The 29-year-old Atiwan “Wine” Kongsorn is a self-proclaimed witch and spiritual consultant. He holds two bachelor degrees from Srinakharinwirot University in music as well as philosophy and religion. Wine and a group of Thai pagans co-founded a witch cafe called Ace of Cups in Lat Phrao (Mon-Wed 11am-9pm, Fri-Sun 11am-10pm. Nak Niwat Road, between Sois 27 and 29, 02-932-5128, facebook.com/AOCwitchcafe). The unique cafe is named aft er a tarot card and is where patrons go to enjoy a coffee with cake or have a spell cast on them.
HOW DID THE IDEA OF THE WITCH CAFE COME ABOUT?
My co-founders and I were waiting for a real witch shop or New Age shop to appear in the city but it never did. Sure there are shops in Thailand that sell magic stones and oils but we hadn't found one totally devoted to Paganism and witchcraft which also had staff that could explain things to us. So when we had the opportunity and enough resources, we decided to open Ace of Cups. We all have at least 10 years experience in learning about Paganism and witchcraft.
WHAT UNIQUE FEATURES CAN A CUSTOMER EXPECT FROM YOUR CAFE?
We serve coffee, tea, cake and soda drinks inspired by the zodiac. We also sell tools necessary for casting spells such as crystals, herbs, spices and wands. You can hire us to cast a spell for you. We also offer rituals, divinations and spiritual consulting.
I WANT TO BE RICH. CAN YOU MAKE IT HAPPEN FOR ME?
There's no such spell, sorry. You should talk to us about what you want and we'll offer you possible choices. Let's make it clear, our magic isn't about creating money out of thin air in a snap. Say, if you want to arrive at a place we can't perform a spell to teleport you there. But our spell can make your journey shorter and easier although you still have to work for it.
WHAT KIND OF SPELLS HAVE YOU CAST ON CUSTOMERS?
There have been many. We cast a baby-protection spell on a soon-to-be mother. We gave her all the necessary tools and told her to do the spell by herself at home as it would be more beneficial that way. We can cast spells on you here or ask you to cast the spell by yourself. It depends on your situation. People have asked for spells to help them in matters related to work, love and relationships. Some have come to us asking for a spell to get a dream job or more money and we have told them that we can't make that happen. If you want help with your work life, we need to know what kind of job you do. If your work deals with negotiating and decision making, we can help make you feel confident about yourself. If you're an architect, we have a spell to boost your creativity. Some spells do require personal items.
HOW HAS THE FEEDBACK BEEN?
We're entering our third month. Most people feel surprised by what we offer as it's new to them. I guess Thais are more familiar with the idea of going to mediums for guidance as they consider them divine. However, our cafe would like to show people that magic can be applied to their daily lives. It isn't necessarily scary or so sacred that it all exists in a different world. I believe you can benefit from it so long as you know how to wield it. Everyone may have untapped magical aptitude within them. Who knows? G
