The spiritual importance of coffee
The spiritual importance of coffee
26 September 2022
Discovering a sense of sacredness can come down to the simple ritual of sharing a cup of coffee. Photo: Shairon Paterson
There is a ritual that begins each day. I take water, bring it to the boil, and choose two white cups to place on the counter. I pour milk and froth it until it thickens and warms, and use the boiled water to heat the two cups. I grind the beans into the filter basket, lock it into a press, and breathe the steam as I lean forward to pull the shot into the warm cup below. A liquid flows from the press into the base of cup, caramel at first, and as I release the pressure, the shot begins to blonde. I pour the warmed milk. Place the hot cup into its saucer. I am making coffee.
I have started the day by making two cups of coffee for over a decade, and the elements of the ritual are exact. The water is filtered, boiled once. The milk is 60 degrees, no more. The coffee is roasted nearby, sourced from a farmers’ market. The muscle memory of the coffee press is precise, with just the right degree of pressure needed for a shot that is unbroken, crowned with crema. The first cup is for my partner, the second is my own. The ritual is almost sacred to me.
Coffee has long been seen to have a sacred, spiritual importance. One account has coffee first discovered by abbots, its caffeine used to focus prayer in monasteries. While some Catholics in the 17th century believed that coffee sourced its power from evil forces, Pope Clement VIII decreed the beverage to be rather good (after having tried some, of course). Coffee has been used in churches ever since, even featuring in communion rituals when wine wasn’t available.
Rituals rely on foods that create heightened states in individuals. Traditional communion uses the carbohydrates of bread, and the sugar and alcohol of wine. In the case of a cup of coffee, the caffeine has a similar effect. The heightened state can focus an individual’s prayer, reflection, creativity, but in most instances, these rituals are shared. Whether it’s communion or a cappuccino, the cup that is taken is for more than one. The ritual is important, sacred, but not just because of the caffeine kick. It’s sacred because it’s shared.
In the Church, a cup of coffee is taken as a gesture of hospitality. It’s restorative for those who are cold, weary. It’s a warm measure of dignity for many who find themselves in need. It’s also an offer to spend time, an invitation to be together. Coffee makes community.
I make coffee for any number of reasons. I make it to wake up, to focus on my work, to be creative. More often than not, I make it for someone, for my partner, for friends, for strangers. The ritual is sacred to me, but it’s not just for me. The ritual of making coffee is about making community – and while there’s no doubt the caffeine is rather good – it’s the togetherness where we find the real sense of the scared.
Comments
No comments yet - be the first.