In sixteenth-century England, Joanna Stafford matches wits against powerful men when she's caught up in a shadowy plot targeting Henry VIII.

A beekeeper by trade, Mirasol's life changes completely when she is named the new Chalice, the most important advisor to the new Master, a former priest of Fire.

Glastonbury Tor is the legendary resting place of the Holy Grail, but something else also rests beneath the hill Glastonbury, legendary resting place of the Holy Grail, is a mysterious and haunting town. But when plump, dizzy Diane Ffitch returns home, it's with a sense of deep unease—and not only about her aristocratic family's reaction to her broken engagement and her New Age companions. Plans for a new motorway have intensified the old bitterness between the local people and the "pilgrims," so already the sacred air is soured. And, as the town becomes increasingly split by violence and death, Diane, local bookseller Juanita Carey, and the writer Joe Powys must now face up to the worst of all possibilities: the existence of an anti-Grail—the dark chalice.

Now with an updated epilogue celebrating the 30th anniversary of this groundbreaking and increasingly relevent book. "May be the most significant work published in all our lifetimes." – LA Weekly The Chalice and the Blade tells a new story of our cultural origins. It shows that warfare and the war of the sexes are neither divinely nor biologically ordained. It provides verification that a better future is possible—and is in fact firmly rooted in the haunting dramas of what happened in our past.

Drawing upon his sincere appreciation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and his decades of service in various roles, Colbert S. Cartwright gives a lively picture of the people who have chosen as their symbol the communion chalice. His purpose is to help these people understand their rich heritage and unique characteristics. (Back cover).

Spiral-bound. This full-music edition to Chalice Praise includes keyboard accompaniment, extensive indexes, and other special musical information.