Witch's Cauldron

Laura Tempest Zakroff can be described as a professional artist, author, dancer, designer, muse, mythpunk, teacher, and witch. She holds a BFA from RISD (The Rhode Island of Design) and her artwork has received awards and honors worldwide. Her work embodies myth and the esoteric through her drawings and paintings, jewelry, talismans, and other designs. As Tempest, she has been a major pioneer of fusion bellydance for over fifteen years. Her fascination with sacred and ritual dance lead her to bellydance, and she strives to help others connect mind, body, and spirit through movement. Laura has been a practicing Modern Traditional Witch for over two decades and revels in the intersection of her various paths with witchcraft. She blogs for Patheos as A Modern Traditional Witch, Witches & Pagans as Fine Art Witchery, and contributes to The Witches' Almanac. The Witch's Cauldron is her first book, with a second book on sigil witchery due out in 2018. Laura resides in Seattle, Washington, with her partner Nathaniel Johnstone and at least three cats. Find out more at www.lauratempestzakroff.com

• ContentsThe Modern Traditional Witch Perspective 1Introduction 51: Meet the Cauldron 9Defining the Cauldron 9Cauldron Basics 12Unpacking Symbolism 13The Nine Uses of the Cauldron 15Word Play 18 2: Gather Round—The Cauldron in History & Myth 21The Hidden Cauldron 22The History and Development of the Cauldron 23Fabulous Feasting Cauldrons from History 26Sacrificial and Sacred Cauldrons 30The Cauldron Game 35The Mythic Cauldron 36The Cauldron and the Divine Feminine 36Stirring the Cauldron: The Cauldron of Inspiration, by Gwion Raven 39Not Just for the Ladies 49Stirring the Cauldron: A Heathen’s Cauldron, by Sarah Bennett 57The Questing Cauldrons 60Trial by Fire: The Boiling Cauldrons 67Pop-Culture Cauldrons and Mythology 693: The Practical Cauldron 71The Shapely Cauldron 72Makes and Metals 73The Non-Metals 76Choosing the Right Cauldron for You 77Making Your Own Cauldron 81Choosing a Time to Make Your Cauldron 85Purchasing Your Own Cauldron 924: Getting Started 97How to Cleanse Your Cauldron 97Welcoming a Cauldron 101Blessing a Cauldron 102Stirring the Cauldron: Consecrating Your Cauldron, by Andrew Theitic 106The Consecrated Cauldron 108Attuning Your Cauldron 109Care and Feeding of Cauldrons 109Seasoning Your Cast-Iron Cauldron 112When Tragedy Befalls Your Cast-Iron Cauldron 113The Working Space Around Your Cauldron 115Cauldron Safety: Brewing Danger 116Stirring the cauldron: The Cauldron as Burning Pot, by Rev. Philipp J. Kessler 1225: In the Circle—Ritual Arts 125What Is Ritual? 125The Cauldron’s Place in Ritual 127The Cauldron as an Altar 128Consecrating Your Cauldron 129Folklore: Gateway to the Gods 131Ritual Markers 132Invoking Deities and Spirits 142The Cauldron as a Working Focal Point 143Jumping the Cauldron 145The Cauldron as Part of the Great Rite 146Stirring the Cauldron: A Samhain Rite, by Storm Black 1486: Making Magick—Spellcraft & the Cauldron 151What Is Magick? 151Magick and Morality 153Personal Power 154Sympathetic Magick and All That Stuff 155A Selection of Cauldron Spells 156Stirring the Cauldron: A Spell for Inspiratio, by Jason Mankey 166Stirring the cauldron: Soaking a Spell, Angus McMahan 170Cauldron Magick FAQ 1717: The Seer’s Cauldron 175The Ancient Art of Divination 175Before You Start Performing Divination: To Use Ritual or Not? 179Scrying the Dark Mirror 180The Dice Cup 185The Flaming Cauldron 188On Chants, Chanting, and Music 1998: Thinking Outside the Cauldron 201 Cauldron Cousins and the Unconventional Cauldron 201The Blessed Bathtub 203The Wondrous Washing Machine 209Tea Cup and Kettle 211Crock-Pot and Kitchen Witchery 214Stirring the Cauldron: Samhain Harvest Soup, by Meredith Spies 218The Stove and Oven: The New Hearth 221Stirring the Cauldron: Two Cauldron Recipes, by Diana Ewing 2269: The Spiritual Cauldron 231The Cauldron of Poesy 231The Cauldron Born 235Trance Meditation 236The Inner Cauldrons Meditation 238The Ultimate Cauldron 242In Conclusion: Putting the Lid on the Cauldron 247Acknowledgments 249Bibliography 251Recommended Reading & Resources 255

"The Witch's Cauldron is a delightful, practical, insightful, creative resource book that demonstrates the ins and outs of one of Witchcraft's most iconic tools...You will be surprised and enchanted by how very much there is to know about this practical, magical, mystical device."—Molly Remer for SageWoman