Making Magick—
Spellcraft & the Cauldron
Cauldrons, magick, and spells—oh my! It’s so easy to conjure up that classic image of a Witch bent over a bubbling cauldron, adding ingredients and speaking incantations. But how realistic is that icon? It’s time to find out for yourself! Let’s explore what magick really is, look over some real working spells, and answer a few other questions you may have along the way.
What Is Magick?
Magick is the focusing of your intention and energy to influence or change something (you, your environment, other people, things, etc.). It is the art of changing consciousness in accordance with one’s will. Consider that there is energy all around us—everything around us, living or inanimate, is made up of energy—all the way down to the molecular level of the atom. There’s physical force and energy you can exert to change your environment, but that’s just one kind. Your feelings and thoughts also can have a great deal of influence. Think about when you’re having a bad day and things seem to keep getting worse, or when you’re happy and your presence lightens the feel of the whole room around you. It’s a kind of mind over matter. How we feel about our world and those around us does have a direct influence on so many things: the physical health of our bodies, our interactions with others, our homes, and where we work. Through the application of magick, we can harness that metaphysical energy to gain understanding and some level of control over these areas.
Why Are You Spelling Magick with a k?
When I first started out formally on my path, it was popular to use the k in magick to differentiate between the kind of metaphysical activities we do versus stage magic, sleight of hand, etc. The decision to add the k is a matter of choice, but personally I’m rather ambivalent about it—old habits die hard. (My spellchecker feels otherwise on the subject.)
Who Can Work Magick?
Anyone with a healthy imagination who can focus their intention can do magick. It is not aligned solely with any age, gender, or spiritual path—whether you’re Pagan, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, or an atheist, you can work magick. Some people come by it more naturally than others, but it is indeed a skill that can be learned and developed over time with practice.
Is There Black/White, Good/Bad Magick?
Is there positive and negative wind, such as a summer breeze versus a hurricane? We tend to define things by how much trouble or damage they cause, but wind is just different kinds of movement. That summer breeze could come over a marsh first and bring waves of gnats with it. A hurricane could bring down old, rotted trees, creating room for new growth and development. I don’t believe magick itself has any sort of a “color.” Every spell will have a variety of results—intended and non-intended, positive and negative—depending on one’s perspective. You simply cannot define magick solely by the intent, nor by the results.
Magick and Morality
I do believe you need to use common sense when working magick, and to truly consider what you’re going to do before you do it. Make an effort to consider possible outcomes and consequences to avoid as many issues as possible. My partner Nathaniel introduced me to his “three rules for living,” and I believe they apply to all aspects of life—and that certainly includes working magick:
1) Take Care of Yourself. If you don’t take care of your needs and respect yourself, it’s going to be difficult to find anyone else who will.
2) Take Care of Others. When you can, help out others in need. Whether they need healing, protection, love, inspiration, or prosperity, a little goes a long way.
3) Don’t Be a Jerk. It is technically possible to take care of yourself and others while still being a jerk about it. Listen to people, learn to receive, and respect the wishes of others. Don’t go out of your way to hurt others.
Personal Power
The last thing I want to outline here before we get into spellcraft is the concept of personal power. You can definitely equate magick with prayer and even meditation, as they all require focus. Without getting into an argument about semantics, the big difference between the spells I’m presenting here and standard prayer is this: prayer is generally about asking a deity to do something for you, to petition their divine help because you can’t make it possible. Spellcraft, for me, is about acknowledging the divine within yourself and believing in your own power to manifest change. It can certainly involve deities and spirits, but their part in it is more about assisting versus being the one to make the touchdown. (Yes, folks, I just used a sports analogy. Roll with me here.) Essentially, you are taking personal responsibility and acknowledging that you can bring about the change versus asking someone else to do it for you. The phrase “Goddess helps those who help themselves” comes to mind.
Sympathetic Magick and All That Stuff
The most common form of traditional spellcraft is sympathetic magick, which functions according to the concept that the microcosm can affect the macrocosm, or the part can affect or influence the whole. This kind of spellwork involves using items that imitate a person, place, action, or thing and/or correspond with something via a relationship, a physical connection, or some other similarity that can induce change. Spells that involve herbs, oils, candles, colors, sigils, poppets, jars, pouches, amulets, incense, talismans, and other items all generally work on the basis of the part/whole or correspondence relationship. I believe these items all work to help trigger various parts of your brain to enhance your focus, but they’re not entirely necessary or mandatory for all workings. More stuff doesn’t automatically produce better spells—sometimes (and actually I find more of the time) it’s the simplest spell that works. So don’t get too bogged down in details or fret if you don’t have a specific item if you can find something else that works. Use what you have and be creative!
