THE CAULDRON AND THE DRUM
A JOURNEY INTO CELTIC SHAMANISM G
A TolTec Guide to PersonAl Freedom
RHONDA MCCRIMMON
FOREWORD BY HEATHERASH AMARA
AUTHOR OF THE WARRIOR GODDESS TRAINING SERIES don m i G uel r uiz Jr.
Copyright © 2024 by
Rhonda McCrimmon
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this work in any form whatsoever, without permission in writing from the publisher, except for brief passages in connection with a review.
Cover design by Adrian Morgan
Cover art by Adobe Stock and Shutterstock
Print book interior design by Frame25 Productions
Hierophant Publishing San Antonio, TX www.hierophantpublishing.com
If you are unable to order this book from your local bookseller, you may order directly from the publisher.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023945512
ISBN: 9781950253456
To Scott, for all the things, to my ever-present Guides, and to the Pod for holding space.
Three candles that illuminate every darkness: truth, nature, knowledge.
—Ancient Irish Triad
Foreword xiii
I NTR o D u CTI o N
The Shaman’s Path xvii
C HAPT e R 1
Celtic Shamanism Then and Now 1
C HAPT e R 2
Tools of Transformation 13
C HAPT e R 3
Filling the Lower Cauldron 35
C HAPT e R 4
Lower Cauldron Work for Personal Transformation 57
C HAPT e R 5
Tending the Middle Cauldron 83
C HAPT e R 6
Middle Cauldron Work for Personal Transformation 113
C HAPT e R 7
Activating the upper Cauldron 135
C HAPT e R 8
upper Cauldron Work for Personal Transformation 159
Co NCL u SI o N
Seeing Through the eyes of Love 183 Acknowledgments 187 Resources 191
Foreword
Have you ever taken a moment to consider the fact that, though you might live in a bustling city with all the riches of civilization at your disposal, you undoubtedly have distant ancestors whose lives were deeply intertwined with the land? These ancestors may have foraged for medicines and other resources in the forest, grown and hunted their own food, and paid close attention to the phases of the moon, the cycles of the seasons, and the migrations of birds and other animals. Their emotional and spiritual lives would have been closely tied to the workings of nature, as surely as their physical survival. Shamanic practices such as making offerings at sacred sites and meditating to develop one’s intuition would have been commonplace.
What Rhonda McCrimmon teaches in this book is nothing short of revolutionary. Although we live in a vastly different world than the one our ancestors
inhabited, our ability to connect with the divine remains intact. We may be surrounded by skyscrapers instead of standing stones, and hear the whir of freeways more often than the sighing of forests, but by intentionally cultivating a sense of reverence and receptivity, we can connect with the spirit of nature and our own inner wisdom.
In my work as the author of the Warrior Goddess Training series and as a shamanic teacher, I’ve seen how much suffering people can experience as a result of disconnection from nature. In the absence of a sense of ourselves being part of a living, breathing web of life, we start to feel lost and alone. We look for meaning in external goals, racking up achievements and collecting possessions, not realizing that it’s the simple pleasures of friendship, community, and fully inhabiting our five senses that really make life worth living. The Cauldron and the Drum lays out a path that values connection, healing, and celebration above empty striving, and reverence for the natural world that draws us into juicy, living relationships with everything around us.
In my mind, Rhonda McCrimmon is the ultimate warrior goddess, breaking down the real and imaginary barriers that separate us from our divine birthright, and showing us how to carefully and lovingly replenish our inner cauldrons so that we can
carry out our souls’ work in this world with courage and vigor. Her emphasis on ethical shamanic practice shows us how we can develop our spiritual lives while becoming kinder, more grounded, and better friends to all we encounter—including ourselves.
She also shares the beautiful message that shamanic practices really are for everyone. No matter your gender, race, sexual orientation, or neurotype (McCrimmon herself has ADHD), shamanism can help you tap into your higher self and shed the fears and hesitations that have been holding you back. By following the example of the ancient Celts and putting humility, reverence, and honesty at the center of your spiritual practice, your life will become richer and more joyous—your cauldrons full and your drumbeat steady.
I’m so excited for you to read this book—I know you’re going to enjoy it just as much as I did.
Sincerely,
HeatherAsh Amara
Introduction
The Shaman’s Path
Have you ever had the sense that something ancient and vital was missing from your life? Have you felt a twinge of sadness after listening to a piece of folk music or reading a fairy tale, wishing that your days, too, could be charged with magic?
Perhaps you’ve had an inkling that there is more to reality than meets the eye—something that can’t be measured on a scale or poured in a test tube. Maybe these feelings grow especially strong when you gaze up at a grove of trees, when you stand at the edge of a mist-covered lake, when you read a poem, or when you listen to the timeless rhythm of a drum.
If so, you are not alone. Like many ancient peoples, the Celts believed that the visible world was only one layer of a complex and multifaceted reality. In addition to the everyday labor required to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads,
the Celts practiced extensive inner work, honoring the mysteries of their own psyches and seeking the wisdom within. They were also careful to maintain their relationships with the world of nature, knowing that all energy comes from—and returns to— the earth. By making offerings, conducting rituals, and practicing various kinds of meditation, the ancient Celts developed their spiritual gifts and manifested their creative potential.
