The Witches Cauldron By Lady Hecate

The spark of the spirit here within 
will make the magick now begin. 
Fire burn, Cauldron churn 
Make this wheel of magick turn!

The Witche's cauldron and besom are two additional tools that are closely 
related to a Witch than anything else, although the wand, cup, athame and 
pentacle to some are considered the four primary tools.

 
When one sees a picture of a Witch, she is usually depicted with either a 
cauldron or besom or both, as there is much association between a Witch and her 
cauldron. In the Wiccan tradition, the cup/chalice is considered a Witche's 
tool and even in the Great Rite, it is said "so the cup is to the female" but it 
is the cauldron that is the true womb of the Goddess. Because of the association 
between the Witch and her cauldron, this gives great power to the cauldron. 
The cauldron has the reputation as the utensil used for brewing magickal 
concoctions. An indispensable tool for the Witch is the cauldron, which combines 
the influences of the four elements. When it is filled with water for divinatory 
rites, it symbolizes the element of water. That it stands on a tripod emphasizes 
the triple aspect of the Goddess of Maiden, Mother and Crone. Objects from the 
Earth (wood, herbs, flowers, resins, etc.,) then when lighted produce fire are 
placed in the cauldron. The subsequent smoke that swirls up into the air is 
symbolic of the element of air. Thus, all four elements and the triple aspect of 
the Godess combine into one tool making it a very magickal tool for the Witch. 
Its shape represents the womb of the Goddess.

 
Cauldrons never were those large huge pots that illustrators fancy when they 
draw old hags brewing up potions. Rather, the cauldron had to be small so it 
would heat quickly and evenly over a wood fire. Besides, I know we witches can 
perform magick but trying to lift a huge iron cauldron is quite a piece of 
magick in it of itself! In the ancient days of medieval widwives, the cauldron 
was most likely used to heat water for the birthing of a baby or preparing the 
wash water with herbs for cleansing the dead. From birth to death, the cauldron 
was used for a variety of purposes, including remedies and medicines for healing 
the sick or bringing love.

 
The cauldron can be the main point of interest in a ritual, used for developing 
your own oils or brews, and for divination purposes by scrying with still water, 
steam or dripping wax into the water and watching the patterns as the wax 
expands.

The Celts associated the cauldron with fertility, abundance and rebirth. 
Cauldrons were also said to have been sometimes used in human sacrifices. The 
poor victims were drowned in cauldrons or had their throats cut over the 
cauldron. Sacrificial cauldrons also appear in some shamanic traditions. 
In Greek mytholody, Hecate, Queen of Witches, could restore Her subjects to 
youth in Her magickal cauldron.

 
Often, the powers of male deities even come through with their interaction of 
the cauldron. Odin stole his power from three cauldrons of wise blood (menstrual 
blood) located in a cave (womb) in the Earth. The God Cernunnos was dismembered 
and boiled in a cauldron in order to rise again from the dead. Boiling cauldrons 
also rebirthed Minos, Aeson, Pelops, the emperor Elagabalus and even St. John 
the Evangelist. Why visions of being dismembered and boiled in a cauldron are a 
necessary part of Siberian shamanistic initiation. But when one thinks of the 
cup/chalice, one thinks of the Cup of the Holy Grail which held the blood of 
Christ and/or spiritual enlightenment, depending upon which legend you read. 
Also, one thinks of the Tarot. The athame, wand, cup and pentacle may be the 
tools of a magician, but the Cauldron and besom are true tools of the Witch. 
King Solomon had the athame, cup, wand and pentacle sitting on his altar, and 
he, for one, did not pray to any Goddess or even consider the chalice to be a 
vessel of the Goddess.

 
The magick of the cauldron is the magick of the female. The symbol of the 
cauldron allows us to approach the Mystery of the Goddess and our connection to 
it and to Her in a variety of ways. From the Cauldron we are born. Unto it we 
return. Throughout our lives we dance on its rim.

The great symbol of the Goddess is the cauldron. Its use and symbology runs 
throughout many rituals in many Witches' homes which offers the Witch a variety 
of opportunities to explore the value of this symbol in a variety of meaningful 
ways. The more a Witch works with her cauldron, the better she will understand 
it.

 
The cauldron, the primary symbol of women's Witchcraft, sits in the center of 
many Circles. The center of the Circle, like the center of the altar, is the 
place of spirit. It is where the Goddess comes through to Her women, our point 
of contact with Her. It is the focal point of our magick and our invocations. 
Power unites in a single body which is in the center of the Circle and is 
contained and amplified by the Circle itself. Through the sacred center, the 
cone of Magickal power is released into the world or into the care of the 
Goddess.

