(December 2025) Small ritual cauldrons are mainly used to burn incense or to burn smudging material. Odors and a moderate level of smoke add to the otherworldliness feeling wanted for rituals.
Therefore, the ideal cauldron has a with shallow broad top like that shown in the picture and not one with a deep narrow neck.
Typical diffuser for dispersing scented oils.
When using incense of scented oils practice moderation, you know, that nature virtue of balance.
(December 2025) Because too much smoke from incense could trigger smoke alarms and cause health problems for some sensitive individuals an alternative is to disperse scented oil though the air with a diffuser. Yet this is also not without its problems because some essential oils can cause problems if breathed in high concentrations (again depending on a person's sensitivity).
Remember natural plants can be poison as well as medicine which is why herbology is an advanced skill. Just because some things are sold as "natural" ingredients does not mean they are safe. Dosage is also important. In low doses aspirin (from the bark of the willow tree) can relieve pain and prevent heart attacks by thinning the blood but in high doses it can kill.
Essential oils are not regulated in the United States. This means there is no oversight of these products to ensure quality and concentration. Only use essential oils from reputable sources.
So follow these common sense practices:
(December 2025) This shows a cauldron/censer used in an Indian temple. Notice its wear pattern is similar to the ancient handheld censers below.
Photo from https://www.indianshelf.in/brass-censer-incense-bowl-for-temple/
(December 2025) Censers are also held and moved around the ritual room. Here a priest holds a covered censer. These covered censers are swung around the room. The Christians inherited their censing traditions from Pagan temple practices.
(March 2, 2025) These were found together. In fact, all such spoons are found in pairs. Notice the gold inlay in the upper left quadrant and depression for now missing inlays in the other quadrants. A filled circle represents the full moon and represent the celestial light goddess Selu/Selene who defines fate.
Other such inlays are found on ritual swords (see the atheme section) indicating these items were also used in ancient rituals. Archaeologists first called these "spoons" because they did not know what they were.
"Castell" "Nadolig" in Druid Akkadian is "K.ST.EL.L" "N.D'.L.IG" or in English "Involving the allocation of the high-powers lacking" the "Divine revelations reducing the eyes-of-fate." The inlays on these swords go along with that site translation.
These are also known as the Penbryn Spoons.
https://www.ashmolean.org/collections-online#/item/ash-object-319452
(Dec, 2025) Notice the hole in this example suggesting it once held an inlay.
In rituals these likely held burning incense or some smudging material like juniper.
Found at Castell Nadolig which was an iron age hillfort surrounded by many springs which made it a sacred site down lower on the flanks of the hill. Usually the lords would have the summit.
https://www.ashmolean.org/collections-online#/item/ash-object-319452