Vol 1

Vol 1 #5 - The Holy Grail

Crow...are you "cawing" so I may know the secrets of balance within my soul? Or are you sending your "caw"
just to remind me of universal laws? (1)

According to some sources, the symbolism of The Grail has its origins in Persian and Celtic Traditions, while others claim it to be a purely Christian invention. Indeed it has even been suggested that all authentic religious and spiritual movements, in one way or another, are related to The Grail and its symbolism. In this regard it has been suggested that The Grail is actually an amalgam of three other symbols - The Sword, The Lance, and The Stone of Destiny, and that the fundamental difference between Christianity, on the one hand, and Islam on the other, is the fact that in Islam The Grail takes the form of The Stone of Destiny - the Kabah, the very Heart of Mecca. Regardless of origins, however, and despite speculations with regard to perceived differences in religions, there is little doubt that in our Western Christian Culture, The Grail is a symbol of supreme spiritual attainment. In the current issue of ARIADNE'S WEB™, our primary focus is on those attributes of The Grail which point the way toward the acquisition of those highly spiritual attributes associated with the Grail symbolism.

In our lead article, Finding The Holy Grail, the emphasis is placed upon the symbolism of Merlin, especially as this symbol relates to the evolution of human consciousness throughout the ages. In this regard Merlin is presented as an archetypal image of the magical, all-embracing and transformative power of the human psyche which, entrained by the precession of the equinoxes, has progressively become fossilized and buried deep within the most inaccessible recesses of human consciousness. The Grail, on the other hand, is represented as being the symbol of the Immanent Presence of Universal Consciousness which lies as a potential within the human psyche. Thus, the challenge to each of us is "What prevents us from finding the Holy Grail?" The author suggests that the faculties of Reason, symbolized by The Sword, and of Intuition, symbolized by The Lance, are the tools which one must use in actualizing the potential of The Grail in one's psyche.

For its part, "In Service To The Grail", by Diehl Kerr develops the theme that indeed "God has already done His share" and, as such, it is up to us as individuals to do our part. In leading the reader through the three initiatic phases of The Grail Mysteries as practised by the Cathars, the author leaves little doubt as to what we ought to be doing for ourselves if we wish to serve the symbolism of The Grail during these waning years of the 20th Century. In this regard, the theme of Initiation is pursued in "Initiation - An Inner Experience" by Jeremy Hunter who suggests that the structure of any Traditional Temple is a metaphor for the inner aspects of the human mind. He contends that "Initiation" is, in reality, a Call to Action, and that Initiation is the result of a precise interaction between the Light of one's Understanding, symbolized by the East of the Temple, and the archetypal image of the Self which dwells at the Heart of the Temple.

In "The Eye of the Heart" Antoine Kerlys speaks eloquently of the action of the Third Eye, the Eye of Intuition, and suggests that the Heart is not only the center of the physical and spiritual universe, but that it is the seat of The Grail itself. The reader is led to an understanding as to how he or she may set about gathering up all of his or her energies within the secret chamber of the Heart, a rehearsal for the event in consciousness commonly known as death, for it is only in dying to oneself that one can hope to achieve The Grail. But what precisely does it mean to die to oneself? Here this appears to be a question of inner vision - Clear Vision - if we are to accept the views of Robert Linssen in his article on The Basis of Inner Awakening entitled "Zen Buddhism and Yoga." A critical point raised by Mr. Linssen in his article touches on the concept of the permanence of the "I" or "Me" which so many of us take for granted. He argues that it is not until one dies to the erroneous conception of the permanence of the "I" or "Me" that one can attain Clear Vision or the Vision of the Heart.

Espousing the philosophy that Chakras and Psychic Centers incarnate universal principles in the human body, in the Metaphysiology feature Zacchariah Stone presents some interesting views in his article "Seven Metaphysical Principles in Self-Healing". The author suggests that to be successful in one's quest for The Grail, one must learn how to integrate harmoniously these seven principles within the psyche. In the end, a scenario demonstrating the mind's influence in the cure of a case of asthma is presented. Indeed, in the DIDYANO feature, a case history is presented which shows that the mind is capable of countermanding even the dictates of the genetic apparatus.

Finally, in STARLIGHT, Ann Burns treats those astrological influences which bear upon the finding of the Grail. Surely, anyone who has achieved the heights of spiritual awakening symbolized by The Grail must certainly also possess a sense of humor. Entering The Sanctuary focuses on just that - The Mystic Sense of Humor!

Yours - OHW.

(1) Quote taken from MEDICINE CARDS by Jamie Sams and David Carson

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