A Selection of Cauldron Spells
So what kind of magick can you make in your cauldron? Lots! You can use it to mix ingredients for satchels, teas, incenses, washes, and dustings. You can use it to release intentions or banish negativity by fire. I’ve crafted some spells to showcase some different ways you can use your cauldron, but this is by no means all of them—and if you’re a careful reader, you will find plenty more throughout the book. I encourage you to let inspiration flow and devise your own spells too!
Tip: For the items listed in the spells (such as water, herbs, salt, etc.), you should adjust the amounts to accommodate the size of your cauldron and what makes you feel comfortable. Increasing the amount of an ingredient does not mean more power, especially if it overflows your cauldron! Most of the recommended amounts you’ll find here were designed to work with a small to medium vessel.
Cleansing Spell to Purify an Object or Situation
Materials: A white candle; a tablespoon or small handful of vervain, rowan, and/or rue; an object to be cleansed (or a symbol for it); and enough water to completely cover the object. Perform from the full moon to the new moon.
Working: Place the object in the cauldron and light the candle. Waving the candle within the cauldron, say, Fire blesses, fire purifies. The light brings new hope.
Pour the water into the cauldron, saying, Water blesses, water purifies. Through it we begin anew.
Swirl in the herbs counterclockwise, saying, Earth blesses, earth purifies. The past is swept away.
Pull the object from the brew and blow onto it, then say, Air blesses, air purifies. Through my breath this is born anew.
Pour the brew down the drain or toilet, visualizing what has been washed away in the spell. Place the object on your altar or in a protected place for safekeeping.
Spell to Bring Prosperity or Build Something
Materials: A sunflower or squash seed (unprocessed); half a cup of water; incense, a bundle of dried herbs for burning, or a smudge stick; a cup of fresh earth; and a pot to grow in (or a container to transfer directly into the earth). Perform from the new moon to the full moon.
Working: Using your cauldron as a workbench, pour the earth into your cauldron and swirl it three times clockwise, thinking about the earth as a support structure and nourishment. Transfer the dirt to the pot or container. Bless the seed lightly with the smoke from the incense over the cauldron and put it in the potted earth. Pour the water into the cauldron, swirling it clockwise three times and thinking about how it will awaken the seed, then empty it carefully into the pot. Pressing the earth carefully around the seed, say, This seed is the start of new prosperity. As it takes root and grows, so shall I prosper and my efforts bring fruit.
Put the pot in a place where the sun can reach it and where you will remember to water it. Each time you visit it, visualize the working and the connection between the growing plant and prosperity.
Spell to Attract Money and Good Finances
Materials: Five shiny quarters, a tealight candle, water (enough to fill a third of the cauldron), and a teaspoon of basil, allspice, and cinnamon. Perform from the new moon to the full moon.
Working: Arrange the quarters in a star pattern in the bottom of your cauldron. Pour in the water and add the herbs, gently stirring clockwise. Light the candle and carefully place it in the water so that it floats on the surface. Repeat this chant five times: Silver, spice, basil, and light, bring money now into my sight.
Let the candle burn down completely, then pour or sprinkle the mixture by your front and back doors. Carry the quarters with you or place on your altar.
Awen Spell to Bring Creativity and Inspiration
Materials: A tablespoon each of lavender, anise seeds, and olive oil. Perform from the new moon to the full moon.
Working: This spell is for creating an anointing oil that you can place on yourself, around your work area, on tools, etc. Just a little will go a long way.
In your cauldron, drizzle in some olive oil and sprinkle in the lavender and anise seeds. With your dominant hand, mix the ingredients together in a clockwise motion, making a circle or star shape, five times in a row, while reciting, May my heart, mind, body, and spirit be open to receiving and acting on inspiration. May I in turn create work that inspires others, making the circle whole. Wherever I anoint this oil, it shall be a beacon for inspiration. So shall it be!
Allow the oil to sit for three nights, and collect it on the fourth morning into a container where you can use it daily. Tip: A funnel is your friend.
Self-Love Spell (Which in Turn Will Help Bring More Love into Your Life)
Materials: Enough rose petals and rosemary to fill a small pouch, a red button or bead on a string, and a small pouch (preferably red) to hold it all. Perform at the new or full moon ideally.
