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The Ceremony of the Grail: Ancient Mysteries, Gnostic Heresies, and the Lost Rituals of Freemasonry
The holy grail. The Knights Templar. The Gnostics and ancient mysteries of Greece. Discover the connection between them all with this phenomenal book written by 32nd-degree Freemason and celebrated author John Michael Greer. This book is a must-listen for seekers of the holy grail and those who want to learn about the inner workings of occult Freemasonry. The Ceremony of the Grail delves deep into the ancient mysteries, drawing on recently translated texts and published documents that until recently were among Freemasonry's most jealously guarded secrets. From the grail legends to the Picatrix to Jessie Weston's pioneering research, this book provides answers that have eluded seekers for centuries.
- GenresAncient History
Audio CD
Published December 8, 2022
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About the author
John Michael Greer
212 books518 followersJohn Michael Greer is an author of over thirty books and the blogger behind The Archdruid Report. He served as Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America. His work addresses a range of subjects, including climate change, peak oil, the future of industrial society, and the occult. He also writes science fiction and fantasy. He lives in Rhode Island with his wife.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 30, 2023
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.
JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author John Michael Greer, and Publisher Llewelyn Worldwide, Ltd., Llewelyn Publications for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.
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.
JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author John Michael Greer, and Publisher Llewelyn Worldwide, Ltd., Llewelyn Publications for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.
December 22, 2022
Speculative, certianly, but JMG can at least state outright where he is speculating. This volume is worth it for the trip into the cracks of western history, from prehistory to the present.
November 12, 2022
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.
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.
June 15, 2024
I first stumbled upon the abridged version of this book and boy did I wish I stayed with it. At first I wondered how it could be possible to abridge a book to about 50% of its original content. Now I know. They just cut out all the boring stuff. Does Greer have anything new to add to the grail's mystery? Nope. He summarizes what other people said about it and he lets us in on the weird inititaion ceremony of Freemasonry and its boring origins. Had I ever thought that Freemasonry could not be about men of privilege adding more privilege to their pedigree by entering a club along with their peers, I would have been wiser now. Greer himself is a Freemason. How could I think this book could be about anything else? Throughout time people disenchanted with the world tried to spice up their life by entering a secred society. The thing is that since times forgotten the label "secret society" is the most exciting thing about being a member of it... The only mystery there is really to explore is that of consciousness. And at least this is made clear by Jessie Weston's short story "The ruined temple, which is reproduced at the end of the book.
October 13, 2023
A fantastic read, full of assumptions and jumps that Greer upright states are inconclusive, an uncommon attribute among esoteric historians. The read is very interesting and tackles many great topics, all whilst following the quite annoying theme of Greer's so-called "temple technology". I had not read his book on the technology to avoid constant references to it, yet here we are. Though I don't believe in it, it is an interesting framework for some interesting moments throughout history. A great read to any of those who seek the Grail, Gnosis, or any other secrets or mysteries.
His conclusion, with the reconstruction is very interesting, and quite different from what I would have expected.
His conclusion, with the reconstruction is very interesting, and quite different from what I would have expected.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2022
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.
December 24, 2022
Today (Christmas Eve), I finished a newish book by John Michael Greer today called *The Ceremony of the Grail*. It belongs to a class of non-fiction literature that I like to call "Freemasonry has much more ancient origins than anyone suspects, and I'm going to prove it." The classic forms of the genre date from the late 1800s and early 1900s — and this is an excellent addition to the genre.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews