Wine v. ?

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Permalink Reply by SupremeTacos on March 4, 2010 at 9:38pm

Any type of fruit juice is fine as well. And in some cases milk.

I make spiced apple cider, adding clove, cinnamon and ginger root to a small cheese cloth pouch and cooking it over a slow flame into a whole jug of apple cider. A few slices of oranges and you're done. I'm 21 but i don't drink much, and wine is not something you find in our house often.

Keri<3

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Permalink Reply by Leah on March 4, 2010 at 10:12pm

Great question and good replies I am also new to this community,Lived by the guidelines my whole life, I am over 21 and I seem to have the cake and ale part down pretty well. LOL jk

Best wishes on your journey.

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Permalink Reply by Ken Ra on March 4, 2010 at 11:08pm

I am diabetic so no alcohol period. Our chalice has water in it, as many of our people are AA. The sacred is in our intent and will, not in our diet.

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Permalink Reply by Jenett on March 5, 2010 at 8:28am

I've got a strong personal preference for food and drink that's been transformed by living things in the chalice (that means yeast bread, and something liquid that's the same): I prefer wine, but one of my students made the excellent suggestion that one alternative might be a yoghurt drink or something similar (lassi, kefir, etc.)

I also think it depends a great deal on what your goal is - if you want the focus to be on a shared meal (no matter how symbolic/small) than any appropritate food and drink is fine (fruit juice, fruit instead of cakes, etc.) If you want the food and drink to also serve a specific magical purpose (holding charged energy, for example) than you may find that some food and drink choices work better than others for that goal - just like any other tool and material choice. Experimentation can be quite enjoyable!

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Permalink Reply by Moogie the Witch on March 5, 2010 at 9:34am

Milk mixed with honey can be a good substitute. If you're still looking for something of the vine, you can substitute kosher wine, which you can find with all the other Jewish food in some of your more higher-end grocery stores (Lowe's). Kosher wine does not contain alcohol. We've also done juices, such as grape, apple, or pomegranate, and this can change depending on the season.
I think milk and honey is very appropriate for spring sabbats, grape or pomegranate being appropriate for harvest festivals. I think any beverage of the Earth is a good substitute, something that once had life in it. Do not substitute Pepsi. XD
So no, you do not "need" to have wine. =)

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Permalink Reply by Joshua on March 22, 2010 at 9:02pm

Actually, Kosher wine does contain alcohol, it's just a much lower percentage, and you still get carded for it.

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Permalink Reply by Joshua on March 22, 2010 at 9:06pm

I think Moogie's suggestion is great! Milk and honey is a very traditional drink, especially if you're taking an agriculturally European perspective. This is a drink that has a lot of fertility aspects and was used to "dress" Yule logs and such before burning.

Being decently over 21... I still prefer milk and honey to wine.

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Permalink Reply by John Stapp on March 22, 2010 at 9:55pm

Hi Daryn, some traditions insist on wine because of the symbolic nature of it. Others say it really doesn't matter what you use and I agree. I have used wine, ale, mead and my favorite fresh-squeezed orange juice and honey. Grape juice would be a great substitute. There are also several non-alcohalic wines on the market but they taste like heck! I think your money would be better spent on fruit juice. Since the cup represents the Goddess, you may look into wether there is a fruit that is sacred or linked to your goddess in some way. That might be a nice tradition of your own that you could start! Blessings to you :)

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