Today, Celtic shamans are carrying on these ancient traditions: exploring the unconscious mind, connecting with the divine inspiration of the bards, and forging relationships with the land and any spirits who may dwell therein. Celtic shamanism invites us to peer through the mist that divides our “ordinary” mind from our deepest depths. It teaches us to cultivate our inner wisdom and transcend our limited egos to realize our true nature as beings of infinite love. It puts us in touch with the ancient energies of the oak tree, the deer, the bonfire, and the moon— energies which have been drowned out by the clamor of modern technology but are just waiting for us to rediscover them.
Walking a shaman’s path means embracing the best of what the ancient world had to offer, while celebrating the myriad possibilities available to us in our own time. It means recognizing that no matter where
The Cauldron and the Drum
you live or what type of society you were born into, the basic elements of life remain unchanged. We all live under the same sun, drink the same water, and breathe the same air as our ancestors did hundreds or thousands of years ago. We all need to tend our relationships with the earth, with each other, and with ourselves; we all need meaning, purpose, and community. each of us has the potential to transform ourselves, using the same tools that have been available to humanity since the first shamans walked the earth— and perhaps to discover some new ones as well.
Indigenous shamans are considered healers of their communities. using the practices in this book, you can become your own healer—and call yourself a Celtic shaman if that language appeals to you. At the same time, you don’t have to call yourself a shaman to receive the benefits of living a shamanic way of life. Those benefits will come when you do the practices that I describe in this book.
My Story
Although I was born and raised in Scotland, I grew up with little understanding of the pre-Christian spiritual traditions of northern europe. As a teen and twentysomething, I tried on different spiritual practices the way some people try on diets, searching for a path in which my soul felt at home. I spent some time
connecting with Christianity; then it was Buddhism and zazen; then Krishnamurti and the religion of noreligion; then Toltec shamanism with its emphasis on personal freedom.
I benefited tremendously from the wisdom of these lineages—but I was also deeply curious about the spiritual traditions rooted in the lands in which I lived. While I could be inspired by stories of Quetzalcoatl and Lord Krishna, and fervently agreed with many of the principles they embodied, these traditions never quite felt like home to me. I was a Scottish woman more familiar with misty hillsides than dusty pyramids, oats and honey than kulfi, and Arthurian legends than koans. Where were the spiritual practices native to the Celtic lands I inhabited? And why, when I went to my favorite bookstores in edinburgh or Glasgow, could I find shelves of books about the religions of Japan, Pakistan, and Israel, but almost none about the spiritual practices of pre-Christian europe?
Spiritual practices don’t emerge in a vacuum. They are tied to the lands in which they first developed. Catholic churches around the world import palm leaves for Palm Sunday whether or not they are anywhere near a palm grove. Some Native American ceremonies involve burning white sage, which only grows in a small area of California. even though
Cauldron and the Drum
these practices evolved and adapted as they spread far from their point of origin, there are always threads tying them back to their home place.
I wanted to follow a thread which brought me back to the lakes, hills, and moors of Scotland—to its stony outcroppings and hidden caves, its springs and meadows and streams. To its songs and stories and artwork, its tastes and smells, its plants and animals, and the practices of its native people. With all due respect to the wisdom and sacredness of other traditions, I was deeply curious about how my own ancestors might have engaged with the sacred. My research led me to Celtic shamanism (also called Seership in Scotland), a tradition that was suppressed by Christian conquerors, just like so many other spiritual traditions around the world.
Not only did I discover wonderful similarities between the traditions of the ancient Celts and those of the Buddhists, yogis, and dervishes whose philosophies I’d spent years absorbing, but I also found some unique differences that delighted and inspired me. I’ll be explaining those in more detail throughout this book.
How to Use This Book
I have written the book I craved at the beginning of my path: a clear and practical guide to nature-based
shamanism rooted in Celtic lands, with a focus on living a fulfilling life. As the title of the book suggests, I have organized the material around two central themes: the cauldron and the drum.
The ancient Celts believed in three energy centers in the human body, known as the three cauldrons. By tending and nourishing these three cauldrons, a shaman could receive clear guidance from her intuition, put her insights into practice effectively, and overcome the internal barriers of ego and self-delusion. Throughout these pages, I will take you on a journey from the lowest cauldron to the highest one, sharing practices to cultivate each cauldron’s unique potential. each chapter will contain several exercises designed to activate and balance your inner cauldrons, while giving you the tools you need to effect deep personal transformation. I recommend getting a journal before you begin, as several of these exercises involve selfreflection.
Just like making any other significant change in your life, working with your three cauldrons can shake things up a little, especially at the start. You may go through phases where you feel more emotional than usual, or have unexpected spikes or dips in your energy level. You may need more time alone—or feel an even greater need to connect with others. If you work slowly and carefully, using the exercises in this
The Cauldron and the Drum
book, these experiences should remain firmly within the realm of challenging-but-manageable. If you find yourself becoming overwhelmed, slow down or take a break. The cauldron and the drum aren’t going anywhere, and are always available to you when you have the time and strength to return to them. No matter how much or how little you engage in shamanic practice, know that your life is already sacred. You are already embraced in the web of life: perfect, secure, and complete.
