Sin Desserts is Home to the Magickally Minded Cafe Coven Second Sundays

On the second Sunday of every month, a few tables at West End bakery Sin Desserts are pushed together to host a social club that’s been gathering since November 2018. Over coffee and sweets, Cafe Coven invites the magickally minded and curious alike to come together and talk, ask questions, and support one another in a safe space. The official meeting time is 12-1pm, though, says founder Alessandra Grima, “we’re always there way over time.”

In a state where witch dances and marketplaces have tantalized the masses in recent years, so too have witchy folks sought opportunities for authentic connection; Grima started the group to meet this growing interest. “It didn’t take long to notice we, as a state, lacked witchy socials. Some were even turning people away because there wasn’t enough room,” she shares. “I started Cafe Coven for like-minded folks to get together in a casual setting that allows them to come and go as they please, while supporting a local business!”

No stranger to the local magick scene (the alt spelling for “magic” indicating the spiritual practice as opposed to the fantastical portrayal popular in fiction), Grima is a New England native and well-known tarotist and mystic, along with being a comedian and model. She can be found reading tarot cards at PVD Flea Witches Night Out markets or at Cici and the Moon, a
metaphysical shop in Johnston. Grima’s goal in creating Cafe Coven was to forge a community around the healing arts, and it became especially personal for her during 2021 and 2022 when, battling cancer and enduring major surgery, that community was able to give back to her.

“I remember sharing with the group that I didn’t have the energy to do spellwork for my health or for my procedure. Cafe Coven not only did my energy and spellwork for me, but gave me physical talismans to carry with me throughout chemotherapy,” Grima reflects. “The beautiful thing about the community we’ve built is the ability to be vulnerable, to know space will always be held for you.”

The structure of each meetup invites members to write down a topic or question they want to investigate, and then the group chooses one topic at a time to discuss. “This isn’t about ‘being an expert’ – it’s about having a safe space to wonder and explore,” says Grima. “Discussions can range from spellwork and deities to death and aliens – let’s talk about it!”

She had initially intended to bring Cafe Coven to a rotation of different coffee shop venues each meeting. “We’ve settled at Sin Desserts for many reasons: the staff is excellent, there’s enough space, it’s a central location, and they’re witch-friendly,” says Grima, who also allows meetings to be open to the public. “You don’t have to be a practicing witch; you might just be curious. We have cultivated a very open, non-judgmental space that has an array of cultural representation and gender identities. All are welcome.”

To find out what the social club is all about, their next get-together is October 8. Shares Grima, “I think I speak for many witchy folks when I say, we are looking for our people.” Follow @cafecovenri on Instagram for updates and meeting dates.