If the Tarot cards and the palm reader keep predicting gloom and doom, you can cheer up with a brighter reading of your kismet this weekend at the Chicago Turkish World Festival at Navy Pier.
Turkish fortune tellers won’t be consulting the stars or a crystal ball. Instead, they’ll probe deep into the hidden meaning of what’s left at the bottom of your coffee cup.
They say that leftover coffee grounds leave patterns, foretelling a thing or two about your future.
For example, if you see a bird, that means “news” is forthcoming. A tree — envision palm trees — predicts a vacation in your future. A heart? You can guess what that is.
But you don’t want to see a dog (someone’s cheating on you) or a monkey (you’re not going to get what you’re hoping for).
“It’s just to motivate and encourage each other,” says Sait Arat, 27, a professional musician who dabbles in fortune-telling. “Generally, you don’t say if you see something bad.”
The Istanbul native picked up the craft from his mother and friends. He’ll be playing the Turkish drum and predicting futures this weekend at the festival, which highlights Turkish culture from Turkey through the Balkans and into Central Asia.
Now, if you’d rather ditch the experts and try this at home, here’s how it’s done: Drink a cup of Turkish coffee, leaving a layer of coffee grounds at the bottom. Put your saucer on top and flip over the cup. Let it sit for a bit and then remove the cup, handing it over to your chosen “seer.”
Don’t peek — it affects the reading. And choose a “seer” with a healthy imagination.
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