Wolfram von Eschenbach’s Parsival was written a long time ago. Yet, this 13th century Arthurian legend of the Holy Grail is a living myth that continues to sustain all who seek to answer the most basic of human questions: what does my life mean?
Like von Eschenbach’s hero, we will discover that the Grail is not won through a path of purity and perfection. Instead, it is gained through a constant striving to come to terms with and transform what we see as imperfections, through meeting and owning the “shadow” that we all live with.
While this course is intended for anyone who has ever entered the dark forest of doubt, it is particularly appropriate for high school teachers and parents of adolescents since Parsival is a central grade 11 main lesson block in most Waldorf high schools. All adolescents want to test the adults in their lives to see whether we are continuing our own quests.
Rather than studying the plethora of scholarship that surrounds the Holy Grail, we will follow Rudolf Steiner’s suggestion and allow the story to do its own work through listening to the adventure and exploring its mysteries together.
Joseph Campbell calls Parsival the “first authentic spiritual biography” in the Western Canon. During our shared quest, we will journal and meet each other through sharing our own biographies and through gentle playful ways of meeting. Jeff Spade will lead us in Gregorian chant and other contemplative music.
ANNE GREER, BA, B Ed, MA, has taught English and drama for over forty years, including eighteen years at the Toronto Waldorf School, and as a visiting faculty member at several Waldorf high schools and teacher training centers. She now lives by the ocean in Nova Scotia and volunteers as a member of the board for the South Shore Waldorf School, the only Waldorf school in eastern Canada.