February 1999 Clues to FateFortune-telling drops you a hint about lifeBy Grace ChengForetelling the future by means of divination has long been a fascination and mystery for mankind. People always try to know more about their past, present and future.
The first step is to make some tea in a pot without using a sieve. Then, pour the tea into the cup and stir it three times anticlockwise. After that, drain all the tea and turn the cup upside down over a plate. Tea leaves which remain in the interior of the cup form certain patterns which show some hints of fate. Here come the most crucial steps of the divination. The player has to recognize the patterns, interpret their meanings and combine the different symbols into a coherent message. Signs near the ear of the cup determine the time factor. Signs which lie on the left side of the ear refer to the past while signs on the right suggest the present or the future. If the signs appear at the very bottom of the cup, they indicate a distant future or a distant past. Eagles, swans, elephants, eggs, figs, fruits and migratory birds are considered to be lucky signs. Said Miss Alice Wong, 25, who has been trying this divination for several months: "like tea leaves reading as it is very easy to handle. "Imagination and intuition is the most important. The former allows the reader to figure out what the signs are while the latter leads the way to a true interpretation. "Players must link the meaning of the symbols with their lives and experiences. "However, they should not use this method too often, once a week at most. Otherwise, they will see some contradictory or unreadable signs.
The Tarot was probably originated in Italy 500 years ago. Fortune-tellers used the cards to interpret the past, present and future. There are 78 cards in a Tarot deck, divided into four suits: 22 of them are "Major Arcane" and the other 56 'Minor Arcane'.
Miss Amy Lui, 19, a Year 1 student at The Hong Kong Institute of Education, has been playing with Tarot cards for about five years. Said Miss Lui: "Each card has its own meaning. The intriguing pictures and patterns help in tapping players' inner consciousness. "According to my own experience, divination by the Tarot cards is highly accurate. But it depends very much on the players’ attitude. "If one plays them just for fun, the results may be less credible. One should adopt a more serious attitude during the foretelling process. "Besides, choosing a quiet location is important as one has to be highly concentrated. The lesser the interference from the surroundings, the higher the accuracy, as players can interpret the cards more intuitively and with greater sensitivity. Therefore, it is better to keep silent and stay calm when playing the cards."
She also suggested that players should not try to ask the same questions repeatedly. "Tarot reading requires a long series of conscious actions. Players have to interpret the cards carefully with their own perceptions in a particular moment. Repeating the same questions may adversely affect the final outcome," Kathy said. "Not only for its mystery and power of fortune-telling, the Tarot is also attractive for its meaningful pictures. Kent, who requested his full name to be withheld, was first attracted by the pictures of Tarot. Then he started playing the cards seven years ago. "The pictures are related to the deepest spiritual and philosophical meanings which can be shared across different cultures," said Kent.
It is a Chinese ancient system which is used for oracular divination. Literally, the I Ching means "Book of Changes". It is used to interpret the changes in various forces of nature. It was the first of the five classic literature in ancient China, which was written about 5, 000 years ago. Driven by curiosity, Mr. Christopher Tang, 20, vice-president of the Metaphysical Study Society of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, has been studying the I Ching for one and a half years. Said he: "To start the divination, a player needs to prepare an I Ching, which consists of 50 narrow stalks or three coins, a piece of paper and a pen. "The answers to the inquiry will be displayed in a line-hexagram and possibly some additional lines. The lines are either broken or solid, corresponding to complementary forces of Yin (negative) and Yang (positive). A hexagram is made up of two trigrams. There are altogether eight possible trigrams: Cosmos, Thunder, Water, Mountain, Earth, Wind/Wood, Fire, and Lake. When a coin is tossed, a line of the hexagram is determined. According to Mr. Tang, the reason for the popularity of I Ching divination is that it can help people to contemplate the changing forces in a given situation. It is so useful that it has survived till today. Mr. Siu Wing Yin, 20, a committee member of the Metaphysical Study Society, said, "The I Ching is a mirror that reflects people’s hidden thoughts". Mr. Canny Fok of a society formed by former members of the Metaphysical Study Society, held that the I Ching was quite accurate. "During the Lunar New Year of 1998, I learnt from the I Ching that there would be a slump in the Hong Kong Stock Market in June and July. And in November there would be a turning point of the whole crisis. These were similar to the real situation," Said Mr. Fok. "People can often gain an insight into a problem through this divination and discover an effective solution," added he. However, nonbelievers of the I Ching comment that it lacks scientific grounds. Thomas, who requested his real name to be withheld, said, "I don’t think that three coins can determine my fate. "It is rather unrealistic to predict the future through these mysterious means."
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Tea leaves reading is a relatively new way. It only needs simple
techniques and tools: a white cup with no painting inside and some tea-leaves.
Apart from tea leaves reading, the Tarot cards are also gaining
popularity among youngsters. 
Tarot cards can be used for fortune-telling, divination, meditation and
contemplation.
Kathy, who requested her full name to be withheld, said, "It is
important to confine the questions to a particular theme in order to obtain concrete and
accurate answers."
On the other hand, China also has different means of fortune-telling.
The I Ching is one of them which has a long history.