Skip to main content

How/Where can you get a kick-ass flaming chalice?


How can you get a flaming chalice that actually is a flaming chalice? Most of the time we have a chalice (sort of) with a candle stuck in it. But the symbol isn't a chalice with a candle in it, it's a chalice with a flame in it.

How can you get a chalice where there is a big flame, not just a candle flame, like the one in the Service of the Living Tradition? What substance can you use to get a three-inch flame? I wouldn't want a chalice as big as the one at the Service of the Living Tradition, but I think the flame should be that big. I've always found the candle a bit pathetic. Well, actually I've got used to it now. But when I started worshipping with Unitarians I thought it could be a bit pathetic.

Maybe it's just the pyromaniac (or the Zoroastrian) in me but I just think a big old flame would be really cool. Any ideas?

Comments

fausto said…
Use an oil lamp rather than a candle.

Or you could get one of these.
4:54 pm
Rich said…
You intrigued me so I had a Google around.

This looks very interesting. It's just orange paper that flutters but I can imagine it provides a more impressive flaming feel than a candle.

Or you could use a Bunsen burner, but that's not exactly environmentally friendly!
8:03 pm
Unknown said…
Over here Cómo Hacer Un Cáliz de Fuego I have instructions on how to create a flaming chalice of various colors using salts and a liquid source of fuel. It is in Spanish, but you can follow up on the pictures.

The flame doesn't last long, gives fumes that can bother people with copper sensitivities, but is extremely popular with youth.

The flame here is bluish green, but I've also had some success getting red, violet, white, and greenish yellow flames.

If you are interested, drop me a note.
9:33 pm
Unknown said…
Oh, bother.

I really meant this link:

Cómo Hacer Un Cáliz de Fuego
9:36 pm
Andrewjb said…
Meths is quite good for this kind of thing. Your chalice would have to have enough of a dip in it to hold the liquid but if you measure the right amount out, it would last long enough for liturgical purposes. There are no fumes and the flames are usually bluish with sometimes a tinge of yellow.
4:18 pm
Robin Edgar said…
I would think that this official UUA flaming chalice logo would make a real kick-ass flaming chalice if you used this flame in it. . .

The Unitarian*Universalist Fellowship of Mordor anyone? ;-)
5:57 am
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The dumbest thing about American Unitarian Univeralism

I'm glad Peacebang started blogging about this cos I was about to, and now it's like I'm joining in with a conversation rather than doing a big rant and having a go at Americans (though that is always fun ;-)). Why the hell do American (or is it just in New England??) UU churches take, like a quarter of the year off? In the summer they close. They CLOSE!! A church, closing. It's so bloody weird and wrong. Where does it come from? Why? Why? Why? Why do people need church less in the summer? Where are people supposed to go? Where is the Divine supposed to go? My church in Boston didn't close exactly, but moved to the smaller upstairs chapel, but the minister still had all that time off. Now I've spent most of my life around teachers and priests, both jobs where people think people don't put many hours in, when in fact they put in loads ('you only work Sunday mornings/9 to 3.25'). Teachers work hard and need their long holidays. Ministers work hard, a...
4 comments
Read more

Is humanism theologically tolerant?

OK, well this might be controversial, but I feel the need to say it. Is humanist tolerant? Please note I'm not asking about humanism within society. Clearly humanism certainly believes in tolerance within society and I'm forever glad they are often the only people in the media calling for a separation of church and state. No, what I'm talking about is descriptions of Unitarianism like this and adverts like this , discussed at Peacebang here , which say that humanism is one option, Christianity is another, God is one option among many. The trouble is, humanism, by definition is theologically opposed to theism. This is very different from the relationship between Christianity and Buddhism. These two traditions may be vastly different, but Buddhism, by definition , is not opposed to Christianity, and Christianity, by definition , is not opposed to Buddhism. But humanism is consciously defined in opposition to Christianity and theism. So to say that humanism and theism can bot...
14 comments
Read more

LOST and theology: who are the good guys?

***Spoiler alert*** I'm continuing some theological/philosophical reflections while re-watching the series LOST. One of the recurring themes in LOST is the idea of the "good guys" and the "bad guys." We start the series assuming the survivors (who are the main characters) are the "good guys" and the mysterious "Others" are definitely bad guys. But at the end of series 2 one of the main characters asks the Others, "Who are  you people?" and they answer, in an extremely disturbing way, "We're the good guys." The series develops with a number of different factions appearing, "the people from the freighter" "the DHARMA initiative" as well as divisions among the original survivors. The question remains among all these complicated happenings "who really are the good guys?" I think one of the most significant lines in the series is an episode when Hurley is having a conversation with ...
3 comments
Read more