Desert Magick Podcast: Curating A Cauldron

In any sense—be it physical, spiritual, or magickal—a cauldron is an instrument of transformation. How we choose to fill such a cauldron calls us to act with mindfulness and great care because the magick we seek to create around us is attached to that which is within us.

Credit for show intro: Catherine D.

Transcript

Bringing olden ways to modern days, For Wiccans, Witches, Pagans, And all who honor a nature-based path. This is Desert Magic with Crow Moon. Merry Meet, And welcome back to another episode of Desert Magic. Coming to you from the beautiful and magical desert of southern Arizona. My name is Crow Moon, And I'm your host. Magic is real. Magic is powerful. Magic is amazing, Mainly to those just starting out in the craft. For long-time practitioners, However, Magic becomes more real than amazing. This is because magic is real. In the beginning, It's much like getting a new kitchen gadget. The first several times you use it, It amazes you. The amazement diminishes with your awareness of the fact that it's doing exactly what it's supposed to do. Thus is the case with magic. Practitioners of magic have been given many titles over the years. Sorcerer, Magician, Wizard, Witch. All of these have varying degrees of accuracy, But I would go so far as to suggest that a very accurate name or title would be that of a curator. Those of us who practice the craft know how to push the hand of fate, So to speak. More specifically, We have a great understanding of how to work with our surroundings, Especially from an energetic standpoint. We do this by working with the energy that is all around us. This is something that anyone is capable of doing if they apply themselves, But it does require a bit of fine-tuning. In my opinion, This is most effectively accomplished through proper curation. So what, Exactly, Are we curating? Everything. Practitioners of the craft call upon what is at their disposal, What they have curated or collected. This can include knowledge, Experience, And time itself. Again, This is something that anyone can do, And pretty much everyone does, With or without being aware of it. For those of us who practice magic, What we curate is just as important as what we do with it. In several of my talks and courses, I've referenced the Cauldron of Posey, A mythical Celtic teaching that was transcribed in the 14th century. It points to three energy centers in the body, Referring to them as cauldrons. The three cauldrons, Or energy centers, Represented by cauldrons, Are filled by us over the course of a lifetime. As with all of us, We are able to draw upon what is within them. We cannot draw upon what is not there. For those of you with a background in information technology, You know quite well that when a query is written or run, It can only select data from a source if the desired data actually exists within the source. If the data is missing, It will also be missing on any reports you might run. On the other hand, If said data exists, But it is inaccurate, That, Too, Will appear. Your cauldron, Or your cauldrons, Are a database. Performing magic is a query. The results of any working you perform are your report. Let's look at the cauldron itself for just a moment. Whether it's being used for cooking or magic, The cauldron is a tool or instrument of transformation. Therefore, The ingredients matter, As does the energy from ourselves, Which we put into selecting, Blending, Stirring, And cooking. Curating. We can transform anything that is within the cauldron. That said, Certain things shouldn't have to be transformed because they should not be in the cauldron to begin with. If I'm making a pot of tomato soup, And I, For whatever reason, Toss in a scoop of chocolate ice cream, I can transform the soup into something palatable. Some people might even try a spoonful and think it's actually good. But whether or not they ever know that the ice cream was added, And I can't imagine there's much chance of this going completely unnoticed, I will always know that it was there. Furthermore, It should have never been in there in the first place, Because all it does is compete with my objective, And it will continue to do this despite my best efforts to cover it up. Why, Then, Would we ever add ingredients to our energetic and spiritual cauldrons that not only aren't part of the recipe, But are, By design, Going to conflict with it? Sadly, All of us do this every day, Again, Regardless of whether or not we're actually aware of it. And I'm sorry to say that the elephant in the room is a forced overconsumption of information that has now become the societal norm, Due in great part to the device you're most likely currently using to listen to this. We are not designed to constantly consume, Process, Evaluate, Or react to information, Be it news, Opinions, And so forth, At every waking moment of every day. We've come to a point where we search for answers online before ever considering to search for them within ourselves, Which is where our personal truth resides. And when we do finally get around to looking inward, We are astounded by what we discover. It is because of this way of thinking that many find magic to be amazing, Yet it's so basic and right in front of us all the time. It isn't good for us to be constantly bombarded by any sort of information, But this is compounded by and made even worse when the external information is not helpful. So much is being presented to us under the guise of helpful information, But it's anything but that beneath the surface. In fact, I think it would be a travesty to label it as knowledge rather than information, Because it isn't. We aren't gaining any ground by consuming that which has been fabricated, And in many cases twisted, In such a way that its purpose is not to inform as much as it is to generate hysteria. This is not just the news, Although that's a huge culprit. Any information that does not serve us well or contribute to our highest good amounts to an ingredient that threatens to ruin our recipe. If it isn't any of our business, Then it should be left alone as such. More often than not, That which is presented to us is not constructive, It isn't helpful, And it usually does not fall under the category of knowledge. I've said many times that Wiccans don't believe, We know. A great and reliable source of knowing comes from our internal guidance. The challenge now, Unfortunately, Is finding the ability to tap into that knowledge without first tapping an app. I'm not at all suggesting that anyone should stick their head in the sand and live their life in a state of blissful ignorance. That can be just as damaging from the opposite end of the spectrum. Regardless of what we do, It's just about impossible to avoid hearing things altogether, But hearing something without dwelling on it is very doable. There are so many people who are simply incapable of walking from point A to point B without their eyes glued to their phone. This is especially heartbreaking to me when I observe this behavior in couples while they are walking alongside each other. Notice I did not say that they are walking together, Because they're anything but together. They're not even aware of each other. They're not even aware of themselves as individuals. Have the courage to tune into yourself. Have the courage to listen to yourself and to give what you hear fair consideration before seeking a blessing for it from something that is only capable of compiling opinions. Always be mindful of the fact that you are perpetually curating your cauldron. If you're ever unsure as to what should be added to it, Just ask your best friend, Yourself. Until next time, The crow flies from me to thee to send the message, Blessed Be.