Tasseography, or tea leaf reading, is a form of fortune telling that interprets patterns in tea leaves. It first became popular in the 17th century after Dutch merchants introduced tea to Europe. In Victorian times, groups of friends gathered to read their tea leaves as a parlor game, especially as psychological analysis grew in popularity. In its essence, tasseography isn't seen as magic, but as a meditative practice that allows one to tap into one's subconscious. For many of the old practitioners, the patterns and symbols that revealed themselves through the tea leaves were answers to problems one might not even know one has. 

Tea leaf reading is all about slowing down, allowing the mind to focus and organize its thoughts, and listening to the inner self through the whispers of the leaves.

So gather some friends or sit down for your own cup of tea and follow these simple steps to perform a tea leaf reading.

1. Choose a light colored tea cup, preferably one with a wide rim. 

1. Choose loose leaf tea, the fuller the better. Tea bags contain too much dust and will cause confusion when reading symbols. 

1. Earl Gray is a good option, while herbal teas that contain bits of flowers and fruit can confuse the reading.

1. Do not use a strainer or tea bag to steep the tea. Simply place about 1 tsp. tea leaves into the cup.

1. While your tea steeps, quiet your mind and meditate on the present moment. Clear all thoughts.

1. Once the tea is steeped and cooled, begin sipping the tea, avoiding consuming too many leaves. If you're right handed, use your left to hold the cup and vise versa. 

1. While sipping, try not to think of anything in particular. If one thought continues to come up, that will be the focus of the reading. If nothing appears, the reading will remain general.

1. Leave a little bit of tea at the bottom of the cup. Swirl the cup 3 times, then dump the remaining liquid by turning your teacup upside down on a saucer.

1. Tea leaf reading is much like an ink blot test and highly personal. You may see a different symbol from someone else, so it's best to read your own leaves.

1. If your cup has a handle, begin there and read clockwise. If no handle, begin at 12 o'clock. 

1. Divide the cup into three sections: rim, middle, and base. Read from the rim down.

1. The rim represents the present moment; the middle represents the near future; the base represents the ultimate outcome. 

1. Make a note of each symbol or picture you see, whatever comes to mind first is the best interpretation. Look at the shapes from different angles until a picture forms and the symbol is clear. 

1. Larger images represent more important issues in the reader's life. Contradicting images imply indecision. 

1. For a list of symbols: http://www.tasseography.com/symbol.htm

From March 26, 2007

I'm here to tell you that dreams come true. Impossible dreams come true.

Everything on that list seemed like things that could happen only in dreams or the afterlife. Live on an island? Not have to work a 9-5? Just write? Money taken care of? A sweet/caring/hot/smart love of my life? And all this at the same time?! Impossible!

Six years later the impossible becomes reality.

Believe in the power of your dreams, no matter how ridiculous they seem. Write them down. I didn't really do anything to make them come true. At least not consciously. I wrote them down, daydreamed, lived my life, and things took care of themselves. The seed bloomed into this beautiful life I'm living now.

Four days ago I got on a plane and traveled halfway across the world. Texas to Detroit. Detroit to Japan. Japan to the Philippines. Three days ago I traveled by boat to get to the island I now call home. I wake up and fall asleep to the sound of the waves. I play in the ocean. I write blog posts in a bathing suit. And I never have to wear a jacket or even a sweater.

These are things I only dreamed of six years ago. Only one year ago! And here it is.

Never give up on your dreams. Even if they sound impossible. Even if you're a world away from them. Write them down and believe. 

My bags are packed...sort of. I'll probably have to rearrange again. It's like you see in movies when the person has to sit on the top of the luggage to get it zipped. I didn't think I had that much, but essentially I am packing my life into two suitcases and a carry-on bag. 

The essentials: a few dresses, some tank tops, shorts, bathing suits, sandals, Francesca Lia Block poetry, Succulent Wild Woman by Sark, notebooks, my journal, Kindle, Bible, laptop, camera, Ipod, and The Witch of Little Italy  by my friend Susan Palmieri. And sunblock!