Working: So many people want a love spell to make someone else fall in love with them; meanwhile, they lack love for themselves. In order to attract love, you must have love. Combine in your cauldron the rose petals and rosemary. Holding the button or bead by the string above the cauldron, and moving in a slow counterclockwise motion, say, I let go of self-hate. I let go of fear. I let go of pain.
Then lower the bead/button into the herbs to make a trail. Moving clockwise, say, I will be kind to myself. I will honor myself. I will believe in myself.
Set the bead/button down into the herbs. Take the pouch and scoop up the bead/button and a good amount of the herbs into it. Carry it with you every day, preferably on your person. Sprinkle the remainder of the herbs by your doorway, so you’ll walk through them.
Friendship Spell to Strengthen and
Mutually Enhance a Bond
Materials: A teaspoon of cinnamon, a teaspoon of honey, half a cup of earth, a penny for each friend, and a seedling to plant and somewhere to plant it where it will be cared for (a small tree or hardy bush such as rosemary is a good idea).
Working: Sometimes friends decide they want to strengthen their relationship, especially if someone is moving away. In your cauldron, place the earth, followed by a teaspoon of honey and the pennies. Sprinkle the cinnamon on top and say, Our friendship is our bond; it’s the honey that holds us together. May we continue to be mindful of each other, respect each other, and keep each other in our memories. May our friendship continue to grow and bring us new blessings.
Take the mixture and your seedling to the location where you will plant it and make room in the earth for the cauldron mix. Carefully scoop out the blend and place it into the earth, followed by the seedling. Water it and keep an eye on it. As it grows, your bond will grow as well.
Banishing Spell
Materials: A sheet of paper, a pen, a sprinkling of rue, and a lighter or matches. Best done from the full moon to the new moon.
Working: You can use this spell to get rid of any negative thing you need out of your life. Write down on the paper what you want to get rid of. Sprinkle the rue on top of it, then fold the paper in on itself in thirds. Then fold it again inward in thirds. (This would be a block of nine if you were to unfold it.) Place the folded paper in your cauldron and ready your match or lighter, then set the paper on fire, saying, Be out, be gone, be away from my sight. Blessed rue, make it right.
After the paper has burned (ideally to ashes), flush it down the toilet or throw the ashes into the sewer.
Protection Spell for the Home
Materials: A sprig/wand of rosemary, a cup of water, a teaspoon of sea salt, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, plus a tablespoon of rue, vervain, or mugwort.
Working: Use this spell to set up a protective energy barrier around your home. Pour the water into your cauldron, then add the sea salt, sesame seeds, and herbs. With your sprig/wand of rosemary, swirl the mixture clockwise, saying, Hearth and home, window and door, protect this building from ceiling to floor.
Start at the front door and move clockwise around the house, using the sprig/wand imbued with the mixture to anoint each door and window in a pentacle motion. If you wish, you can repeat the chant at every threshold.
A Binding Spell to Put Someone on Ice
Materials: A piece of paper, a pencil, a white string about a yard long, water (enough to fill a third of the cauldron), a generous teaspoon of vervain, a plastic bag that seals, and a freezer. Best done during the waning moon.
Working: Sometimes you just need to put somebody “on ice.” That somebody can be a person bothering you or someone you love whom you want to help remotely who is harming themselves, deliberately or otherwise. With a pencil, write on the piece of paper the name of the person to be bound. Pour the water and vervain into the cauldron. Fold the paper up into thirds, and then into thirds again. (This would be a block of nine if you were to unfold it.) Then wrap the string around the paper, visualizing that whatever they are doing to cause harm will be stopped. Immerse it all in the cauldron water, soaking it thoroughly and continuing with the visualization for 1–3 minutes. Then pull it out and place the soaked cord-wrapped paper in the plastic bag and seal it. Then bring the baggie to its new home in the back of the freezer. Keep it there until the problem has been resolved. Once it is resolved, take the package from the freezer, remove the wrapped paper from the bag, and release it to the elements by burying or burning it. (Do not burn or bury the plastic bag! Recycle it!)
Burn and Release Cauldron Spell (Paper-Mache
Cauldron Spell 1)
Materials: Strips of clean newsprint or similar lightweight scrap paper, writing implements, one part flour and one part water (the amount depends on the size of your intended vessel; just keep the parts equal, whether it’s a half cup, one cup, etc.), a bowl and spoon for mixing, a cheap, wide paintbrush, a balloon, a container to hold the balloon secure, and a safe location in which to burn the cauldron. You can also add dried herbs, such as vervain (strength), patchouli (cleansing), and lavender (soothing), if you’d like. The best time for this spell is from the full moon through to the new moon.
