INTRODUCTION

Over the past several years, I have been searching for the spiritual meaning of the Holy Grail.  While I had pieced together many different aspects of it, I could never seem to get the entire picture.  I was given what I feel is the last piece of the puzzle when I learned about lokahi in the olelo Hawai`i (Hawai`ian language) class that I took.

Previously it had been difficult to put the picture together because I had been looking at it from an incomplete perspective.  On one level, I understood that the myths surrounding King Arthur and the Holy Grail told the story of the struggle between the many gods of the “Old Religion” of pagan Britannia and the “One” Christian God which the had been imported from Rome.  What I did not understand is the significance of Arthur’s statement “The land and I are one.”  These are the words that Perceval heard as he found the Holy Grail in John Boorman’s lavishly produced 1981 film Excalibur, which was based upon Sir Thomas Malory’s interpretation of the Arthurian legends in his classic tale Le Morte d’Arthur (The Death of Arthur).

The Hawai’ian concept of lokahi explains the depth of meaning behind the Mystery School teachings that are hidden in the legend of the Holy Grail.  

WHAT IS LOKAHI ?

The word lokahi in general means balance.  However, the Hawai`ian concept of lokahi encompasses much more.  It explains that man, the land, and God are all interconnected and affect each other.  Without any one of these three elements, balance is impossible.  

There are three piko or umbilical cords. The first one is at the crown of the head and corresponds to the crown chakra or energy center.  This is the akua piko, which represents our connection to God and is the past.  Akua is the Hawai`ian word for God.

The second piko is the kupuna piko, which embodies the present.  The word kupuna means elder in Hawai`ian, but implies considerably more. In this context it is the passing of mana or energy and mana`o or knowledge from the past to those in the present.  This umbilical cord is located at the solar plexus or nahau and symbolizes kanaka or man.

Mo`opuna, the last piko, is the genital umbilicus, which connects man to the aina or land.  The Hawai`ians consider this the future because without either the aina or sexuality, there is no future.  The fertility of the land provides sustenance for man and the fertility of man through sexuality insures the future of mankind.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The people of Old Britain were earth-oriented, as were the people of Hawai`i.  Among the many similar beliefs that they have in common, is that the land is an integral part of the religion and philosophy.  This view is still somewhat prevalent in Hawai’i because the Hawai`ian culture had changed little, until it was overtaken by Western Civilization only a little over one hundred years ago.  All wisdom had been handed down by word of mouth in a very organized and succinct system, the way it had in Britain before the Roman invasions.  Britain as a modern country, however, has been under the influence of the Western Civilization for nearly 2000 years, and having become a part of it, no longer holds this belief, although it still pervades the tales and legends.

During the period just prior to Arthur’s legendary birth, Britannia was in political turmoil.  Christian and Pagan factions were struggling for control, making the country vulnerable to Barbarian invasion.  The only way that Britannia could survive was to unify, otherwise the people would have had to succumb to savagery and foreign rule.  The priests and priestesses of the “Old Religion” presaged a savior king who would bridge the old culture with the new and thus unify their followers.

The Druidic religion was a “mystery school” and like all mystery schools it protected the ancient wisdom by breaking down their teachings into two parts.  The Lesser Mysteries were open to all and were taught in parables to those people who did not have the ability to understand the deeper spiritual meanings behind the teachings.  The Greater Mysteries were offered to those who showed that they had an ability and willingness to responsibly handle the power that came with knowledge and understanding.  

It is believed that the Mystery Schools had their roots in Atlantis and that it had been necessary to hide the wisdom and the innate power so that they could not be abused or misused again as they had in the time before the continent of Atlantis sank due to the abuse of the “Great Power”.

The original source of this Ancient Wisdom came from Lemuria, which was once a continent that was situated where the Pacific Ocean now lies.  The Hawai`ian Islands, all of Polynesia and Easter Island are remnants of that deeply spiritual land.  Before Atlantis sank, some of its sages left with the books of wisdom and their symbols of power to escape the “Great Deluge” and to establish new communities that would protect the ancient wisdom. These later became the great civilizations (Egypt, India, Britannia, Mexico, Peru, etc.) that gave birth to our current religions.  All temples faced the Motherland of Lemuria in honor of her wisdom.  Many people believe that the reason why there are similar myths and beliefs in the major religions of the world is that originally, they all come from the same source.  

While the heroes or heroines and the details are different, the stories are basically the same.  The tales tell of the birth of the world from Nothingness.  Some myths told of twins splitting into two halves: one feminine and one masculine.  In other stories it was the Goddess giving virgin birth to the Sun God (the son of God).

Regardless of their relationship, there was always a marriage between the two halves, with their mating resulting in the creation of the human race and eventually a sacrifice, which ended in death and sometimes dismemberment of the hero/king so that the land could be reborn.  The
hero or heroine would go into the underworld or cross the wasteland for three days and would be resurrected. This represented on one level the renewal and fertility of the land, but on a deeper level the resurrection of the soul to immortal life. In other words, the human body dies but
then is reborn into its highest soul expression.

This original coupling was honored in religious rites known as the Sacred Marriage, with the progeny of the mating inheriting the line of ascent to the throne. The royals were seen as divine.  Their physical bodies were able to hold greater mana than that of the commoners.  This also held true for the priestly caste that came from the royal line as well, for once long, long ago in prehistoric times, the ruler led the people in both temporal and spiritual realms. This is the reason why royals from all cultures wore a crown or headpiece, which represented the aura that radiated great light.  I feel that the reason why one bows in the presence of a royal is that originally
the light that emanated from him or her was so strong that it could blind or actually kill a human who did not have the ability to hold mana nui loa (energy of the highest level) which is what emanated from the ali’i or royal caste.

In all creation myths whether the original parents were siblings or whether mother and son (the original virgin birth of the world from nothingness), the creation of the human species developed from sacred incest. In pre-historic times sacred incest determined royal lineage in order to
keep the spiritual energy pure and of the highest quality. (Until the Hawai`ian monarchy was overthrown in the late 1800’s, the people of Hawai`i believed that the purest of royal marriages were between brother and sister.) However, as time passed and religion developed, the line of descent was established through the coupling of a priestess representing the Goddess incarnate and the yearly king who was either literally or symbolically sacrificed to ensure the fertility of the land for the good of the people. Thus the Sacred Marriage rite celebrated both the fertility of the Goddess and her Consort and the fertility of the land.  Arthur was a child of the Sacred   Marriage and thus was predestined to become the king and savior of the land.  His son with his half-sister
Morgan le Fay was also a result of the Sacred Marriage.

THE LEGEND OF THE GRAIL HALLOWS

From the Christian perspective the legend of the Grail Hallows begins during the Last Supper.  The Holy Grail was the cup from which Christ drank during his last meal.  It was also at the Last Supper that Jesus imparted the most sacred of teachings to his disciples. The other holy items were the plate from which he ate, the spear that pierced his side, and in some versions the crown of thorns. More commonly included in the Grail Hallows is the Excalibur, which was said to have been forged at the beginning of time.  The sword, however, had no real connection to the Last Supper. It is in reality, tied to the pagan Mysteries as are the other original Grail Hallows.

It was said in legend that Joseph of Arimathea, who was believed to be a close friend or relative of Christ, heldthe Holy Cup up to the wound and collected blood from Christ’s side as he took his last breath before he died on the cross.  Fearing for his own life, Joseph of Arimathea escaped to Glastonbury in Britain, taking these holy items with him.  There they were housed for safekeeping and were eventually protected by the Knights of the Grail who were the purest of the pure.  Pilgrims from all around the Christian world, traveled to see the Grail until its mysterious disappearance.

SYMBOLISM OF THE GRAIL HALLOWS AND LOKAHI

EXCALIBUR, THE SWORD OF POWER:  It was said that Excalibur had been forged at the beginning of time.  It was made of materials that were inordinately strong for the Dark Ages and was most likely one of the Symbols of Power that the scientifically advanced Atlanteans took with them as they escaped from the sinking continent.  This item represents the past.  It symbolizes the akua, the ancient wisdom, the spirituality that was brought to Britannia and passed down from one generation to the next through the line of royal descent.  This symbol gave Arthur the right to rule.

During the times when kings actually ruled as sovereigns, they acted as father to the people.  They oversaw the prosperity of the land.  It was more than a divine right; it was also kuleana, a duty or inescapable responsibility.  A good king put aside personal feeling and ruled with wisdom and intuition.  In the Eastern chakra system this piko corresponds with the crown chakra,
which allows us to experience God on Earth; the third eye, which is our ability to see beyond the physical to the spiritual; and the throat chakra, which is our will. The Sword is indicative of the element of air.

