Customer Reviews

Guardians of the Holy Grail: The Knights Templar, John the Baptist, and the Water of Life

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm a big fan of anything Knight related (though nowhere near an expert), and am willing to read even the most 'out-there' theories, but in this case, Mark takes a great leap into the history and myth, then falls off the planet - literally.

He rehashes a lot of already known history of the Knights, which is fine in case some readers are just starting out learning about the Knights, but then he goes pretty much X-files when he adds in extraterrestrials to the mix, then adds other cultural legends into the story of the Knights, which kind of confuses me. I'm all for looking at the Knights from the view of other monotheistic and polytheistic religions around from the time of the Knights, but some seem to be just grasping.

To add to his image as a head honcho Modern Knight, his WIFE is his 'co-knight' (I thought the Knights were supposed to be MONKS and CELIBATE), maintains the present Earl Sinclair is the Fisher King (which I thought was supposed to be attached to the Arthurian legends and not the Knights Templar, and the Fisher King was supposed to be suffering from an unhealable wound), and I think that halfway through the original editing of this book his proofreader/spellchecker either quit or died.

He DOES add some little-known data of the Knights, which is why I won't use the book for kindling, but I was sort of hoping he would have organized the book a little bit better. I learned a bit more about some John the Baptist lore, but ended up confused. I'll try to read through the book again in case I missed something, but I was hoping for a better read.

Guardians of the Holy Grail, while undoubtedly controversial to some, is nonetheless a creative look at two popular themes -- the Templars and the Holy Grail, with a unique focus on the Divine feminine...a welcome addition to the number of books out there! The Sri Lanka history is a 'new twist' on old themes; the author's overall courage should be commended

In Guardians Of The Holy Grail: The Knights Templar, John The Baptist, And The Water Of Life, author and spiritual instructor Mark Amaru Pinkham lays out the history of the Knights Templar and the legendary Holy Grail. During their one hundred year presence in the Middle East, the Templars received the Holy Grail from a lineage of Holy Grail Guardians that had already been in existence for many thousands of years. Originating on Sri Lanka (the island paradise recognized within the Arab world as the true location of the fabled Garden of Eden), this ancient Grail lineage included John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, and John the Apostle. Readers will learn of the relationship of John the Baptist and the Mandean from Sri Lanka; the mystery of Baphomet (the Templar "Demon"); the gnostic and sexual tantric rites practiced by the Knights Templar; the alchemy and mystery of the Black Madonna; secrets of the Rosslyn Chapel and the Sinclairs of Scotland; the mysteries of the Freemasons and Johannites; and the Knight Templars of today. Also very highly recommended from Adventures Unlimited Press are two earlier books about the Knight Templars: Charles G. Addison's The History Of The Knights Templars (HKT, $16.95) and Francine Bernier's Templars' Legacy In Montreal (TLIM, $21.95).

Mr. Pinkham begins with a growing in popularity theme, yet doesn't quite hit the mark with the book until the last few chapters (which comprise less then 1/3 of the book). The time spent on older traditions, the Fisher Kings, Vulcan-Lucifer, and Venus, all be them interesting, are not tied into the Templar Mystery terribly well, but his attempt to set the stage for understanding of John the Baptist, and his role in those lines is made. A lot of information is presented in the book, yet I finsihed feeling the book was lacking, and not as interesting as I had hoped. As a supplement to deeper understanding of the Templars, I think this book can add valuable information, as an introduction, I think there are better ones available.

If you are the type that gets annoyed by bad editing, you probably won't be able to read this book. Flat out, this has got to be the most poorly edited book I have ever seen - if you can even say that it was edited at all. One sentence early on started with "12". Come on! Who does that? It's brutal in terms of typos, gramatical errors, and just poor definition.

Editing (or the lack thereof) aside, the content is fairly interesting. The book's structure leaves a bit to be desired, but by the time you get to the end you have a good idea of what the author is trying to convey. The interviews at the end are quite interesting.

Whether some of the content is believable is another story. The author says things like "it's been proven" or "it is fact that.." in regard to a few things which are still very much in debate and/or have been debunked entirely. That definitely introduces a credibility problem.

The author builds conjecture upon misinterpretation of someone else's research, and then builds more conjecture upon that. And if that's not bad enough, he can't even get the grammar right.

Indepth and very profound Treatise on the Knights Templar paradigm. The book discusses the Eastern and Islamic (Sufi) influences upon Templar knowledge. Mr. Pinkham also expounds on the "Female Principle" or the "Sacred Feminine". The "Kundalini" and how one can and did achieve this state is a major part of this work. This book is not for your conventional thinking reader or religious type. Mr. Pinkham also highlights the significance of the "black" Madonnas of Europe. The interviews with current Templars and the Sinclair family lends the book a certain authenticity that other authors on the subject have not achieved. Some of the modus operandi afforded the Templars by Mr. Pinkham I might tend to question in regards to (Tantric Sex and ritual etc.)for achieving Kundalini power. But nonetheless a very thought provoking work and I would highly recommend this work with "The Huevolution of Sacred Muur Science Past and Present" 2005 by Noble Timothy Myers-El.

Guardians of the Holy Grail is a ground-breaking classic on the Knights Templar and the Holy Grail. Mark Pinkham reveals information that is new and fresh. He's obviously done tons of excellent research in order to arrive at his exciting and new conclusions. I found his style of writing easy to read; it held my interest completely. I highly recommend it to anyone that is interested in the Templars and Holy Grail as a compendium of excellent information.

Mark Amaru Pinkham is 'the Author's Author for this Aquarian Age.' All of his books are written for these times with this Age in mind. I found this book to be a remarkable Aquarian interpretation of the Grail Mysteries. Those who are intimately connected with the Holy Grail, or who are searching for its true meaning, will find something very special in this book. This is a book written for Initiates by a Master Storyteller. Mark Amaru Pinkham is destined for great things in this world. He is a Highly Enlightened Teacher and a Master Storyteller. I give this book 5 stars!

Author provides interesting information to allow reader to understand Templar and Holy Grail backround, how it has existed for a long time, developed, and it is now reviving. It provides insight into Jesus', John the Baptist's and John the Apostle's life, links, and their connection to the Holy Grail's legend. Full of history, pictures, illustrations and helpful bibliography. I found this book entertaining and would recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about the Templars and the Holy Grail in a very plain and easy manner.