Seven Cups

Some of you might know that I maintain several shrines at my shop. These are my ancestor shrine, my deity shrine, and a shrine dedicated to the spirit of the building. I work regularly with these shrines and I keep them as clean as possible. I burn incense, light candles, chant, and give offerings to the ideas, spirits, and thoughts I keep most sacred.

Each day, I brew two huge pots of coffee. I fill seven cups and place them on the shrines. Each of these cups stands for a different part of my life that I am grateful for and celebrating. Even if you don’t subscribe to spirits or deities, you can have an altar that stands for the things you hold close to your heart, such as family or books if you are a writer.

Over the years, I’ve heard a lot of people telling me that they don’t have time for rituals. And it’s true, life can be busy when we’re working, parenting, or involved in activities that eat up our days. I don’t consider myself to be a person with a lot of free time. With five children, my life is basically running from one child adventure to another. For a long time, I felt empty on the inside because I wasn’t allowing myself time to embrace my spirituality.

When I started my business, I wanted spirituality to be at the center of it for me. I started this tiny ritual of filling these seven cups and addressing the divine parts of my life. In the time that it takes to brew two pots of coffee, I have done a ritual that continues to focus me on my path.

Rituals need not be complex. They need not be “spiritual.” They can be a quick little mantra before going to work, a time to cry in the shower, or the lighting of incense. You do not need to invoke Gods or ancestors in your rituals if you don’t believe in them. The point of ritual is to give your mind time to ground in the present moment. If we are living now, instead of weighted down in the past or our heads in the clouds of the future, then we are really living!

The Seven of Cups in the Tarot is the card of imagination, creativity, passion, and a time to make decisions. These are some of the ideas I meditate on when I’m filling the seven cups.

Thank you for reading this article about tiny rituals. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. Have a blessed day! – Quill