In Wicca the  cauldron is one of the most well-known of the witch’s tools. And I’d say, next to the broom, it’s the witch’s favorite tool! We have proof the cauldron’s been used since ancient times and it’s still in use today. The myth of the Cauldron of Inspiration gives us insight into just how important the cauldron was in the past. The cauldron symbolizes many things, namely the Divine Feminine, because it is viewed as the womb. It is related to creation, as in the womb of the earth. And therefore it’s associated with witches and goddesses. Because food and ingredients for remedies are placed inside a cauldron and then transformed, the cauldron is a symbol of transformation and alchemy. Via Cerridwen’s Cauldron of Inspiration, it’s also a symbol of divine wisdom and rebirth. The four elements are an inherent part of every cauldron: the pot and food that goes inside, water and brews made inside, the fire that heats the cauldron, and the steam and smoke that comes out. The three legs represent the Celtic sacred number three: three main lunar phases, the life/death/rebirth cycle, and the triple goddess.
The Witch’s Cauldron in Ancient Mythology: Cerridwen and MedeaThe cauldron has quite a few appearances in mythology. Perhaps one of the most famous of mythological cauldrons is Cerridwen’s cauldron – the Cauldron of Inspiration also called Awen. Cerridwen is an ancient Welsh Celtic goddess of rebirth, magic, and wisdom. When she attempts to give wisdom to her son, her assistant Gwion Boch is asked to stir the cauldron. Three drops fall onto Gwion’s thumb and he licks it off. Then he becomes the otherworldly bard Taliesin. Therefore, the cauldron is a symbol of wisdom and transformation.Medea and the Dagda’s CauldronsAnother cauldron in mythology is one used by the Greek goddess-priestess Medea. Medea is a priestess of the goddess Hecate who seeks to destroy the King Pelias with the use of her magic cauldron. In addition, the Dagda of the Irish Celtic pantheon, is said to have a cauldron that never runs out of food, heals all who need healing, and grants everlasting life. There are many myths featuring the witch’s cauldron.
King Arthur and the Holy GrailThe older versions of the King Arthur legend talks about a Cauldron of Inspiration and Rebirth. This sought-after magical cauldron came to be the “Holy Grail” in later versions. The cup and the cauldron both represent the feminine principle – the womb of creation.
Ancient Cauldrons FoundPerhaps the most famous of all ancient cauldrons found is the Gundestrup Cauldron. A silver vessel, circa 200 BC, was discovered in Himmerland, Denmark near Gundestrup. The significance of this cauldron is it’s imagery: a combination of Thracian and Gaulish symbols including elephants, dolphins, bulls, dogs, boars and male and female figures. More famously, the horned Celtic god “Cernunnos” is thought to be a cross-legged figure on one of the cauldron’s panels. The intricate metallurgy suggests the cauldron’s use as a spiritual tool.The Lisdrumturk Cauldron and Leicestershire CauldronsOther ancient cauldrons discovered in recent years include the bronze Lisdrumturk Cauldron. The Lisdrumturk Cauldron was made in the late Bronze age and found in a peat bog in County Monaghan, Ireland. Moreover, eleven iron cauldrons were found at a site in Leicestershire, England from the Iron Age. These cauldrons weren’t as intricately designed as the Gundestrup Cauldron and therefore were for mundane use.
Cooking foodBrewing herbal remedies and concoctionsTo burn loose leaf incense on charcoal disks (put some sand in the cauldron before putting the hot coal in it)Burning paper petitionsBurning plant matter as offerings, etc.Burn candles for safe, long burning timeThe cast iron scrapings can be used to make witch’s black saltAs a symbol of the goddess or all 4 elements on the altar and in ritualScry (a form of divination) in water or liquid in the cauldronPut on the stove (if cast iron and kitchen-ready) to simmer seasonal potpourri for Yule, Samhain, etc.