Nine Waves of Being Searles O'Dubhain Tue May 26 11:05:02 1998 NINE WAVES*p*A DISCUSSION OF THE NINE DÚILE OF THE CELTIC COSMOS AND SELF*p*(copyright Mean Geimhreadh 1997, by Searles O'Dubhain, this information may be read and studied by visitors to this site All other rights and uses are reserved to the author and no other use is implied or granted.)*p*The quest for establishing the number, quality and form of the Celtic elements or dúile will take us on a wide-ranging search into many realms of information. We will hear conversations between seekers. We shall encounter the imbas of the mind and the spirit. We shall hear the words of Vedic Seers and Celtic Filidh. We will listen to the wisdom of Saints and the workings of Druids. We shall travel between worlds in threes of creation and we shall suffer triple deaths of misconception and limitation.*p*Some of the following information has come from my archives of e-mail on several lists and other parts of it have come out of a book I have written entitled, _ A Study in Recreating and Discovering the Ancient Ways of the Druids_. I have rambled around and what is presented here is an incomplete first effort at a more comprehensive work which will include more exhaustive noting and footnoting.*p*I may as well say a few things about how I feel we should approach rediscovering our Celtic Ways while I am waxing poetically:*p*In the past many years, as I have sought out the old ways in identifying the underlying practices of our Celtic ancestors, I have increasingly noted two distinctly polarized groups also seeking that information. These groups each have their distinguishing characteristics. The names that I have assigned to these two groups are the Literalists and the Mystics.*p*The Literalists refuse to even consider associating a concept with Celtic practices unless it has some sort of supporting evidence from academic sources. These sources generally are either linguistic, archaeological, historical, scientific or a combination of some sort. Anything else is assigned to the realms of fantasy and fiction by the literal purists. Woe unto the seeker that suggests or attributes a concept to the Celts without "hard," supporting evidence! Woe indeed!*p*The Mystics are much more open to suggested possibilities while seemingly ignoring the "hard" data. They tend to assign almost any and all "in vogue," New Age concepts to Celtic practice. They "intuit" what they wish to see. They are too broad in their reach and their resulting Celtic practice is dilluted within the myriad of influences that can materialize from deep within their psyches: Literalists and Mystics. Narrow and Broad. Limited and Unlimited. What are we to make of these two extremes? Neither group seems to offer much hope for recapturing the practices of our ancestors. Neither group seems to possess both the form and the vision adequate to the task. Why don't we attempt to form a third group, a middle-ground group where fact and fantasy can freely intermingle, to the benefit of both? Why should we be limited to just the known facts? Why create possibilities without substance? Why not give birth to new facts that are also the progeny of the facts of the past, mingled with the foresight of the future? Let's take the strengths of each of the other groups to overcome their inherent weaknesses. Why not start using our own Imbas Forosna and Tenm Laida? Why not crack open the "nuts of wisdom" and reap the harvest of the Trees?*p*That is what I personally attempt to do in my Celtic Workshops as well as within my own private Celtic religious practices. I call myself a Realist. I am neither a Literalist nor a Mystic. I am both and neither. I am a synthesis of the two. In forming this synthesis, I personally believe I am walking in the footsteps of the Druids. Reality for me is a threefold process. It is what has happened, what is happening now and what may have/is/will happen/ed/ing. Reality is very alive for me in my quest for Celtic Knowledge. I feel that having such an attitude about Reality is a fundamental Celtic attitude. I further feel that seeking Celtic Ways without such a Celtic attitude is doomed to the failure of limitation.*p*The Literalists will have no better luck in understanding the Celts than did the Romans. Such a single-minded approach is great for academic battlefields, but painfully injurious to the life of the Celtic spirit. On the other hand, the breath of the Celtic soul tends to blow the dust of typically "flighty" and "so-called" avante guarde mystics to the four winds as well. We need both a center anchor and an unlimited horizon. Facts without spirit are as dead as spirit without basis in fact. Poetry without guts merely moves air. If we "talk the talk", we must also "walk the walk"! We must have both types of attributes to sustain our personal Celtic life and growth. We must have elements that are real and personal as well as those that are abstract and metaphysical.