Meet the Cauldron
The Cauldron is steeped in folklore and has been represented in art for centuries, yet at the same time is a humble and ubiquitous object. It is at the center of mythic magical workings and supernatural transformations and is also used to make dinner and clean up. Probably no other tool quite embodies the essence of the modern-day Witch, who every day is faced with balancing the mystical with the mundane, just like the cauldron does.
Defining the Cauldron
When you hear or see the word cauldron, you most likely think instantly of the classic image of a cauldron: a curvaceous, wide-bellied black pot with a slightly narrower lipped opening, probably with handles, a trio of legs, and a lid. And there’s a good reason for that: the design of the cauldron has remained essentially unchanged for centuries. To see why, let’s look first at some definitions and possible origins of this vessel.
cauldron =
“a large pot used for boiling, especially one with handles” [from earlier cauderon, from Anglo-French, from Latin caldārium hot bath, from calidus warm]
—Collins English Dictionary
“a large kettle or boiler” [Middle English cauderon <Anglo French < Late Latin caldāria, n. use of feminine of Latin caldārius of warming, derivative of calidus warm, calēre to be warm]
—Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary
As the root words suggest, the typical cauldron was designed especially for heating and boiling liquids. The rounded shape allows for easy stirring and provides more surface area, increasing evaporation (ideal for making stews and similar reductions) and helping to prevent boiling over. (If you’ve ever had your pasta water boil over on your stove, imagine trying to stop the same thing from happening in a large, heavy suspended pot!) No matter where you look around the world, you’ll find that every culture developed a similarly shaped pot as a solution to heating liquids.
A collection of cauldrons
Cauldron Basics
The cauldron is first and foremost a container. It is shaped to hold things and is designed to conduct and retain heat. Cauldrons are most commonly made of metal, usually iron, for extra durability and longevity. For ease of handling, a cauldron typically has at least two handles, which can be used for carrying, pouring, and suspension by hook and chain. The vessel may be slightly flattened on the bottom so it will rest on a surface, or more commonly set with three legs that form a tripod so it may sit above a fire. Lastly, the cauldron is finished off with a fitted lid, which helps to contain whatever is being brewed inside it. Since the shape of a cauldron makes liquid evaporate more quickly, a lid comes in handy to slow down that process, collect condensation, and maintain warmth after cooking.
Typically, cauldrons were of a significant size so that a meal for a family or household could be prepared within it and washing could also be done. Meals and beverages would be portioned out to smaller containers (bowls, cups, and plates). It is important to note that the mammoth-size cauldrons you see in many artistic works depicting Witches from the late Middle Ages onward definitely reflect some significant artistic license. Very large cauldrons would have been extremely expensive to obtain, not to mention rather difficult to drag out into the middle of the woods. On the opposite end of the size spectrum, the tiny cauldrons sold in metaphysical and occult shops today are made with modern practitioners in mind, who are using other vessels to cook their food and do their wash. Some brilliant person figured out that we love to buy miniature things, practical or not!
Unpacking Symbolism
It’s easy to assign a variety of symbolic meanings to the cauldron, with its classic size, shape, and uses. But how many of those meanings make sense today? Let’s reexamine the cauldron symbolism that has been handed down over the last several decades and look at it with a fresh eye.
Within modern Pagan paths, the cauldron is most commonly equated with the womb, making it inherently “female” by relation and associated with goddesses. It’s important to remember that most household chores (cooking, washing, etc.) were often considered to be the domain of women. It’s this connection to womanly duties that linked Witches and cauldrons together in our collective consciousness, as the Witch hunts were rooted in social and gender politics, despite the veil of religious propaganda. Or we could link the cauldron to the womb, with the understanding that if we put the right ingredients in it, something will be born out of it—but that does seem rather crass when simplified like that. I don’t think that comparison is fair to the womb bearers or the cauldrons.
I’ve seen multiple sources claim that the tripod of legs on a cauldron is meant to symbolize the triple goddess. This idea is charming, but the design fairy in me must point out that a tripod of legs is ideal for setting down a cauldron on possibly uneven ground. One or two legs is simply not functional, as it would make for easy tipping and spillage, and four legs works only if both the surface is flat and the legs are perfectly even. Hence, three legs makes for the most efficient design. But if it gives you warm fuzzies to associate the triple legs with a deity concept, by all means go for it. Symbols are about the power of connection, relating the physical to the metaphysical.
It is my belief that viewing the cauldron as female in modern Pagan practice is more strongly linked with the desire to revive the concept of the Goddess than with the cauldron’s shape or use. In the mid- to late twentieth century, there was much emphasis put on connecting Neopagan practices to the Old Religion and fighting patriarchal concepts with matriarchal ones or more balanced ideas. When we consider the countercultures of post–World War II society, this makes a great deal of sense. There was a lot of energy put into aligning the practice with binary genders—cups and cauldrons as tools of the Goddess and thus feminine, and wands and athames as masculine, used in turn by priest and priestess. Applying gendered symbolism can certainly help some people feel more connected to an item and connect with a possibly forgotten past, but it can also alienate some—especially those outside of the gender binary. There’s a lot more to the cauldron than anatomical references, and it should be a comfortable tool for anyone to use.
