Is Turkish Coffee Fortune Telling Accurate?! How to Read Turkish Coffee Ground Patterns

Today's young generation may verbally reject superstition, yet their actions prove otherwise. From prayers for blessings to tarot readings and online fortune-telling, they eagerly seek insights into their future—wondering when they might find love or suddenly strike it rich. Among these practices, one activity satisfies both their coffee addiction and their desire for divination.

A Turkish coffee shop named JoJo's, located in Shenzhen's Nanshan District, has rapidly gained popularity on social media by offering coffee fortune-telling services. Who would have thought that while the older generation prefers to visit temples for fortune sticks, the younger crowd now frequents coffee shops to seek their destiny.

The Cultural Heritage of Turkish Coffee

Although Turkish coffee is rich and robust, it's not mainstream coffee, yet this hasn't deterred young people from making pilgrimages to Turkish coffee shops—all for the purpose of divination. Divination culture has deep roots in the Turkish region. Before adopting Islam, the people of this region practiced Shamanism, through which divination culture entered Turkish society.

The initial introduction of Turkish coffee was also related to religion. The Sufi sect of Islam consumed coffee during nighttime prayer ceremonies to drive away sleepiness. People soon realized coffee's ability to combat drowsiness, and the practice of drinking coffee quickly became popular. As the Arab Empire declined, the northern Ottoman Empire emerged as the new leader of the Arab world. After conquering Egypt and vast territories in East Africa, the habit of coffee drinking was introduced to the Ottoman Empire.

When the first coffee shop opened around 1555 in Istanbul, coffee houses and coffee culture soon became important markers of social life during that period. Due to Istanbul's unique geographical location, it attracted numerous merchants and travelers, leading Europeans to discover coffee, which subsequently spread worldwide.

The Birth of Coffee Divination

With Turkey's long-standing divination culture and flourishing coffee culture, coffee divination naturally emerged. This practice became popular in regions once ruled by the Ottoman Empire, first appearing in the 16th-century Ottoman palace. The concubines in the palace, often bored with their daily routine, would drink coffee, tell each other's fortunes, and exchange gossip.

Coffee has evolved from being consumed as whole fruits boiled in water or chewed directly, to being ground into powder for brewing, and finally to today's filtered brewing methods. Coffee grounds, now considered undesirable by most, were once the sands of time used to predict fortunes and misfortunes. Recreating Turkish coffee divination at home isn't difficult—all you need is a Turkish coffee pot to enjoy a cup of rich, robust Turkish coffee.

Add appropriate amounts of cold water and coffee powder to the copper pot, then place it on a heating device. When the liquid boils again, the coffee will produce thick foam that continuously rises until it nearly overflows. At this point, pour some of the coffee liquid into a cup, then return the pot to continue heating, repeating this process multiple times.

Since Turkish coffee has a very strong and intense flavor, not everyone can accept it. When drinking close to the bottom of the cup, you can clearly feel the presence of coffee grounds. At this point, cover the coffee cup with a saucer, shake it horizontally in three circles, then invert it. Place a ring or coin on top and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Once the cup has completely cooled, you can lift it to examine the patterns formed by the coffee grounds.

How to Read Coffee Grounds

Coffee divination requires interpreting two parts: the saucer and the cup.

The Saucer

When you see a large clump of coffee grounds fall onto the saucer, it means worries will soon disappear; when the coffee grounds on the saucer form a strip-like channel, it signifies wealth coming your way; when you lift the cup and find that the coffee grounds on the cup wall connect with those on the saucer, it means your wishes will come true.

The Cup

The cup can be divided in several ways. Some divide it according to height into bottom, middle, and top sections, representing past, present, and future. More commonly, it's divided into five areas: handle side, front side, top side, bottom side, and bottom. The handle side relates to emotional life, the front side to financial matters, the bottom to family life and affairs, the top side to current life, and the bottom side to future life.

Then, in each area, observe the specific patterns left by coffee grounds flowing down the cup wall to predict what you want to know. Different patterns represent different information. For example, an angel represents good news, an arrow represents bad news, a heart represents love, a cat or fox represents betrayal by someone close, an apple represents longevity, and a snake represents an ominous sign, among many others.

Many young people turn to Turkish coffee divination to glimpse their future. In many cases, it provides spiritual comfort during uncertain times. Once advising elders not to indulge in feudal superstitions, today's youth enthusiastically embrace Turkish coffee divination—truly demonstrating how the wheel of fortune turns.

Image source: Internet

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