Magical Coffee: The Mundane into Spellwork

Coffee can be part of a daily routine, a special libation, a treat, or a requirement for many. This simple yet mundane beverage can be turned into so many wonderful parts of magic. If you have never used coffee as part of your magical spellwork, consider how many different ways it can be used.

Those who know me, know I love my coffee. Such is my enthusiasm, that many envision me hunched over elite coffee machines, roasting my coffee beans, savoring cups of coffee all day and night long. At least that’s what they tell me. The reality is, I just prefer simple cups of plain, black coffee.  Trying to explain my coffee love to a non-coffee drinker (I actually do know a few), I realized, it’s not really the coffee itself, it’s the ritual. That got me thinking about the magic of coffee in my life and its own magical narrative.

Legend has it that back in the 9th century, a pilgrim noticed that a camel (or a goat, there are different versions) acted very peppy after munching on what is thought to be coffee beans. The pilgrim added it to hot water and enjoyed the beverage himself, and understood the peppiness. The first trade of coffee beans was recorded in the 10th century, probably from Ethiopia. Coffee’s myriad effects were noticed, and it was considered the devil’s drink until Pope Clement VIII tried it and liked it. Coffee shops soon opened up everywhere, and the rest is history.

Coffee itself is magical, from the first selection of your favorite beans. The smell itself transports you to somewhere magical, and the first whiff in a coffee shop can elevate your mood instantly. If that’s not magic, I don’t know what is, really.  Coffee beans and brews can be used in so many ways as part of your magical practice. A few suggestions that I have used myself are below:

A basic coffee spell is as simple as pondering how, as your coffee brews, how the water transforms to coffee. Just as light to darkness, so as you gaze at the coffee in your cup, look also to the dark, rich places inside you. What parts of you need stimulating and enlivening? What energy do you need to awaken? What aspects of the darkness will you most enjoy in this time? Pour yourself a cup of coffee and fix it to your taste. Sip that magical brew.

Stir your coffee clockwise before drinking and envision something nice happening before the end of the day. Stir widdershins (counter-clockwise) if you would like to ward off something negative. And if you’re really worried about a particular outcome, use your coffee grinder to eliminate the unwanted. Hold the beans you are about to grind and concentrate on what it is you wish to prevent that is holding you back, and then pulverize those beans in your machine.

Use coffee beans and their preparation as elements of spellwork. Different beans can be for different uses. Choose espresso beans for spells requiring speediness or concentration.  Cold press coffee will help slow things down if needed. A moka pot can be used to put anger to good use, to reveal truth or let off steam. Drip coffee can be used in spellwork that needs things to pass quickly or to push past a plateau.

Sprinkle fresh coffee beans on your altar as extra oomph for a goal.

Honor your ancestors with coffee beans or a cup of coffee, if that was their preferred drink.

Try additions to coffee for specific intentions: cinnamon for love, ginger for strength, nutmeg for vision and wealth, vanilla for sweetness added to your life. Stir the coffee three times clockwise to blend the energies together. Drink the coffee and visualize what you would like to manifest.

A coffee bath can help remove unwanted or negative energy. Run a bath with warm water, add a generous pinch of sea salt and 1-2 cups of (strong) coffee and half a squeezed lemon. Have a good soak, and stay in the bath while it drains, then rinse off. Repeat this for the next seven days for a complete “cleansing” if needed.

Coffee can be used as incense. Burn dry coffee grounds in a fireproof container, set your intention and monitor carefully. Write what you wish to banish or ward off on a piece of paper and add to the burning coffee grounds.

Try coffee scrying. Brew your strongest brew and place in a black mug.  Take it to a dark and quiet space, light a candle, focus your eyes and gaze deeply into it. What do you see?

Add your own magical intentions to your daily brew ingredients and see what happens. Brew that magic!