*p*Let's continue to meet, to share our facts and imaginations. As we pursue our heritage as well as out own inner spirits, let's be like those Celts and Druids of yesteryear. Let's see the beauty of the star "speech", while also appreciating the practical uses of both a calendar and a compass. Deep within each of us is a living, breathing Celtic spirit. That spirit is our greatest guide in this quest of ours. Let's gather the facts and fly upon the wings of awen. May the bright fires of Imbas burn within each of us. May we each learn as the Druids learned, by seeing the realities of life, while also being filled with the wonder of the Spirit within that Reality. It is in this new way of seeing that we will discover the elements that connect all of life and all of being.*p************************************p*In a conversation regarding the Celtic elements or dúile that Erynn Laurie of Nemeton and I were having some years back, Erynn asked me:*p*"Searles, I am interested in how you interpret the following. (This is from a previous thread on elements):*p*"There is additionally a Scottish reference ( not enumerated, unfortunately) to seven elements in the Invocation of the Nine Graces from Carmichael's collection the Carmina Gadelica. Fire is mentioned separately from these seven elements. Here is the verse fragment in question:*p*"I bathe thy palms in showers of wine, in the lustral fire, in the seven elements, in the juice of the rasps, in the milk of honey, and I place the nine pure choice graces in thy fair fond face"*p*To which, I replied:*p*Remembering that most of Carmina Gadelica is heavily Christianized (by both practice and misdirection at times), I would interpret these seven elements in the same way that Taliesin interprets them in his "Song of the Macrocosm" (translation by John and Caitlin Matthews):*p*"I praise my Father, my God, my strength, *br*who infused in my head both soul and reason, *br*who, to keep guard over me, did bestow my seven senses, *br*from fire and earth, water and air: *br*the mist and flowers, the wind and trees, *br*and much skillfull wisdom has my father bestowed on me.*p*One is for instinct, *br*two is for feeling, *br*three is for speaking, *br*four is for tasting, *br*five is for seeing, *br*six is for hearing, *br*seven is for smelling."*p*The seven elements are those things that can be sensed by the seven senses in the above poems. They are not all of the elements, nor are they necessarily the Magical elements we've discussed. The lustral fire is obviously the powers of the Gods. It is the same power that comes from Brighid and The Dagda. It is Aedh Ruadh. The seven elements can just as easily be four, five or nine depending upon how one relates to the Macrocosm. I myself start with four and work up to nine depending upon how totally (or finely) I wish to relate. Before I get into the nine graces, which are a part of the Birth Blessing, here is a post I once made regarding the elements of the dúile.*p********************************** (A note here on sources and to say that much of this information on elements or dúile was derived from a reading of many tales in Celtic lore. I also used information from "The Lorica" attributed to Padraig as well as some of the lists that I have provided below. When I read _Death, War and Sacrifice, Studies in Ideology and Practice_ by Bruce Lincoln, I discovered that my lists were very much in-line with those of most Indo-European Cosmologies. I was also heartened to see many of the same qualities identified in the book, _Anamchara_ by John O'Donohue. Further information on such elemental relationships is more clearly defined in Nigel Pennick's_Celtic Sacred Landscapes_)*p*In our quest for directions/elements and their use in ancient Celtic, modern Celtic and Druidic ritual, there is only one place to start: the center.*p*To a Celt the answer to the question, "Where is the Center of the World?", had three answers. As an individual, His/her answer would be, "It is where I stand.". This refers to the "gorm a chli" or the center of the self, the "bosom or heart". As a member of a household it would be, "It is the cleithe, the center pole of my home". As a member of a tuath or clan it would be the Bi/le or sacred tree of the gods. Each of these centers is connected together through the Goddess Brighid. She is the Goddess of Fire, fire in the head and heart, fire in the home and hearth, the fires of smiths and poets, She who controls the snakes of the "need fire" and the feis. Brighid is the "daughter of fire" of The Dagda. She is the element that connects the three worlds. If the elemental aspects of each of these three worlds are Land, Sea and Sky (Earth, Water and Air), then She is the Fire that transforms all three. It is Fire that opens the ways into the Otherworld at the Feis. It is Fire that gives inspiration to poets. It is Fire that warms the Anam and the cauldrons of Wisdom, Warmth and Knowledge. To a Celt, the center was the interconnection of self, family and Cosmos. It was fire that illuminated them all. Fire is at the center of Celtic and Druidic ritual.