Working: On the strips of paper, write down things you wish to banish/cleanse/release from your life. Next, mix together the flour and water, creating a paste. Add the herbs to the mixture (optional). Blow up the balloon to the size you’d like your cauldron to be, as it will be the base on which you build the cauldron. Wide-part up, set the balloon in a container that will keep it secure and upright while you work on it. Dip the written-on strips into the paste, and smooth them against the balloon using the paintbrush. As you add strips, cover the balloon with a bowl shape in mind, to create your cauldron. Let it dry completely, then pop the balloon gently to release the cauldron. To prepare your space appropriately, get your fire ready and center yourself. Call to mind the things you wrote on those slips of paper that you wish to remove safely from your life. Set the cauldron upon the fire, chanting, Fire burn, fire cleanse, fire release! That which was written shall now cease!
Honoring Memory Waterfire Cauldron Spell
(Paper-Mache Cauldron Spell 2)
This spell is inspired by the traditions (including several Asian cultures, especially the Japanese) that honor ancestral spirits/deceased loved ones by setting lanterns on water with fire inside of them, as well as the idea of the Viking funeral (body/boat on fire). The spell is ideally released in an active body of water (such as an ocean or lake where it won’t set anything else on fire or cause ecological damage) and then set on fire. If this is unavailable to you, then you can get creative with a basin of water or just use the fire aspect in your hearth/fireplace.
Materials: Copies of images/pictures of the ancestors/departed loved ones printed out on lightweight paper (don’t burn originals!); fabric, ribbons, dried herbs, and similar materials that are easily burned and that remind you of the deceased (optional); one part flour and one part water (the amount depends on the size of your intended vessel; just keep the parts equal, whether it’s a half cup, one cup, etc.); a bowl and spoon for mixing; a cheap, wide paintbrush; a balloon; a container to hold the balloon secure; a lighter; incense sticks or cones (optional); and a tealight candle or a small bundle of light kindling.
Working: Follow the instructions for Paper-Mache Cauldron Spell 1, using the photos, fabrics, etc., to build a cauldron of memories. Once dry, set off for your launch point so that you arrive near dusk. You have the choice of setting the vessel itself on fire (starting at the rim/lip edge) or setting a loose candle inside of the vessel—so that it will be a lantern that may eventually catch fire before it sinks. Or, most effectively, start a small kindling fire (add incense sticks or cones for both burning and aroma) inside the paper-mache cauldron and set the vessel off into the water, saying, Hail to the spirits of those who have come before! You who have lit the way before us, may this pyre do you honor. May the current carry your memory, and may it flow strongly for future generations. That which is remembered lives. So mote it be!
Stirring the Cauldron:
A Spell for Inspiration
what the welsh tale of Ceridwen illustrates is the transformative power of her cauldron and how it can serve as a source of divine inspiration. When I’m having trouble putting together a ritual or rite for my Book of Shadows, I will sometimes gaze into a smaller version of Ceridwen’s cauldron in an effort to find a solution. It’s a rather simple ritual, but it’s an effective one.
For this rite you will need a bowl, saucer, or large chalice full of water or wine, your Book of Shadows or a scratch pad, a pen, and an athame (though your finger will work if you don’t have an athame). I prefer to do this working with a bit of witchy background music, though regular quiet works well too. Just make sure you are in a situation where you won’t be disturbed by other people, your phone, etc. Many of the small rituals in this chapter don’t call for a magick circle, but this one does. So before starting the rite, call upon the elements of earth, air, fire, and water, and cast a circle in whatever manner you are accustomed to.
Begin by inviting Ceridwen into your circle. You can simply meditate on her and her myth, say her name several times, or perform a traditional invocation such as this:
Great Ceridwen, goddess of the cauldron, mistress of the arts, loving mother, and giver of mystical inspiration, I ask you to join me this night in my circle. Help me to find my way and see the truth and power in my rites. Open the doors that lead to the mysteries of the Witch. Hail and welcome!
With Ceridwen now a part of your circle, pick up your athame and think about what it is you wish to have revealed. Are you stuck on a spell? A sabbat ritual? Whatever it is, think about that roadblock for a moment. Imagine yourself finding the solution to this problem.
As you hold your athame, feel the energy of your question build inside your body. Allow that energy to travel through you into your athame. While it’s not imperative to use an athame here, as a tool of one’s will it’s a very effective way to deal with questions, and with its sharp and pointy tip it projects energy better than any other tool.
