Customer Reviews

Rosslyn: Guardian of the Secrets of the Holy Grail

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Wallace-Murphy & Hopkins describe their own pilgrimage around the seven mystical sites situated on the European Earth Chakras, culminating in their visit to Rosslyn Chapel. A building which they believe embodies in its structure and carvings, profound spiritual truth handed down through the ages by the initiated, usually in the face of persucution and censure. Among the themes covered in depth are the rise of the Gothic Cathedrals, the activities of the Knights Templar, the origins of Freemasonry, the Dead Sea Scrolls and the intriguing possibility that many of Europe's aristocratic families may be descended from the high priesthood of the Temple in Jersusalem.

Some of these subjects have been explored by other writers, but with extremely dubious results as wild speculation is often married to a comlete lack of historical method. This book avoids these pitfalls, being extremely well written while the integrity and scholarship of the authors cannot be doubted. Rosslyn, Guardian of the Secrets of the Holy Grail, presents challenging ideas in a manner which deserves to be taken taken seriosly - above all it is a gripping read.

This book stands out above the average of the genre, primarily because of the superb scholarship of Mr.Wallace-Murphy. While those looking for a quick read might miss the point because it slowly develops its case, this book is a must own for those who really need a thorough and well-documented history of gnostic and hidden philosophies and a the means of their suppression throughout modern history. It could form the basis of a provocative college course, for instance. Because it was so well researched and documented, I had no trouble believing its major premise, which I shall not spell out here for that would be unfair to the author. It contains some beautiful color illustrations of Rosslyn Chapel, but I did find myself wishing to see far more...perhaps they are included in one of Mr. Wallace-Murphy's other works. As an aside, although it is the first work of this author I have read, I have to consider him a heavyweight in the area, his credentials including a long prior association with Trevor Ravencroft. I highly recommend this to the serious student of the subject.

This book stands as part of the growing stream of what might be called "neo-esoterica". Readers of Holy Blood, Holy Grail, the Hiram Key, Arcadia, and many other books will find many of the beliefs presented here familiar. Tracing a supposed "heretical pilgrim's route" from Campostella, Spain (the shrine of St. James) through France to Rosslyn chapel in Scotland, the authors make use of such ideas as chakras (both individual and terrestrial), ley lines and tellurian energy, and cosmic prophecies based on astrological alignments.
Readers are also led through the now-familar discussion of a gnostic tradition originating in Egypt and other early cultures that found its way into early Judaism. Then we are introduced in a vague way to the gnostic alternative to orthodox Chrisitanity: Jesus came as "revealer, not a redeemer"; the roles of James the brother of Jesus, John the Baptist, and Mary Magdalene are amplified, those of Paul and Peter denegrated and often treated as the real heresies; gnostics were heroes that stood up to the growing dogmatism and corruption of the Church. While I have no sympathy for Inquisitors and witch-hunters, even the most open-minded reader might find the authors' dark view of Christian history a bit biased.
The story then continues along familiar conspiratorial paths. The gnostic tradition is kept alive by the Cathars and the Bogomils, inherited by the Knights Templar and from them by the Freemasons and the Rosicrucians. Beneath all of this is some version of the "Rex Deus" tradition, that claims that elements of European nobility are the decendents of high priests in Jerusalem, or perhaps Jesus himself (with Mary Magdalene). As other reviewers have noted, what doesn't appear here is the Holy Grail, either as an object or a literary tradition. Rather, the authors take the Grail as a metaphor for the secret tradition brought to Rosslyn chapel by the Knights Templar and the St. Clair family that owned it.
So, what is one to do with all this? It is a spiritual journey after all, and one cannot argue with spiritual issues. It is not, however, either history in the traditional sense or a work of scholarship. The book is peppered with footnotes, true, but the vast majority of them refer either to the authors' own works or other books with no more basis for their assertions. Piling whipped cream on older whipped cream does not give it more solidity. There are numerous errors that either indicate an embarrassing level of ignorance or bad editing. There is mistranscribed Latin (p. 143), a reference to a 'silicone-chip' (p. 194; I don't even want to think about this one), claiming that a quote from Gregory of Nyssa supports reincarnation instead of the developing concept of Purgatory, etc. Many statements are made with no support whatsoever, e.g. "Jesus was, of course, an initiate of the Nazorean sect of the Essenes" (p. 190); of course. Did the Druids learn from Egypt? Did the first Knights Templar dig under the Temple of Solomon and find treasures including the Ark of the Covenant? Will July 28, 2019 be a day of apocalyptic change? Who knows--and that's the difference between history and spiritual speculation. If this book helps you down the road, more power to you, but don't think the authors have told you anything about real events or traditions.

