Using Sound to Connect with Your Cauldrons

     I said I would talk about how I use sound in working with my cauldrons, and as promised, this is that post. Here, we are going to dawdle into the wonders of sound and how they help me in my ruminations, meditations, and rituals. 

   

    I start off either in a quiet room or outside in a quiet space where I won't be bothered by anyone and I won't bother them. There are many tools of sound you can use, and even though I am going to talk on specific notes/hertz, sounds resonate differently within everyone and what works for me may not work for you. I am always trying out different tools, instruments, and hertz to find what resonates best with me. At the time of writing this, what resonates with me are three quartz bowls - C, F, B notes, a brass Tibetan bowl in 963hz (frequency of the gods), my Silver Branch, and oftentimes a drum. 

    In my research and practice, I have found that the Cauldron of Warming resonates well with the C bowl, the Cauldron of Motion resonates with the F bowl, and the Cauldron of Wisdom resonates with the B bowl. I have bowls that are the same notes, but different ranges. I typically try to use the ones that are all in the same range when working on specific things. So, for this exercise/meditation, I use the ones that are mid-range. 

    I start my journey off by sitting, surrounded by my instruments, and taking slow, deep, methodical breaths. I allow myself to ground and connect to the Earth. I do this for as long as needed, and when I feel I am ready, I pick up my Silver Branch and begin to shake it - allowing the bells to ring out in the silence. Sometimes it is only a few shakes, others I continue on for several minutes. There is no set time or count; you do what feels right each time.  Once I feel ready to move on, I lay the Branch down and will strike my Tibetan bowl, letting the resonance wash over me. As the sound quiets to a whisper, I will strike it again, repeating this process at total of three times. Once the sound from the last strike starts to quiet, I will strike the C bowl. 
    As my mallet circles the bowl and it begins to sing, I focus on my Cauldron of Warming. I see it in my mind's eye. I watch the contents as I allow the bowl to grow louder - the flames around my Cauldron growing and the contents bubbling. Depending on what my Cauldron needs, I will keep it at a boil, or allow the bowl to quiet to calm the contents. 
    When I am satisfied with the work of that Cauldron, I will move on to the Cauldron of Motion, striking the F bowl and going through the same process. Once that one is satisfied, I move on to the Cauldron of Wisdom, striking the B bowl and once again repeating the process. 
    If you only wish to focus on your Cauldrons for this journey, you can repeat going through the bowls one by one until you are satisfied, then simply let the bowls quiet. If you wish to go further on your journey, you may allow yourself to move into a flow state, letting the contents of the Cauldrons mix and swirl. For this, I swap between bowls, playing two or more together to create a mixed resonance. I feel the connection to the three realms of Earth, Sea, and Sky. I let myself feel and enjoy being connected on an ethereal level. 
    When you are finished, allow your bowls to slowly quiet. Pick your Silver Branch back up and close out your journey.
    You can go further; to explore the Three Circles of Existence in the Otherworlds. This, however, is a very deep soul journey that not everyone is ready for. This can show you things that you have pushed deep within you, or it can show you things that lie ahead for you. It can open your eyes to things of this Universe that you never thought possible. It is not something everyone does or enjoys though. I, personally, love journeying to the Otherworlds. Just be cautious when you do so and do not do so until you are sure you are ready. Spiritual psychosis is real and can happen in any belief system or spirituality. Perhaps I will talk more on traveling in another post, but for now, we will stick with focusing on the Cauldrons and the three realms. 

    When you have finished your journey and everything is silent, wiggle your toes, roll your shoulders, and take in three deep breaths. On the last exhale, open your eyes and fully come back. Hopefully, you have connected with your Cauldrons on an ethereal level and are now more in tune with them and the three realms. 

    You do not have to use sound to connect to your Cauldrons. You can use the exercise mentioned in the post on the Three Cauldrons, or you can make up your own. Dawdle about and find what works for you. 

My Druid Tools

    Modern Druids do not have a guidebook that says "this is how you Druid." All we have is self exploration and looking at history as best we can. We don't know exactly what the Druids of old did, all we can do is go with what our intuition says and work with the energies we have. Since we don't have any true written history of what tools Druids used and how they used them, it's been more of a looking at the lore and deciding what seems logical. In my practice I don't go overboard with tools and things. The simpler the better. There are several resources out there that go into detail about the tools I will speak on, and may talk of other tools. This is just to give you an idea of what I use. (I will attach images to give you a visual. Some of them are mine, others are ones found or shown to me.)

Staff - Most often made from wood, the staff is used for protection or setting your space. If you stick it in the ground, you can use the shadow to give you a precise area of measurement. The staff can also be used to keep records by carving things into it. Most practically, though, it is used whilst walking through the woods. Making your own staff /finding it is great. While going for a walk in the forest, see if there is a branch that calls out to you. However, never take it without asking permission, thanking the tree, and leaving an offering. You can decorate the staff with crystals, antlers, twine, paint... or leave it natural. Each staff is unique to its owner. Before using it, cleanse it so that it is ready to bond fully with you. Your staff will store your energy and align to it. Make sure you spend time with it - meditate and take it out walking with you. Your staff can be made very intricate, or plain and simple. No matter what it looks like, it will become an extension of you. 

Dagger or Sickle - In lore, it was written that a Druid used a golden sickle. As we do not have concrete historical evidence of this, you can choose to stay with lore and use a sickle, or just use a dagger... or even a knife. The main need of these tools is to have something sharp to cut things - fairly simple, right? Out in the woods foraging and need to cut something free? Grab your dagger/sickle/knife. In choosing your desired sharp tool, make sure that it calls to you. Once you acquire it, cleanse it, and bring it along with you so that you can bond with it as well. 

Silver Branch/Silver  - Symbolizing the Upper World, this tool is used for ceremonies, rituals, and otherworldly traveling. Typically shaped from the branch of an apple tree, this tool will have bells attached to it. Whereas there is no set number of bells, some prefer 3 or 9. This is whatever feels right to you. Shake the branch so that the bells ring out and this can aid in getting you into your trance/meditation state so that you can travel. 

    Again, these are just my main three tools I use. You can have more if you so desire. I also have a bag that I carry around, because you never know when a foraging adventure might come about. If you are able to hand-make these tools that is great, but buying from an artisan is perfectly fine as well. Just be sure to cleanse whatever you purchase and bond with it. Your practice is your own, don't be afraid to try things your way and make your own guidebook. 

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.