N E W Y O R K O P E N C E N T E R P R E S E N T SI N A S S O C I A T I O N W I T H GNOSIS M A G A Z I N E

LAMPETERW A L E SAUGUST 8-13, 1998

C O N F E R E N C E

A.N week of ceLnc STUOIGS ON Tt>e wesT COAST ofAUQUST 22-29, 1998

'A.

The Quest forthe Holy Grailis an eternal

symbol of the search formeaning and transcen-dence and speaks to thedeepest yearnings ofthe psyche. The firstreferences to Arthurand hints of the Grailappear in the stories, early historiesand legends of Wales, perhaps themost mysterious and least familiar ofthe Celtic countries to Americans.The cauldron of regeneration and thefigure of the warrior King Arthur firstemerge in world literature in the earlycollections of Welsh mythic tales. Itseems fitting, then, to present aninternational conference on the themeof The Holy Grail in the beautiful hillsand valleys of Welsh-speaking WestWales. Following in the tradition ofour two unforgettable summer con-ferences in Bohemia on Alchemy andthe Rosicrucian Enlightenment, wewill bring together scholars, writers,artists and visionaries to explore thismost evocative and elusive of themes.

The Holy Grail persists as a powerful

mimage in contemporaryculture and hasremained a profoundmotif of Western spirituallife since the work ofChretien de Troyesand Wolfram vonEschenbach in theMiddle Ages. Parsifal'squest continues to be a

challenge to the understanding afterhundreds of years, and urges themodern reader to reach a spiritualcomprehension suitable to our time.Sung in the castle halls of the 13thcentury, its echoes increasingly hauntpsychology and literature. From thepre-Raphaelite painters to T.S. Eliot'sThe Waste Land to more recent majorfilms, the Grail theme continues tospeak to us. What special relevancedoes the quest for the Grail have forthe present day? What unique mythicpotency does it possess that hasenabled it to endure so long?

Join us for a profound week in theenchanting tranquillity of ruralWales. This conference suggests thathumanity is still inwardly in searchof the Holy Grail and its meaning.

Cover: Frederick Judd Waugh, The Knight of the Holy Grail, 1912. National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.

s e s s i o M S

THE ARTHUR OF THE WELSHSIGNED DAVIES, PH.D.

ihis talk examines the way that Arthur is portrayedin Welsh texts before Geoffrey of Monmouth - in

poetry, prose tales (including the Mabinogion), Saints'Lives and the Triads of the island of Britain.

THE WASTELAND & THE WOUNDED KINGJOHN MATTHEWS

One of the central themes in the literature of theGrail deals with the idea of the guardian of the

Grail who suffers from a wound that will only be curedwhen the destined seeker comes to bring healing. And,while the king suffers, the land over which he rulessuffers also, becoming a wasted land - a far reachingtheme which predates our modern ecological concerns

by a thousand years. Working from the principle thatwe are all wounded beings, this presentation exploresthe literature of the Grail myth and demonstrates howan understanding of this material can help us identify,acknowledge and come to terms with our own con-temporary wounds.

THE CAULDRONS OF REGENERATIONMIRANDA GREEN, PH.D.

During the last millennium B.C. cauldrons wereapparently the focus of repeated ceremonial

activity, involving their deliberate deposition inwatery contexts. The medieval mythic texts of Walesand Ireland contain references to cauldrons as

instruments of death and resurrection. A possiblelink between allusions to sacred cauldrons in theearly vernacular myths and their presence in thearchaeological contexts is proposed, and models arecited to explain such connections.

THE GRAIL OF THE GOLDEN AGEGEOFFREY ASHE

While the Grail stories are Christian, theirChristianity is outside the mainstream. They

embody a "Sense of Something Else": a belief in amystery eluding the official church, known once, thenlost sight of, but perhaps recoverable. This corresponds

to a recurring pattern of human aspiration, related tothe myth of the vanished Golden Age. Many reformersand revolutionaries have been inspired not by ideas ofprogress, but by the dream of reinstating some long-lost glory.

THE HEAD IN THE DISH: ANCESTRAL VENGEANCE & CHRISTIANREDEMPTION IN THE GRAIL CORPUS

CAITLIN MATTHEWS

From the Head in the Dish in Peredur and ancientconcepts of tribal honor and ancestral revenge, to

the Grail of later medieval legend with its themes ofspiritual chivalry and redemption, this talk traces thesong of the Grail from its Celtic roots to its Christianmanifestations. We consider humanity's evolving

consciousness in the light of the voice of need and theGrail question. Today, we continue to ask the sameneedful question: Whom does the Grail serve? Doesthe power to bring healing to the human heart and tothe wasteland of our Earth still lie between the border-lands of ancestral hatred and mature service?

