The further one investigates magickal doctrines there seems to be a relentless
pointer towards the use of sexuality as a mode towards enlightenment.
One of
the greatest mysteries of the United Kingdom are the Knights of King Arthur and
especially the Holy Grail. My ideas in the following paragraphs will be to cover
areas of this and other mysteries. I will make reference to the magickal and
sexual significance of each and speculate upon these.
As for enlightenment ?
We will hope to see this pop up later as an interesting phrase. An in-depth study
of spiritual alchemy may discover greater trails towards sexuality. Even in the
Qabalistic creation myths (specifically on the Tree Of Life Glyph), the divine
traits one witnesses impose a form of incestuous sexuality. This myth follows
the lightening flashes Path starting with father (Chokmah) and mother (Binah)
creating a son (Hesed) who mates with his sister (Geburah) to form another child
etc.
To my knowledge the first mention of the Holy Grail with this spelling (Holy Graal) was
by the Arthurian romanticist Creitien De Troyes. The word Grail comes from the
Latin gradulus which means serving dish. The Holy Grail in its many forms has changed
from a dish shaped object (like a platter), a cauldron or a chalice, depending
it its source in Cymru, Saxon, Pict, Norman or Anglo-Saxon legend. It is interesting
to see even in some Christian depictions of the Holy Grail that it resembles beyond
doubt a platter and not a Chalice .
Arguments on whether the Grail or Arthur
the True King ever existed is immaterial. However what must be taken seriously
is the oral tradition of narrating folklore and its esoteric symbolism. Stories
of great heroes and poems were, to an esotericist, mediums to preserve and pass
on wisdom from master to initiate. Not only this, but it forges a paradigm of
bringing an existing but unperceptable land (i.e. the underworld or psychic realm)
closer to the consciousness of the magickian. This analogy seems to make sense
as astral travel / magick would seem to benefit. The medium in which this was
presented would be far more powerful for shamanistic workings. Compare nowadays
with our material scientific attitude we have adopted for all our stories or
theorems.
A change in attitude can creates possibilities which can obviously
aid or oppose the effects of magick. A cup, cauldron or the Holy Grail is a ritual
object of feminine gender. Quabalistic correspondences of the cup are attributed
to Binah hence Understanding . Binah is also the Great Mother, and this glyph
is that of the great seas of creation.
In physical essence the cup in ritual
is often crescent shaped. This symbolism links it to the moon, another feminine
aspect. The cup and the great waters of Binah could be perhaps the waters of
life which surround an unborn child? Furthermore a cup or Grail performs a function
of a receptacle. The symbol of the Great Rite in the Book Of Shadows depicts
a dagger hanging above about to enter into a chalice. The sexual concepts really
need no explanation. However this rite witnesses a consecration and magickal
fusion at its forte.
A union of essences evoked for the god and goddess shared
in sacrament. Salt is the true consecrational element used in many magickal circles
of thought. Salt in alchemy (the body, an earthy function of grounding) is seen
as a bonding catalyst of the other counterparts: sulphur (the soul, energy, masculine
in form) and mercury (fluidity, the spirit, feminine in form). Let us not however
forget the feminine angle. The Holy Grail in some schools of thought is believed to
be the female vagina or woman's whole body, the shrine, a sanctuary men seek.
In the Mabinogion, the Cauldron of Branwen is seen as a regenerating / rebirthing
object able to re animate dead warriors. Does the Graal not only regenerate the
land and King Arthur to former vitality? Thus could we suggest that mankind seeks
its redemption by going back to the womb; the all innocent mother­p;bearing
figure via enlightenment? So is a Heaven of splendour just the womb experience
or Nirvana an ideal of sexual ecstacy ?
Enlightenment could be compared to that
of the orgasmic experience. The great feeling of inner glow, of oneness, a loss
of ego and unselfishness experienced at the climax of this act. The word enlightenment
is a greatly misunderstood term which, in my opinion, is not totally grasped
by many surface occult traditions. Alchemical doctrines question the magickian
to know about the knowledge of metals contained within oneself. The familiar
mention of transmutation and pure elixirs perhaps could refer to orgasm and semen
respectively.
The great rite could be illustrated numerically in Hebrew Gematria:-
A "Flower" or a "cup" is Gimel, Beth, Yod, Ayin = numbers
3 + 2 + 10+ 70 = 85. With 85 we can further investigate its meaning. If we add
8+5 together we get 13. "Unity" in Hebrew is Aleph, Cheth, Daleth.
Which numerically (1 + 8 + 4) adds to 13. Therefore we could speculate that unity
is discovered via the cup / flower.
The Rosicrucians" mystical Rose and
Cross are believed to be the male and female genitalia. Looking closer at the
rose­p;cross symbolism; could this possibly be compared to Christ dying
upon a cross (penis, sperm and their death) and is put into a sealed cave (vagina)
and is reborn (regenerated)?
Another example of lovemaking could be compared
to Crowley's comments in "Magick". 'It is a woman whose cup must be
filled' and 'It is on the cross that a rose blooms' points not only to Aleister
Crowley's RC involvement, but again to sexual innuendo. The Rose obviously symbolises
the woman's genitals. The act of lovemaking is both death and generation as excess
semen which are unable to fertilise the egg die. Again we see a valid connection
between a cup and a rose/flower.
For further reading try to read through scriptures
of the Torah, New Testament, The Song of Songs, to the Sepher Yetzirah, through
to twentieth century occult authors notably Regardie, Crowley and Waite. Sexual
symbolism cannot be ignored. Great examples of sexual innuendo can further be
researched most notably in Crowley's "Magick", especially in the appendix.
All the rites described are pretty tongue-in-cheek. For further reference to
Crowley's innuendo check out "The Book Of Lies" poem 69. Gematrically
the adopted name of Aleister Crowley, To Mega Therion, adds to number 666. This
numerological concept has come under a great deal of scrutiny by many. Because
numerology is a huge field one can obviously get a few bad results. However a
666 combination in Hebrew could be Vau, Samekh and Mem (in terminals ) thus numbers
to letters are 6 + 60 + 600 = 666. Vau is an agent of male fertility, and Samekh
its female opposite. Mem interestingly enough is the by­p;product of these
intimate fruitful connections in either body or soul and in Hebrew it is grammatically
a copulative or a connecting medium. To conclude, the ideals here are to provoke
thought and not necessarily held by myself.
Only by playing with concepts can
an element of truth be discovered, albeit partially. All creation is an exchange
of energy and essences. A sexual act is but one of the microcosmic processes
which parallel the great might of the cosmos. Using the Tree Of Life as a comprehensive
glyph for understanding we can begin to approach processes of creation and awe
at our potential power on every level. Or is this glyph a great orgasmatron?
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