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The Holy Grail, Symbolic Bridge to the New Age

By Judith Crabb
Compiled from various sources
with the help of Riley Crabb.

One of our most important tasks today is building the bridge into the New Age. This includes all servers, initiates, adepts. Actually the bridge is between the old Piscean and the new Aquarian Age. This is pioneering work by small groups associated with the Mystery Schools. The pioneers belong to the Aquarian Age, the future, rather than the present. They are misfits, born out of their time. They are misunderstood and not well liked. To the conservative the Aquarian is a radical. He is dangerous to society as it is. St. Paul of the New Testament had a word for them, these pioneers, "the abortions".

The Aquarian pioneers are here now, working. The bridge must be built between them and the people of the present day, the waning Pisceans. The builders are the advanced Pisceans, those whose natural place is on the cusp between the two ages. These are the ones who are capable of understanding the Aquarian outlook, though their life training prevents them from living the Aquarian way. The advanced Piscean belongs to both epochs and yet to neither.

We need a universal symbol for the building of that bridge; that symbol is the Holy Grail. The Grail is an archetypal symbol linking together the many peoples of the West. The Grail is common to their history. Every western race and nation has its Grail legends. These go back to early Christian times. They are deep in the soul of the race. With its universal appeal the Grail can unify nations. People can rally around it because it is still a living legend in their hearts. It is a common bond between them.

THE FOUR FORMS OF THE HOLY GRAIL

The Grail legend is a myth or dramatic story of a universal need of everyone here in the Western world. There is a yearning in each human heart for the Holy Grail, in one of its four forms. In one of these forms it is known as Kerridwen's "Cauldron of Plenty", which never failed to furnish a feast. A second form of the Grail is the "Cup of the Last Supper", the sorrowful cup of the sacrifice. A third form could be the shining "Cup Of Supreme Mystical Vision". A fourth form of the cup of the Grail could be the simple "Cup of Cold Water", and so the Grail is all things to all men. The building of the bridge is a spiritual drama.

Each of these four forms of the Grail has a body of myth and parable around it. Legend has it that the Cauldron of Kerridwen was originally in the Cavern world. King Arthur found it there and by violence took it from the elemental forces guarding it. He brought it to the surface where its limitless abundance could be available to all men. The story is that Arthur took the Cauldron to the highest mountain in Wales and [22] gave it to the care of the Celtic Isis, Kerridwen.

Her pot has something of the appearance of a witches' cauldron. It has three legs and a ring of mistletoe, but it is made of silver rather than of black iron. It is said that Kerridwen never allowed the fire to go out beneath her cauldron. Sometimes, after great battles, Kerridwen took her Cauldron of Plenty into the hall of heroes. There they caroused around it. They found in the cauldron all the food and drink their hearts could desire.

In this myth is the truth that the Grail answers or fulfills the elemental needs of the soul. Here is nothing of the higher vision or occult wisdom, just the beauty of nature given by the Earth Mother. There is deep significance to the rape from Hell, the taking of the cauldron by violence from deep in the earth, but this is only for initiates. This correlates with the fourth aspect of the Godhead.

THE LOVING-KINDNESS IN CHRISTIANITY

At a higher level the Grail represents human compassion when, as a cup of cold water, it is given to satisfy human need. Here it symbolizes universal charity and loving-kindness in Christianity.

At a higher level still the Grail represents the sacrificed man-god in the Cup of the Last Supper. He redeems the world by laying down his life. To a lesser degree the Cup of the Last Supper represents the unreserved dedication of the initiate. He also gives wholly of himself that the world can be saved.

Going one step higher in consciousness we have the Golden Grail. This represents Mystical Vision. The shining splendor of this glorious ideal is inspiration and guidance for the twice-born. Here we find the archetypal ideas for the Aquarian Age. The Golden Cup is filled with the wine of the New Age. Higher yet we have Crystal Cup of the pure water of the Spirit. This Grail is beyond thought and is known only to initiates.

THE HOLY GRAIL MANIFEST, AND UNMANIFEST

So the Cup of the Grail has four aspects in manifestation and two unmanifest. Each has a significant color: going up the scale the devil's working pot is of iron; Kerridwen's cauldron is of silver; the cup for cold water is earthenware; the Cup of the Last Supper is silver; the Mystical Grail is gold; and finally there is the Cup of Clear Crystal.

The devil's pot is black iron; this is a crucible for breaking up and melting down old forms into simpler elements. He purifies old material for the making of new things. Silver is the metal of the moon. So, Kerridwen's cauldron and the Cup of the Last Supper are of Astral silver. They represent the two aspects of the moon, the waxing and the waning. The Golden Cup is drunk by the Higher Self.

THE KABALISTIC GLYPH, THE TREE OF LIFE

In relating the various Grail symbols to the Tree, we put the black iron pot below Malkuth, in the earth, in the sphere of the Qliphoth. [23] Here all things are broken down to simpler elements, digested, and sent back up to the upper world as the raw material of existence. Most refractory elements are melted down in the black iron crucible. This is not evil but a center of unbalanced force. This is a sanitary center where the garbage of mankind and of nature is purified and made ready to be used again.

Malkuth is the earthen vessel containing the cold water of compassion. This is practical Christian charity.

The waxing moon of Kerridwen and the waning moon of the dying Christ are in Yesod. The Golden Cup of the Grail goes to Tiphareth, and the Crystal Cup to Kether. All the Grail symbols go on the Middle Pillar of the Tree of Life.

The Cup of the Grail, like Kerridwen's Cauldron, is all things to all men. The once-born, the average man, looks to the Grail for whatever he needs as it stands in its glory on the altar.

The twice-born, the initiate, sees in the Grail all of its aspects. Depending on need, he can choose to serve the Grail, ministering its bounty to those who look to him for help. He can also draw from the Grail inspiration, guidance and maintenance for his own needs.

So to one person the Grail is elemental nature mysticism. To another person the Cup of the Grail is comfort in his sorrow.

To the occultist the Grail is his symbol, his formulae of Power. Yet to another person the Holy Grail is the Vision Splendid!

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