Chapter 1
Celtic Shamanism Then and Now
The Celts were a group of ancient peoples who lived in an area stretching from Britain to the Black Sea— in other words, a large part of what is now known as europe. A fierce, wise, and deeply spiritual people, they were revered for their metal-working, their music, and the uncanny abilities of their seers and druids—or, to use a word more commonly known today, their shamans.
In the ancient world, of course, shamanism wasn’t a fringe activity practiced by very few, but a common spiritual practice. If you asked an everyday Celt (or, for that matter, an everyday Viking, Toltec, or Navajo) whether their local mountain was sacred, or whether finding and following your intuition was important, or whether leading a life of honesty and
goodwill toward others was necessary for happiness, they would have laughed: Of course! What kind of fool would even have to ask? In europe, it was only with the arrival of the Roman empire and Christianity that the magic of stones, lakes, and winds was silenced and the art of following your inner authority was forgotten, all replaced by a distant god in the sky and a handful of cloaked men who claimed to be his only true spokesmen.
Many of us now associate the word shamanism with either South American peoples such as the Quechua or with North American Native groups. Although there is some debate over the etymology of the word, shamanism has come to refer to the spiritual practices of native peoples around the world prior to the formation of organized religion.
A close look at the history of human spiritual traditions reveals that what we now call shamanism was once practiced by people on every continent. So it doesn’t matter if your eyes are blue or brown, or whether you grew up in Nova Scotia or New Mexico—some of your ancestors most likely practiced what we would now call shamanism. And so did everybody else’s!
Like other shamanic traditions around the world, Celtic shamanism was, and is, nature-based, emphasizing the cycle of the seasons, drawing inspiration
from plants and animals, and incorporating natural features of the landscape into ceremonies, rituals, and meditations. Celtic shamanism is also self-reflective, with a strong focus on cultivating the inner world of the mind and emotions. This is made evident by the Celts’ emphasis on the three cauldron power centers, which we will explore in detail over the course of this book.
of course, the emphasis on self-reflection isn’t surprising. Virtually every ancient spiritual tradition teaches the importance of cultivating the inner qualities of love, honesty, forgiveness, and personal responsibility. You can see this in the ancient writings of the Indian Vedas and the Buddhist Sutras, the oral traditions of North and South American Native peoples and of the ancient Greeks, and many others.
The Celts were an oral culture, passing their history and traditions down through story. The resultant lack of written records means that most of what we know about them has been extrapolated from archeological findings, from the writings of the Romans who conquered them, and from the songs, stories, and myths that have been passed down to this day.
Due to the absence of written records, we are missing many specific details about how the ancient Celts carried out their spiritual practices. We have no step-by-step instructions for their rituals, or
encyclopedias of commentary on the exact meanings of their symbols. This frustrating lack of information isn’t limited to Celtic shamanism. Anyone studying Celtic anything—whether that’s music, agriculture, or shamanism—has to rely on what they can glean from the written accounts of other ancient peoples who encountered the Celts. These ancient authors—many of them Roman—were often heavily influenced by Christianity, and were not inclined to record the details of “pagan” practices even if they had been privy to them.
The good news is that spiritual practice is not historical reenactment, and neither is this book! We are not here to obsessively recreate the details of the ancient past, but to discover what shamanism can do for us right here, right now, in this world. Just as a modern Christian mass looks quite different from anything that happened in Jesus’s time, modern Celtic shamanism draws on the themes of reciprocity, impeccability, and reverence for nature carried down to us from the ancient Celts, while allowing space for the contemporary shaman’s own creativity and insight.
Throughout this book, I’ll draw on what is factually known about Celtic spiritual practice, while acknowledging instances of extrapolation, imagination, and inspiration. I’ll share the practices and
rituals which have been transformative in my own life and the lives of my students and clients. Spiritual wisdom is not a matter of birthright or geographic origin, but is available to all of us if we are ready to look within and do the work of cultivating it.
Celtic Shamanism Today
In my view, part of the work of Celtic shamanism today is to reanimate the world—to reverse the cultural trends that numb us to the humming, buzzing, burrowing forms of life that surround us. In this sense, shamanism is an act of deep and radical remembering. When we journey with a drum, leave an offering at the base of a tree, or sit by a river and feed the birds, we are actively invoking our connection to nonhuman forms of life and asserting that we are living beings in a vast and sacred web.
I also want to warn you that practicing Celtic shamanism, or shamanism in any form, is a rebellious act, because in doing so you are reclaiming your own direct connection with the divine—no permission from an expert, authority figure, or guru required. You may also find yourself breaking many of the spoken and unspoken rules with which you grew up—generational patterns which tell you that numbers on a screen are more important than clouds in the sky, that the words in a book are more real than