*p*To further define the self, our first center, I am presenting a list of nine elements. Just as the hatha yoga define the human body as a "house with one column and nine doorways", the Celts defined the body as composed of many elements or "dúile". The "neach" (living being) or "duine" (a person) is composed of nine dúile. Each of these elements has it's corresponding cosmic element in the "Bith" (Cosmos).*p*DÚILE (ELEMENTS)*p*(This list is slightly different than the one I placed on the Imbas website)*p* Fein (Self) - Bith (Cosmos) - Directions - Magical Tools*p*1. Colaind (Flesh) - Talamh (Earth) - Faoi (Under, About) - The Nemeton *br*2. Cnaimh (Bones) - Cloch (Stone) - Thuaidh (North) - Lia Fail *br*3. Gruaigh (Hair) - (Plant Life) - Amach (Outwards) - Ogham and Herbs *br*4. Fuil (Blood) - Muir (Sea) - Ior, Siar (West) - Coire *br*5. Drech (Face) - Grian (Sun) - Dess, Deis (South) - Spear of Lugh *br*6. Imradud (Mind) - Gealach (Moon) - Isteach (Inwards) - The Well of Segais *br*7. Menma (Brain) - Nel (Cloud) - Thri/d (Through) . - Imbas (Inspiration) *br*8. Ceann (Head) - Ne/amh (Heaven) - Os Cionn (Above) - The Torque (Zodiac) *br*9. Ana/l "Breath" - Ga/eth (Wind) - Air, Oithear (East) - Sword of Nuada*p*I tend to combine (1, 2 and 3, above) into just "Earth and Stone" and also (7 and 8, above) into just "Sky", leaving us with only seven elements:*p*1. Earth - Below / Surface, *br*2. Stone - North, *br*3. The Sea / Water - West, *br*4. The Sun - South, *br*5 . The Moon - Within, *br*6. The Stars - Sky, *br*7. The Air - East.*p*These seven elements can then be better equated to the chakras, the senses and the colors of the rainbow, but that is another story.*p*Also, I could have combined Earth, Stone and Plant Life into an all-inclusive Earth. The same goes for the Mind, the Brain and the Head into "Anam" or "soul"/Spirit. This would have left me with Earth, Sea, Fire and Wind (and Spirit). The number of elements I use is really determined by how I relate to the Cosmos. I prefer to honor the larger groupings (four elements) for defining sacred space (as in the Winds and the five parts of the Land) and to use the more finely tuned groupings (nine elements) when relating myself to All that Is (the Three Worlds). Each element also has its own Hallow. There are four that the gods brought to us and five that we can seek for ourselves.*p*Sometimes I use four elements (particularly for my ritual space). Othertimes, I use seven or nine. Nine is for completeness; four is for space. Three is for the Worlds, the Gods and the Cauldrons. Three is for qualities and actions. Four is for place and quantification. Here's some more of my thoughts on the nines of completeness:*p*THE NINES OF COMPLETENESS (remembering that nine is three times three)*p*THE BLESSINGS OF BRIGID: (from "The Colloquy of the Two Sages" as found within _The Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom_ by the Matthews)*p*Poetry Reflection Meditation Lore Research Great Knowledge Intelligence Understanding Wisdom*p*NINE GIFTS OF THE CAULDRON OF VOCATION: (from the "Cauldron of Poesy" as found within _The Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom_ by the Matthews)*p*Sings and is filled with song. Maintains and is maintained. Preserves and is made strong. Promotes and is enlarged. Requests and is filled with answers. Gives and is replenished. Arranges and receives arrangements. Nourishes and is given life. Enobles and is exalted.*p*BIRTH BLESSING: (given by the mid-wife at the time of birth as found in _The Carmina Gadelica_ by Alexander Carmichael)*p*A small wave for your ... form, voice, speech, means, generosity, appetite, wealth, life, health, Nine waves of grace.*p*HOW THEY RELATE: (A book could be written about this:-)*p*Gifts of the Cauldron - Blessing of Brighid - Birth Blessing*p*Sings and is filled with song. - Poetry - Form Maintains and is maintained. - Reflection - Voice Preserves and is made strong - Meditation - Speech Promotes and is enlarged - Lore - Means Requests and is filled with answers - Research - Generosity Gives and is replenished - Great Knowledge - Appetite Arranges and receives arrangements - Intelligence - Wealth Nourishes and is given life. - Understanding - Life Enobles and is exalted - Wisdom - Health*p* While I'm on Cauldrons, I may as well interject these thoughts that I've had on more than one occasion:*p**** THE CAULDRON OF CAER SIDI *** (by Searles O'Dubhain)*p*What is a Thought but a spark that leaps into our consciousness? What is Consciousness without the distinction of knowledge? What is Knowledge but a flood that sweeps through our mind? What is a Mind unless we are individual beings? What is Being but the hard ground of reality? What is Reality without the connection of spirit? What is Spirit but the wind's music sparkling upon the face of life? What is Life without the primal fire of Awareness? What is Awareness without the first thought of creation?