On Friday I'm headed to San Antonio to stay with my boyfriend's parents until Monday. Delta doesn't fly out of my hometown, so to San Antonio it is. They'll take me to the airport on Monday morning (we're talking before dawn, ugh) and I'll be on my way. I have a stop in Detroit, then Japan, and I'll land in Manila at 10:20 pm. I hope I can get some sleep on the plane so I'm not totally jet lagged. I think the longest flight I've been on was 5 hours, so this should be a challenge. 

If you want to know all the mushy, gushy feeling stuff, I wrote a blog post over here. 

I'll try and get a blog post in before I get to the Philippines, but if not, I'll talk to you when I get to the beach ;)

Cold Care

At the first sign of a cold (sore throat, stuffy nose, that nasty blah feeling) I reach for my Gypsy Cold Care tea bags by Traditional Medicinals. This tea is a blend of elder, yarrow, and peppermint and feels so good on a scratchy throat. I drink 1-2 cups when I start feeling icky and 1 cup every 3 hours if needed. Once I start drinking the tea, the cold symptoms disappear and I feel back to my old self the next day.

Urinary Health

Prone to UTIs or other urinary tract issues? Support your system and keep the infections at bay with Traditional Medicinals’ Cran-Aid. It contains organic whole cranberry fruit and other herbs, like uva ursi, which have been shown to help clean out the urinary tract and keep things running smoothly. Like the cold care tea, I like to keep a pack of these on hand for when I start feeling any symptoms. It’s also a great daily tea if you don’t like taking cranberry supplements or drinking bitter cranberry juice..

Headaches

Zhena’s Red Lavender is primo for stress and anxiety relief. When I was at work and felt a headache forming or my neck and shoulders starting to cramp, I’d steep a bag of this rooibos and lavender blend and feel more relaxed in no time. It even stopped many a headache from getting out of hand. Lavender is the perfect herb for reducing stress and clearing the mind, and rooibos not only aids in relaxation, but is an anti-inflammatory. Sipping and taking in the aroma of this tea is all the medicine you need.

Midday Slump

Have you ever looked at the clock at 3:00 pm, waited a little while and looked again only to find that the hands just hit 3:01? It’s those days when the 2 hours to quitting time seems like an eternity. Mint to the rescue! Mountain Rose Herbs’ Mint Tea is a blend of Pacific Northwest organic peppermint and spearmint and instantly invigorates the senses. Brew a cup, stretch your legs, then indulge in the minty energy boost. It’ll be 5:00 before you know it.

Digestive Support

There’s a reason little slivers of ginger come with your sushi. Not only does it help clear the palette, but it also helps aid in the digestion of the food. For centuries, herbalists have called upon ginger’s therapeutic nature and have used it in the Ayurvedic practices of balancing internal energy. My favorite is Yogi Ginger Tea, and I’ll drink a cup if my stomach is feeling a bit upset after a meal or anytime my belly is feeling grumpy.

Irritated Nerves

It’s the end of a long and hectic day and all you want to do is sit in your favorite comfy chair with a soothing cup of tea. Calm your nerves and ease away the day’s tension with this chamomile tisane blend:

4 parts chamomile blossoms
3 parts rose hips
2 parts lemon balm
1 part borage flowers

Combine the herbs and place them in a tea infuser or reusable tea bag. Steep and relax!

Bath Therapy

Sylvia Plath said, “There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them.” Neither do I. Use this herbal bath blend whenever you need to cure just about anything:

2 parts chamomile
2 parts lavender
2 parts roses
1 part comfrey leaf

Mix the herbs and place a handful into a muslin bag. Fasten the bag onto the nozzle of the tub and let the water pour through. Instant herbal infusion!

*Custom tea blend and bath blend from Rosemary Gladstar’s Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health

I'm already starting to think about summer, especially since I'm going to the land of never ending summertime and will be beach bumming for awhile. 

I made a playlist some months back to get me ready for my trip - a mix of beachy tunes and summer inspiration. 

I wanted to share a mixtape with you through 8tracks, but the website is not cooperating and I can't upload anything! So, I'm going about this the old fashioned way and listing the tracks with their Youtube link. Enjoy, beach babes!