Coffee Cup Reading Symbols and Meanings

Turkish coffee cup reading, also called tasseography, reads the shapes the grounds leave inside the cup. A symbol is never read on its own: the same bird means one thing near the rim and another at the bottom. This dictionary gives the traditional meaning of each symbol, how it changes with its position in the cup, and what it says about love, work and money.

How a coffee cup is read

After drinking Turkish coffee, the cup is turned upside down onto its saucer and left to cool. The grounds slide down and settle into shapes. The handle is the reference point: to its right is the future, to its left the past. The rim is the near term and the bottom is distant time; the middle is the present, and what falls on the saucer speaks of home, family and the final outcome.

Symbols

• AngelA symbol of protection and good news; it describes support arriving from an unexpected place.
• BirdA symbol of news and movement; a bird in the cup usually means news you have been waiting for is on its way.
• ButterflyA symbol of transformation and lightness; it speaks of renewal after a hard period.
• CrownA symbol of recognition and authority; it shows responsibility and standing growing.
• DogA symbol of loyalty; it describes a true friend and dependable support beside you.
• DoorA threshold symbol; it shows one period closing and another about to open.
• EagleA symbol of power and rising; it describes success, a high position and a strong protector.
• EyeA symbol of attention and awareness; it says you are being watched or need to see a matter more clearly.
• FaceA symbol of a person; it points to someone on your mind, someone you will meet, or someone thinking about you.
• FishA symbol of abundance and luck; counted among the most favourable signs in coffee cup reading.
• FlowerA symbol of joy and reward; it describes times when effort comes back in a beautiful form.
• HandA symbol of help and effort; it speaks of receiving or giving support.
• HeartA symbol of emotional bonds; it speaks about the state of a relationship and the clarity of intentions.
• HorseA symbol of rapid progress and strength; it shows that an awaited movement is gaining momentum.
• HouseA symbol of order and security; it speaks of developments to do with family, home and settling down.
• Human FigureSomeone in your life or someone about to enter it; the figure's posture tells you what that person is doing.
• KeyA symbol of solutions and doors opening; it says a way has been found through a blocked matter.
• LadderA symbol of rising step by step; the sign of a process climbed with patience.
• LetterA symbol of official news; it points to a written notice or an awaited reply.
• LionA symbol of strength and courage; it describes leadership, a powerful protector, or a strong figure standing against you.
• MoneyA symbol of material return; it concerns income, payments and the concrete result of your effort.
• MoonA symbol of intuition and emotional cycles; it speaks of inward periods and growing clarity.
• MountainA symbol of obstacles and the climb ahead; it shows how big the difficulty in front of you is and the rise that comes once you cross it.
• OwlA symbol of knowledge and warning; it says something hidden will be noticed, and in tradition it marks news that calls for care.
• RingA symbol of commitment and promise; read as relationships and agreements becoming official.
• RoadA symbol of decisions and direction; it shows which way your life is flowing and the choices ahead.
• ScorpionA sharp warning symbol; it shows that words and relationships need care.
• SeagullA symbol of uplifting news; the sign of a hopeful period and good news arriving from far away.
• ShipA symbol of opportunity from afar; linked with travel, life abroad and big movements.
• SnakeA warning symbol; usually read as hidden hostility nearby or a situation that needs your attention.
• SpiderA symbol of patience and the web it builds; it speaks of what effort weaves, but also of waiting.
• StarA symbol of hope and luck; it shows the chance of a wish coming true is rising.
• SunA symbol of clarity and success; it says a closed matter is coming into the light.
• SwanA symbol of love and harmony; it describes a graceful, joyful emotional development and a faithful bond.
• TreeA symbol of putting down roots and growth; it says what was built patiently is bearing fruit.
• TurtleA symbol of patience and protection; it describes a process that moves slowly but surely, and gains that last.