33. The Cauldron of Vocation / The Witch Now
This is the Center. This is the present. This is the point of perspective and the source of all movement and doing. This is the source of choice and action.
This is the heart.
This is Now.
The Cauldron of Vocation is the Present You, Right Now.
You are Present in the Now of every moment and the braider of what everything means. You right now, is the nexxus of the Magickal Child and the Cailleach, the self and the world outside, the bridge between vision and action.
You are the decider of your reality. You are the mover. You are the chooser of what it all means.
You are forever the center of stillness between the past and the future.
Western objectivity of standing outside and observing.
Celtic cosmology is rooted in subjective reality and relationship. How the physical world and the directions and the structure of reality is envisioned revolves around a centre in relationship to the whole. All centres are a reflection of the original centre and every person is their own universal centre, and all centres are in relationship to the whole.
There are 9 directions in Celtic cosmology; the known cardinal 4 plus 5 extra that are subjective to the mover:
Celtic cosmology is subjective and relational.
Unlike Western world view cardinal directions, which are objective and observable from the outside, Celtic cosmology places each individual within the middle of their own creation. This centre is repeated by scale and relationship; family, clan, tribe, nation, cosmos. Each bigger unit to which you belong is the centre in relationship to the whole.
Western world view supports material reductionism where a part can be scrutinized, and the results be assumed to apply to the whole. The learning comes from separating the whole into parts.
We can never understand flight by dissecting a bird.
Celtic cosmology is always relational and requires a reorienting of perspective to take in new scale and remain in relationship with the whole. In Celtic cosmology, you cannot stand outside of your Creation to observe it. You remain and are always at the point between above and below, inner and outer and moving through.
You are the eternal, unchanging and unchangeable point of perspective of your life here. You are in total control of choosing what your life means to you.
Your perspective can change and evolve. Your world can change, but what doesn’t change is that you are at the center of that change. That change is dependent upon your choosing.
What are you choosing?
How are you choosing?
You don’t choose what happens, you choose what it means. You choose how you act. Whose voice you choose is the core of the Coire of Vocation.
There are only two choices - we’re building bridges or we’re building walls. Here’s a video from the Beloved Presence podcast.
Vocation means “a calling”, or “being called”. At root it means following the direction of the quiet voice of Spirit. The Cauldron of Vocation is located at the heart and is the bridge between the Spiritual and Physical worlds. This is the nexus of choice and is where we decide what voice we’ll follow, who’s direction we’ll choose, what you’re going to do with your life.
This is the Cauldron of Courage to follow your life’s calling. Surprise, everyone’s calling/vocation is exactly the same.
“Your calling is to be in the World of Form the most clear and authentic expression of Spirit possible.”
Same vocation, but it shows up uniquely for every person.
The Cauldron of Vocation is the Cauldron of action, of doing, of movement. Things happen with purpose and connection between self and the whole at this level. Action and doing come from Being.
Being is first.
Connecting to the truth of Self is primary. Learning to recognize and obey the voice of Spirit is primary.
The Cauldron of Vocation is the Cauldron of Movement because once we identify our vocation, we need to share it with the world in whatever way is appropriate. Finding vocation and never acting or sharing that with the world keeps authenticity and power from being realized and grounded in physical reality.
Vocation is sharing and inviting Spirit into the World of Form.
Feel ALL the feelings.
The Cauldron of Ernmae is moved through the full range of human feelings; through fully allowing and accepting all of the experiences available to us here. The sorrows and the joys of Being Spirit in the World of Form fills up the Cauldron and tips it out into our lives in both joy and sorrow. Joy and sorrow are welcomed equally. There is no difference to the Cauldron. They are the wholeness of the experience of Being in a Creation fite fuaite Spirit and Land.
We control the vitality of our lives here depending on what we allow ourselves to feel. The Cauldron of Vocation is the bridge between all worlds, all binaries, all opposites. Our vitality in our lives depends on us not gatekeeping any of them.
The individual and the community exist dependently upon one another. The person thrives in a community of nurturance, support and acceptance. The community thrives when individuals are grounded in balance and truth, are connected to the vitality of their own Spirit, and courageous enough to share their Spirit calling with the world. The community thrives when it’s members feel safe to explore vision and desire and work in harmony for all beings in the whole.
Gently hold the centre. Our centres are the same and uniquely our own.
The Practice
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I hesitate to ever offer a particular ceremony for anything. Ceremony is personal and specific and is the result of your relationship with Spirit.
Here are some parameters:
pay attention to what feels good and brings you energy and joy
be aware of what brings you focus and awareness to the present moment
There are no rules around ceremony &/or your relationship with the Unseen. Do what brings you into present feeling awareness. That’s it.
Do ceremony asking to be taught about Vocation.
Following the direction of Spirit is the literal meaning of vocation - so practice doing that.
Everything about this life is just practice - and the awareness to know what is the right thing to pay attention to at a particular time.
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You want to root yourself into Now and embrace your perspective of every moment as the powerful point of causation that the center IS.
Nothing happens without your Presence HERE + NOW.
Engage meditative ceremonial art making with your Here+Now Presence.
Ask to be shown, reminded, taught, introduced to your Here+Now Presence.
Give yourself some time and space from the art
have a sleep and leave it for a few days
return with fresh eyes to see again
gain insight and understanding about your Here+Now Presence in the art.
you can rework the art to come into alignment with your fresh understanding
add paint, marks, media that you feel guided to represent what this ceremony has brought to your understanding
record your learning in some way to retain a record of the experience
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This is specific to you and your ways in the world.
You may have to try several different ways to find what works to bring you back into the Presence of Here+Now.
You may have to change up and try new things when the old ways stop working.
That is the Practice - returning to your Self and the Voice and Presence of the Unseen Here+Now.
Some ideas, in no particular order:
a reminder app
jewellery, clothing
shoes
perfume, incense, smells
particular foods
music, dance
body movement, stretching
poems, prayers
pets, animals in the world
particular colours
It can be anything that exists - the practice is to remind you to return to experience the Presence Here+Now.
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Maybe this is just your regular journal - or maybe you create a special journal just for these moments:
record the messages you know are from Spirit - or they will slip away
Refer back to them when you’re feeling disconnected - that will help you come back to awareness of Spiritual presence
The feelings in our bodies are often suppressed, instead of being attuned to as the barometer of health and well-being that they are.
Your feelings:
when accepted as neutral information and not a judgement of good or bad, right or wrong
are a powerful guidance system of wisdom.
Real strength comes from the courage (vocation) to feel and process ALL your feelings, not just the “positive” ones.
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Find your personal ways to give thanks to Land + Spirit for being present and supporting your wisdom journey.
This is personal and specific to you and your environment, but some ideas could be:
say a prayer of thanksgiving to your neighbourhood/world
give seed and feed to the wildlife in your area
feed and water plants and trees in your area
plant trees, native plants
clean up a shoreline, creek, body of water in your area
volunteer at an animal or human shelter
volunteer your time, money, energy to any group in need
Trust your way. You know what is right for you in the Here+Now.