Embracing Cauldron Time: The Importance of Idleness
I am exploring 12 words this year - one every month to savour. You can think of each blog post in this series as a mini-guide, connected to the season and full of both the magical & the practical. This month, explore “Cauldron Time”. There is also an online rest circle for you to attend. I’d love to have you join!
As a kid, I loved making potions, dreaming of a witch’s cauldron bubbling over with magical elixirs.
There's something special about the word "cauldron" - it stirs up images of mystery, depth, wisdom, and complexity.
To be honest, "cauldron" doesn’t come up in my daily conversations too often - although I wish it did!😉
But this month is different.
Join me in a subversive act of self-love I like to call "Cauldron Time."
A simmering cauldron defies our culture’s obsession with productivity and efficiency because it demands patience and lingering, allowing things to brew in their own time.
What’s simmering in the cauldron of your being as you step into the last half of the year?
Read on to discover ways to nourish yourself this month.
What is Cauldron Time?
I have adapted this practice from the work of Molly Remer. She introduced me to the concept of having a Cauldron Month.
Cauldron Time is time…
to withdraw from outer life and re-collect your energy.
to listen and steep in your own flavor.
to listen to your inner wisdom.
to reflect on what is brewing and simmering inside of you – the metaphorical cauldron of your being.
to discern where to put your focus for the remainder of the year.
In a culture obsessed with productivity and efficiency, Cauldron Time is subversive because it embraces idleness - aka doing nothing.
The Art of Idleness
Idleness is often misunderstood in our productivity-driven society. In fact, the Oxford Dictionary defines idleness as laziness or indolence.
However, taking time to be idle is neither lazy or a waste of time; it's about creating space for our minds to wander, for creativity to spark, and for our souls to rest.
"Idleness is…as indispensable to the brain as vitamin D is to the body…The space and quiet that idleness provides is a necessary condition for standing back from life and seeing it whole, for making unexpected connections and waiting for the wild summer lightning strikes of inspiration—it is, paradoxically, necessary to getting any work done."
-Tim Kreider
Ideas to Create Cauldron Time
The idea of Cauldron Time might sound appealing to you. But how do you do it?
Start with what feels possible and easily available to you. You may be able to carve out an entire day of dedicated Cauldron Time or it may be 30 minutes.
Here are some ideas to support you:
Resting with a yoga nidra meditation - come to my monthly online rest circle or listen to my free Honey yoga nidra on Insight Timer.
Breath practices, like the Calming Straw Breath
Reading poetry
You could receive a poem every day from Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
Labyrinth walking
Here’s a link to my Everyday Labyrinth Guide
Listening to music
My favourite rest album at the moment is Sun, Mine Erik Sigurd
Gently moving your body & dancing
Daydreaming & cloud watching
Being with the beauty of the natural world
Taking a warm bath with some aromatic oils
Forest and nature bathing, which might include walking barefoot on the Earth, lying on the Earth
Floating in water
Napping
Essential Oil for Your Cauldron Time: Lavender
To enhance your experience, incorporate the soothing scent of lavender essential oil.
Known for its calming properties, lavender can help quiet the mind and promote a sense of peace. Simply place a drop on a tissue or add it to a diffuser if you have one. As you breathe in its gentle aroma, allow it to anchor you to the present moment, deepening your connection to your surroundings and yourself.
For more ideas on creating tranquility with lavender see my blog post on lavender diffuser blends.
Final Thoughts
Keep in mind that the purpose of Cauldron Time isn’t to be more productive. Taking Cauldron Time and embracing idleness is a gift you give to yourself because you are so worthy of doing nothing.
Cauldron time serves as a reminder that it's okay to pause and just be.