I bought this hoping for a serious explanation and study of the history and current events surrounding Rosslyn Chapel. Unfortunately this book was what some people would phrase "esoteric nonsense". I personally thought the author concentrated too much on the esoteric and not enough on the facts. I loaned it to some friends also interest in the history of the Knights Templar, the Freemasons, and the Holy Grail. Only one finished it and he said he would not recommend it.

Let me put it this way, if you knew someone whom you wanted to "initiate" into this sort of study (i.e. Rosslyn Chapel, Rennes le Chateau, Holy Grail, etc.) this is not the book to give them. They will think you are a New Ager. However, if that is your thing this might be the book for you. Personally I want more facts, history, documented evidence, etc. I wish I could recommend a good book on this subject, but for now a web search provides the best information.

If I were only allowed to recommend One book, Rosslyn would-have been the book I chose to review! I opened it, while contemplating which book I would sit down with, and suddenly realized I'd read twenty pages! This one will be a timeless treasure and a perfect gift for the Mason or Templar-buff...but, you will be pleasantly surprised when you find substantial, historical discussion of Religions, Culture and myth vs. history. Rosslyn will cause many debates and many individual shifts in consciousness. This book is not for the easily-distressed fundamentalist. Of course, if you have not studied about religion, culture, society, et al...you will not understand this masterpiece of truth-seeking research, yet it may inspire you to Delve-Deeper. This work contains a concise chronology of the development of the religion of Christianity, with many references at the back of the book to continue your research, if you are inclined to seek the light. I found the writing style of this book to be very captivating and flowing, unlike some of the less-researched/more-embellished works on the market, which are not so articulately and poetically drafted. This book should be compared with the other important works of the genre, and I suggest looking-into the works of Graham Hancock. "Astrological Lore of All Ages," by Elbert Benjamine will be handy to have around, while reading this one, as well. Don't pass Rosslyn up...you'll regret it, later.

I was expecting the book to cover the mysteries of Rosylyn Chapel, but it barely touches on its history.
Rather is delves into the world of the Templars and the early Catholic Church, which, facts and myths aside, in itself is interesting.
If you want to know more about the Templars, then this is a good book for you.
If you were looking for a book on Rosslyn Chapel, this might be interesting, but will leave you still seeking.

This well researched and superbly written work traces the western esoteric tradition from Celtic times, through the flawed foundations of Christianity and on into the medieval era. It gives a highly plausible account of the mysterious order of the Knights Templar from the time of their foundation to their brutal suppression. A major theme within the work is the recreation by the authors of the pilgrimage of initiation with a strong spiritual message for today. founded by the Templars and still followed today.

I have heavily researched the knights templar, the early christian church, and the beginnings of freemasonry. After sifting through the first pages I bought this book. This book starts of strong, with a lot of true facts, by the middle of the book it drifts away from rossyln, which I thought was the purpose of the book. By the end of the book its heavily into mystic lines of force, trances, and other new age subjects. The authors get into a discussion of the new testament, as a student of ancient history it was obvious they had never studied the time or people they were writing about, only plagarized other writers fanciful notions that are more than abundant on the internet.

Rosslyn: Guardian of the Secrets of the Holy Grail, by Tim Wallace-Murphy & Marilyn Hopkins, would seem from its title to be a book about Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland. The book, though very pleasant to read, actually gives relatively little information about the chapel or about the St. Clair family who own it. The book discusses in a somewhat general manner the esoteric tradition in western Europe, with some attention to the Knights Templar, and advances the theory that there was a pilgrimage route of initiation from Santiago de Compostela in Spain that proceeded through five sites in France and ended at Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland. If you wish to read anything that you can get your hands on that alludes in any way to the Knights Templar or to the esoteric tradition in Europe, then this short volume is worth reading. I would not recommend this book to anyone seeking an introduction to the subject matter.

Amongst all the books about Rosslyn that I have read, this one belongs to the bottom of the shelve. An alluring title, nice cover, quality print, but.... badly written, conjecture after conjecture, re-hashing of subjects that had already been covered by more established and respected authors. Simply not worth it, which is regrettable, because the book starts off well only to gradually loose its credibility.