City of Secrets – One Woman’s True-life Journey to the Heart of the Grail Legend
By Patrice Chaplin.
336 Pages | First Quest edition 2008 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 9780835608718.
City of Secrets is, perhaps, the very first nonfiction title to combine the stories of the legendary Grail phenomenon with that of a modern-day love story.
In 1955, fifteen-year-old Patrice flees her predictable English life for sun-drenched Girona, a pre-Roman town in northern Spain. There, she falls in love with José, whose mission is to preserve the town’s ancient Caballistic tradition. Over the years, Patrice returns again and again to her lover and Girona. She meets enthralling characters and hears of visions, an oddly wealthy priest, a fabulous garden owned by a Frenchwoman, and two towers aligned to create a portal to another dimension. The priest is no other than the Abbé Saunière of Rennes-le-Château, and the mysteries linked to him are at the heart of the Grail phenomenon. People Patrice thought she knew well turn out to belong to a secret society guarding Saunière’s legacy. Now it is time, they say, to reveal their secrets, and they ask her to be the messenger.
In support of her revelations, Patrice provides copies of previously unreleased letters, written by Saunière, along with other documented evidence. Her romantic and lucid writing style, which has often been compared to Beat Generation legend Jack Kerouac, will leave readers with no doubt that this book is one-of-a-kind.
Patrice first went to the ancient Spanish town of Girona in 1955 as a fifteen-year-old girl. She fell in love with the town and with Jose, its favorite son. Over the years, as she returns again and again, she sees and hears many unusual things: people talking about a wealthy priest named Abbé Saunière of Rennes-le-Château, an old house with an amazing garden owned by a mysterious Frenchwoman, a strange ceremony in this house, and several intriguing characters, including Jean Cocteau. Later, in 2003, Patrice finally starts to make sense of everything she has seen. Her lifelong friend and former lover, Jose, has a heart attack, and decides it’s time to reveal the secrets he has been guarding from the world. She learns that a private society has for generations held Saunière’s letters and documents after his death in 1917. She also learns Jose has been the society’s custodian for many years. Jose tells Patrice the secret is not in Rennes-le-Château and that it is now her duty to discover the rest. Patrice Chaplin is an internationally renowned playwright and author who has published more than 25 books, plays, and short stories. Her most notable work includes Albany Park, Siesta, which was made into a film staring Jodi Foster and Isabella Rossellini, Into the Darkness Laughing, Hidden Star, Night Fishing, and Death Trap.
Hidden Wisdom – A Guide to Western Inner Traditions
By Richard Smoley and Jay Kinney.
400 Pages | First edition 1999, revised edition 2006, incl. suggested reading lists per chapter | Softcover | Quest Books U.S.A. | ISBN: 9780835608442.
For decades, our modern society has looked to the East for spiritual guidance and renewal. Here is a guide much closer to home. Its subjects range comprehensibly from Jungian psychology to the Kabbalah and Gnosticism, and from Freemasonry and the Templars to Alchemy, Shamanism, the work of Gurdjieff, Neopaganism, Sufism and esoteric Christianity.
Authors Smoley and Kinney speak with sensible, even-handed objectivity, covering the strengths and weaknesses as well as the history and ideas of each tradition. They also end each chapter with a wealth of resources for further exploration. Whether you are just beginning to seek a spiritual practice or want to know more about a particular teaching; Hidden Wisdom is an invaluable resource for finding the Path, that is right for you.
From Chapter 5 – ‘Magicians: Sculptors of the Astral Light’ (p. 105):
” Magic is the traditional science of the secrets of Nature, which has been transmitted to us from the Magi. By means of this science the Adept is invested with a species of relative omnipotence and can operate superhumanly – that is, after a manner which transcends the normal possibility of man. “
Richard Smoley is the former editor of <em>Gnosis</em> magazine and today is editor of Quest Books.