When the energy of your query reaches the tip of your athame, place it in the bowl and stir the water slowly in a clockwise motion eleven times. As you stir the water or wine, think about what it is you need revealed to you. Turn it over several times in your mind and imagine things associated with your question in the liquid being swirled by your athame. (For a bit of added energy you can place the cauldron on your altar’s pentacle.)
After you’ve stirred your cauldron eleven times, begin saying the following lines. As you say each line, make one slow “stir” of the cauldron.
One for goddess Ceridwen eternal,
Two for her cauldron inspiration’s source,
Three for the might of the night nocturnal,
Four for the power of Earth, nature’s force,
Five times round for the answer that I seek,
Six for the potency of my true will,
Seven for the path of the Witch’s mystique,
Eight times so that I might my quest fulfill,
Nine times now for the strength of night and day,
Ten times the water round my answers found,
Through Ceridwen’s cup I have made my way.
Answers come to me now true and unbound.
Let me see the work that must be begun.
By our magical will it shall be done!
So mote it be!
Before looking into your Cauldron of Ceridwen, stir the waters within it eleven more times, feeling the magick of your rite and the power of the goddess surrounding you. As you look inside the waters of the cauldron, clear your mind and absorb whatever images might be there. If you don’t see anything the first time, don’t get discouraged; simply repeat the process again until you get the results you desire.
Whatever you see inside Ceridwen’s waters, be sure to record them as quickly as you can (which is why I suggest bringing a Book of Shadows or notepad with you). If they don’t make sense, write them down anyway and then review them again the next day. It’s surprising what a good night’s sleep can reveal.
Jason Mankey
Author, The Witch’s Athame,
The Witch’s Book of Shadows •
www.patheos.com/blogs/panmankey
Stirring the Cauldron:
Soaking a Spell
a great use for a cauldron is soaking a spell. My witchy group recently assembled a storage shed for our ritual gear and I wanted to consecrate it—and also lay down some heavy protection. During the time that I was helping to make the shed, I soaked two large High John the Conqueror roots in a small iron cauldron with a mixture of herbs, oils, powders, and general juju. Nightly stirrings by candlelight, murmured incantations, and intensely focused visualization occurred.
The cauldron itself was integral to the spell, as I imagined its solid permanence to be the stand-in for the metal structure: the cauldron contained the magick, just as our shed would contain our supplies. “Those without will stay without, and what’s within will stay within.”
A month later, when the shed was complete and stocked, we dug a hole on either side of the entrance, put the roots into the holes, poured the goopy mixture across the threshold between the two roots, and filled in the holes: anchored barrier—the “unwelcome” mat.
The intense zap that resulted from the cauldron soaking is still going strong eight years later. Recently a new member of the group closed the old padlock on the shed door, and we discovered that none of us could remember the combination to open it. We honestly had never bothered to lock the door in all of those years. To do so would have been redundant.
Angus McMahan
Angus McMahan is a gregarious
solitary who can usually be found
playing strange drums strangely.
He also writes down words on occasion. •
www.angus-land.com
Cauldron Magick FAQ
Let’s look at some common questions about cauldrons.
Does Your Cauldron Have a Memory?
Myth: The cauldron can hold a memory of every kind of magick ever performed in it, so be careful what kind of magick you do.
First off, every kind of magick has positive and negative consequences, regardless of your initial intent. Unless the cauldron was crafted from scratch with a specific intention in mind, it can always be cleansed—physically and metaphysically. You should be more concerned with physically mixing activities that don’t agree with each other—such as cooking meals and mixing flying ointments in the same cauldron without proper washing (and even then I would recommend using different cauldrons). If you believe your cauldron holds a memory of every thing that was ever done in it, then I would be far more concerned about the time you overcooked the pasta than the intention of your working.
Do You Need to Cast a Magick Circle First
Before Doing a Spell?
It depends on the practitioner, what the work is, and where the spellcraft is being done:
• If you blessed your home and/or have a specific area that you always work in, then you’ve already established that space as sacred.
• If you have to do a spell somewhere you don’t normally work, then it’s a good idea to cast a circle to define that space for the time of the working. Some practitioners can simply do this in their mind, and it stems from pulling in the sense of their own space wherever they are.
• If you’re doing the kind of magick where you’re summoning spirits, entities, and so forth in a ceremonial sense, then, yes, casting a circle first is generally a good idea, but pretty much everything in this book is focused on practical magick. If you’re doing extensive divining work that involves ancestors, spirits, and other beings, then it may be wise to take that extra step.