Kavat Café hosts Armenian coffee cup reading ritual

On Saturday, June 13, I had the pleasure of being one of five kooshags, or Armenian coffee cup readers, for Kavat Café’s first-ever ritual experience. Guests, who had RSVP’d online, were served Kavat’s premium organic coffee in delicate cups with a red letter keem (Գ) embossed in trchnagir, an Armenian calligraphic tradition in which letters are depicted as birds. They also enjoyed a piece of succulent baklava inside the café or on the shaded outdoor patio before their appointed time. The readings were conducted inside the café amidst the happy bustle of patrons, some of whom sported T-shirts featuring Kavat owner Serj Tankian’s band, System of a Down.

I set my table with a golden cloth, a pomegranate and a tin rose. Before I opened each cup, I read a poem I wrote for those sitting across from me as a blessing to evoke intention. Everyone approached the reading in their own way — some were giddy with excitement about their first cup reading, while others listened quietly, their elbows resting on the cloth. Each came from diverse ethnicities, beliefs and lifestyles, and all showed an openness and reverence for the experience that eased communication.