The cauldron like the broomstick and the black cat, is one of the features of any scene of witchcraft as pictured in popular mind. Some of this belief derives from Shakespeare's play Macbeth, however, the connection between the cauldron and witchcraft dates to ancient Greece. In the story of Medea, the witch of Colchis whom Jason married in the course of his search for the Golden Fleece the cauldron is mentioned.

Medea was a priestess of Hecate, the Goddess of the dark moon, witchcraft and the crossroads where witches met for their rites, (these crossroads are found anywhere where 3 roads meet and are still used by many covens as a meeting place today.) Medea had a coven too, according to Robert Graves in his Greek Myths Medea was attended by 12 bond maidens, who assisted her in the plot to kill King Palias with the aid of her magic cauldron.

In ancient Britain and Ireland magical cauldrons featured largely in the religious mysteries. Heroes went into strange enchanted realms of the other world to win a wonderful cauldron as a prize for their adventures. The cauldron in this sense refers to the male warrior rites, where young men were introduced to the female mystery of life, the womb of the Goddess and woman on the lower plane and it often ended with the young mans first sexual encounter ,with a priestess of the Goddess. Only then could the young warrior claim manhood. Christian writers later referred to these priestesses as Temple prostitutes.

The echo of this survival in folk memory is the custom of giving ornamental cups usually of gold (the God) or silver (the Goddess) as a reward for sporting events which has its origins in ancient myth and the warrior rites of old. The transformation of the cauldron into a cup is evidenced by legends of the Holy Grail, which has its roots in pre-Christian Celtic myth.

With the coming of Christianity, the cauldron of inspiration, knowledge and rebirth which was the source of Divine wisdom, for which Arthur and his followers sought in perilous and uncanny realms of the shades, as sung of in Bardic poetry, became the Holy Grail, for which the knights of the round table rode forth on their quest. The cauldron of the goddess Cerridwen had been changed by the early church into the cup Jesus drank from at the Last supper, which was used to collect his blood at the crucifixion. Christian tradition claims that this cup was brought to Glastonbury Tor, an ancient Pagan site, where it later disappeared. The original Arthur was a high-priest, who had 12 men in his coven. The Bardic tale describes the Warrior Initiation Rites they endured to gain manhood and rank. The magical circle became the circular table that the later Arthur and his men sat around. It is interesting to note that the name Arthur was originally a title meaning King-priest of the Horned God, Uther, who was Arthur's father was known as Uther Pendragon (Dragon King) and he was an ancient Celtic god, as was Arthur's mother Igraine, who was part of the 9 fold Goddesses known as The Ladies of the Lake. Igraine is still honoured at the Festival of Lughnasadh, Her sisters were honoured as follows: Nimue at Mabon, Morgan at Samhaine, Ragnall at Yule, Dindraine at Imbolc, Kundry at Ostara, Guinevere at Beltaine and Enid at Litha. All were aspects of Argante Goddess of the lake and the Pagan year. The witches have kept the old Pagan version of Arthur and the cauldron of the Druidic Moon Goddess Cerridwen, as their symbol. A cauldron is an all embracing symbol of nature, the Great Goddess.

As a vessel, it represents the feminine principle. Standing upon 3 legs, it recalls the triple Moon Goddess. The 4 elements of life enter into it, as it needs fire to boil it, water to fill it, the green herbs and harvest of Earth to cook in it and its fragrant steam which fills the air to enhance our enjoyment before each ritual meal. The cauldron in fact represented a great step forward in civilisation. Before men were able to cast metal cooking pots, which would withstand fire, all food was cooked in the fire itself and if hot water was needed for washing or brews, hot stones were placed in wooden or clay vessels to heat them. The metal cauldron over which the woman of the household presided, gave men better cooked food, hot water to clean themselves and utensils, and herbal medicines which could be decocted by boiling or by being infused in boiling water. Hence the cauldron became an instrument of magic and especially woman's magic, as it represented the womb with its waters of life and was used as a symbol of the Goddess and as a divination tool within circle. The ancient British Goddess Cerridwen whom the Druids regarded as presiding over the mysteries, brewed a cauldron of inspiration with magical herbs, which had to boil and bubble for a year and a day. At the end of that time, out flew 3 drops of wisdom, called the mystical Awen. This word is pronounced AH-OO-EN, which is reminiscent of the Eastern AUM. The 3 drops are identical with the 3 Rays or Tribann, which is one of the most important symbols of Druidic lore and means Divine inspiration.