WATER
Here follows the part of the ritual identified with the Chalice, the blessing and sharing of the ritual toast.
Here you will bless the Chalice and/or food you will share. These are often termed “cakes and ale” but the term is purely ceremonial. “Cakes” are most often crackers, candies, slices of fruit, or as we will represent them here, cookies.
You can put whatever you choose in the Chalice, but you should be conscious of the preferences of those who will be present. Though a nice wine in the Chalice can be good –and wine is considered to be sacred, representing the lifeblood of the Earth- but not everyone can partake of wine for various reasons, and fruit juice can be just as good, and water is certainly just as representative of the lifeforce. Here we will represent the Chalice as bearing juice.
It is traditional to share the Chalice itself, passing it from person to person around the Circle –this is called a “LOVING CUP.” However many people today prefer to pass out paper cups –especially if it is a large group- and bless a pitcher rather than a Chalice per se, from which the drink is then dispensed to the paper cups around the circle. Such a pitcher is still termed a “Chalice.”
Here is a simple way to bless the Chalice:
This is usually done by the Priestess. Draw down Divine energy into the Chalice, visualized as white light coming down and filling the cup and radiating out from it as if it were a sun within. Say something like:
PRIESTESS
“Behold, in the name of the Goddess and the God, may this cup of love be Blessed. As we share it, may it be as a bond between us, a token of the love we bear for Them, and They for us, and we all for each other! So Mote it Be!”
ALL
“So Mote it Be!”
Now Bless the cookies. This is often done by the Priest. Draw down Divine energy into the plate of cookies, again visualized as white light coming down and filling the plate, shining out from it like a sun within. Say something like:
PRIEST
”Behold, in the name of the Goddess and the God may this produce of the Earth be Blessed. As we share it may we refreshed, sustained, and strengthened. So Mote it Be!”
ALL
“So Mote it Be!”
Now pass out the juice and cookies to all present, waiting until everyone has theirs.
Now offer the Toast:
PRIESTESS
(Raises her cup) “To the Goddess!”
ALL
(All raise their cups) “To the Goddess!”
PRIEST
(Raises his cookie) “To the God!”
ALL
(All raise their cookies) “To the God!”
PRIESTESS
“To us!”
ALL
“To us!”
The Toast may now be consumed.
After the Toast is a good time for any announcements that need to be made, since everyone is still very focused. But it is usually best not to use this time for socializing, as this tends to bring down the energy in the Circle.