The Chalice is a magical tool used in many magickal rituals in a variety of traditions. It is used to represent the female element and the element of water.
The chalice is, a cup, used to hold liquids for ritual purposes.
Though its symbolism is similar to the cauldron, its use is slightly different. It is clearly more portable and thus easier to pass around for group ritual and more appropriate for drinking from than a cauldron, and so, the cauldron and the chalice, though they serve similar symbolic purposes on the altar, may serve different practical functions side-by-side on an altar.
The chalice is occasionally used in conjunction with the wand or athame to represent the union of male and female in a symbolic great rite.
The chalice is a traditional receptacle for ceremonial wine and other beverages and it is often used to share beverages around the circle and to hold libations for offering. A variety of beverages may be used for these communion rituals; wine is popular, as is mead, juice, and milk, depending on the occasion and the Gods being propitiated.
The chalice itself can take many forms. It often looks like a stemmed wine goblet, but shapes vary greatly. A drinking horn is a popular variation on form.
