The Serpent Grail: Holy Grail, Philosopher’s Stone, Elixir of Life

0 Comments | February 4, 2009 at 10:43 am by mahud
Filed under Ambrosial Boon, The Cosmic Mysteries

Response to recent Email

Thanks for the heads up on this book [The Serpent Grail]. No I haven’t read or heard about this book before. I just found it at google books and read a segment relating to the horned god on the Gundestrup Cauldron, as well as a few online reviews. I’ll have to see if I can request it at the library.

My initial thoughts are that the Holy Grail, Philosopher’s Stone, Elixir of Life are mythical and metaphoric, and any historical counterparts, such as an elixir of blood and snake venom with incredible healing/regenerative powers, even these would be metaphoric of a truly otherworldly ambrosial boon. So if the Authors believe that there really was an elixir of life upon which the myths are based, I would disagree.

It is the dream/myth that impels us to attain that which the mythic image embodies, and while we might make advances along the way, the ideal remains forever out of grasp.

I don’t know if you’ve ever been into Star Trek TNG, but it’s kind of like the android Data who aspires to become ever more human, although he will never truly achieve his goal. Likewise humans have a desire to be more than human–to transform base flesh into immortal gold–which is what is believed to happen to a shaman during his or her initiation.

The shaman’s body is re-created and made indestructible. In Greek myth Herakles himself achieves this initiatory form of otherworldly indestructibility after slaying the Nemean Lion, whose hide can only be penetrated by its own claws. By wearing the lion’s pelt Herakles becomes indestructible, and while in reality he obviously wouldn’t be, if someone were to be initiated in this or a similar form, it would create a powerful imprint on the mind.

Interestingly I recently wrote a myth based on Cernunnos, particularly as he is depicted on the Gundestrup Cauldron. In the myth is a young maiden who is the guardian of a pool of rejuvenation. She is also the great serpent who has been devouring the hunters. I have her kiss the hero and a drop of the ambrosial water passes from her lips to his and he regains his strength. I was here inspired by the depiction of the antlered god on the cauldron who holds up the ram-horned/headed serpent almost to his lips. Here I view the snake venom as a kind of cosmic elixir embodying both death and life (Check out Audio Version of Ker and Sidur).

Thanks for emailing me (I don’t get many, hehe). And I’ll have to see if I can get a hold of a copy of The Serpent Grail .

Omitted from Email (I was dragging on a bit)

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Celts underwent some form of initiation, as they were reputed by the Romans (I think Julius Caesar or maybe Posidonius) to be fearless in battle and live on in the Otherworld. Christians undergo such a transformation that if properly imprinted makes them fearless in Christ to proclaim the gospel. Christ is the one who attained indestructibility via death and resurrection. The New Testament Book of Hebrews actually states: “one [Jesus] who has become a priest… …on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.” The idea of otherworldly clothing appears again where Paul states, ” [you] who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Christ and the Grail mythically/metaphorically speaking are the final piece to the cosmic puzzle that brings universal knowledge. In both the object of the Holy Grail and person of Christ (and other mythical personae whose legends incorporate the idea of ‘Cosmic Master’), the universe becomes a playground for the Fearless Ones who have transcended fear and ignorance of a monstrous cosmos, because their supreme metaphor (which in Christianity is understood as a historical event rather than a mythic drama, yet both can achieve the desired result) has both partaken in the mysteries of death and life and returned moon-like, like a bodhisattva, to lead us into the Sundoor of enlightenment.