The Three Cauldrons

 Many cultures have a way of describing how energy and events effect the mind and body. I have studied the chakras and balancing of them, and am a certified Reiki master. The Three Cauldrons are a similar way of looking at the energy centers of your body. 

    I love working with chakras and the methodologies of them, but never felt as connected to the workings as I did when I started working with the Three Cauldrons. Whereas, the chakra system focuses on the 7 main ones (root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third, eye, and crown), the Three Cauldrons are just that - 3 points. 

    It is an old Irish mystical teaching that came from the poem The Cauldron of Poesy by Amirgen White-Knee . In this poem, the three cauldrons are described - Cauldron of Warming, Cauldron of Motion, and the Cauldron of Wisdom. (You can read the poem here. This has the original language and English translation.) Each cauldron is an energy center that connects to different aspects of our lives. In getting the cauldrons upright and full, we balance our energy and life. 

    The Cauldrons are closely connected to the Three Celtic Realms of Earth, Sea, and Sky as well as the Three Otherworldly Realms of Annwn, Abred, and Gwynfyd. 

    When working with your cauldrons, if you are familiar with the Chakra system, it is important to remember that whereas Chakras are swirling energy wheels, the Cauldrons are vessels that hold/pour different substances. Think of them exactly as a cauldron. What do you do with a cauldron? You boil, heat, or brew. Therefore, you are brewing your health, talents, wisdom, and emotions. 

    Looking at the diagram above, you can see the position for the Cauldrons. I have created the table shown below to show you what each cauldron holds.

* Cauldron of Warming - located in the lower abdomen, it is the only one that is upright from birth. It being upright is necessary for maintaining your health and basic survival. It may tip or turn upside down if you have a severe illness or have a near-death experience. 

    - It is located where people tend to feel their "gut feeling." 

    - This is where are vitality comes from.

    - The stomach/intestines have been found to be a sort of second nervous system, which is why you feel things like "butterflies" in your stomach, or when you are shocked/scared you get that "pit" feeling. 

    - When you are feeling ill, your life force/energy is depleted, therefore your cauldron will not be full. 

* Cauldron of Motion - located in the chest/heart area. When we are born, it is laying on its side since we are born with basic emotions and we learn things like happiness, sorrow, anger, etc. As we mature, our cauldron can be tilted right side up.

    - The more in touch and honest we are about our feelings and emotions, understanding why we feel the way we do and working on balancing those, the more the cauldron will tilt itself upright and fill. 

    - People who haven't experienced an array of emotions from sorrow to joy will tend to have their cauldron stay on its side. 

    - Those who have experienced sorrow and joy (sorrows: grief, jealousy, longing / joys - artistic creation, wisdom, sexual intimacy) will find their cauldron upright and full. 

    - This cauldron focuses on how you connect to the world, nature, and humanity. 

    - When on its side we tend to be withdrawn, but when upright, we are full of joy and want to share with the world. Even being sorrowful, we can want to reach out for comfort. When full of joy, we want to spread that, which can deepen connections. 

* Cauldron of Wisdom - located in the head, this cauldron is upside down when we are born as we are born knowing nothing, a blank book to be written. 

    - Through studying, practice, and understanding, we can begin to move the cauldron upright. 

    - Being close-minded will keep your cauldron upside down.

    - Your cauldron will tilt and fill if you connect to your divine joy - meditation, connecting to your deep thoughts, transcendence. 

    - If you wish to deepen your spiritual practices by connecting to the deity of your choosing, doing rituals, chants or singing to connect or deepen to your inner world and worlds unseen this will also help in uprighting your cauldron. 

    - Deepening your connection to nature. 

    Your cauldrons are special and unique to you. They can be made out of any material and have any design. An exercise to visualize what your cauldron looks like and to feel what state is in is this:

    Place your hands over the area of the cauldron you wish to focus on (head, heart, abdomen). Close your eyes and feel the energy within. Visualize what your cauldron looks like. Is it made of iron, copper, glass, etc? What color is it? Are there symbols or markings on it? Is it a standard size cauldron or is it large? Small? Does it look old or new? Is it well cared for and clean, or is it rusted and in need of care? 

    Once you have determined what your cauldron looks like, take a step back in your mind's eye. Is the cauldron upright? Is it tilted slightly or completely upside down? 

    Is there a fire under your cauldron? Is it a big or little fire? Is the cauldron sitting directly on the flames, or is it held up by something like a branch, or an metal hook? 

    Now look closer at your cauldron again. Look inside. What do you see? Is it empty? Are there colors? Are there shapes? What does the contents make you feel? 

    That exercise is just something to help you visualize what your unique cauldron looks like, and the state it is in so that you can start to work on making sure it stays upright and full for optimal health and happiness. 

    I also like to use sound when I am checking in on mine. I will sometimes start off my mediation with my silver branch and will use sound bowls that correspond to each cauldron. (I will make another post on that topic.)

    Once you have started working with your cauldrons, it is good practice to check in with them to see how you are doing. Pick a time of day and do the practice above. If your cauldrons are upright, feel them to see if they are warm, hot, or cold. 

   If your Cauldron of Warming feels cold, perhaps you are not feeling the best and have an illness coming on. You will have to learn what the different temperatures would mean for your unique body. For example, mine feels hot and bubbling when I have just finished a good workout and my body knows we are working on staying healthy, and it feels cool/cold when I am having a health flare up or one is on the way. The same goes for the other Cauldrons. Different temperatures and looks of the contents will give you an insight into your health and overall wellness. 