FAERY TRADITION, THE CRUSADER KINGDOMS &. THE HOLY GRAILGARETH KNIGHT

The faery tradition that stems from the Celtic landsof the British Isles passes through Brittany in Celtic

France and has left an important center of influence inmedieval Poitou where it found expression in the legendof the Faery Melusine. This is the realm of the Lusignanfamily who founded a dynasty in Cyprus, island of

Aphrodite. Their castle is only a few miles from theplace where Eleanor of Aquitaine and her daughterMarie Champagne (patroness of Chretien de Troves)established the Courts of Love. This talk examines thehidden influences that may have contributed to theHoly Grail tradition that stems from these sources.

WHAT AILS THEE? A SEARCH FOR GRAIL CHRISTIANITYCHRISTOPHER BAMFORD

M any streams - Celtic and Druidic, Persian andIslamic, Arthurian, alchemical, Cathar and

Christian - flow together and coalesce in the mysteriousinitiatory cycles of the Grail. The images, poetry andstories through which the Grail seeker must travelallow these elements to be memorized and transmitted

so that now they have become transformative jewels inWestern esoterism's crown: the image of the Grailitself. At the heart of the Grail path, however, lies aradical and new approach to the human future: GrailChristianity. This talk explores the deeper meaning ofthe Grail's Christie axis.

THE GRAIL &. THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARPAUL BEMBRIDGE, M.PHIL.

rrihe earliest Grail texts, especially those of ChretienJL and Wolfram, locate the Grail mysteries within a

Templar context. There is a royal family and an order ofknighthood, we gather, which is committed to thepreservation and transmission of certain "mysteries."

But what were these mysteries, and whom did theyserve? Apart from the Templar context, the Grail hasclaimants amongst Celts and Christians, Arab and Jew.But which were the authentic transmission routes? Andto what extent can these varying claims be reconciled?

THE GNOSTIC VISION OF THE GRAILNICHOLAS GOODRICK-CLARKE, D. PHIL.

"The Grail is the only object in this world which comesfrom another world."

P agan Celtic lore, Christian mysteries, medievalromances and chivalry all blend in Wolfram von

Eschenbach's famous poem Parzival (1210), togetherwith alchemy and magic. The Grail as a conduit for

the inflowing of the Divine into our human order hasalso inspired T.S. Eliot and John Cowper Powys. TheWelsh writer Arthur Machen, a member of theHermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, reworked oldGrail prophecies into Gnostic visions described inthis talk.

W O R K S H O P SIN THE GARDEN OF THE GRAIL

CHRISTOPHER BAMFORD

T he Grail Stories did not arise in a vacuum. Many at the Cathedral School of Chartres a group of scholarsother manifestations of a new consciousness and philosophers gave Hermetic Platonism a new

appeared at the same time and must be seen as part of form. In the north, women mystics began to incarnatethe larger picture. In the south of France, the Cathars the Christian message in a radical, embodied way. Thisand Troubadors sought to create a new culture of love; workshop examines this "free spririt" that created theat the same time alchemy was being transformed, and context from which the Grail stories emerged.

WHY THE GRAIL Now?GEOFFREY ASHE

A s one of the most knowledgeable writers and and legends. In this workshop, he opens the floor toscholars on the theme of Arthur and the participants to express how and why the Grail speaks

Grail, Geoffrey Ashe has long contemplated the to them today and offers his own reflections andcontemporary appeal and significance of these stories insights on the subject.

THE CHESS GAME OF QUEENLY SOVEREIGNTYGARETH KNIGHT

In medieval times Jerusalem was regarded as the applied to Queen Isabella of Jerusalem (1172-1205)center of the world, thus its sovereignty took on cos- and the four dynastic husbands of her short life:

mic importance. Using the basis of the symbolic chess Humphrey IV of Tbron, Conrad of Montserrat, Henrygame that appears in Celtic legend, we will II of Champagne, and Amairic of Lusignan and Cyprus.meditate on some of the inner dynamics that may be

RELICS OF THE GRAILTRISTAN GRAY HULSE

Numerous images come to mind when we consider the Supper cup and associated it with the martyrdom andterm "The Holy Grail." For some it is synonymous head-relics of John the Baptist. Rival claimants to the

with the cup used by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper, status of the Grail cup appeared around Europe in theRather fewer would associate this cup with the high middle ages, some of which survive to the present.medieval legend of Joseph of Arimathea collecting This workshop explores the nature of these relic cults,Christ's blood on Calvary, while others would connect offering an overview of the Grail-related relics them-this with the "traditions" of Glastonbury Abbey. The selves, and discusses their potential relevance to anCeltic Churches showed a keen interest in the Last increased understanding of the Grail.

