Coffee Cup of Destiny
(Interview by Nic Skuja for International Psychics Directory)
I recently had the wonderful opportunity to catch up with the very charming Deniz Batuk, the 2016 IPA Psychic People’s Choice Award recipient. Deniz is a truly global psychic and has recently returned from engagements in Mexico and the United States of America where he presented at this year’s Burning Man Festival in Nevada.
Deniz is a psychic medium based in Sydney. His business, coffeecupreadingsonline.com, offers a variety of services for people all over the world. Deniz offers face-to-face psychic medium and coffee cup readings from his premises in Newtown. He does phone readings, online readings via Skype and email, face and photo readings, as well as functions and events. Deniz has also made guest appearances on a number of TV and radio shows.
Deniz started his career in Turkey and has over twenty-three years of industry experience. He specialises in Turkish coffee cup reading (tasseography) and conducts water reading (hydromancy).
We had a great chat. I had a few questions about coffee reading, his time at Burning Man and what’s in store for him in 2018:
What is coffee reading?
It is like an alphabet; talking to me. Next time you drink your coffee in a white cup look inside after finishing it. You will notice coffee residue building shapes. Particularly if it is black Turkish style coffee. Turkish coffee cup reading is an ancient way of divination by using the shapes left by the coffee grounds in your cup. It is huge in Turkey, Greece, the Balkans including Serbia, Croatia and the whole former Yugoslavia, the Middle East, Russia and the Caucasian states like Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia etc.
The aim in readings is not just talking about one-way-fate, but how you can improve your chances and find the best option in life. I lay out all good and bad options. The choice is yours in the end.
How did you get started?
I started when I was a child… The intuition was always there. I used to give guidance to my parents, grandparents, school friends on finance, love relationships, business deals, friendships. I thought everyone had the same ability… Why could not they see that they were about to make a mistake? As a kid it was annoying to watch people taking wrong paths. I used to guide people, this is how it grew. I began Turkish coffee cup readings in my high school years in Istanbul. It is part of my culture. I did my first coffee reading for my best friend and through word-of-mouth, it snowballed.
Do you have a special process you follow?
I practice shamanism, so first I empathise with my client through a drum and bell sounds and then I close my eyes to focus. Sometimes I get a vision, then I open the coffee cup and talk, talk, talk. I then answer questions about this world and beyond. Usually, the night before, I have strange dreams which I interpret for the first client of the next morning. The relevance is always there… For example, the other night I dreamt about a sad gentleman; I could see his face. The next morning my customer showed me her husband’s photo; it was him.
Are there any rules?
Yes, and I can be picky. Look, the client has every right to be choosy as does the psychic. I do not accept clients if they are emotionally extremely sensitive. If I believe my client will not be able to cope with what I am going to say, I would rather cancel the session. The person must be ready, willing and open-minded; otherwise, there is no point. I do prefer customers who are informed about my services beforehand, rather than someone who wishes to have a reading on impulse. I do not work that way. It is not advised for people younger than eighteen, or for clients who’ve had alcoholic drinks just beforehand as I need their full attention.
What kind of symbols are you looking for when reading?
Anything really. A initials of a name, a complete name, career paths, exact locations, cities, diseases, deceased people and their attributes. Shapes can come as a heart, number, tree, letter, dog, bird, house, cloud, sun, moon or mountain – nature gives so many choices.
How is coffee reading different?
The main difference is you taste your coffee from a cup you touch. By your sense of taste and touch you become part of it; your energy connects. Still, in the end, it is up to the psychic medium how to interpret it. Tarot, coffee, crystal – all form of readings – give accurate results if you can build a connection with your psychic medium.
What do you love about what you do?
Everything. As a psychic I believe in constant improvement and betterment in every single detail. Beyond my readings, I sample the best coffee from various regions, I collect antique coffee cups to make the experience something memorable. At the age of forty-five I still get excited. I feel like I’m twenty when I am about the give readings. Works better than botox for me!
What are some of your favourite coffee reading memories?
Out of thousands of readings I can’t possibly pick favourites. When one of my clients say hello on the street or when I receive an email from an overseas client out of the blue, I feel happy.
Did you ever dream it would take you around the world?
No, not at all. It all happened naturally.
Do you have a favourite destination where work and your love of travel meet?
I love Istanbul, Sydney, London, LA, Berlin and Paris. So far, my line of work has taken me from Istanbul to Europe, America and finally to Australia. Thanks to technology and Skype, I have clients from over thirty countries. With overseas clients, language is the key: still not everyone speaks English. As well as Turkish and English I can converse in German, and these days I am working on my Greek and French to be able to reach more people. I love languages and other cultures, so everywhere has something to offer.
How was the Burning Man?
This is where people stay for a week in the desert in Nevada. This year (In 2017) there were seventy thousands participants from all around the world. CEO’s, students, backpackers, businessmen, artists, young and old.
What took you to Burning Man?
We went as a group of four people. When I was there, I realised many people go to grieve after losing someone or a break-up and to heal and to burn their sorrow. I gifted my readings there and enjoyed this experience immensely.
What were your highlights?
Sitting in the main camp in the morning I gave readings one after another. I met a young American couple. After their reading the man burst into tears. He had thought he was a bad person because of the violence occurring in Afghanistan during his time there as a soldier. I had helped him overcome his guilt. Another man was suffering in his marriage because his mother-in-law had moved into his home causing a big rift. I explained his options, and he was grateful to hear there was hope to heal his union with his beloved wife. One day, a glamorous, tall transgender lady came to me. She was also Turkish, we talked in my mother tongue – far far away from Turkey. She was a beautiful soul. I remember giving advice about how she could locate the right person for her.
Do you see a return to Burning Man in the near future?
Certainly. Where I sat was next to the main stage and organisers noticed that something was going on there. People were waiting in a queue, talking. They invited me to the stage, gave me a microphone and asked me to give readings to the crowd. It was incredible to talk and try to help people from every corner of the planet. The organisers took my contact details and asked if I would go back next year.
How was your trip to Mexico and your experience visiting the temples and sacred sites?
I feel enlightened about the Mayan culture; I was curious about the Chichen Itza and Tulum pyramids. I learnt a lot about how the locals created their civilisations and lived their faiths. It was fascinating. To me the most sacred place and temple is our inner world. When I talk to my clients I get an insight about their lives which is more precious than any physical journey in this world.
In Mexico, my personal highlight was Mother-Nature herself; in Tulum, observing giant Caretta caretta (loggerhead) turtles coming to the beach to lay their eggs. It was moving to see these gentle giants following the moonlight and surviving all adversities to give life. All mothers, either human or animal are incredibly precious!
Where are you off to next?
Egypt, Spain, Portugal and Turkey.
What’s in the cup for you in 2018?
My vlog or a ‘video book’ I call it. Many come to me with issues related to their private lives. Over the years I have done studies in marriage and relationship counselling, shamanism, spiritual development, now my glass is full and it is time to share. This is not psychic medium reading, it just outlines the rules of a successful marriage & union. Soon, I will launch this project on my website and social media.
