The Meowgic Ritual of the Morning Cup
I spoke a bit in my previous post about the importance of having some small rituals to anchor our days and make our life feel in sync with the world at large. In this pawst I want to expand a little bit on the topic, using the example of a ritual that we all likely already engage in. This ritual also involves a meowgical pawtion that you likely already drink, without knowing just how powerful and versatile it can be. Of course, I'm talking about the first coffee (or tea!) of the day.
I love my morning cup of coffee. I'm lucky to have a job with flexible hours, which means even on weekdays I can have a slow morning, enjoy a proper breakfast and then just sit at the table in contemplation as I sip my rigorously-moka-made coffee. My table is in a corner with windows on both sides, so during the light half of the year I am bathing in brightness. On my back there's our tiny garden, on the side a quiet street where children walk to get to school. I catch snippets of their conversations every now and then, but mostly it's birds I hear: blue tits, blackbirds, magpies and crows. Occasionally seagulls too, but the crows and mags are doing a great job at keeping them at bay. It's the most obvious proof that smarts beats muscles in nature too.
All my windowsills are filled with houseplants of all types. One hosts six orchids that are my joy and pride. It feels so good to see those spectacular flowers reappear, especially given that it takes weeks from when the stalk starts to grow to when the last bud finally blooms. Examining the plants one by one to check the stage they're at is a part of my morning routine.
In short, what I am doing, and what the meowgical part is, is enjoying the quiet, my own company. And the taste of my coffee, of course. I take the time to properly wake up and take a breather before the rush of daily life carries me away. I feel around in my body, to check if this will be one of those days when I have to choose my battles and take a little extra care of myself. I notice what's happening in my neighbourhood, what the plants and the birds are doing. I rarely get interrupted, because my partner leaves more or less while I'm still getting dressed. However, when interruptions do happen, I've noticed that they feel a lot less irritating knowing that I still had plenty of time for myself. I bet you know the feeling, of the whole day being ruined because the morning didn't go as you needed. I've been there, and now I think part of the problem is that when we are on a tight and narrow schedule, it really doesn't take much to disrupt the whole thing. The other part, and maybe the most important, is that we don't tell others or even ourselves just how important certain small routines can be for us. We underestimate the power of having breakfast and spending five minutes without external distractions.
Of course, we also live in a world that makes this kind of self care incredibly difficult. Most people, and especially parents, don't have the luxury of setting their own hours. Our to-do lists grow faster than we can tackle them and our phones are constantly demanding our attention, worse than a cat who hasn't eaten in twenty minutes. But do you think you can at least try to enjoy your morning coffee? You probably already drink one, so why not do it mindfully? You don't even need to drink it all this way: just pause for a second and think to yourself: "Now I will actually taste this sip of my coffee, and feel the warmth travelling down my throat and into my body". Just one sip, and then go back to what needs to be done. Part of the power of this ritual is in knowing that you get to control your time, even if it's just a minute of it.
The other part is that coffee is in itself a meowgical pawtion, and a pretty powerful one. You've just never thought about it that way. It makes you feel more awake and alert and gives you energy when you don't have enough. You definitely feel the difference when you skip the morning cup. Oh, you say it's because caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant?
Poteyto, potahto.
"Meowgic pawtion" is just the old-fashioned name for such substances, from back when we didn't know shit about chemistry or the nervous system. But saying "pawtion" instead of "stimulant" makes it all more colourful and whimsical, and that's enough for me. And then, working in this framework, we can use the meowgical properties of other ingredients to further enhance our morning pawtion. You can add those ingredients directly in the cup, or in the filter of your machine together with the coffee grounds. I use the stovetop Italian machine, the "moka", but you can use anything except a capsule machine. You only need to adjust the quantities to size and your own personal taste. And if you really want to lean into the meowgic, you can come up with your own personal "incantations" to recite as you add the ingredients, to remind yourself of the effect you want from them.
Cinnamon: coffee and cinnamon is a combo made in heaven, but cinnamon specifically brings warmth, happiness and a sense of cozy. Perfect for winters, both the literal and metaphorical ones. Also rainy days. And Mondays. Did I mention it's my personal favourite?
Orange peel: in China, oranges are associated with prosperity and good fortune. In the west, however, their presence at Christmas tables can be a double-ended sword: if the winter holidays are not a happy period for you, skip this one, as it will smell and taste very "christmasy". You can use dried or fresh peel according to availability, but the latter has a more intense taste.
Cardamom: cardamom is associated with love, traditionally of the romantic and erotic type, but nobody says we cannot extend to platonic love for friends and neighbours. This pawtion is perfect for sharing with friends and loved ones to strengthen those bonds, but also with guests to make them feel welcome and acquaintances to maybe plant the seeds of a future friendship.
Star Anise: this seed is used in witchcraft for luck and wishes, and it also has the perfect meowgical and whimsical appearance. You can use the whole pod if you want to take advantage of the star shape, but it can be very intense. This was my daily pawtion for quite a while, until a Sambuca-related incident in college made me unable to tolerate anise flavour. Ah, well.
Chili powder: this is for when you need an extra boost of energy, or perhaps speed. I know it may sound insane, but coffee and chili actually pair very well! You can also combine it with cinnamon if you want to attract hotness rather than warmth, if you get what I mean.
Just a word of caution with this one: know your chilies, as this can get very hot. Try a very small quantity for the first time and then increase very gradually until you find your sweet spot.
Go on then, give it a try. Add a sprinkle of meowgic to your coffee, take a minute to enjoy it, and see how it makes you feel. After all, coffee is the first pawtion of the day, it's only right that we give it a little extra attention.