A Note on Inspiration
Central to the theme of the tale is the imbibing of Awen, a facet of which is inspiration. With that in mind, a major aspect of this ritual must be led by inspiration. The ritual format presented here acts only as a framework, a loose skeleton that you clothe by means of your own connection. It would be pointless for you to follow a rigorous set ritual without incorporating the primary tenet of its function: inspiration.
I can imagine that you have begun to format the manner by which this rite will be put to practise; perhaps it will serve to deepen your connection to the prophet or the Goddess. It may serve your tribe, grove, or coven as an intense, year-long working practise. Whatever the intent or idea, do make room for inspiration. As previously stated, none of the suggestions presented here are written in stone; they are as fluid as Awen itself.
Over the years, I have received several reports from groups and individuals who have practised the rite, and they all differ. Some of them retain a beautiful simplicity whilst others are elegantly dramatic. Some groups developed chants and mantras taken from the Book of Taliesin to utilise whilst casting their ingredients into the cauldron, and others developed meditative journeys to accompany the acts. Take your inspiration from this; sing to the items that are cast into the potion, and be a part of the process as much as is humanly possible. The ritual climax should reflect the dedication, devotion, and commitment you have put into this rite during the previous twelve months. You bring to this ritual your progress and myriad beings and spirits that will have followed your course. Your journal will be crammed with intricate details of plants and landscape. These are your allies; these are the friends that impart their wisdom and magic into the sacred brew. Acknowledge them as such.
Be aware of yourself and what you bring to the rite; after all, a great proportion of the brew and the magic it contains are derived from your efforts and commitment. Imagine the sheer vitality of power and inspiration the brew holds in a group setting, where several people have been immersed in a single, collective experience to achieve a singular goal.
Be inspired, be led by the spirits of your locality, and sing in praise of the gods. Enjoy the experience as a ritual of growth and transformation that will heighten and enrich your spiritual development. Ritual should be fun. It should be an enjoyable process that not only offers heart-filled connection but brings a smile to your spirit as it swims in the sense of familiarity. When we are immersed in ecstatic ritual, the subtle messages we receive from the invisible realms are like hearing news from home—they are the gossip of the gods, and they call to the part of us that is ageless.
A final word on safety and issues of health: in a group setting it may seem vulgar if not totally disgusting to ingest a fluid that contains blood, semen, etc. In a solitary rite this should not be a problem; however, in a group setting it may raise issues of concern. Practically, however, the heat of the brew will render most microbes and bacteria inactive, and the ingestion of three drops will cause no harm. Preparing the substances as an essence is a viable option that will remove this concern from the equation. Everyone is different.Be sensible and considerate of others. If the issue is too great for some, then simply substitute the items concerned.
And finally, do not keep any of the remaining fluid—remember what happened to the horses? It is symbolically toxic; therefore, pour it down the toilet.
Pagan Pilgrimage
encounters with the land
The concept of pilgrimage tends to evoke images of Lourdes or the Camino to Santiago. Pilgrimage is of immense value to any tradition and serves to connect the individual with the spirits of a place and its ancestral associations. It calls for a degree of sacrifice and commitment, whether these are by means of time, effort, or finance. Taking time out of our busy lives and embarking on a physical journey to meet with the archetypes of tradition is an immensely powerful and transformative process. It causes the mind to focus on the journey; anticipating the destination but not wholly intent on arrival, the getting there is equally as important. The intention of pilgrimage is to intensify our relationship to a place and what it embodies or represents. To our forefathers, this ritual journey would have been conducted entirely on foot and may have taken days if not weeks to complete. The act of walking all or part of a pilgrimage is important, but realistically one cannot walk across the Atlantic Ocean!
The suggestion here is that a physical journey is contemplated and perhaps planned in order to visit the actual location of the tale and the home of the archetypes contained therein. The region of Bala in North Wales is incredibly beautiful, and the quiet banks of the lake are the perfect location for a ritual. However, there is no suggestion of where Cerridwen and her family may have lived, no ruin to wander amidst, no monument or altar dedicated to her and to the tale that made this place famous. It is the landscape alone that connects one to the source of the story and the mystery it contains. If the archetypes of this tale connect with you deeply and you are moved to travel to their lands, consider the following:
• How do I get there? What means of transport do I require?
