Symbol meanings
Coffee ground symbols, all of them
This is the vocabulary Felek reads with: 85 symbols from the Turkish coffee tradition, the same set a practiced reader carries in her head. Each one below gets a single line. The category pages give the full meaning, the positions that change it, and the questions people actually ask.
If you have a cup in front of you right now, read how to read Turkish coffee grounds first. Where a symbol sits matters as much as what it is.
Animals in the grounds
- Ant: Persistence pays off.
- Bear: Think carefully before new decisions.
- Bee: Industry.
- Butterfly: Transformation.
- Cat: A deceitful friend or relative.
- Dog: A loyal friend.
- Elephant: Good health, longevity, wisdom.
- Fish: Abundance, prosperity, fertility.
- Horse: Wishes coming true.
- Lion: Power, courage, an influential ally.
- Snake: A hidden enemy.
Birds and messengers
- Bird: Arrival of news.
- Owl: Wisdom.
- Vulture: Financial loss.
- Feather: Lightness.
- Wing: Speed.
- Angel: Good news arriving.
- Kite: Wishes coming true.
Shapes, lines and marks
- Arrow: News arriving.
- Circle: Completion, unity, success.
- Cross: A trial.
- Line: Straight = clear progress.
- Spiral: Inward journey.
- Square: Stability.
- Triangle: Change, new beginning.
- X mark: A point of attention.
- Letter (initial): An initial of a person or place that matters.
- Number (digit): A timeframe (days, weeks, months) or a quantity.
Love, people and figures
- Baby: Small worries.
- Crown: Honor, success after long effort, a wish coming true.
- Daisy: Love.
- Devil: An influential person in your life who does not have your interests at heart.
- Eye: Insight emerging.
- Face: Read by what's nearby.
- Finger: Emphasizes whatever it points to.
- Ghost: Someone from your past returning.
- Hand: Friendship offered.
- Heart: Love, new love arriving or existing love deepening.
- Ring: Unbroken = success, completion, marriage.
- Rose: Passionate love.
Nature and sky
- Apple: Achievement.
- Cloud: A doubt.
- Clover: Affection.
- Crescent moon: Good luck.
- Egg: Great fortune.
- Fire: Intense feeling.
- Flower: New beginnings, beauty, growth.
- Iceberg: Hidden danger.
- Leaf: Turning over a new leaf.
- Lightning: Sudden change.
- Moon (full): Fulfillment.
- Mountain: An obstacle ahead, but also the strength to overcome.
- Star: Good fortune.
- Sun: Success.
- Tree: Growth, stability, family roots.
- Wave: Emotional movement.
Journeys, work and turning points
- Anchor: Top of cup: stability, constancy in love or business.
- Bag: Closed = a trap or burden.
- Ball: Variable fortune.
- Boat: A short journey.
- Bridge: A life-changing event or person.
- Chain: Engagement, marriage, partnership.
- Coin: Money arriving.
- Flag: A warning.
- Fork in road: A choice ahead.
- Hammer: Overcoming an obstacle.
- Key: An opening.
- Knife: A toxic situation that needs to end.
- Ladder: Promotion.
- Scissors: Time to cut something away.
- Ship: A significant journey.
- Sword: Conflict.
- Wheel: The wheel of fate (felek itself).
Home and everyday things
- Bell: Unexpected news, often a celebration.
- Book: Open = answer to a question revealed.
- Bottle: Health concerns.
- Box: A gift is coming.
- Broom: A new home.
- Candle: Light on an uncertain path.
- Chair: An unexpected guest.
- Clock: Time is significant.
- Cup: Hospitality.
- Hat: Success in life.
- House: Home matters.
- Umbrella: Protection during a difficult passage.
Want the cup read for you, properly?
Felek walks you through the ritual and reads your grounds from a photo. Your first reading is free.
Out now on Android. iPhone coming soon. 
