Mary K. Greer’s Tarot Blog

A. E. Waite published his book The Hidden Church of the Holy Graal the same year, 1909, that the Tarot deck illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith first came out. It was later expanded and republished as The Holy Grail.

In Pictorial Key to the Tarot Waite tells us that the Ace of Cups is “an intimation of that which may lie behind the Lesser Arcana.” In the Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, he explained the symbolism of this card, “On Good Friday, by the descent of a dove from heaven, carrying a sacred Host . . . the crown of all earthly riches were renewed.” And, in his work on the Grail, he wrote, “There is the flight of the mystical dove from the casement to inmost Shrine, as if the bird went to renew the virtues of the Holy Graal.”

Several years ago I began looking through Waite’s works on the Grail to see if there was any correlation with the Minor Arcana. I discovered that the suit of Cups perfectly illustrates one of the Grail stories as summarized by Waite.

The Metrical Romance of Joseph of Arimathea by Robert de Borron*

Below is A.E. Waite’s retelling of this late 12th century story compiled from a couple of different sections of his book on the Grail. Waite explained: “The root-matter of the story can be expressed in a few words, and may be so offered to simplify the issues which are important to our purpose.” I believe the following will demonstrate that he gave these “few words” to Pamela Coleman Smith who was professionally trained to illustrate stories. Her task was to integrate this Grail Romance with the divinatory meanings that Waite had compiled from several other sources (Etteilla, Mathers, Golden Dawn, Chambers, etc.)—a job she completed masterfully.

So, here is the story of Joseph of Arimathea as told by Waite (my summaries of sections I’ve deleted are in brackets):

The vessel in which Christ prepared His sacrament [at the Last Supper] was delivered into the hands of Pontius Pilate. [Pilate gave Joseph permission to take the body of Jesus after the Crucifixion] and gave him in addition the vessel. In that vessel Joseph received the Blood, which was still flowing from the wounds of Christ. [The Jews then imprisoned Joseph in a tower.]

Christ came to Joseph in the tower, brought him the Sacred Vessel and communicated to him certain secret words which were the grace and power thereof. Joseph remained for forty years in his prison and was sustained by the Blessed Vessel as if in a condition of ecstasy. [The Emperor's son Vespasian eventually rescued Joseph from the tower.]

Joseph collected his relatives and many companions who had embraced Christianity at his insistence, and by the the will of God the party started westward, carrying the Holy Grail. At first they were in a state of grace.

They took possession of a certain district and placed it under cultivation. At length a part of the company fell away from grace through the ’sin of luxury’.

The result was a famine in the company.

An appeal was made to Brons, who was the brother-in-law of Joseph, that he should take counsel with Joseph.

And Joseph invoked the Son of God on his knees in the presence of the Grail, reciting the petition of his people, who were in need of bread and meat.

Christ ordained that Brons should repair to a certain water and there angle for a fish. And the first which he caught must be brought straightway to Joseph.

Joseph was told to expose the Sacred Vessel openly in the presence of the brethren, on a table similar to that of his own Last Supper, and place the fish upon the Grail table over against the Sacred Vessel. By this means the sinners will be discovered speedily. The people were then to be summoned and informed that if they were true believers, who had kept the commandments and followed out the teachings of Christ, they would be welcome to sit down at the table.

The vessel was invoked, and it separated the good from the evil within the ranks of the people. The good people experienced all spiritual delight and inward refreshment, but the evil were not filled, and they could not even see that which was in full view, the Holy Vessel. Whosoever was seated thereat had the accomplishment of his heart’s desire. They were fed from within rather than from without. Joseph commanded that they should return day by day to partake of the grace administered.

Brons received the title of the Rich Fisher, for having caught the fish.

The company was divided further to continue the journey westward in successive parties, as ordained by Christ Himself, speaking from the Grail. Christ said to Joseph: “Tell him [Brons] how God did communicate unto thee the Holy Words, which are sweet and precious and gracious and piteous, which are properly called and named the Secret of the Grail.”

* * * * *

We might assume that Joseph’s sister, Brons’ wife, is the Queen of Cups (though she is not mentioned), and that Brons’ son (or grandson—there’s some confusion), who declared his celibacy in service of the Grail, is the Knight of Cups, but there is no reference to either that can be associated with details on those cards.

*Robert de Boron is the first author to connect the Graal of the Arthurian legends with Jesus Christ thus introducing a Christian dimension to the tales of King Arthur. The grail now became the Holy Grail, a vessel used by Joseph of Arimathea to catch drops of blood from Jesus’ body as he hung on the cross. In de Boron’s tale Joseph remained in France, leaving it to Bron and his descendants to bring the Grail to Avalon (Glastonbury) where it was guarded until the coming of King Arthur and Perceval.

An account by me of the Grail and Masonic references in all four suits appeared in the Llewellyn’s Tarot Reader 2006 as “The RWS Minor Arcana,” pp. 171-182. Card illustrations are from a “Pamela A” RWS Tarot deck.