The cauldron has three different functions. The cauldron is seen as rebirth and 
transformation in that we go from life to death to life again. As such, the 
Cauldron is associated with the Crone Goddess such as Hecate and with the womb 
of every woman. Another function of the Cauldron is the Cauldron of 
inspiration-of initiation and the source of the beginnings of wisdom. This 
cauldron corresponds with the Maiden aspect of the Goddess-the protectress of 
those entering the Mysteries. It is also a divinatory tool-a vessel of water in 
which to scry-a method of receiving inspiration. Here is the water of the womb 
and the vastness of the ocean/lake. The third cauldron is the source of plenty, 
the cauldron seen as a vessel for food. Its spiritual nourishment is endless and 
bottomless. This is the Mother, the provider of eternal plenty, both physically 
and spiritually. Here also is the womb of the Goddess and the womb of every 
woman.

 
At Samhain and/or Dark Moon rituals, many Witches put water in their cauldrons 
to facilitate meditation/visualization and also scrying as well. Looking in a 
cauldron full of water helps put one in a meditative state of mind. Some witches 
stir the cauldron of water and then scry at the ripples in the water. So, stir 
briefly and peer within to see dimly what lies ahead.

 
During the dark moon, some witches make a list of things they wish to banish and 
put it on parchment paper and then throw the paper into the fire of Hecate. 
Naturally, during a a full moon, one makes a list of positive things they wish 
to bring into their lives and then throws it into the fire of Hecate.

Another magickal working with the cauldron is to once again have water in the 
cauldron symbolizing a birth of something new which you wish in your life. Also 
inscribe on a magickal candle what you want and place the lit candle next to the 
cauldron. Then stir the waters in the cauldron which represents bringing life to 
your spell, because the movement within the waters is the release of your spell 
and the quickening of your desires.

 
You can say the following chant with any cauldron workings:

Fire burn and Cauldron churn 
to make this Wheel of magick turn, 
By North and South, 
by East and West 
Grant me what I request.

 
In ancient times the cauldron held fire, so the tool was traditionally 
constructed of cast iron. In this day and time, the fire it contains usually 
takes the form of incense, candles, or paper requests burned on smoldering herbs 
so nearly any metal will do. If you cannot find a cast iron cauldron, put a 
"calling" out there for one and then look over your shoulder for there soon 
shall be one. I have several cauldrons, myself.

 
Remember, the cauldron can also be used for parchment paper spells wherein you 
make a poppet and then burn it in the Cauldron of Hecate on top of lit charcoals 
along with incense, thereby leaving the magick to Her.

 
Like your other tools, your cauldron must be blessed and then consecrated, and 
the best appropriate time to do this is when the moon is either Dark or Full.
Cast a circle in the usual manner. Then do your blessing and consecration 
during the Body of the ritual. You can find very detailed magickal Dark and Full 
Moon Rituals in my website.

Pass the cauldron through the blessed and consecrated incense of frankincense 
and myrrh and say: (Note: If your cauldron is too large and/or heavy to pass 
over the incense and fire, then work around your cauldron with the incense and 
fire)

With scented Air so light and free 
I give you breath now. Blessed Be.
Pass the cauldron over a red lit candle and say:

With fire that dances wild and free 
I give you passion. Blessed Be.
Lightly sprinkle the cauldron with blessed and consecrated salt and water which 
has been mixed together and say:

With water so pure, I give to Thee 
The blood of life now. Blessed Be. 
With salt of the Earth, I give to Thee 
Roots in magick, Blessed Be.

 
Cauldron Consecration Ceremony

After the Blessing ceremony, take the cauldron outside and sit comfortably 
beside it. If you cannot take it outside, then just stay in your temple and 
perform the ceremony. Light a charcoal block, place it in the cauldron and 
scatter a little frankincense and myrrh (or sage) on top. Watch the smoke curl 
up to the sky. Open your arms to the sky and say:

Gracious Goddess Hecate of Magick and Might 
O Goddess of wonder and wisdom and sight 
You who hold life's key in the palm of Your hand 
And the wisdom of birth, death and birth yet again. 
I offer this tool to You on this night 
Enhance its success; let its magick take flight. 
Bring it the spark from which all magick flows 
Allow it to heal transformation woes;
And all of the other things that it must do 
To serve both us well as a ritual tool. 
Your blessings I ask on this cauldron tonight 
O Goddess of Wisdom and Wonder and Sight. 
Then close circle.

 
The cauldron is now ready for magickal use. Feel free to use this consecration 
anytime you feel you need to reconsecrate the cauldron from all the workings 
that you have done in it and most particularly if you have performed a lot of 
banishing rituals. 
Blessings ~Lady Hecate~