Cauldron of warming.

I have begun to see a theme recently within my Druidry and occult practices. I follow the work of an artist that has been producing some amazing art with the male figure and the ideas of occultism...... http://allanspiers.com/sabbath ( follow this link to take a look, be warned that it is a wee bit rude :P). This work is a demonstration of the strength you need in magick, both as physical and as spiritual. In Magick you need to be strong, you need to be able to put enough effort in to your will to be able to have that return from your Magick. Bear in mind this isn't to say that unless you are buff you can't do Magick. No it is to say that no occultist worth their salt could be described as weak of mind, conviction, or faith there is a strength in Magick that is needed for success.

Anyway the point I was making and how it is tied in to my practice is that recently I have been going to the gym and following a diet plan. This isn't strict but it's also a work in progress, much like everything we do I suppose. Anyway, the reason for going to the gym and following this diet is simple. The more powerful my body is then the more I can put in to my Magick therefore increasing my success and the extent of my magickal will. This is also a practice that will help other areas of my life too. Work, love and family life will be easier and healthier if I have the strength and vitality to handle it all.

So today whilst I was going hell for leather on the rowing machine I was bored senseless due to the lack of music so I decided to just row, shut my eyes, and see what would happen. Inspiration struck as I began to row harder and harder and without the visual input I could feel the heat of my body rising and getting hotter and hotter. I was totally focused on my body and its movements. Before long I began to imagine a cauldron before me and a great fire beneath it (it just apeared, right there in my mind.....pop!!!!). Just like Cerridwen's cauldron which was used to brew the elixir of Awen for her ugly son. I could see clearly the fire in my body fuelling the inspiration inside and growing giving it strength. Every pull on the machine was like a breath of life to the fire and it made my vision heave with strength. It was a great visualisation and worked to keep me entertained during my workout hahaha.

So all this stuff has been going on, checking out some awesome artwork that's been inspiring me to get fit and connect to deity through my body, then working on my Druidry and the different cauldrons of the three worlds and of the body. All this stuff being done but I'm still surprised to find that during my study time I open up a book and read a translation of Irish works that talks about the cauldron of warming........ :-o ....... This caldrons is used to fuel creativity and the more you use it and the stronger it gets the more powerful your creativity.............. Well it took me by surprise and I couldn't help but think I needed to write this down and remember that we can only realise our potential if we work to unlock and release it :D.

At last I think the message has sunk in and I can't wait to work with these principals and see what new revelations occur. :D

Swimming through the sunlight

There was an amazing opportunity on Tuesday to do some outdoor ritual. It's really cold and mostly miserable right now but on Tuesday there was a break in the cloud and the sun shone down on the shire with almost if not definite magickal effect. I took this chance to invite my friend Rhiannon to come and collect some sacred well water with me. I mean why the hell not, it's not very often we have a pleasant day in Feb haha.

So traveling to the shire we visited a sacred spring that sits under the ruins of an old church. It was stunning as the ground and graves were littered with snowdrops and the air although crisp from the cold was softened with the warmth of the low early spring sun. It was an opportunity to flex my Druid ritualist muscles and whilst collecting the water pay homage to the ancestors and the kindred of the three realms of land, sea, and sky. Something that has been a research focus this past few months.

As we were there collecting water it seemed obvious to offer the spirits hazel nuts (well maybe it's not that obvious but being a Druid has its qwerks). These were to symbolise the great hazel trees that feed the salmon of wisdom. So we made three offering before collecting the water, first to the realm of  Abred 1 nut was placed upon the land, second to the realm of Gwynvyd 1 nut was placed upon the charcoal, then third to the realm of Annwn 1 nut was dropped in to the water. With that we gave our blessings and collected the water from the spring and asked the spirits to share the powers of the spring with our brothers and sisters who would join in the waters we had collected.

With the collection made we decided to spend the rest of our nuts on the local spirits. We offered nuts to the ancestors at the graves, to the kindred in the trees and snowdrops of the land and then to the great stones of the ruins and the memory of the sacred spirituality that without whom we wouldn't know of this place. There was Magick in the air at every moment that seemed to to move about us like mist through strands of sunlight.

It was simplicity but it was magick. The time me and my sister in the craft spent there was truly enchanting and the spirits certainly accepted our offerings. When the time came to work with the waters we had collected for ritual, our Augur Cerridwen read the tarot. The spirits were pleased and although they gave poignant advice and hard truth through the cards the overall message was clear. Our offerings and the work we had done at the well had been (just as I had hoped) right and worthily accepted.

This is a whole new chapter, a great new beginning and I hope others that share this journey with me can hear the whispers of the kindred spirits.

Kai :D xxxx