Home / Astrology / The Sun / Journey / Holy Grail The Astrological Sun and the Holy Grail La Vision du St-Graal The Medieval Christian legend of the "Search for the Holy Grail" is based on an ancient myth with roots tracing back to times well before the birth of Christ. The Search for the Holy Grail is a myth of "The Hero" that has relevance for everyone, regardless of Sun Sign... however, Sun Sign Leos whose Zodiac sign is ruled by the Sun (those with Leo on the Ascendant, the Moon in Leo, and/or who have a ton load of planets hanging out in their 5th house) might wish to pay a little extra attention. Once Upon a Time Once upon a time - in a land far beyond all time and space - there is a mysterious, life-giving object and/or vessel that is being guarded in the castle of an old, wounded King. In older pre-Christian versions of the legend -  the object is often a numinous stone of some sort... then again in one medieval version of the story, the life-giving object is the chalice from which Christ drank at the Last Supper. In yet another version, the grail is a vessel containing the blood of Christ. Location The location of this wounded Grail King and his castle is quite difficult (if not impossible) to find. The countryside surrounding the castle is troubled, depleted, and in poor health due to the sickness of their king. The Wounded King and his kingdom can only find redemption and restoration at the hands of a brave and worthy knight. Upon finding the castle, this knight must immediately (upon seeing the condition of the king and his kingdom) ask a certain special question... Should the knight neglect to ask the correct question – the castle will disappear, everything will remain the same, and the knight will have to set out once more on the search for the castle and the grail. Parsifal Enter Parsifal (or Perceval). Parsifal (meaning: naïve fool) is fatherless and as such has been raised by his mother far back in the most secluded, isolated woods of the kingdom. Then one fateful day five knights in shining armor are seen riding through the forest where Parsifal lives. Parsifal is so amazed and overwhelmed at the sight of these brave knights that he determines, right then and there, he wants to become a knight. Parsifal’s mother naturally enough tries to dissuade Parsifal from his plans of leaving home in order to become a knight. But Parsifal is not to be swayed. So he leaves home without a word or as much as a simple good-bye - and upon his leaving, his mother immediately dies of heartbreak... First up on his journey, Parsifal must fight the infamous Red Knight. Parsifal miraculously goes on to defeat the Red Knight and then dons the armor of the vanquished knight. Next Parsifal encounters a damsel in distress. After a brief and intimate encounter with the lady, he leaves her in the same tactless manner that he left his mother. The Deep River Crossing Finally Parsifal comes to a deep river that he cannot cross. While there, he meets up with an old fisherman who then tells him about a Grail castle, its wounded Fisher King, and the kingdom's need of redemption. The old fisherman gives Parsifal precise instructions on where the castle can be found – and then suddenly the castle is there and standing before young Parsifal (where previously nothing had been). The gate is wide open – and, upon entering, Parsifal discovers that he was mysteriously expected by the old wounded Fisher King. The Vision All this is immediately followed with Parsifal having a vision and seeing four objects: A sword a lance dripping with blood a maiden bearing a Grail of gold set with precious stones and another maiden carrying a silver platter.  Parsifal is so overwhelmed by this grand vision that he says nothing. That night he falls fast asleep. Wrong move, Parsifal... (Go directly to Jail, Do not pass Go, Do not collect $200) The next morning, when Parsifal wakes up, the Grail castle has vanished into thin air. Many Years Later Eventually, years later, after many adventures and after learning many lessons, Parsifal is able through his own merits to once again find and regain entrance to the grail castle. This time around - through his many adventures - Parisfal has learned in his own right the necessary wisdom and compassion that he will need in order to once again gain entrance into the castle. This time, upon seeing the vision, Parsifal asks the correct question. And the old king is immediately made well. The Fisher King then informs Parsifal that he (the king) is actually the lad's grandfather. Then Fisher King places the grail, the castle, and the kingdom within the care of Parsifal - the new King. What's It All Mean? Our own unique search for the Grail may be experienced on an external (material) level, an internal (spirit/soul) level, or a mixture of both. And all types and levels of the Grail experience are valid, depending upon our own personal and very unique journey to the Sun. Early in young adulthood - we, like Parsifal, may have been presented with our Grail (on a silver platter) through little (or no) effort of our own. Unfortunately, at the time, we’re clueless as to how to properly handle our Grail and it mysteriously disappears from our grasp. (Been there... done that...) The opportunity of receiving our Grail, once again, will now only be possible after many years of potentially character building experiences and adventures. Traditional Jungian Thought Traditionally minded Jungian authors such as Robert Johnson (He), Emma Jung and Marie Von Franz (The Grail Legend) have typically associated the "Search for the Holy Grail" with the “masculine” experience of initiation and journey through life. According to Von Franz, men traditionally experience life in an active, hot, push ahead, lineal, and Solar fashion - whereas women traditionally tend to experience life in a more passive, centered, radial, and Lunar manner. Astrological View While there is certainly more than a small amount of truth to that... the truly fascinating (and unique) thing about the astrological view is that astrology recognizes each of us - whether we be male or female - has the Sun (solar king) and the Moon (lunar queen) in our unique sky map. And everyone’s journey and initiation into the mysteries of the Grail will be different and unique... And if, perchance, the legend of "Search for the Holy Grail" doesn't "speak" to your personal experience and journey to the Sun - then there are many, many other stories and versions of the hero's journey that most likely will... back to the Sun (return to the Astrology Menu) Home / Astrology / The Sun / Journey / Holy Grail