One of the most popular legends that grew out of mystical Christianity was The Holy Grail. As the story is told, when Archangel Michael and his legions descended upon Lucifer, Michael’s sword struck the green stone from Lucifer’s coronet. It fell to Earth and was later fashioned into the Holy Grail. It is from this vessel Christ was said to have drunk at the Last Supper and was later used to catch the blood from his wounds at the crucifixion. It was brought to England where Parsifal, the last Grail King, took it to India. It then disappeared. This mystical object is central to many Arthurian stories in which the Knights of the Grail were in search of the holy artifact. Some believe these knights to have been a powerful organization of Christian mystics. The search for the Grail represents the search for truth; its green color signifies the Great Mother Nature and could also be associated with Venus.
Legends are written about the healing properties of the Holy Grail. Colors have been used in magic for healing many conditions of the mind as well as the physical body. Mystic healers became interested in light and color and its effects on the human body. Modern studies about the human aura include the healing properties of color. The Grail is imaged with gems and precious stones of brilliant colors inlaid onto it. Gems were particularly important to healing; emeralds and opals were prescribed for diseases of the eyes. Rubies were considered in treatments for bleeding, and turquoise protected its wearer from poisons. Yellow and blue were used alternately for whooping cough. For arthritis, short exposure to red, blue all the time. As much as we associate this kind of thinking with snake oil, color is known to affect the psyche, and is significant in the well-known Rorschach tests.
