Grail traditions in Western Esotericism

Something has rekindled my intellectual spark, for which I am very grateful. I am now deeply interested in my Dictionary of Gnosis & Western Esotericism again.

Tonight, I read about Grail traditions in Western Esotericism. Apparently, these were created in the late nineteenth century after Romanticism flirted with it. Such artists as Dante Gabriel Rossetti (whose work I adore) sparkled it.

Both within the Theosopical Society and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, several people toyed with the symbolism of the Grail myth. Crowley was of course one of them. Although there is no doubt that his thoughts on the Grail were profoundly anti-Christian, there are to be found several Christian Grail traditions (f.e. in Anthroposophy), as well as Neo-pagan and Gnostic Grail traditions.

The belief that the cup of the Grail was symbolic for God's divine rays which spread out and Created, with the solid matter of Earth at it's ends and humankind able to attain that divine spark that was left in them if they tried to get to the spiritual level, was and is being held by several Grail movements. These movements have such fun titles as: the Order of the Table Round, the cult of the Grail, the Order of the Round Table, and the International Grail Movement.

Apparently, in recent years, there have been a lot of schisms within the Grail movements. Websites following Abd-ru-shin ("Son of Light", 1875-1941) can be found here and here. The mainstream Grail movements combined hold about 20.000 members covering the Globe.


Anyone read the DaVinciCode yet?

Les Saint Marie de la Mer indeed.