    The contents of your Cauldrons can shift and change throughout your life. An example would be that maybe you are trying to un-learn things you were taught as a child that may not align with your views now. Perhaps those things did not benefit humanity, and only caused division. They might even be causing your Cauldron to tilt, or hinder it from sitting upright fully. This was the case for me, and in this way, I went into my mind's eye and visualized myself scooping out the contents that no longer aligned with me and poured them out. In this way, I am able to open up the space for new learning that will align better with where I am at that point in my life. 

   

    **As with everything I post, these are my personal opinions and views for my own Druidic practice. They may align with yours, and they may not. Everyone's path is different, and we can learn and grow from each other.**

The Awen

     If you are a Druid, wanting to become a Druid, or are just curious about us, you've heard the word awen used. If you're new, awen, loosely translated from Welsh, means flowing spirit or flowering inspiration. Awen is an opening of one's self, soul, or essence in order to truly see everything for what it is and for what is hidden. When we are truly open, we can receive divine gifts, and our inspiration can flow. In order for awen to exist, we must form a relationship -whether that be with nature or a deity. When we release ourselves into the flow of awen we can find ourselves immersed in enlightenment and inspiration. Awen is an awareness - something that is not only on a physical or mental level, but one that connects to your very essence or soul. 

    The Welsh tale of Cerridwen and her cauldron (linked here) tells of three drops of awen falling onto Gwion's finger and giving him wisdom in poetic form, the gift of prophecy, and shapeshifting.  Though Gwion's new gifts were short-lived, as he was swallowed by Cerridwen, he was reborn as the greatest Bard the world will ever see - Taliesin. 

    Taliesin wrote of the awen in one of his poems:

    

I shall sing of the awen, which

I shall obtain from the abyss

Through the awen, though it were mute

I know of its great impulses

I know when it minishes;

I know when it wells up;

I know when it flows;

I know when it overflows. 

- Taliesin, "The Festival" from the Book of Taliesin

       When opening or closing rituals, many Druids choose to chant or sing the awen. When done this way, it is drawn out and given three syllables making it sound like ah-oo-wen. 

    The symbol of awen was designed by the 18th-19th century Druid revivalist, lolo Morganwg. It is made of three lines falling to the left, center, and right. Modern Druidry incorporates the original source point of three dots - seen as either drops from the cauldron of Cerridwen or points of light. Modern Druids interpret the lines differently, seeing the them as relating to either earth, sea, and air, or body, mind and spirit, or love, wisdom, and truth. Some also believe that it is an inspiration for truth and without it, you cannot proclaim truth.  It represents the triple nature of the Druid path and the paths of Bard, Ovate, and Druid. The symbol may not be ancient, but it is widely used for Druids around the world.    

    The quest for awen is a quest for the very spirit of Druidry. Every Druid will see it differently and it often can bring together many paths. So, as you can tell, the awen isn't anything physical perse. It is something that flows within you and through you. Once you discover awen, you will realize that it is not just an experience, but a meditative and magical process. 

To Dawdle is to Enjoy

        I'm sure we've all heard someone tell us "stop dawdling, you're going to be late" at some point in our life. I certainly have. The definition of dawdle is "waste time; be slow" or "move slowly and idly" As someone with ADHD, dawdling is a fact of life for me, but in truth, everyone should dawdle mindfully. 

    Dawdle mindfully? Yes. 

    Take your time in getting from point A to B. Don't worry about how long it takes to get there, just enjoy the adventure and seek out all you can. Life is nothing but one big adventure anyway, so why not enjoy it? 

    My path has gone all over the place and has led me through many belief systems, and helped me to cross paths with all kinds of people -  some I am still in contact with, others chose a different path. I absolutely love reading and studying about different beliefs and religions and all their different traditions. I also find it interesting to learn about their rituals and traditions. 

    Dawdling through life led me to my current path - the path of the Druid. 

    Druidism has been around for a very long time, quite possibly longer than anyone could imagine. Unfortunately, much of the history was erased when Christianity came onto the scene, but there has been a growth recently of people rejoining the Druid way of life. 

    Druidism can be spiritual or religious. You can worship one, many, or no deities at all. Druidism mainly emphasizes on the connection to nature and all living things. The Druids of old were a high-ranking class of religious leaders, judges, and teachers in the ancient Celtic societies. They were known as great spiritual practitioners. They believed nature was sacred and divine, and that every part of nature was connected to this wonderful web of life. They would practice rituals that revolved around the changing of the seasons - spring equinox, summer solstice, autumn equinox, and winter solstice. 

    Whereas, modern Druids are no longer advisors to Kings, Queens, and Chieftains, they are still in very high regard in certain circles. Some practice with their Order, others prefer a solitary practice - often referred to as Hedge Druids. 

    For me, being a Druid is about regaining that deep connection to nature. It's something so basic that so many people have lost. In connecting back to nature, we can relieve many of today's ailments, either by mindfulness or the re-learning of using the medicinal gifts nature has given to us. I absolutely still rely on modern medicine and sciences, but so many medicines have failed me with things like my anxiety. Where modern medicine failed, nature has thrived. If I'm feeling overly anxious, or have just had a really bad day, I can go outside, stick my bare feet on the ground and just walk around, grounding, and sending all that negative energy and thoughts into the earth to be transmuted into something good. The use of herbs has also been beneficial in helping me through this world of man-made chaos. However, the one thing that has helped me to enjoy life again is dawdling. 

    Dawdling helped me discover my Druid path, it helped me discover new knowledge, and it has helped me truly enjoy things. Now, don't go dawdling all the time and make yourself late to important events, but when appropriate, dawdle away. Take time to enjoy the scenery, let your imagination take flight. When we dawdle, we allow ourselves to slow down, and in slowing down we can become more self-aware of ourselves, nature, and what is around us... and we can actually enjoy it. 

    I encourage everyone to dawdle, even if it's just for a moment, because to dawdle is to enjoy.