My DH and I have been making the web site for The Birth House all spiffy for February’s launch. One feature I’ve dreamed of having there is an interactive scrapbook where readers can click on an image and learn more about the inspiration behind the novel.
Some things I’ve included already are: The Conception of the Novel, Midwifery in the 1900’s, The Occassional Knitters Society, The Halifax Explosion, A Brief History of the Vibrator, and a bit about Tea Leaf Reading.
Wonderful beyond measure in his web-geekiness, DH finished the special Tea Leaf Reading feature tonight. I thought I’d give you a sneak-peek at the essay and then let you try it out for yourself! (By the way, we are working on a way to share it…so others can put the tea leaf reader on their blogs and journals as well.)
I love tea! I love the rituals that surround it, the colour that blooms in the bowl of a cup as it’s poured, the steamy first scent of it. Visit most any kitchen in Nova Scotia and you’re sure to be invited to “have a cuppa.”
Tealeaf reading (sometimes known as Tasseography, or Tasseomancy) is an ancient tradition known to many cultures. From China to Eastern Europe to the UK and across to North America, many a kitchen table, parlour, or gypsy wagon has been graced by women who read leaves (or sometimes coffee grounds) for entertainment and enlightenment.
