The Holy Grail is the cup from which Jesus drank during the Last Supper. In the Arthurian legends, the knight Parsifal went on a long quest to find it because it has miraculous healing powers.
Its healing powers stem from the fact that it represents a balanced combination of the Masculine and Feminine. When we “drink from the grail,” and achieve that balance, we gain the power to heal ourselves and our society.
The structure of the Grail
The Holy Grail is a Christian symbol that’s valued by modern-day Druids as well. The Druid author and mage John Michael Greer has explained what its structure represents in his faith:
- The base of the Grail is a triangle, which symbolizes the feminine energy of the earth.
- The stem in the middle is a circle, which symbolizes the masculine energy of the sun.
- The bowl at the top is a half moon, which symbolizes the two energies in balance.
The power of the Grail
Seen in this way, the Grail conveys some universal truths:
- Energy has two basic aspects, or currents. Scientists call them the positive and negative electromagnetic charges. The ancient Chinese called them Yin and Yang. The classical Greeks knew them as the Masculine and Feminine.
- When these two currents combine in balanced ways, the life force (or Holy Spirit) flows most strongly, in currents that we perceive as beautiful, and feel as love.
The Masculine and Feminine
When expressed in the world of our experience, the cosmic Masculine and Feminine become corresponding human qualities:
| Masculine qualities: Structure, Strength, Independence | Feminine qualities: Flow, Sensitivity, Relationship |
We exhibit these qualities in complementary ways. For example:
| Feminine Flow | Masculine Structure |
| The feminine expresses feelings: “I really like the food here.” | The masculine makes judgments: “Yes, it’s the best in town.” |
| The feminine offers possibilities: “How about this? How about that?” | The masculine makes decisions: “We will do this, not that.” |
Healing with the Grail
When we “drink from the Grail,” and combine the Masculine and Feminine in balanced ways, we experience beauty and love. We also gain the power to create beauty and love ourselves.
When we conduct a relationship with distinct masculine and feminine roles, or revive architecture that includes both lines and curves, or provide leadership that’s strong as well as caring, we create the Grail. Its medicine is a potent one that can heal us soul-deep, as individuals and as a society.