As we will see in chapter 2, the cauldron is not inherently female or strictly Goddess-oriented. What brings us the most profound symbolism of the cauldron is not its shape, but how it has played a role in practices and myths for centuries. I hope you will find inspiration in the meaning that you can derive from the myths, stories, and folklore. In the end, the symbolism that is most important is that which is validated by your experience and your practice. If an idea inspires you and feels right, then you’re on the right track!
The Nine Uses of the Cauldron
To get us in the proper frame of mind, I have devised a system to help describe the uses and applications of cauldrons. This system consists of nine categories inspired by the roles and purposes of cauldrons in myth, folklore, history, and ritual. This list will help you determine how to use your own cauldron and enable you to find personal meaning and purpose in related activities. It is quite possible that you will find overlap between categories, which is perfectly natural since the cauldron is so multifunctional.
The Container: In its simplest function, the cauldron is a holder. In this form, it’s relatively passive—whatever it contains is in its final form already, and the cauldron protects and preserves it. Examples of this would be when the cauldron is used to hold wine before it’s distributed or hold written intentions collected for a ritual. It can also symbolize a repository of the owner’s power.
The Maker: Unlike the container mode, the maker is active. This state is when the cauldron is being used to brew, prepare, cook, or dye. It is an agent in physically changing the properties of the ingredients mixed within it. Examples would be brewing mead, cooking a stew, or dyeing cloth.
The Transformer: Akin to the maker, the transformer goes beyond physical changes into metaphysical changes, such as charging a pendant, burning an intention, releasing a binding, or making an offering. The cauldron can act as a crucible—physically, as in metalmaking, when molten metal is poured into a mold, or metaphorically, such as during the casting of a spell.
The Purifier: This state is for cleaning, cleansing, and renewal —from boiling water in a cauldron to make it safe to drink, to washing items or making a cleansing bath.
The Gateway: In some traditions, the cauldron hung from a chain in a hearth or from a tripod symbolizes the connection between this realm and the divine. The chain becomes a kind of telephone line, making the cauldron a gateway to the gods. Sometimes the cauldron is a liter-al passage to another realm or dimension (such as the Underworld). When the cauldron is used as a means of transportation, it falls in the gateway category.
The Marker: The marker is the mode in which the cauldron is used ritually as a placeholder or guide. It can be a type of altar, the center of a ritual working, or help define sacred space. As a marker, the cauldron can act as a type of spiritual homing beacon for the Witch who may be spiritually (or physically) traveling on a vision flight or riding to the sabbat.
The Drum: In traditions that are rooted in nomadic paths, the cauldron has multiple duties, including transforming into a percussive instrument—such as a drum or a kind of bell. Musical applications may be for spiritual purposes or for entertainment and merrymaking. Metaphorically, the cauldron can also represent the heartbeat of a group, tribe, or coven—something that pulls them all together and unifies them, especially through a communal meal or shared beverage.
Divination: There are multiple ways that a cauldron can be used in divining the present, past, or future, such as scrying, lot casting, pyromancy (divination by fire), libanomancy (smoke/incense), carromancy (melting wax), ceromancy (dripping wax on water), eleomancy (oil), or hydromancy (water).
Rebirth: The cauldron as a state of rebirth has elements of the other conditions, such as the transformer, the gateway, and the purifier, but its power to give or renew life itself sets it apart because of the magnitude of its power. It is in this state that the cauldron most closely embodies the womb, as it gives new life.
As we dive into the history and myth of the cauldron, consider the roles the cauldron plays, and think about which of the nine uses each role falls in. This will give you insight and inspiration into how you can best use your own cauldron.
Word Play
I’ve always found it fascinating how words originate, travel, and morph over time. Here are some variations for kettle and cauldron in other languages:
Kettle: German: kessel; Middle English: chetel; Old Norse: ketill
Cauldron: Middle Irish: coiri or caere; Welsh: pair or peir
It’s especially interesting how variations become incorporated into new words and ideas. Take, for instance, caldera. A caldera is a circular depression or similar formation in the earth, caused by volcanic activity (and is sometimes called a cauldron).
A variation can even become a proper name! Take, for instance, kazan, which is the Turkish word for cauldron, and kazanci, which is a cauldron worker. Kazan is also a common last name now in both Turkey and Greece. In Greece, it’s the shortened form of Kazandzis, a vocational description for a maker of cauldrons or one who uses a cauldron for the distillation of spirits.