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Alter ~ Athame ~ Incense ~ Candles ~ Bell ~ Figurines ~ Chalice ~ Two Bowls

Broom ~ Wand ~ Pentacle ~ Robes ~ Censer ~ Charcoal ~ Cauldron ~ Sword

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The chalice or cup is used on the altar to represent the Female principle of Water. Another chalice or cauldron is sometimes placed in the Westas well. The chalice along with the athame, sword or wand are the moderntools which are used in the enactment of the "Great Rite"-the union of the male and female principle from which Life will spring.



Chalices may be of any material. Many use silver or pewter (be carefulwith untreated metals when serving wine), but ceramic ones are now quite popular and readily obtainable. Some Witches have many different kinds for different types of rituals. Many a practitioner will avoid real "lead"crystal because of the Saturn energy influence.

The chalice is sometimes passed around the circle so each participant may take a sip from the cup. This is a bonding experience and often thewords "May you never thirst!" are passed throughout the circle withthe chalice.



Libations of wine or water are often then poured outside to honor the Old Ones and "sabbat" cakes are also offered back to the Source ina similar manner.



The chalice is symbolic of the womb of the Goddess, and is associated with fertility. It is used for drinking and for the offering of libations to the gods. It is believed that to drink from the cup is to drink of life;similar to the mythical Holy Grail of King Arthur.



The Cup, Chalice or Cauldron is a representation of one of the four mostimportant (sacred) things to a Witch. It represents the feminine principal.The Cup, Chalice or Cauldron represents the subconscious, the psychicand hidden part of life, and the emotions. In the Tarot it is representativeof all emotions both good and bad. This tool has a multitude ofcorrespondences. With out these vessels there would be NO "Great Rite".

In the Magical Circle the Cup, e.t., a.l., is representative of water. InJoseph Campbell's book, "The Masks Of God", he states that , "Allcultures have rituals and myths regarding water. It is found to be in someof the earliest myths". To our ancient brothers and sisters when awoman's water broke it was the signal that life was about to come forth.When asked Grolier's 4ed Multi Media Compact Disk Encyclopediaabout creation myths and water it came up with, "Water is the symbolof the uncreated universe, a kind of pregnant chaos".In ancient Greeceit was Thales of Miletus who argued that, "The world is made up of onlyone element....water". Furthermore, in the transcripts of The Power OfMyth with Joseph Campbell it states that, "...some religions use wateras a sacrament of The Goddess".



The traditional uses of the Cup and the Chalice are to hold such thingsas the blessed water, wine and most other fluids. They can also be used in divination. The Cauldron however, has uses in each quarter. For example: In the North it can hold soil as a representation of the WombOf The Earth. In the East it can hold energy of thought. In the South itcan hold the Fire Of The Gods and in the West it holds The Water ofBirth and Rebirth.

The Celts have a long history of making beautiful vessels such as the"Ardagh Chalice" and of cauldron lore. They have a legend of a cauldron that never runs out of food at great feasts. The best know cauldron lore isThe Cauldron of Cerridwen that provides the mead of wisdom.



The Xians have the "holy grail". Legends from the 4th Century suggestthat the grail romances are believed to be the fragmentary records of thesecret rituals of a Goddess religion. Later in Autherian legends, be it Parsifal or Galahad, were said to have found the secret of the "holy grail".Did they only know that the quest for the grail was the quest for theGoddess? An interesting corollary here is that most myths about the grailsee the grail as silver, a metal of the Moon and the Goddess.

Surprisingly Raymond Buckland makes no mention of it in his book,"Complete Book Of Witchcraft" under the chapter on tools. L.W.deLaurence only mentions the use of a "vessel" and has no entry forit's consecration. For further study read "The Crafted Cup", by Shadwynn , "A Witches Bible Complete by Janet and Stewart Farrarand "The Encyclopedia Of Witches And Witchcraft" by Rosemary EllenGuiley, "The Masks Of God", by Joseph Campbell and "JosephCampbell - The Power Of Myth", by Doubleday.



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