The chalice is one of the most intimate tools used in Wiccan practise. The symbolic meanings of the chalice include the Goddess, the womb, water, hope and promise.
Choosing a Wiccan Chalice
As with choosing all Wiccan supplies, it is important to use intuition when selecting a chalice. It may take some time to find a chalice to which one feels drawn, but it is important to feel a real connection with Magickal tools that are used for spell casting.
Wiccan stores, particularly online Wiccan shops, offer a wide range of beautiful chalices, from the elaborate to the very simple. It is also quite acceptable to adapt an ordinary goblet for use as a Wiccan chalice. Colored glass paints may be used on a suitable vessel, or a metal cup can be personalized with a suitable engraving for use as a Wiccan chalice.
The Wiccan Chalice in Casting Magic Spells
The best known ritual involving the Wiccan chalice is to dip the tip of the ritual dagger, or athame, into liquid held in the chalice. The symbolism is evident, and very moving, representing the union of the God and Goddess, infusing the liquid with potent fertility and promise.
Celebrations at each of the Celtic Festivals may be marked by sharing appropriate drinks from the chalice. Fresh milk at Imbolc, red wine at Samhain, cider at Beltane, and beer at Lughnasadh or Lammas.
Myths and Traditional Surrounding the Chalice
Of all the Wiccan tools, the chalice is the symbol most shared with other traditions, notably Christianity. One of the central, and most powerful, rituals of many Christian Churches, the Eucharist or Communion, involves sharing wine and bread among the church community, following the example of the Christ as the last supper.
The Grail of Arthurian Legends is a mysterious and enchanting example of a chalice in myth. The origins of the myth, and the associated genuine historical facts, remain hotly debated. However, many commentators believe that the medieval Christian associations draw heavily on pre-existing Celtic myth and folklore.
Certainly the symbol of the grail as the original cup that Christ shared at the last supper, and which Joseph of Arimathea used to catch the blood of Christ on the cross, are just as evocative as the image of the chalice as the fertile and generous Goddess.
Related Articles
Readers may also enjoy Wiccan Love Spells and Manifesting Prosperity with Wicca along with the Wiccan Home Altar.
Mysterious and beautiful, a chalice is a Wiccan tool to chosen with care. Once chosen, a chalice should be treasured and respected as an age old symbols, a valuable tool in Wiccan ritual and casting Wiccan spells.
Sources:
- Exploring Wicca by Lady Sabrina.
- To Ride a Silver Broomstick by Silver Ravenwood.
- Wicca by Deanna J. Conway.
- The Grail by Roger Sherman Loomis.
- The Holy Grail by Richard W. Barber.
