Dreamtime Consulting

Within the confines of a small, secluded chapel, a hooded figure kneels quietly. The round, colored window catches the sunlight, directing it to rest on a small silver chalice and the thin gold plate which rests on top of it. Far to the east, in a secluded corner of an empty mosque, a bare foot figure sits and gazes at a green stone, clear and deep green. In a woody glen, far from the metropolis thirty miles away, a small group of people can bee seen in a circle, the center of attention a high priestess who raises a chalice high in her hands while beside her sits a small cauldron filled to the brim with seeds.

Such are simply a few of the manifestations which arise when the archetype of the Grail in made part of our life. Generally associated with ceremonial traditions, and incorrectly so, the Grail is itself an Archetype with more shamanic ties than ceremonial. In both traditional and non-traditional spiritual traditions this concept is one hard to digest, but upon exploring it deeper it makes the traditions richer and stronger. Shape-shifting is a concept found in many, if not all, shamanic traditions. Shapeshifting is not tied into the physical realm only, but with a change of shape also comes a change of consciousness. Thus, it embodies the Archetype of the Grail because to pursue the Grail is to pursue the highest transformations at the deepest levels.

Many the Celtic ballad refers to the act of shapeshifting. Stages, Otters, Salmon, Eagles and Ravens, to name a few are embodied deeply in the celtic traditions. It is not surprising then to find the Grail too, transformed into a different shapes has roots deep in the Celtic culture.

Let us look at some of these shifts in shape. Celtic legends speak of a magic cauldron linked with rebirth and plenty. The cauldron was not a chance shape, for in the cauldrons of home and campfire one derived not only nourishment but warmth as well. A gathering place for not only family but the animals as well, a specific goddess, Brigit, is seen and not only has ties to the hearth, but to poets/artists and blacksmiths as well.

The Grail takes on a different shift here. It goes from a cauldron to something internal, that of creativity as seen in the bards whose songs and ballads were considered magical. So impor-tant were these figures, their words held more weight than the druids. Variations of the cauldron/Grail are plenty, among the most frequent appears at thanksgiving time, the horn of plenty.

As in all things in life, with change comes transformation and for the new empire the Grail became the Chalice of communion, the vessel which held the blood of Christ. It became the focus of many Arthurian legends, at one time being Camelot itself. It is not surprising with the crusades into the middle east the Grail changed again, this time into a green stone. Islamic lore has this stone's origins from heaven. As in all cases of conquest, the ideas from one culture are carried into another. The stone became the philosopher's stone and took on ties into Alchemical circles. An interesting shift in shapes, for Islam forbids any anthropomorphic forms to be attached to the divine. The chalice was a symbol of the spiritual tradition which plundered the middle east, so a stone from the arch enemy of the European God would be an appropriate Grail for the Islamic mystics.

In the Judaic culture, a connection is made to the Grail through the tools of a branch of Jewish mysticism. The Grail becomes a sphere filled with water which is supported by a holder in the shape of a tree. This is used to focus the rays of the sun to create fire. A fascinating connection because Celtic records from the most ancient of sources, tells of Egypt being the first nation to step foot on Celtic soil, long before Rome or the other conquering nations. What is more intriguing is the focus of fire, since many of the pagan major holidays are fire based. The Grail changes form again as the focus shifts from an external focus, to a more internal one. The Grail becomes a blood line, a marriage between the son of God and a mortal woman(this in itself is also a shift in form which is tied to the archetype of the Grail).

Throughout it all, the conceptual framework of the Holy Grail never changes. Archetypal in nature, it is always with us and we become aware of it's presence through secondary means. With each change in form, we are brought to deepest wells of our inner life in which we must drink. All the origins of the forms are from Shamanic cultures, tribal in nature and essence. From the middle east to the far west the Grail has touched us deeply and been accessible only when we actively seek it. Such Archetypes are part of our human existence, and will shape and impact our life whenever they are triggered.

For us, the Grail sits within our grasp. Weather it be in a secluded church, mountain cave or deep in the heart of a metropolis, we have but to reach out and we have set upon the road to that fabled castle of the Fisher-King within us, and have taken the first step to healing the mortal wounds in our own lives.