The Quest for the Grail

Do you seek the Grail?

Growing up reading Arthurian legends, one would probably think the Grail is the holy cup associated with Jesus and the Last Supper, and that the Knights of the Round Table were sent on the Quest for the Grail.

However, things are not always (or often) what they seem, and the true nature of the grail is much more complicated. In this broad-ranging interview, Dr. Aviva Elyn will delve into Celtic antecedents to the Grail, shifts in the Arthurian Grail legends over the centuries, and Jungian interpretations of the “true” meaning of the Grail.

She will also explore the significance of The Quest and its relationship to the ritual process we know as pilgrimage. Drawing on her long-time study and experiential research on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage—the subject of her Ph.D. dissertation—Elyn will consider how the process of going on pilgrimage relates to the grail quest, and how it can be made relevant to our own contemporary life situations.

Dr. Elyn Aviva is a writer, transformational traveler, and fiber artist. She is fascinated by journeys of quest and self-discovery, both interior and exterior. Her academic credentials include a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology (topic: the modern-day pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela) and a Master’s of Divinity. She has taught comparative religion courses, trained as a labyrinth facilitator, and is an Active Dreaming leader. Her fascination with earth energies led her to study dowsing, sacred geometry, and geomancy. For many years, Elyn has delved deeply into Kabbalah and the Western Mystery traditions, which have had a significant influence on her work.

Elyn’s most recent novel is Melita’s Quest for the Grail. Set in medieval France, legends of King Arthur, Greek mythology, and the magical Forest of Brocéliande weave through Melita’s journey of self-discovery.

She has written a number of books and novels on pilgrimage, quest, and earth mysteries, as well as co-authoring (with her husband) the series Powerful Places Guidebooks. These guidebooks help people experience the transformative energies at sacred sites.