GRAIL, SACRAMENT & COSMOSDENNIS EVENSON

Guarded by its own mystery, the Grail motif is itself Golgotha illuminates the redemptive presence hidden-a chalice carrying profound secrets of the human ly at work in the world. As inheritors of the Grail

soul in its compelling archetypes. Following indications impulse, how can we place its transformative forces offrom Rudolf Steiner, this workshop examines how the renewal into our hearts and lives - and carry themtradition of the chalice which held the mystery of towards the future as a sanctifying and civilizing force?

TEXTS & DOORWAYSPAUL BEMBRIDGE, M. PHIL.

Participants will be invited to discuss a variety of key Excerpts from these works will be chosen to focus thetexts, such as Chretien's Perceval, Wolfram's group's attention upon significant details concerning

Parzifal, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the Grail and other key symbols.

THE MABINOGIONSIONED DAVIES, PH.D.

The Mabinogion, a medieval collection of Welshtales, contains many references to Arthur and the

cauldrons of regeneration which perhaps constitute an

early Celtic Grail-like motif. In this workshop, a Welshscholar describes these mysterious tales and explorestheir relevance to the conference theme.

THE HEALING OF THE GRAILJOHN MATTHEWS

Beginning with the idea that we are all, in someform or another, wounded beings, this workshop

explores ways of working with the myths and stories ofthe Grail through the experience of the shamanic jour-ney. Like the questers who went in search of the Grail

and brought healing to both the Waste Land and theWounded King, we make our own exploratory journeyinto our wounded state and find the promise of heal-ing that is held out to us.

VOICES OF THE ANCESTORSCAITLIN MATTHEWS

This workshop explores practical methods of healinggenerational patterns and hearing the wisdom of

the ancestors upon the Grail quest, through the use ofshamanic song and prayer. We will explore ways ofrelease from the inherited imperatives which often

divert us from our quest and we will aim to buildbridges of peace and reconciliation between ourselves,our ancestors and descendants by focusing on contem-porary issues and tasks.

OPTIONAL POST coMfeRewce TOURKING ARTHUR & THE GRAIL MYSTERIES OF WALESWITH CLARE et) NICHOLAS G O O DRICK- CL ARKE

AUGUST 13-16, I 998

S tep into the Celtic Otherworld of the Mabinogionand join the search for King Arthur, archetypal hero

and real historical figure. Travel from St. David'sacross the wild, rugged and romantic Preseli mountains(Arthurian sites and origin of the magical Stonehengebluestones). Glimpse the mysterious and enchantedlake where Arthur is said to have returned the swordExcalibur before his final sea voyage to Avalon. Ascendthe hill associated with Merlin's extraordinaryprophecies and visit the ancient Celtic center ofLlanilltyd Fawr on the way to Caerleon, according tolegend the historic site of King Arthur's Court and hisRound Table.

Local guides will bring to life the lost knowledge

hidden in the secret places of Arthur's kingdom.Together we will explore the symbolic and mythiclandscape of Wales, land of transformation, wherelegends of the Grail Knights and Celtic saintscontinually interweave as agents of personal initiation.Along the way, there are readings from Arthurianlegends, Celtic crosses, music, art and oghams, goodfood and fellowship. For the energetic, there isswimming in the sea and walks along one of the mostspectacular coastal paths in Europe. Accommodationon this guided coach tour will be in hotels and univer-sity residences. Participants may wish to bringcomfortable shoes and swimwear.$925

A C T I V I T I E S

On TUesday afternoon we will journey by bus into These will include waterfalls, the ruined abbey ofthe surrounding mountains and valleys of West Strata Florida and, with good fortune, the site of the

Wales to visit sites of natural beauty and places with Nanteos cup, claimant to the Grail lineage.mythic relevance to Merlin, Arthur and the Grail.

OTHER OPTIONAL EVENTS WILL INCLUDE A SHOWING OF THE FRENCH FILM PERCEVAL LE GALLOIS.

