While the word “cauldron” may bring to mind images of Shakespeare’s three witches tossing all kinds of animal parts into a boiling stew for evil purposes, the cauldron is really a symbol of the Goddess and the creative forces of transformation.
Cauldrons appear in many ancient Celtic myths in connection with magical occurrences and continue to influence Witchcraft today.
Associated with the element of water, the cauldron may hold magically charged ingredients for a potion or may be used to allow spell candles to burn out.
It can also be filled with fresh water and used for scrying.
Cast iron is considered the cauldron’s ideal material, though other metals are often used.
Most rest on three legs, with the opening of the cauldron having a smaller diameter than the widest part of the bowl.
Cauldrons can be anywhere from a few inches to a few feet across in diameter, though larger sizes may be considered impractical.
While some Witches may actually brew a magical potion right in the cauldron, the practical constraints of lighting a safe indoor fire underneath it tend to limit this use—often, the “brewing” aspect of the magic is symbolic rather than literal