• How much will it cost me?
• How much time do I need?
• Do I plan to walk some of the journey? If so, what plans are needed?
• Where do I stay when I arrive?
• What do I do when I arrive?
Use the Internet for advice on pilgrimage and travel planning. If you decide on a physical pilgrimage to Bala, I suggest that you ritualise your preparations. Begin by repeating the exercises given for each component of the tale; take a natural object to represent that connection, then paint or draw upon it a symbol or glyph that expresses your relationship with it. Place these objects on your altar until you depart. As part of your ritual in Bala, incorporate the connections you have forged into the ceremony and leave the objects near the lakeshore as offerings to the energies they represent.
The Book of Pheryllt
Cerridwen consulted the Book of Pheryllt for instruction in the brewing of Awen. We know very little of the actual function or role of the Pheryllt, but the name can be translated to mean “chemist” or “alchemist.” Academia links the Pheryllt as a euphemism for the magician Virgil, but in local lore and legend they are proclaimed as supernatural beings who watch the affairs of humanity. This exercise encourages you to connect to them and to glean from that connection information to create your own Book of Pheryllt.
It is believed that the Pheryllt occupied a city in North Wales, perpetuated by Edward Davies as Dinas Affaraon, meaning “the ambrosial city.” Gather your thoughts of the Pheryllt and their location, extinguish all artificial lights, and bathe yourself in the subtle glow of candlelight. Create sacred space according to your own practise, but rather than call on the four elements, focus instead on the Celtic powers of land, water, and air. Acknowledge each one by means of your connection to them. Light the three candles on your altar and call to Cerridwen, Taliesin, and Awen. Now imagine the following:
A closed curtain appears before you, and for a moment you contemplate it; you cause the material to part. Before you is a mountainside, green and lush. With the bleating of sheep breaking the stillness, it is raining. Dark grey clouds pummel the sky above you, and the raindrops fall to bleed against your skin. Ahead of you rises a city that seems to erupt from the very fabric of the earth; its surfaces are encrusted in gems and crystals of the earth. Approach the city.
An arched gateway leads you beyond the walls of the city. In the centre of the courtyard stands a tall, square building set apart from the others. Its doors are open and lights flicker within; from its interior the sweet scent of burning pine reaches your nostrils. You venture closer and enter the dry warmth of the building.
It is a single hall, its floors polished black as night. In the centre stands a fire bowl in which burn flames of green and blue. Beyond it there stands an androgynous individual
dressed in a black robe. Its hair is pure white and drapes gracefully about its shoulders; it nods and smiles at you. This is one of the Pheryllt.
You approach the fire bowl and take your place opposite the creature. Reach out with your mind and ask that it share some of its wisdom and magic with you. If in agreement, observe as the Pheryllt reaches forward, its hand moving directly through the flame; in its hands it holds a book. Feel the heat of the flames prickle your skin as you reach forward and accept the book from it. Allow the subtle powers of your imagination to accept symbols and messages from this hall and your interaction with the Pheryllt. When you sense it is time to depart, allow your body to float backwards and away from this place.
As the curtains close, sense yourself returning to your physical location.
Now create your own Book of Pheryllt, a book of magic. There was a time that every witch and druid would have one of these, but I fear the practise is waning. And yet a Book of Magic is essential for the continuation of our legacy. Be creative: what did you see with your encounter with the Pheryllt? What did the book look like? Can you re-create it? Find, buy, or make a book that will be used exclusively to collect your spells, incantations, and conjurations. Begin by transferring the details of the ingredients needed in the primary ritual into your book, and record any chants or mantras that you may have employed during the ritual. This book should not be confused with your journal; rather, it should reflect the practical aspects of your Craft and the recording of your magical practise.
Keep the book in a safe place and ensure that it will be bequeathed to someone worthy of its knowledge upon your death.
[contents]
Afterword
Where do you go from here? What happens now?
