CUP READING SYMBOL · OBJECTS AND PLACES
Ladder symbol in coffee grounds and tea leaves
Progress · Steps · Ambition
What does a ladder mean in a coffee cup or tea leaves?
Traditionally, a ladder points to progress and rising in the world, one step at a time. A ladder can reflect steady progress, and the steps already climbed.
A question for reflection
Which step are you on, and what is the next one?
One small step
Notice one step you have already taken.
Where the ladder sits in the cup
- Near the rim: progress in what is close to you now, or soon.
- On the sides: progress in what is developing over the coming weeks.
- At the bottom: progress in what is settled, further away, or deep in the past.
- Near the handle: progress in you, your home, and the people close to you.
- Opposite the handle: progress in other people, and the wider world.
A clear shape counts for more than a faint one. Families and readers differ, so treat these as starting points.
More objects and places
Kite · Letter · All objects and places · All 61 symbols
Read your own cup ↗ How to read coffee grounds ↗ How to read tea leaves ↗
Symbol artwork: Velvet Omen’s original cup drawings.