*p*Spark of Thought, Consciousness leaping. Consciousness, distinction of Knowledge. Flood of Knowledge, sweeping of Mind. Mind, Being, Individual of Being. Being, hard ground of Reality. Reality, Connection of Spirit. Spiritual music, sparkling of Life. Primal Life! Fire of Awareness! Awareness, First Thought of Creation.*p*All this thinking , of course, led me to consider the "wheels within wheels" of our lives as the seasons spin past:*p**** DRUIDIC CYCLES ****p*The cycles of the year bring us gifts from the four Magical cities of the sky:*p* Findias ("Clear Skies"),*br* Gorias ("City of Warmth"), *br* Murias ("The Sea City"), *br* Falias ("The City Under Stone")*p*The cycles of the day bring us:*p* The Evening Sun as She goes to the House of Donn.*br* The Owl Queen of the Night and the time of spirits.*br* The Rising Sun and the First Rays of Imbas. *br* The Noonday Sun and the Glory of the Shining One.*p*The cycles of time bring us:*p* The Firbolgs or primal earth spirits (PHYSICAL).*br* The Fomoire or wisdom of science (MENTAL).*br* The Tuatha De' Danann or gifted ones from the Sky. (SPIRITUAL)*br* The Sons of Mil or the Gael. (PHYSICAL, SPIRITUAL, MENTAL)*p*The cycles of life bring us:*p* Birth*br* Youth*br* Life*br* Death*p*The cycles of the spirit bring us:*p* Inspiration*br* Guidance*br* Challenge*br* Wisdom*p*Each of the Otherworldly Masters brings to us a gift:*p* Uiscias, ("Water from the Air", Rain, Birth)*br* Esrus, ("Change, as in the Fires of the Forge", Growth)*br* Semias, ("Air from the Waters", Evaporation, Rebirth)*br* Morfesa ("Great Knowledge", Destiny)*p*From the Magick of the morning Sun we receive the brightening rays of light across the skies. In the Spring we receive the falling of the rains. We use the sword of the fields, the ploughshare to divide the Earth into furrows for the seeds of Imbolc's promise. In the Silver Dawn we see the hand of Nuada bringing us out of the Darkness of Winter into the Time of the Greater Sun.*p*The noonday Sun brings us the heat of Gor. The sacred fires leap as we dance around the flaming spear of Lugh beneath the fertile Moon of Taurus. The Bealtaine fires mark Summer's coming. This is the time of life, lust and lushness. This is the time of the Greater Sun. This is when our future is all ahead of us to be had. Nature smiles on the flames of Summer and the light of Love.*p*Into the twilight, we gather the harvest by the light of Danu, Moon Goddess, Star Mother. It is a time of plenty, full cauldrons and feasting. It is also a time for selecting that which will be saved to plant and breed anew, as well as, that which will be consumed and that which will be sacrificed.*p*The night sweeps down upon us on wings of darkness. It is a time of tales, a time of fires and Magicks flickering off the shadows of awareness. It is the inner time of the Spirit and the time the ghosts walk the Earth. As each shiver passes within us and charges our skins, raising our hair, we touch the ancestors (or do they touch us?). Dreams come upon us and our faery lovers caress our secret hearts. We are stolen away to the Sidhe, hopefully to return again. The Sun's greeting must be sung to herald the new dawn.*p*Life begins anew...each day and everyday. Each day and everyday.*p**************************************************************p*Erynn Laurie also posted on Nemeton during our discussions:*p* "I have a friend raised in a fragmentary Welsh family tradition that postulated seven "states necessary for life to exist" that I interpret as "elements." These elements are:*p*"metal - inorganic, never living stone - inorganic but supportive of life wood - once living, might live, dead water*br* \ air*br* | - necessary for life to develop, potential for life heat (not fire) / life - motivating force"*p*To which I replied:*p*I'd suggest that metal also has a life of its own (Orna, the sword of Tethra). Even Arthur's sword of Excalibur had a life of its own. Metal is alive and has a Magick all its own. Ask any follower of the way of the Smith. Everything is alive in this existence, some things in ways we can not understand. The above list of elements requires "breath" as in "breath of life" or "Anail", (which is akin to "Anam" - "Soul" and "Ainm" - "Name"). It is from air that we get our first beginnings through breath. I would also leave room for dreams and mind, both closely related to Anam and Anail. Life, mind and breath are all tied to Spirit which is really at the center of all of our elements anyway. Somehow this listing of elements seems very similar to what I have read of Chinese cosmological concepts. I am interested in hearing more about it (I constantly look at other ways in hopes of discovering some technique or idea that our ancestors may once have embraced or studied themselves in their wide travels and searches for Wisdom).