For some weeks before the coal strike of 1920 was declared, a pickaxe
was seen on several occasions in the cups of two persons, both of whom
read their tea-leaves regularly. This symbol, as will be seen in the
dictionary which follows, stands for "labour trouble and strikes." A
spade was also in evidence at intervals, a further sign of "trouble and
unrest." So that it was through no fault of the tea-leaves if some of us
were not in the superior position of knowing all about the strike before
it came to pass.

The symbols already mentioned would of course apply equally to railway
disturbance, and some time before the threat of a strike was announced,
these symbols appeared again, together with an engine, and a signal at
the angle of "Danger." This seemed ominous. But within a few days the
signal was evident once more; but on this occasion set at "All Clear."
So it was easy to decide that the threatened strike would not take
place. The accuracy of this prediction by means of the tea-leaves was
shortly afterwards made evident.

Again, a week before there seemed to be even a hope of a settlement of
the coal strike, a mining shaft presented itself in one of the tea-cups
which had previously been indicating the strike. This symbol appeared at
the top of the cup standing out clearly by itself, evidently predicting
the miners' return to work within a short time. There was no need to
depend upon information from the newspapers as to the end of the strike,
for here in the tea-leaves was all necessary evidence of the fact.

Another very remarkable instance of symbolism was given to me by a
friend a short time ago. On Monday morning, October 26th, 1920, the
three following symbols appeared in her cup:--