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AT THE TABLE OF THE GRAIL
John Matthews is a leading authority on Arthurian mythology and
the Western Shamanic Tradition. Among his many books are At the
Table of the Grail (Arkana 1989), The Elements of Arthurian Tradition
(1989), Legendary Britain (1989, with R. J. Stewart) and Taliesin, the
Shamanic Mysteries of Britain and Ireland (1990). With his wife, Caitlin,
he has written The Western Way (1985), The Arthurian Tarot (1990)
and The Arthurian Book of Days (1990). They are joint presiders of the
Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids.
To the memory of
Hannah Margaret Closs (1905-1953)
and
Nathan Comfort Starr (1896-1981)
EDITED BY JOHN MATTHEWS
At the Table of the Grail
MAGIC AND THE USE OF THE IMAGINATION
ARKANA
ARKANA
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Books Ltd. 27 Wrights Lme. london W8 5TZ. England
Viking Penguin. a division of Penguin Books USA Inc.
375 Hudson Street. New York. New York 10014. USA
Penguin Books Australia Ltd. Ringwood. Victoria. Australia
Penguin Books Canada ltd. 2801 John Street. Markham. Ontario. Canada l3R 164
Penguin Books (NZ) Ltd. 182-190 Wairau Road. Auckland 10. New Zealand
Penguin Books Ltd. Registered Offices, Harmondsworth. Middlesex. England
First published by Routledge &. Kegan Paul 1984
Published by Arkana 1987
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
Copyright © Routledge &. Kegan Paul. 1984
All rights reserved
Printed in England by Clays Ltd. St Ives pic
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Except in the United States of America.
this book is sold subject to the condition
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CONTENTS
Contributors vii
Introduction by John Matthews 1
Part I Origins and patterns 9
1 The Grail of the Golden Age 11
Geoffrey Ashe
2 The meeting of the waters 29
Hannah Closs
3 Alchemical transmutation in history and symbol 49
Adam McLean
Part II Elements of the Grail tradition 67
4 Temples of the Grail 69
John Matthews
5 The return of Dindrane 91
Helen Luke
6 Sophia: companion on the quest 111
Caitlin Matthews
7 The world's need 129
Brian Cleeve
8 The desire of the heart: a meditation 145
Lois Lang-Sims
v
Contents
Part III Magic and the use of Imagination 157
9 Merlin and the Grail 159
Gareth Knight
10 The Grail as bodily vessel 174
Bob Stewart
11 The path to the Grail 197
Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki
Conclusion 217
12 Glatisant and Grail: an Arthurian fragment 219
Peter Lamborn Wilson
Recommended reading 243
vi
CONTRIBUTORS
DOLORES ASHCROFf-NOWICKI is Director of Studies for
the Servants of the Light School of Occult Studies, of which
she was a founder member with the late W. E. Butler. She
has travelled world-wide lecturing on aspects of the occult,
and is the author of numerous books including First Steps
in Ritual (1982), The Shining Paths (1983), Ritual Magic Workbook
(1986) as well as editing the collected essays of Col. C. R.
F. Seymour, The Forgotten Mage (1986), all published by
Aquarian Press.
GEOFFREY ASHE is best known for his wide-ranging studies
of the Arthurian myths, of which the most recent are The
Discovery of King Arthur (Debrett, 1985), in which new evi
dence for the identity of the historical Arthur is discussed,
and The Arthurian Encyclopedia (Garland, 1986) on which he
served as associate editor. In 1966-70 he was secretary of
the Camelot Research Committee, which excavated Cadbury
Castle in Somerset in search of the real Camelot. He is also
the author of The Virgin (Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1976),
Camelot and the Vision of Albion (Heinemann, 1971), Kings
and Queens of Early Britain and Avalonian Quest, both
published by Methuen in 1982.
BRIAN CLEEVE, born in England in 1921, served in the
Merchant Navy during' the war, and has been a broadcaster
and novelist since then:. He received a PhD from the National
University of Ireland in 1956. He has written two books of
CONTRIBUTORS
mystical religion, The House on the Rock and The Seven
Mansions, both published by Watkins in 1980.
HANNAH CLOSS was born in London in 1905 and died in
Bristol in 1953. She was educated at the Slade School and
the University of Vienna and her publications include a
brilliant trilogy of novels about the Albigensian Crusade,
High are the Mountains, Deep are the Valleys, and The Silent
Tarn, (reprinted by Vanguard Press, New York in 1978).
Her highly original essays on the Grail and Catharism have
so far remained neglected, the one included here being
printed in 1948.
GARETH KNIGHT has been a dedicated student of magic
for thirty years. He was trained initially in the occult school
founded by Dion Fortune and is well known for a series of
major books on the subject which combine academic eru
dition with practical experience. These include A Practical
Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism (Helios, 1%5), Experience oj
Inner Worlds (1975), The Secret Tradition in Arthurian Legend
(Aquari~n, 1983), The Rose Cross and the Goddess (Aquarian,
1985), and A Treasure House of Images (Aquarian, 1986). He
has also written many journal articles and is in great demand
as a lecturer. He was awarded an honorary doctorate for
his work in this field and service to analytical psychology.
LOIS LANG-SIMS has spent much of her life in and around
the precincts of Canterbury Cathedral, where she was for a
time a guide, but she has travelled far, to India and Egypt,
on journeys which were spiritual as well as physical. She
has described them memorably in two volumes of auto
biography, A Time to be Born (1971) and Flower in a Teacup
(1973) both published by Andre Deutsch. She is also the
author of a remarkable book of mystical theology in the
tradition of Julian of Norwich and Charles Williams, The
Christian Mystery (Allen & Unwin, 1980).
HELEN LUKE was born in England in 1904 and studied
Italian literature at Oxford University and the psychology
of C. G. Jung in London and Zurich. In 1949 she moved to
Los Angeles where she practised as a counsellor, and later