*p*Here is part of what I posted on the Imbas list regarding the dúile:*p*There are four, five, seven, even nine elements that will aid us in our journey as we connect our Centers to the Heart of the Cosmos.*p*THE COSMOS AND THE SELF*p*The Cosmos and the Self contain elements that are interrelated in terms of their essential natures, their relationship to the whole and their relationships to one another. Each element of the Self and the Cosmos will be discussed individually and together.*p*The Bones are the structure that supports the body. Bones formed the shape of the Cauldron of Vocation. It is the bones that "give us backbone". To the Celts, and the Neolithic peoples of the British Isles, bones contained the Magick of a person. Bones were used to produce Magical implements and were carved with symbols and even Ogham were carved upon bones to enhance their effect. It was on stone that Ogham was also written, and it was by the "cries" of stone that the king was chosen. Stone is the foundation of a house just as the bones are the foundation of the body. It is no mistake that the most powerful Magicks in Ireland were carved and contained within the stones of the Brughs and the "centers of life". Meteorites were accorded a very high and mystical position, as the bones of the stars, "stones that burn".*p*The Flesh is the part of the body that connects to the structure of the bones and provides us with a shape or form. This shape was known in Ireland as the "delb". The flesh is what moves us and empowers us. It is the substance that we consume , burn and sacrifice (along with blood) when we are making offerings to the Gods. The flesh of a bull was offered and consumed to facilitate the visions of the Tarbh Feis. Sometimes the blood or the flesh of an enemy was eaten during after-battle rituals (according to some authors...this matter is by no means certain, though I wouldn't be surprised). Earth is the Cosmic analog of flesh. It is the Land that supports our being and it is upon Her surface that we labor. Flesh is the main laborer of the Cauldron of Vocation.*p*The Hair and the Skin are the sensors and "feelers" of our bodies. The skin is the largest sensory organ that we possess. It is reactive to touch, heat, cold, pain and pleasure. The skin is one way in which we become aware of ourselves, our boundaries and our surroundings. The hair, extending beyond the skin, is an additional way we can sense our surroundings without actually touching anything. We can perceive the winds and even electricity caused by nearby objects. The hair also reflects our general well being (as does the skin). When we feel good our hair is shining and sleek. When we are depressed, the hair droops and is drab. The behavior of the skin closely parallels the behavior of the hair as an indicator of our body's condition and even its state of health. The Trees, shrubs and grasses of the earth are the Cosmic analog of the skin and hair of the human body. A healthy environment is reflected in the presence of green and growing trees, shrubs and plants. Our skin and hair provide coverings for the Cauldron of Vocation.*p*The Blood is the river of life within the body. It is what sustains the flesh (along with the breath). It also warms us and reflects our emotional state. The blood is one of the three fires of the Cauldron of Warming. Are we warm or hot blooded? Is our blood up? Do we have blood in our eyes? Is our blood racing? All of these expressions characterize the flowing, sustaining and reactive nature of blood. As Blood is the life spring of the Body, so the Sea is the Cauldron of Plenty for the World. The Sea reflects Her moods and tempers, just as the Blood does. The Sea is in a constant state of change. It is the Blood of the World.*p*The Breath is the constant renewal of the spirit. It provides cleansing for the feelings as well as relief for tension. Our breath is also used to ignite the nutritional processes that invigorate the blood. The breath is one of the three fires of the Cauldron of Warming. The winds (and "breath of change") are what affect our moods and our perceptions. Our first act of awareness is to take in the "breath of life". It is no coincidence that the words for breath, soul and name all have the same root in the Irish language (anail, anam, ainm). The breath and the wind are body/natural correspondences. The Celts viewed the "airts" or winds as the breath of the heavens. The airts were also used by Celtic sailors to predict the weather and to foretell their catches.*p*The Mind, on the other hand, was a much deeper consideration for the Celts. Wisdom was said to flow from wells and cauldrons. It is an amazing coincidence that this "flowing of wisdom" from a well of knowledge directly parallels the nature of the mind's alpha waves that our modern science has discovered. Perhaps the Druids discovered this wavelike nature of thought when they were performing brain surgeries? (examples have been discovered in the remains of Celtic burials). The Moon is the natural phenomena that controls the waves of the earth and Sea. The moon is the symbol given by the Celts for inner thoughts and the wavelike cycling of Nature Herself. The mind is one of the three fires of the Cauldron of Warming.*p*The Brain serves as the platform for supporting our thoughts and memories. It is like the paper of books or the silicon of modern computers. It is the media that sustains our minds and contains our thoughts. The brain is the organizer and the architect of our mental abilities. Being a "brain" implies a very strong deductive capability. It is a sign of our mental powers. The brain is the "stew" that is contained within the Cauldron of Knowledge, just as the Clouds and Stars are the Cosmic stew of the Gods. The Druids read the stars and clouds to obtain the Wisdom of the Gods. Druidic Astrology was called "Neladoracht", literally "cloud watching".*p*The Face was thought to be the window on the personality. How one appeared in public and how one were perceived was very important. The reputation and personal prowess were both extolled in the praise poems of the poets and the bards. A man's word and honor (or a woman's) were considered to be as important as life itself. This importance of face and appearance might account for the emphasis placed upon satire by the Filidh and may well account for their ability to "blemish" or even kill the object of their scorn (using only words). In the world around them, face was represented by the Sun. It was the Sun that illuminated the world for all to see and to be seen. It was in turning with the Sun or against the Sun that praise or insult were communicated. The Sun was the epitome of face to the Celts. The face was the opening to the Cauldron of Knowledge.*p*The Head was so venerated among the Celts that they took the heads of their most prominent enemies and adversaries as trophies of war. It was thought that a person's Soul could be controlled if his head was possessed. The head was thought to contain the essence of personality and personal power. This is the reason that they were preserved in cedar oil and displayed in a place of honor within the Celtic banqueting hall and home (as well as on the war chariots and horses). The head ruled the Self, just as the Heavens ruled over the Earth. The Sacred King governed the Sovereignty of the Land (as head of the Tuatha and husband of the Goddess). The head was the container for the Cauldron of Knowledge.*p*THE THREE CAULDRONS*p*"My true Cauldron of Incubation It has been taken by the Gods from the mysteries of the elemental abyss A fitting decision that ennobles one from one's center that pours forth a terrifying stream of speech from the mouth." - the words of Amergin White Knee, Ollamh*p*(From a translation by Erynn Laurie of the "Cauldron of Poesy")*p*There is a fifteenth century poetical tract (found within an ancient Irish legal manuscript) that describes the body as containing Three Cauldrons rather than Nine dúile. These Three Cauldrons are known as the Coire Goiriath (Cauldron of Warmth), the Coire Ernma (Cauldron of Vocation), and the Coire Sois (Cauldron of Knowledge). The authorship of this metaphysical treatise is attributed to Amergin, the Milesian Ollamh and to Nede Mac Adne, Chief Ollamh for Conchobhar Mac Nessa. The relative positions of these cauldrons within each person was thought to determine the overall health of a person as well as the state of their mind and psyche.*p*According to this tract, the Cauldron of Warming is the wellspring of Life for each of us. It is placed upright at birth and remains that way throughout our lives. This cauldron represents the fires of emotion, vitality and power that sustain all of our activity within the Three Worlds. The Cauldron of Warming is warmed by the Breath of our Spirits. It is empowered by the vitality of our Blood. The Mind is the well from which Spiritual focus flows to regulate and control the nature of our inner fires. These three fundamental characteristics of the Cauldron of Warming are also dúile of the body: The Breath, the Blood, and the Mind. Within the threefold Cauldrons we see a threefold division of the Self. It can be shown that each Cauldron contains three dúile.*p*Searles