"Who has seen the Cup flame in the West,
who has not also seen the breath of Nine
smoke on the air above the Cauldron's rim?"
___ John Matthews, "The King's Moon Rite"
In British folklore, the Lord of the Underworld has a cauldron whose brew is available only to those who are courageous and worthy. In one of the earliest written texts to mention Arthur, the hero himself goes in quest of this cauldron as proof of his sovereignty. It is tended by nine women who heat and empower the broth by their exhalation: these are nothing less than the guardians of the powers of life.
The nine sisters of the cauldron are the forerunners of the two Grail guardians of medieval Arthurian tradition: the beautiful Grail maiden who carries the blessed vessel and the ugly Grail messenger who stimulates the knights to quest for the vessel. Whether Grail or cauldron, the vessel in question bestows special qualities upon those who imbibe its contents, conferring immortality, healing, or specific virtues that manifest the quester's intrinsic life-purpose.
These nine sisters are the ones who guard the vessel of life and grant every living soul special gifts. Each breath that they breathe across the cauldron of our life's essence imbues each of with our particular vocational gifts and tendencies. If we ignore the blessings of the guardians of life, we do not flourish easily: life is an uphill grind, and we have to reinvent the wheel at every turn. If, however, we examine the nature of our particular brew and discover with what blessings and potentialities we are each imbued, we can find a wonderful unfolding richness in all we attempt.
"List up to nine qualities that are blended in your unique brew of life. Speak to the Gifting Mothers and ask how their blessings may be used."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]
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