Cauldron Meaning and magickal uses
Also called Witch's pot
The iron pot of transformation, used for burning, brewing and blending spell ingredients.
- Intentions
- New Beginnings, Banishing, Wisdom
- Element
- Water
- Planet
- The Moon
- On the altar
- Left side, the front, or on the floor beside the altar
- Made of
- Cast iron, with three legs
How to use it
- Burn and release
Write what you want to let go of on a small slip of paper, light it from a candle and drop it into the cauldron to burn out. Bury or scatter the cooled ash outdoors.
- Mix a spell blend
Stir dried herbs together in the cauldron with a spoon, clockwise to bring something in or counterclockwise to send something away, while you speak your intention.
- Hold your incense
Fill the cauldron halfway with sand and use it as a safe, heat-proof bowl for charcoal discs, loose incense and sticks.
Works well with
Substitutes
History and folklore
Cauldrons were the everyday cooking pots of the old world, so they gathered stories. In Welsh legend the goddess Cerridwen brewed a cauldron of wisdom, and the Irish Dagda owned one that never ran empty. Shakespeare's witches in Macbeth fixed the image of witches around a bubbling pot. In Wicca the cauldron is the Goddess's womb, where things are changed and reborn.
The iron pot of transformation, used for burning, brewing and blending spell ingredients.
- Intentions: New Beginnings, Banishing, Wisdom
- Element: Water
- Planet: The Moon
- On the altar: Left side, the front, or on the floor beside the altar
- Made of: Cast iron, with three legs
Safety: Cast iron gets very hot. Set it on a heat-proof surface or tile, keep water nearby when burning anything, and never leave a fire in it unattended.
How to use it
- Burn and release. Write what you want to let go of on a small slip of paper, light it from a candle and drop it into the cauldron to burn out. Bury or scatter the cooled ash outdoors.
- Mix a spell blend. Stir dried herbs together in the cauldron with a spoon, clockwise to bring something in or counterclockwise to send something away, while you speak your intention.
- Hold your incense. Fill the cauldron halfway with sand and use it as a safe, heat-proof bowl for charcoal discs, loose incense and sticks.
Works well with: Samhain, New Moon, Mugwort, Obsidian, Black Candle
Folklore
Cauldrons were the everyday cooking pots of the old world, so they gathered stories. In Welsh legend the goddess Cerridwen brewed a cauldron of wisdom, and the Irish Dagda owned one that never ran empty. Shakespeare's witches in Macbeth fixed the image of witches around a bubbling pot. In Wicca the cauldron is the Goddess's womb, where things are changed and reborn.
The Witch's Cabinet is a free reference for your practice. Correspondences are traditional associations, not medical advice. Always follow the safety notes, especially with herbs and essential oils around children, pets and during pregnancy.