Tea time

So, I did something pretty cool this week.  On Monday, I went with Aaron’s sister Anne to see a woman who does tea leaf reading at The Urban Tea Merchant in West Vancouver.  If you live in Vancouver and like the occasional cup of tea, it is seriously worth the trip.  A little intimidating at first, the friendly and helpful staff will gladly walk you through the tea ritual if you are a beginner (which I was).

We’d made appointments ahead of time, but due to some kind of double-booking error, we had to wait a little while to see Ariadne, our reader.  No problem, we both chose a delicious tea and had a few minutes to chat at a table in the very comfortable lounge area of the shop.  Being a fan of flowery flavours, I chose the most amazing jasmine tea I’ve ever had!  It was delicious!  There were so many to choose from though, it was a challenge.  And these people are serious about their tea.  There were selections there that would cost you $21 for a little pot!  One day, I tell you…

Anne went first.  After her 15 minute reading, she came back to our table glowing with excitement about what she’d been told.  She’s getting married later this year and Ariadne gave her a reading that was filled with joy, happiness and babies.  After a few minutes, it was my turn.

Let me say here that I didn’t know what to expect.  I love doing things like that, getting psychic readings or having my palm read.  As much as I enjoy it and while a part of me believes it, I am a skeptic at heart.  For me, it’s mostly just a fun thing to do, I never take it too seriously.  Going into this was no different.  I knew ahead of time that nothing I was told was going to change my life, but I was excited to find out just how a tea leaf reading is done.

First, a tea cup and saucer were placed in front me.  Next, Ariadne filled it about a third of the way from a little pot that was sitting on the table.  She then took the lid off the pot and gave me a teaspoon with which she asked me to move three scoops of tea and leaves from the pot into my cup.  Once I was finished, she asked me to swirl the cup three times, then drink it down to about a tablespoon of liquid.  I did as told.  She then took my cup and placed the saucer upside down over top of it and turned them over so that the tea and leaves spilled onto the saucer (although some leaves stayed in the cup).  For a few seconds she closed her eyes and that’s when the reading began. 

She explained to me that she would read the cup first.  In reading the cup, she looked at the centre section, lined all the way across in the same direction as the handle as the present.  The remainder of the cup on her left would represent the past and on the right, the future.  She didn’t really explain the saucer.

I really enjoyed this type of reading and will definitely go back to see her.  Once I was finished, I returned back to the table where Anne waited for me and she anxiously asked me how it went.  I told her went well and asked if she’d heard us laughing.  She said she had and asked why.  I explained that it was because Ariadne just kept saying "I can’t believe how many men there are in your life!"  I was (and still am) baffled when Anne immediately leaned across the table towards me and exclaimed "Oh no!"  Ariadne’s amusement was pretty funny.  She asked me "Do you have lots of brothers?"  Nope.  Just one.

Here’s the lowdown on what I was told:

• Her initial impression, her first thought was of me caught in a mouse trap, that I have my foot stuck in there and that I am pulling and trying to get it out.  She said that this has something to do with a woman who talked me into doing something that I wasn’t so sure about it the beginning and now want to get away from.  She says I was promised something that never materialized, that I was taken, basically and now I want out.
• 5-5.5 months ago, a different woman offered me help in some way.  This woman really went out on a limb to approach me about it as she was afraid of how I would respond.  She said that I did take it.
• Again 5-5.5 months ago, I was involved in an argument that had erupted after a long period of slow burning.  She said that it was like a firecracker with a long wick that finally burned out at that time.  She said that to this day, there is an ember of that argument still burning.
• In the past 3 weeks, two people have begun to leave my life.  She said one is definitely a woman and the other a man and that they know each other, although may not necessarily be a couple.  She said that it was not the result of any ill feelings, just circumstance that sees them being "swept away" from me at a faster pace than they’d anticipated.  She said it could involve something that happened with unexpected money about a month ago.
• In the next 1-2 weeks, something to do with Australia will occur.  She thought I would either meet someone from Down Under or plan a trip there.  Regardless, she said I will meet a person (likely a man) with whom I will connect instantly.  He will be someone who thinks the same way I do, but who is a little more laid back.  She said that this person will feel like and could likely be a soul mate.  (I say A soul mate to stress that those were the words she chose and that there was no indication that this relationship was a particularly romantic one.)
• In the next three months, there will be a guy coming forward.  He is someone I already know, but she could only see half of him, indicating that he is still not ready to step forward.  She said he is a good presence and a good person.  He is a strong male and she saw the image of a lion, that he was possibly a Leo.  She said he has a substantial build and a slim face, but that he stands with hunched shoulders.  (Although I can’t figure out the 3 months from now bit, I suspect she’s referring to Aaron here?)  She says that he doesn’t interfere with me, that he won’t stop me from doing things, but that he will always look out for me.  She said he will be significant in my life.
• In the next 2-3 months I will live an "Alice In Wonderland" life.  She couldn’t really elaborate, but she used the following words to describe it: fanciful, unusual, fun, nonsensical, daring, brave and comical.  She said I’ll just be whirling around in it and that it will be lovely.  She said nothing goes wrong with this and that I will have a wonderful time.  At this time, she saw a different guy with me, cheering me on, applauding me, she said, like a bear clanging cymbals together. 

So there you have it, my future.  Phew, I’m glad I made notes!