The cauldron has brewed its magic, and the searing heat of Awen has scalded your thumb and caused your spirit to burn brighter. The journey into mystery continues—it does not end with the spilling of the cauldron’s content. The end of this tale is merely the beginning of your adventure into the heart of the Celtic mysteries.
Consider the components of the tale—Morfran Afagddu, Creirfyw, Morda, Tegid Foel; what of them? Have they simply vanished into some Celtic otherworld of redundant archetypes? On the contrary, they continue to exist in you; you carry their qualities with you. Having acknowledged them as facets of your own spirit, humanity, and personality and offered them to the cauldron, they remain aspects of you that continue into your future; they are an essential aspect of your unique song. They have not been vanquished, they are not individual beings who lived in a distant era, and they rise anew from the spirit of every initiate that treads the damp grass to the cauldron’s rim.
Having faced the cauldron and your own magical transformation, you also face the responsibility of using that experience for the benefit of yourself and others. You are in prime position to tease the qualities essential for the brew—as seen in the archetypes—from the spirits of those who are called to the cauldron. One responds by disseminating the wisdom of the Celts to those of good intention, and by doing so you strive to maintain a mystery tradition that has been thousands of years in the making.
Do not lose your connection to the cauldron and its guardian; continue to serve the witch goddess in your endeavours, in your Craft and magical practise. You are transformed and inspired by the rays of Awen that shine from the darkness of potentiality; powerful spirits and gods walk with you, allies in your quest of mystery and magic. Other secrets await you; seek them out, find them in hidden pages of wisdom, and listen to them in the whispers of trees.
The burning fire of the Celtic spirit gleams within you, its light radiant and awe inspiring, for you are from the cauldron born.
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Glossary
Please note that the Welsh letters “ll,” “ch,” “dd,” and “rh” remain in their current form with no phonetic equivalent provided. Refer to the pronunciation guide for guidance.
Annwfn (ANN-oo-vn), also Annwn (ANN-oon)—A Welsh term for the indigenous underworld of the Celts, accessible via liminal locations. Its inhabitants are free to wander into our dimension and interbreed.
Arianrhod (Ar-ee-ANN-rod)—Goddess, daughter of the mother goddess Don, and figure in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi.
Awen (AH-when)—The flowing, unifying spirit of Celtic Paganism.
Ayrwen (AER-wen)—One of the Celtic goddesses of war and battle; a tutelary deity of the river Dee.
Bala (BA-laa)—The town in the county of Gwynedd in North Wales where the tale takes place.
Bard (BARRED)—A Celtic poet or magician.
Beli Mawr (BELL-ee MA-oor)—An ancestor deity of the British pantheon. Literally means “big fire or light.”
Bendigeidfran (Ben-dee-GAYD-vran)—A giant, one of the rulers of the islands of Britain, and a character in the Second Branch of the Mabinogi. His head is said to be buried beneath the Tower of London and protects the islands from attack.
Blodeuedd (Blod-AYE-edd)—A woman created from flowers in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi. Her name changes from Blodeuedd in her human form to Blodeuwedd (Blod-AYE-wedd) when she is in owl form.
Bol Croen (BOL KRR-oyn)—Literally translated as “skin-belly” and synonymous with womb; the coracle, or vessel, into which the newborn Taliesin is placed.
Branwen (BRAN-wen)—Goddess and sister of Bendigeidfran in the Second Branch of the Mabinogi.
Bryn Y Carnau (BR-in Uh KARNN-eye)—A sacred cliff near the lake of Llyn Cerrig Bach on the island of Anglesey.
Caer (KA-eer)—Welsh term for “fort.”
Caergyfylchi (KA-eer-GUV-ul-Chi)—The city reputed to be the location of a temple dedicated to Cerridwen.
Calan Gaeaf (Kal-ANN Gay-av)—The Welsh term for the feast of Samhain/Halloween. Literally translates as “the calends of winter.”
Calan Mai (Kal-ANN My)—The Welsh term for Beltane/May Day. Literally translates as “the calends of May.”
Celtica (KELTEE-KA)—The name given to the combined cultures of the six Celtic nations and the spirit of Celticness that unites them.
Cerridwen (Kerr-ID-wen)—The witch goddess and primary initiator.
