The Cauldron Revisited, Part 2...
The Cauldron of Poesy
Looking at Erynn Rowan Laurie's translation of the Cauldron of Poesy, we find three Cauldrons discussed. The first is the Cauldron of Warming, which is born upright within us. The second is the Cauldron of Motion, which is born on its side, because it gets stronger when it is turned. The third is the Cauldron of Wisdom, which is born on its lips, upside down.
The Cauldron of Warming is where the Wisdom found in youth comes from. We all start out with it.
The Cauldron of Motion is harder to obtain. In artless people, people born without the root of poetry, it is on its lips, so is hard to turn. On people with bardcraft or small poetic talent, it is on its side as we discussed above. It is easier to turn, but still takes effort to turn it. Great poets are born with the Cauldron of Motion upright, already giving them Wisdom. How is it turned? By great joy or sorrow. For sorrow, longing, grief, sorrows of jealousy, and discipline of pilgrimage to holy places turns it. Divine joy and human joy also turn it.
The Cauldron of Wisdom is where all art and poetry comes from.
Reading the translation, I think the three are the same, but appear differently. They are all aspects of the same Cauldron. Each is a different depth from which to draw, if that makes sense.
The Three Wells of the Norns
The name "Roaring Cauldron" makes for a great parallel between the Wells of the Norns and the Cauldrons of Poesy. What is a well but a fixed Cauldron?
The Roaring Cauldron is constantly in motion, violent motion. This corresponds to the Cauldron of Motion.
Mimir's Well, which is a well of Wisdom, is obviously the Cauldron of Wisdom.
Which leaves Urth's Well as the Cauldron of Warming. Since warming is an increase over time in temperature, and Urth, which is Wyrd, is a layering of choices over time, there is a correlation.
It is easy to see the relationship between the Cauldrons and the Wells.
The Three Mothers
The Hebrew Tree of Life contains three Mothers, corresponding to the letters Shin, Aleph, and Mem. These relate to Fire, Air, and Water, respectively. Shin, Fire, connects Chokmah, Wisdom, to Binah, Understanding. It is an easy connection to see this as the Cauldron of Wisdom, Mimir's Well. But what of the other two? Mem is the Great Sea in the World of Forms, always moving. Does this sound like the Cauldron of Motion and the Roaring Cauldron? I think so. Which leave Aleph as the Cauldron of Warming, Urth's Well. Does this fit? Air, when warmed, rises. This is why Shin is above and Mem below. Mem, Water, condensed, and Shin, Fire, rose. Leaving Aleph, Air between them. Aleph is still warming. Air, also, is the Wind, on which memories are renewed. The Wind speaks the mysteries that came before. Likewise, Wyrd is the layers of what came before. Wisdom found in youth comes from others' experiences, either through example or a cultural memory. Aleph is the Cauldron of Warming.
The Three Wells of Israel
I talked of three wells in Israel: Jacob's Well, Miriam's Well, and Hezekiah's Tunnel. We can relate these to the Wells of the Norns. Miriam we've connected to Mimir's Well before. The spring from which Hezekiah's Tunnel got its water gushes forth. This sounds like the Roaring Cauldron to me. Jacob's Well represents several generations each uncovering and using the wells of their father. This is easily seen in relation to Aleph, Wyrd, and Warming, as discussed above. Jacob's Well is Urth's Well. As such, each of these three wells relate back to the three Cauldrons.
Three Feri Cauldrons
I related before the three Feri Cauldrons to the three Mothers of Kabbalah. The Vivi is the Cauldron of the Pelvis, which is the Iron Pentacle (I showed the Pentacle to be the Cup and the Cauldron), and Mem, hence the Cauldron of Motion. The Emi is the Cauldron of the Ribcage, which is the Pearl Pentacle, and Aleph, hence the Cauldron of Warming. The Ori is the Cauldron of the Skull, which is the Blessed Pentacle, and Shin, hence the Cauldron of Wisdom.
~Muninn's Kiss