CULHWCH & OLWENA TALE FROM THE MABJNOGIONROBIN WILLIAMSON

Storyteller, harper and Celtic bard, RobinWilliamson takes us on a journey through the

mystical world of the medieval Welsh imagination. He

will perform traditional and original songs, stories andmusic, drawn from Celtic heritage, including selec-tions from The Mabinogion and The Tain

?&N EVENING OF WELSH POETRYDIG /ONES & MENNA ELFYN

Wales is perhaps the only country in the Westernworld where poetry remains a living art

form among the local populace. Bards are electedannually at the cultural festivals known as Eisteddfodswhere poetry is written and improvised in Welsh, themost widely spoken of the Celtic tongues. This

evening Die Jones, farmer and Bard of his rurallocality, will offer the traditional alliterative fixedmetre poetry of Wales (and translate it into English).He will be joined by Menna Elfyn, poet, playwrightand translator, whose work reflects the more modernface of Welsh literature.

A CONCERT WITH MALE VOICE CHOIR &. HARP

The male voice choir is one of Wales' mosttraditional, enduring and beautiful art forms. The

soul of the proverbial "Land of Song" can be heard in

its cadences, harmonies and rich, spiritual themes.This evening the Cwmann Male Voice choir will bejoined by local harper Delyth Medi Jones.

1 0 Q R A p t > l C A l _ IN f30RCD A X I O MGeoffrey Ashe is best known for his explorations of theArthurian mythos and for his original findings on the originsof the legend. His twenty three books include Camelot and TheVision of Albion and Mythology of the British Isles. He was sec-retary of the Camelot Research Committee which excavatedCadbury Castle in Somerset, the reputed site of Camelot.

Christopher Bamford is founder of Lindisfarne Press andeditor-in-chief of the Anthroposophic Press in Hudson, NewYork. He is the author of The Voice of the Eagle, a book aboutCeltic Christian tradition and the Gospel of John.

Paul Bembridge, M.Phil., is a university lecturer specializingin medieval and early modern literature. He has a life-longinterest in the Western Mystery Tradition and was recentlyelected Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts for his controversialwork identifying Andrew Marvell as a Rosicrucian poet.

Sioned Davies, Ph.D., is chair and head of the Departmentof Welsh at the University of Wales in Cardiff. A specialist inthe Mabinogion, her work examines the interplay betweenorality and literacy in medieval Welsh narrative.

Menna Elvyn is a widely traveled Welsh poet, playwright andtranslator whose work reflects the modern face of Welshliterature.

Dennis Evenson has taught the Grail mysteries to adultsand gifted young people for more than twenty years at lona, theOmega Institute and the New York Open Center. He isdirector of education at Long Island School of Music and Art.

Clare Goodrick-Clarke is a poet, artist, writer andhomeopath with a special interest in art history.

Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, D.Phil., is a historian,Germanist and author of several books on the Western esoterictradition. He is series editor of the Essential Readings, withvolumes on Paracelsus, Jacob Boehme and Rudolf Steiner.Brought up in Wessex and the West Country he has a long-standing interest in the countryside and heritage of Englandand Wales.

Tristan Gray Hulse lives in North Wales and is a researcherinto Celtic hagiography and Celtic Christianity. Former editorof Source: The Holy Wells Journal, he is currently writing a full-length study of the life and cult of St. Winifred.

Miranda Green, Ph.D., is currently Reader in archeologyand Director of the SCARAB Research Center at the Universityof Wales College, Newport. She was the first winner of theLegonna Celtic Research Prize awarded by the National Libraryof Wales and is the author of several books, among the mostrecent of which are Celtic Art: Reading the Messages and TheWorld of the Druids.

Die Jones is a farmer and Welsh poet who is past winner ofthe National Eisteddfod chair, a high honor in Welsh culture.He is the author of several volumes of both prose and poetry.

Gareth Knight is an author, lecturer, jazz musician and pub-lisher whose books include The Secret Tradition in theArthurian Legend, Experience of the Inner Worlds, andA Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbohsm.

Caitlin Matthews is the author of over 30 books, includingSophia, Goddess of Wisdom, Celtic Devotional and Singing theSoul Back Home. She teaches Celtic traditions worldwide andhas a shamanic practice in Oxford.

John Matthews is an internationally acknowledged scholarin the field of Grail studies. His many books include Healingthe Wounded King, The Grail: Quest for Eternal Life and (aseditor) Sources of the Grail. He gives workshops throughoutEurope and the USA and travels widely in search of furtheraspects of the quest for the Grail.

Robin Williamson shot to international fame in the 60's asa founding member of The Incredible String Band. Since 1975he has worked as a Celtic performer, songwriter, author, story-teller and harper. Nominated for several Grammy awards, hismusic has won the Celtic Record of the Year Award from TowerRecords.