.\n\nRABBITS.--A rabbit running across your path is said to be unlucky.\n\nRAT.--A rat running in front of you means treacherous servants and\nlosses through enemies.\n\nRAVEN.--To see one, means death to the aged or trouble generally.\n\nSALT spilled means a quarrel. This may be avoided by throwing a pinch\nover the left shoulder.\n\nSCISSORS.--If they fall and stick in the floor it means quarrels,\nillness, separation of lovers.\n\nSERPENT OR SNAKE.--If it crosses your path, means spiteful enemies, bad\nluck. Kill it and your luck will be reversed.\n\nSHOES.--The right shoe is the best one to put on first.\n\nSHOOTING STARS.--If you wish, while the star is still moving, your wish\nwill come true.\n\nSINGING before breakfast, you'll cry before night.\n\nSPIDERS.--The little red spider is the money spider, and means good\nfortune coming to you. It must not be disturbed. Long-legged spiders are\nalso forerunners of good fortune.\n\nTOWEL.--To wipe your hands on a towel at the same time with another,\nmeans you are to quarrel with him or her in the near future.\n\nWHEEL.--The wheel coming off any vehicle you are riding in means you are\nto inherit some fortune, a good omen.\n\nWASHING HANDS.--If you wash your hands in the water just used by\nanother, a quarrel may be expected, unless you first make the sign of\nthe cross over the water.","title":"Tea-Cup Reading and Fortune-Telling by Tea Leaves, by a Highland Seer","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":9704}