Creiddylad (Kray-DD-Ulad)—One of the fairest maidens to have lived; two male deities fight for her hand in marriage every May Day until the end of time. She appears in the epic tale of how Culhwch won Olwen.
Creirfyw (Kray-Rh-view)—One of the fairest maidens to have lived; the daughter of Tegid and Cerridwen, sister of Morfran Afagddu.
Crochen (Kraw-CH-en)—Welsh term meaning “cauldron.”
Culhwch ac Olwen (KILL-Hoo-ch ak OL-wen)—One of the oldest native tales of Wales in which appear characters from the tale of Taliesin.
Cyfarwydd (Kuv-ARR-with)—Literally means “to be familiar,” a term used for magician.
Cynfyd (KIN-Vid)—The “before” world, or the old world.
Dall (DA-ll)—Welsh term meaning “blind.”
Dallmor Dallme (da-LL-more da-LL-mare)—One of the names attributed to Morda, which can be taken to mean “blind sea, blind stone.”
Daroganwr (Darr-oh-GAN-oor)—Welsh term for “prophet.”
Deganwy (Deg-ANN-wee)—A coastal north Wales town reputed to be the home of Maelgwn Gwynedd.
Don (DONN)—Primary Celtic mother goddess whose offspring are the primary characters of many of the Mabinogi tales.
Dryw (DREW)—Alleged old Welsh name for druid/magician.
Duwies (DEEW-yes)—Welsh term meaning “goddess.”
Dwygyfylchi (Dwee-GUV-ul-chi)—The modern-day location of Caergyfylchi.
Dyfrdwy (DUV-rr-dooee)—The modern Welsh name for the river Ayrwen; literally means “the river of the Goddess.”
Efnysien (Ev-NIS-ee-en)—A counterpart to Morfran Afagddu and representation of the shadow aspect found in the Second Branch of the Mabinogi.
Elffin (EL-phin)—The son of Gwyddno
Garanhir who discovers Taliesin in the salmon weir.
Feddwit (FEDD-wit)—A fortification in the poem “The Spoils of Annwn.”
Gellilyfdy (Gell-ee-LUV-dee)—The location where John Jones compiled Peniarth MS 111.
Goludd (GOL-eedd)—A fortification in the poem “The Spoils of Annwn.”
Gorsedd (GORE-Seth)—A seating or a collection of bards.
Gwion Bach (GWEE-on BA-ch)—The main protagonist and metaphor for the student of the Celtic mysteries.
Gwyddno Garanhir (GWEEth-No GAR-ann-Heer)—The owner of the weir in which Taliesin is discovered. Garanhir translates as “long shanks.”
Gwydion (GWEED-eeon)—A magician renowned for his skills in magic who appears in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi and is mentioned by name in several of the Taliesin poems.
Gwyn ap Nudd (GWIN ap NEE-th)—A Celtic deity. Reputedly the king of the fairies, he leads the Wild Hunt on Samhain Eve to gather the spirits of the dead. He fights with Gwythyr every May Day for the hand of Creiddylad.
Gwyniad (GWIN-iad)—Small white fish. A remnant from the Ice Age, they inhabit the lake at Bala and are unique to that location—they aren’t found anywhere else on the planet.
Gwythyr ap Greidol (GWEE-thr ap GRAY-dol)—A Celtic deity who fights Gwyn ap Nudd for the hand of Creiddylad.
Iolo Morganwg (YOLO More-GAN-oog)—Poet genius and recorder of Druidic wisdom and theology, some of which is believed to be forged.
Llanfair Caereinion (LL-ann Vai-rr Kare-EIN-eeon)—The village reputed to be the birthplace of Gwion Bach.
Llanuwchllyn (Llann-EWWch–ll-in)—The village on the western shores of Lake Tegid.
Lleu Llaw Gyffes (LL-ay LL-aw GUFF-ess)—Abandoned son of Arianrhod, a central figure in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi. His name literally means “light, of skilful hand.”
Llyn Cerrig Bach (LL-in KERR-eeg BA-ch)—Sacred lake on the island of Anglesey. A site of significant Druidic offerings discovered during the Second World War.
From the Cauldron Born Page 28
