THE HOLY GRAIL—ALLEGORICAL MYTH of PAGAN HARVEST & FERTILITY RITES

What an exhilarating, erudite, and thoroughly fascinating tour-de-force of unparalleled original thought and research John Michael Greer presents in his impressively researched volume of comparative historical and literary text, “The Ceremony of the Grail: Ancient Mysteries, Gnostic Heresies, and the Lost Rituals of Freemasonry,” that is the most original take on THE GRAIL LEGEND EVER!

All Grail aficionados MUST read this book for an eye-opening new perspective that has NOTHING whatsoever to do with Knights Templars allegedly finding the cup of Christ under Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem or Mary Magdalene being brought to the southern shores of Frances, etc., etc., nor any other fictional tropes or otherwise pseudo-historical hypotheses—and I own and have read many.

This extensively researched, referenced and documented book abounds in well-documented historical evidence that the “THE HOLY GRAIL” symbology began as an ancient early millennial allegorical myth stemming from the eons and ages of prehistoric civilizations’ pagan harvesting rituals and fertility rites—as difficult and strange as that may seem.

Greek Mystery Schools embraced these concepts as modernization advanced, but they were still used as a sacrificial means to appease the gods and replenish the earth, as much as broadly keeping to their fertility ritual’s traditions. The Arthurian legend of “the Wasteland” and the Grail surviving into the Middle Ages both demonstrate that these were also rituals that started out as simple fertility ceremonies to assure good harvests.

❇️ This is before farmers understood plant rotation, or nutrient supplementation to soil with manure or other organic materials, or that harvesting all of the trees would lead to erosion. Wow! It’s so simple and beautifully explained. Logical.

TheBookMaven graciously thanks NetGalley, Author John Michael Greer, and Publisher Llewelyn Worldwide, Ltd., Llewelyn Publications for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.

My ex was a Freemason as well as Master 32nd Degree Mason. I always wondered about it and he was tight lipped. Well, now that things are opening up a bit more, there are books that are sharing more details and this is a great one. I really love how this book brings it all together and sheds light on what were once deeply held secrets.

The Story of The Holy Grail

John Michael Greer did extensive research for the writing of this book and has provided a sample of his research in providing some background information, in which he states that the story of the Holy Grail has become so confused in recent centuries, and it was important to the investigation of this book. Therefore, he summarized the basic story in its original form in this book.

The author states that in the oldest Grail stories, a knight on his way through wild and desolate country stops at a mysterious castle. The lord of the castle, the Fisher King or Rich Fisherman, appears as an old man who is crippled by a wound in the genitals—euphemistically, the stories usually
say he has been wounded in the thighs. He can take many shapes and many disguises, and he seems to be, in some sense, caught between life and death.

In retelling the story of the Holy Grail, the author states that there is not a simple, straightforward answer, but states that the word grail was originally spelled gradal or grasal, and in early medieval French it meant a large, flat serving dish, of the kind that was used to serve fish at banquets. He further explains thar before the Grail legend became famous, gradal was an unusual word, found only here and there in surviving medieval documents, and it was much more common in the south of France than in the north.

The author retell the story of the Grail, outlining it into five parts, as follows:
• Part One: The Grail Riddle
• Part Two: The Ancient Wisdom
• Part Three: The Keepers of the Secret
• Part Four: The Company of the Grail
• Part Five: The Grail Ceremony

This is a very interesting retelling of the story of the Holy Grail, and could be beneficial to those interested in learning a bit of history. I do recommend this book, gladly.

This book is fascinating . Anyone interested in the Mystical Western stories or traditions will find this to be very thought provoking. The story of The Grail is very old. Before Christianity maybe? The history of its existence is here in a very readable tale. What I found most interesting is the chapter on Jessie Westcott and the timeless tradition of the Grail that was thought lost! The book ends with a ceremony for people that want to incorporate this ageless item into their lives. Overall , I came away with a desire to find what the Grail held , Why did Templars and Masons search for its meaning and existence? I found many answers in reading this but it seems the quest has just begun.

This is an excellent combination of detailed research and insightful speculation presenting an intriguing look at the possibility of a long-lost Grail ritual, fragments of which can be found seeded throughout legendary and occult sources. As one would expect form John Michael Greer, the ideas presented are clearly explained and well-reasoned, making the text accessible to a wide audience that need not have extensive prior experience with occult lore. I recommend it highly for seekers of any background.

John Michael Greer's work never disappoints. An excellent writer and The Ceremony of the Grail is no different. An lovely journey through history from modern Masons to ancient mythology and all the folklore and ritual in between. A recommended read for those who enjoy academic text overviews on the topic.

This fascinating scholarly work is an investigation of the evolution of the Grail legend and ritual throughout history. Traces its origins in ancient Greek and Roman mystery schools rituals and Demeter cultthrough the Gnostics and medieval Arthurian legends, Japanese folktales, Norse myths up to the theosophical and neopagan movements in modern times. Reconstruction of grail ceremony. Appendices and bibliography