I Made Mushroom Tea and Read It Like Tea Leaves
Have you ever been sitting at your kitchen table with a glass full of lemon tek and thought to yourself, “Wouldn’t it be fun to read these mushrooms like tea leaves while I’m tripping?” Haha. Yeah. Me neither… Really though, that’s basically what happened.
I first developed an interest in tasseomancy (aka tea leaf reading) while reading through the Harry Potter series in elementary school. (Obligatory note: None of us at Mystical Moxie support JKR’s bigoted views. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then congrats on not being chronically online like us.) I read a few books on the subject. However, after a few poorly devised attempts to read the grounds from ripped-open tea bags, I decided it wasn’t for me.
Fast forward two decades, with several more successful forays into divination under my belt and an apothecary’s worth of loose-leaf tea, I was ready to try it again.
The Prep
I started by chopping 3.5g of mushrooms into small pieces. Obviously, I used the magic kind; their introspective nature seemed perfect for this. However, it is possible to read lion’s mane or reishi or whatever other mushrooms you happen to have on hand if you want to make your own mushroom tea.
After my mushrooms were in sufficiently small pieces, I tossed them in a glass and added just enough lemon juice so that they were completely submerged. I let this steep for about 15 minutes.
While my mushrooms were soaking, I put the kettle on and brewed myself a cup of black tea. This was just for flavor, so I used a regular tea bag and added a little honey for flavor. I also used the fancy tasseomancy cup I got from a Goddess Provisions box a few years ago. By the time it had cooled to a reasonable temperature, my mushrooms were ready. All I had to do at that point was mix the mushrooms into my tea and it was ready to drink.
Psychonauts preach the importance of “set and setting” for any trip, and I like to apply the same principle to any kind of spiritual work. I planned on spending most of this trip chilling in bed, so I spritzed my room with a rose-scented room spray that always puts me in a good mood. I had my journal and a deck of oracle cards ready and my favorite calm music playing in the background. J.R. had volunteered to trip-sit for me, so he was hanging out in the living room playing a game.
Everything was finally ready, so I took my concoction and settled into bed. After drinking my tea, I swirled the last little bit of liquid around the bottom of my cup and flipped it over onto the saucer. Then I sat it off to the side. I wanted to wait until I was fully tripping to read my “tea leaves.”
The Reading
Next time I try this, I plan on doing my reading at the peak of the trip and writing what I saw on the comedown. Or maybe I’ll leave myself a voice memo with my findings. I just know that I’m not going to try this on the come-up again. Writing was hard, and the letters kept dancing around, making me nauseous.
Here’s what I think the notes were supposed to say:
Not much transferred to the saucer. At first glance, it looked like a witch’s hat. Between the moons, I also see an island with palm trees and hula girls.
Inside of the cup, I see an eye and an hourglass.
In the present, I see a frog? Also a person sitting in front of a campfire.
Near the full moon, I see children running up a hill and a geisha??? And a house like Howl’s Moving Castle.
There’s also a praying mantis with a flower crown.
Not really sure where I saw any of that, but anyhow. Most of what I wrote clearly relates to events that were happening in my life at the time. There were hints of trips I’d taken and media I’d consumed recently. A vacation and a funny post I’d seen on Pinterest. Lunch with a good friend and her son. All in all, I didn’t really find anything insightful. Maybe with some practice and timing adjustments, I’ll get better. Or maybe tasseomancy just isn’t my cup of tea.
Either way, I’d give this trip like an 8/10. I had a good time and will likely try this again.
So what do you think? Would you (or have you) try reading mushrooms like tea leaves? Let me know in the comments!
Disclaimer: This post discusses a substance that, while decriminalized in some areas, is still federally illegal in the US. If you choose to replicate anything mentioned here, you are responsible for knowing your own local laws and regulations.
