John Befumo, a Magical Soul
Magical Mysteries and More, a metaphysical shop in Morro Bay, is owned by John Befumo and his wife April Befumo. The colorful and positive nature of this shop reflects Befumo’s eclectic personality and holistic views through trinkets, stones, and different religious prayer items. His intent with opening his shop was for community members to come together and talk about their hardships.
By encouraging this honesty and safety among his customers and friends, Befumo has created a special bond with many people in the community and has produced a supportive place for everyone. Befumo said, “We have one lady who just comes in for a hug, because that’s what she needs.”
On occasion, Befumo can be seen gifting a small stone to a customer sometimes after having a heartfelt conversation and other times just after looking at them intently. When asked about these actions, Befumo expressed that his goal in life is to spread positivity and by completing such a small action of kindness he hopes these people will pass on that feeling of gratitude.
On top of the cheerfulness he emits, Befumo is also extremely humble. He credits everything he knows about caring for others to his late father. “My father gave me the skill to blindly help,” said Befumo. Befumo doesn’t care who someone is or where they come from, if they need his help or emotional support, he’ll be in the shop with open ears.
Befumo takes great inspiration from his father, and hopes to keep his memories alive through the metaphysical shop. The idea and opening of the shop happened shortly after Befumo’s father passed away from Alzheimer’s disease. Befumo hopes to open a non-profit organization for families battling Alzheimer’s. “He tried the best he could to give back as much as he could, and he did,” said Befumo, and that's exactly what he’s trying to mimic now.
Along with the easy-going and positive nature of Befumo himself, the crystals and shop carry a similar energy. Befumo refuses to purchase any stone for his shop online, he even closes once a year to seek out stones and meet the people who mined for them.
“I only want positive energy in the shop, the only way to accomplish that is to pick the stone up… feel it.”
The shop itself is small, but holds so much meaning, energy, and inventory that it could easily fill the space of an entire block. When asked about picking the location they’re in, Befumo said that this specific building called to him in a way that others didn’t.
Inside, there’s a small back room connected to the rest of the shop. Befumo plays different music and lights different incense than he does in the main room, to give the illusion of walking into an entirely different dimension. People often report back to Befumo that there was an energy calling to them from that room, and they were heavily enticed to head there first when entering the building.
The room is painted black, decorated with artwork on the walls and crystals on the shelves. The framed artworks are mosaics of sea creatures assembled with different colored stones. Behind the frame shines light, and expels the energy of these stones into the room.
Upon many days of observing, Befumo noticed that customers who enter the shop follow the same route through the store, unprompted. Oftentimes, they do a complete circle around the store, with a stop in the dark room, and then go about their exploring and shopping. With their final stop being with Befumo at the sales counter, they’re often met with friendly conversation and an optimistic outlook on the rest of the day.
Befumo is a man with good intentions and an intense determination to follow through. There is no doubt he will be successful in the rest of his pursuits, seeing how successful he’s been already. For a deeper connection to spirituality, a good cry and laugh, or even just a hug, introducing yourself to Befumo would be valuable. There's a strong possibility that making a stop by Magical Mysteries and More might change your outlook on the day.