THE SPEAR THAT PIERCED CHRIST’S SIDE represents the present and the kupuna. The umbilical piko, in the Eastern system is the solar plexus chakra, which represents our passions that we may use for personal gain or the betterment of mankind.  This is man and his desires, the “fire in the belly” that drives us forward.  In the Arthurian legends this represents the people and the passion that Arthur had to fulfill his destiny.  The element that represents this piko is fire.

THE PLATE FROM WHICH CHRIST ATE DURING THE LAST SUPPER is the mo`opuna piko. The plate represents food, which comes from the fertility of the land, and the fertility of the land was assured through the rites of human sexuality, especially of the royal class.  Without sex, there was no future.  In Eastern philosophy, this is our second or creative/procreative center.  It is also the root or first chakra, which is our grounding to the land, the aina.  With this grounding we are centered and we are able to trust in our survival.  This is the earth element.

THE HOLY GRAIL is the lokahi, the balance of all three piko, God, man and land. The Holy Grail is safely hidden inside the triangle.  In the center of the Hindu system lays the heart chakra, the heart represents emotions and water.  Lokahi is also symbolized in the Chinese Tao symbol.  Akua is the circle that encompasses the two other parts: kupuna and aina and all together they comprise lokahi.

HOW ARTHUR LOST & FOUND LOKAHI AND THE HOLY GRAIL

Prior to Arthur’s birth, there was a struggle for power and the land.  His father, Uther, became king and was given Excalibur, the Sword of Power.  When he misused his power through his lust, the sword was put into safekeeping in the stone, until Arthur was old and strong enough to wield it.

When Arthur pulled Excalibur from the stone, he symbolically proved his divine right to rule.  Only the legitimate king could wield the Sword of Power, which represents his qualification to act as the “son of God” incarnate with the sovereignty to manifest God’s work on the earthly plane. The power to do so is passed down through the bloodline and Excalibur was only an emblem of his
authority.  

Arthur inherited his sovereignty both from his father Uther who was of the kingly caste and more importantly through his mother, Igraine who was of the priestly line of the Old Religion.  As in all matriarchal societies, the kingship is passed down through the mother, keeping in mind that most societies believed that the Virgin Goddess gave birth to her son and through her, he received his
power.  Also during ancient times, the only way to guarantee birthright was through the mother.

The Merlin, the Druid who held the highest rank, had inordinate spiritual power and wisdom.  With his help, Arthur was able to unify the opposing factions and they were able to overcome the Barbarians invading Britannia and bring temporal and spiritual harmony to the land.  The Knights of the Round Table were the guardians of peace and for many years prosperity prevailed.  Lokahi existed because Arthur ruled his people and the land with fairness of mind, openness of heart, and the wisdom of the ancients.  Arthur lost lokahi when he put his focus on himself instead of on God and the needs of the land and his people.  The Holy Grail disappeared and the land was
ravaged by famine and plague.  

Arthur’s bravest and purest knights searched the wasteland for the lost Grail.  The wasteland is in reality the sense of hopelessness that comes from the loss of connection to our spiritual purpose (Auka) for experiencing life on the physical plane (aina) lifetime after lifetime (kupuna) until
we can exit the wheel of incarnation to find true immortality which is known in other terms as enlightenment or heaven.  The knights represent those souls who have proven themselves pure in mind, body and spirit and have bravely faced all tests and successfully passed them.

In the Mystery School teachings, this can only be found at the time of death, which is the moment when we come face-to-face with God.  The quest for the Holy Grail was the Death Initiation and it was at this instant that Perceval, the innocent Fool, was successful in his quest for the Grail and that he heard a voice ask:  “What is the secret of the Grail?  Who does it serve?”

He answered, “You my lord.”

Then the voice asked, “Who am I?”

“You are my lord and king.  You are Arthur.”

“Have you found the secret I have lost?”

“Yes, you and the land are One.”

Perceval then took the cup to Arthur who in drinking from it, was restored and as he was renewed, the land again began to flourish.  Arthur was then able to fight his last battle in which he fought his son by his half sister, Morgan le Fay.  In doing so he was able to fulfill his destiny and sacrifice himself so that the land could live. Thus he fulfilled his destiny and lokahi was re-established once again.

© Deanna Frank

March Blog: Overcoming Adversity