The Secret Tradition in Arthurian Legend: The archetypal themes, images, and characters of the Arthurian cycle and their place in the Western Magical Traditions [Paperback]

Gareth Knight (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1996

The Arthurian legend is unique it encapsulates everything from ancient pagan traditions to the heights of medieval transcendental mysticism. Gareth Knight treats this body of legend as a living magical system that encompasses both ancient and modern beliefs surrounding the Arthurian cycle. His King Arthur is a living contemporary archetype, not an ancient dead king. He shows how the Arthurian legend may be structured into a workable mystery system, comprised of three primary grades of attainment. The first is the grade of the Powers of Arthur of loyalty, dedication and service, enshrined in concepts of chivalry. Second is the grade of the Powers of Merlin, bringing knowledge of the invisible forces that are true roots of causation within the material world. The final grade is of the Powers of Guenevere, for those who work with power - power which is based upon the forces of polarity within the aura. Knight concludes with an explanation of the Greater Mysteries, which opens awareness to the higher spiritual forces. Learn to use the secrets of the Arthurian tradition in your own life!

Editorial Reviews

Review

Authurian legend is here treated as a living magical system, with the Arthur character serving as a contemporary archetype for modern magical challenges. From special levels of consciousness involving Merlin to the real meaning of the knights of the round table, this provides an intriguing magic-oriented guide. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Red Wheel / Weiser (May 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877288615
• ISBN-13: 978-0877288619
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #851,616 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most important book you could own, April 19, 2005

By 

Dwayne Daley "jocomo" (pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Secret Tradition in Arthurian Legend (Paperback)

This is absolutley one of the best books of its kind available today!Maybe the best book of all times!This book covers a huge amount of esoteric material that is extremely purposeful in todays fast changing times.If you are serious seeker of esoteric wisdom then stick with this book and you will learn lots.The arthurian legends truly are works of faery art to show us our evolutionary way forward as individuals and as a group.These legends show us the proper way of evolutionary developement and they show us what happens when we lose our way.The information in this book along with serious study of the arthurian legends will lead to the rememberance of who you really are and you will be amazed at what you find.The information contained within these pages is priceless and you could spend lifetimes integrating the wisdom and knowledge found within.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A practitioner's guide to the Arthurian legends, November 12, 2007

By 

Arnold Smith (Crete, Greece) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Secret Tradition in Arthurian Legend: The archetypal themes, images, and characters of the Arthurian cycle and their place in the Western Magical Traditions (Paperback)

This book is a well-written, well-informed esoteric guide to the stories of Arthur, his Round Table companions, and the Holy Grail in British and Celtic legend. I found it a beautiful combination of scholarship, psychological and spiritual insight, and intelligent speculation about some of the more ancient origins and meanings of the many stories we have inherited that form part of the Arthurian romances. Anyone who is interested in this tradition, and the mysteries that lie behind it, will find this a fascinating and illuminating commentary. Interpreting ancient myth is a high art because symbolic images reveal their meanings only to those who are prepared to personally engage with the symbols and the entire mystical tradition that supports them. Gareth Knight is an able guide.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Scholarly Study, April 22, 2009

By 

Bernadette Wulf - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Secret Tradition in Arthurian Legend: The archetypal themes, images, and characters of the Arthurian cycle and their place in the Western Magical Traditions (Paperback)

I enjoyed reading this book since it is full of fascinating tidbits of Arthurian lore. It is a great reference book to keep on hand for those of us who are drawn to the Arthurian mysteries. However, it does not offer any practical applications for use in magical work. Readers are left to figure that out for themselves.

I felt that Part 3 was written with a Christian bias, which was interesting in itself, but I would have been more interested in learning about the pre-Christian origins of the Arthurian legends. It seems to me that some of the depth and mystery of ancient Celtic mystery wisdom was lost in the Christianizing of the stories during the Middle Ages. I was hoping this book would reconnect the legends with their pre-Christian past.