our Craft revival draws for much of it's history and so was very beautiful in it's own right. It was one of the most unique chalices I have ever seen.
Another witch I knew, who was ethnically Jewish, used a chalice that had a great deal of meaning for her. It was her GRANDMOTHER'S Silver Kiddush cup used to greet the SABBATH BRIDE and draw the Shekinah Presence - also female according to Jewish tradition - into the home after the lighting of the Shabbat candles.
As this connected this particular Witch to her lineage and to her grand-mother's spirit, it was especially appropriate for her to use it - especially since shewas an initiate of one of the offshoots of Gardnerian and Alexandrian tradition that draws heavily on the Kabbalah; which she emphasized more even than other H.Priestesses of those lineages due to her desire to remain connected to her background.
In some traditions a drinking horn is used instead of a chalice. It is mostly used by those drawing from the Norse or Germanic legends in recreating their ritual structure, but really such a horn could be used by anyone. You can make your OWN drinking horn far easier than making a chalice. Get a cow's horn - usually available from farmers or from your local Tandy Leather store - and make a stand for it with heavy copper or silver wire that you wrap around it and form into a stand. You can GENTLY engrave (DO NOT USE ACID FOR THIS) the horn or you can solder small gems and crystals to the wire stand or whatever else strikes you as being appropriate symbolism.
But having a chalice or horn that IS YOU is important in your work, perhaps more so than any other article in Wicca which is so Goddess oriented.
Keywords: hermetics practice diverse practices medieval magical amulets religions explained death spells evil spells magickal explanation psalm shambhala sufism asatru
