Fire is a key aspect of many pagan ceremonies; however, it’s not always the best idea to burn things indoors. It produces carbon dioxide, sets off fire detectors, and wood smoke will quickly fill up a small room. For those of us who desire the energy of a bonfire, but do not possess a large outdoor space, it’s possible to build a small cauldron fire using Epsom salts and rubbing alcohol.
You Will Need:
My stack of ingredients. Original Image.
- Cauldron (or a similar metal vessel) – it should have a lid in case you need to quickly put out the fire
- Epsom Salts – you can find these in any pharmacy section
- Rubbing Alcohol – the higher the percentage, the better. 91% preferably
- Measuring Spoon
- Lighter
- Aluminum Foil (optional)
- Bowl or ramekin (optional)
You probably have most of this stuff sitting around your house. If not, almost everything can be found at your corner store, where it should be much cheaper than buying online.
Warning: Fires can be dangerous. Use common sense.
“Only you can prevent forest fires”
Smokey the Bear
Step 1: (Optional) Make an Aluminum Foil bowl
A Tinfoil Bowl. Original Image.
The Epsom salts make the burn last longer, but they tend to leave behind a pretty nasty residue. If that doesn’t bother you, then feel free to skip this step. I prefer to try to keep the inside of our cauldron clean.
Take a sheet of aluminum foil and form it into a small bowl. This is much easier if you just mold it around a small dish. I usually grab a ramekin — 4” wide works pretty well. This aluminum foil bowl is going to act as a liner inside your cauldron.
Step 2: Mix the rubbing alcohol and epsom salts
The salt:alcohol ratio you choose will depend on how long or intensely you want the fire to burn.
I’ve made a lot of cauldron fires over the years, but I’ve always been curious exactly how changing up the mix would impact the burn time — so curious, in fact, that I decided to do three simultaneous burns for comparison. For my testing purposes, I used a total of 6 parts in each bowl, with 1 Tbsp. as the measure.
Side-by-side comparisons of how different ratios burn. For science. Original image.
2:1 Ratio (4 Tbsp Epsom Salt to 2 Tbsp Rubbing Alcohol)
Higher quantities of salt will produce a smaller fire.
Total Burn Time:
5 minutes
Notes:
A good controlled fire, but a little lackluster.
1:1 Ratio (3 Tbsp Epsom Salt to 3 Tbsp Rubbing Alcohol)
Equal parts will produce a medium fire.
Total Burn Time:
7 minutes
Notes:
Flames got much smaller after about 5 minutes.
1:2 Ratio (2 Tbsp Epsom Salt to 4 Tbsp Rubbing Alcohol)
More alcohol will produce a larger fire.
Total Burn Time:
11 minutes
Notes:
Flames got much smaller after about 7 minutes. Overall height was similar to the 1:1 ratio for most of the burn.
Conclusions
I’m usually a fan of the 1:2 ratio because I like bigger fires. For our cauldron, which is about 6” wide, this seems to work the best. There’s not a huge different in size between the 1:1 and 1:2 mixtures, but the latter does last much longer.
Step 3: Light the Fire
The moment we’ve all been waiting for! Original image.
Alcohol lights very quickly, so it’s best to use a long lighter. Keep your lid handy if it burns for longer than you like.
Would you like to know what I’ve learned from this experience? I mean, aside from the fact that more alcohol produces a bigger, longer fire?
I learned that it’s really difficult to take a picture of a lit cauldron fire in normal interior lighting with an iPhone camera. I tried every angle, but it just wouldn’t focus properly.
Anyway, I guess I’ll spend some time cleaning my camera roll while I wait for the fire to die down. According to my handy chart, that should probably take about 11 minutes.
How to Use Your Cauldron Fire
Jump It
Is there a better thing to do with a cauldron fire? Seriously, jump over it. This is a fairly common practice for fertility blessings, especially around Beltane.
Dance Around It
Dancing around a fire is an excellent way to raise energy. It can be combined with just about any other item on this list.
Make Noise
Making noise includes playing the drums, singing, or chanting. They combine very nicely with dancing.
Burn Spells, Petitions, or Offerings
Small spell workings can be burned. Petition papers work very well. Offerings of herbs or resins are also great to throw in. We’ve tried bones, too, but they won’t burn all the way down before the fire goes out.
Scry
Want to hear what the fire has to say? Sit, stare, and be quiet for a while.
You Are Now a Cauldron Fire Master
Congratulations! You have achieved cauldron fire master status. Use this power wisely and only for good. Expect to be the go-to person for all cauldron-fire-related issues at public rituals from this point forward. No one else will remember how much Epsom salt to use. But you will. You have a chart.
The Best Music About Fires
What are you doing all the way down here? Well, no matter. Since you’re here, I might as well take this time to let you know that some of the links on this page are Amazon affiliate links — if you click on them and make a purchase, I profit. Happy burning!
Aerik Arkadian 
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