“Covering the gamut from Kabbalah, Gnosticism, and Sufism to shamanism, Neopaganism, Theosophy, and mystical Christianity, Hidden Wisdom is the handbook to the Western wisdom traditions. Also included are the teachings of C.G. Jung, G.I. Gurdjieff, Alice Bailey, and Rudolf Steiner. Authors Smoley and Kinney examine the key figures and movements of these traditions throughout history to offer a balanced and coherent view of esoteric Western practices. Accessible to all readers—whether they’re considering membership or long-term practice of any one tradition or teaching or they’re simply curious about their options—this book lends advice on how to find groups and like-minded individuals and how to best avoid possible pitfalls. This book is a reliable and truly helpful guide. It is clear, intelligent, grounded, and appropriately critical. If you want to add a vital dimension to your life, start with this book and discover a fascinating world that lies hidden all around you”. —Thomas Moore, author of Care of the Soul and Dark Nights of the Soul
The Templars and the Grail – Knights of the Quest
By Karen Ralls.
261 Pages | Softcover | First Quest Edition 2003 | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835608077.
Who were the mysterious mediëval Knights Templar, and how can we separate fact from fiction? How does their mythos and its meaning live on today?
The powerful Knights Templar, famed monastic warriors of the Crusades, have long been shrouded in mystery. They were believed to conduct mystical rites, guard the Holy Grail, and possess the lost treasures of Jerusalem. They were also bankers to kings, trusted diplomats, farmers, business scions, and navigators. From Wolfram von Eschenbach’s Parzival to Hollywood films like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the Templars continue to fascinate many today.
Dr. Karen Ralls presents the unfolding drama of the Knights Templar through time, examining the many beliefs and theories about their presumed powers and knowledge. Drawing on both academic and popular sources, she provides a solidly researched, up-to-date perspective and includes exclusive photos from Rosslyn Chapel and its museum exhibition. The result is a riveting read and a vital contribution to Templar history and their enduring spiritual legacy.
From Chapter 3 – ‘Organization and Beliefs’:
The Importance of Our Lady
” The Templars showed a great reverence for Mary. Rule 306 states that ’the hours of Our Lady should always be said first in this house . . . because Our Lady was the beginning of our Order, and in her and in her honour, if it please God, will be the end of our lives and the end of our Order, whenever God wishes it to be. ‘ “
The Cross and the Grail – Esoteric Christianity for the 21st Century
193 Pages | First Quest Edition, 1997 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. } ISBN: 0835607607.
Many Christians today yearn for a deeper, more inward practice of their faith. Drawing on the ancient wisdom tradition and the themes and symbols of medieval romance, Robert Ellwood shows Christianity at its most profound to be a philosophical, meditative, and mystical path.
The two symbols at heart of Christian belief – the Cross and Grail – represent the two faces of contemporary Christianity. The Cross is its outward face – masculine, public, exalted. The Grail is its hidden and esoteric face – magical, feminine, sought by many, found only by those who are able to ask the right questions. This book teaches you to ask the right questions. Its readings, stories, prayers, and practices can help you plumb into the hidden depths of a faith you may have taken for granted.
From the Preface (p. x & xi):
” The Grail of medieval and Arthurian and Christian romance, reminds us that the Path is also a great quest for the holy, for that which will transform us and the world. There are many versions of the Grail story. It is not my purpose here to sort them out, and in the end the Holy Grail means something unique to each sincere seeker of the hidden and eternal treasure it represents. However, in one way or another, the narratives generally tell of a knight, who journeys to a blighted land, perhaps ruled over by maimed king. Reaching the country’s center, the knight dares to enter a castle containing as its great treasure a chalice of imperishable brightness, which is guarded by knights and maidens bearing enigmatic tokens, such as a broken sword or a lance dripping blood. The puzzling question: ‘Whom does the Grail serve?’ must be asked by the knight in order to transform himself and restore the wasteland. In all versions there is a feeling of magical and dreamlike strangeness, suggesting, that the story is ultimately about initiation and a transformation taking place inwardly, at the deepest levels of consciousness from which come dream and inspiration. “