The Sword of Light - Excalibur, is a gift from the inner Feminine power called the Lady of the Lake.
Merlin, Arthur's druid-like counselor, who act as mediator between the world of the court and the realm of the Otherworld, takes the young king to meet with the Lady.
Arthur rows out onto the lake to receive the sword from the Lady. This is a moment of great significance: up through the deep feminine waters of the lake, a portal to the inner realms, the Lady raises the Sword, the masculine symbol of power for the new Sun King of the outer world. It emerges from the underworld like the first ray of the rising sun from beneath the horizon.
So does the goddess bless the king with the gift of Excalibur, a weapon of the Light with which to rule his kingdom. Inner and outer worlds come together to forge a sacred contract of divine kingship with the goddess of the land.
But the young king shows signs of the fatal dominance of masculine over feminine values, which will pervade his reign. Merlin asks him which he prefers: sword or scabbard (holder). Arthur, whom we can imagine brandishing the flashing blade in delight, replies that, of course he likes the sword best.
Merlin points out that the scabbard, clearly a feminine symbol, is more precious than the sword itself, because it magically protects the wearer's life. Merlin's advice comes from experience born of age that recognizes the deeper wisdom of the power that conserves life rather than destroying it.
But the young king's choice of sword over scabbard hints at the imbalance that contains the seeds of destruction for Logres, King Arthur's realm in the Matter of Britain, and the end of all hopes for a Golden Age of peace.
- Excerpt from Grail Alchemy; 'Swords of Light and Darkness', by Mara Freeman
Art: Sir John Lavery Triptych – ‘Madonna of the Lakes’
