Have you ever dreamed of setting out on your own Quest for the Holy Grail? Following the Mists of Avalon through the enchanting English countryside in search of King Arthur and Lady Guinevere? In May 2016 mythologist and author Phil Cousineau will be leading a very special journey to England: King Arthur’s Avalon and the Quest for the Holy Grail with Phil Cousineau: A Sacred Tour of England with Special Guest Geoffrey Ashe, MBE. For this blog we asked Phil about his own interest in the Arthurian Matter, the impact of the work of Geoffrey Ashe and some of the beautiful places we’ll visit on this trip.
*We have a few spots remaining on this journey: book yours today!*
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SEJ: When did you first become interested in King Arthur and the Holy Grail?
Phil Cousineau: Growing up in Detroit in the 1960s, I was lucky enough to read the classics out loud with my parents. We read through Homer and Grimm’s fairy tales and then one year read Mark Twain’s hilarious A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. Years later I read it again when backpacking through England, which led me to Geoffrey Ashe’s books. In the early 1980s I went to a King Arthur and the Holy Grail weekend workshop with Joseph Campbell that was a life-changer, and ultimately led to my working with him for many years. Finally, I picked up a copy of Marian Zimmer-Bradley’s classic Mists of Avalon in a train station in Bath, England, which in turn inspired me to contact her about coleading a tour together. This we did in 1986 and it was particularly memorable to bring Geoffrey Ashe together with Marian since they had never met.
SEJ: How would you account for the enduring popularity of the Arthurian Matter?
Phil Cousineau: There are multitudinous ways to read into the significance of the Arthur legends. First, they are mythic in that they are part of what the mythologists call the “founding stories” of England itself. Second, they are potent psychological tales of the search for the true self and the divine, as embodied in the Holy Grail component of the legend. Third, Arthur and Guinevere act one of the great – and tragic – love stories of all time. Finally, the modern popularity of the stories got an enormous boost when the play “Camelot” was on Broadway and was seen and fully embraced by Jack and Jacqueline Kennedy. Camelot has ever since been a metaphor for a Golden Age of love and chivalry.
SEJ: Can you tell us a little about the work and influence of Geoffrey Ashe, and what his presence will bring to this journey?
Phil Cousineau: For me, Geoffrey Ashe is the single greatest living Arthurian scholar. This is one of my favourite aspects of being a writer, journalist, filmmaker and tour leader – I often get to meet the very people who most inspired and influenced me. Reading Ashe’s books while living in England and Ireland was a big component of my early education; meeting him was thrilling. Mr. Ashe is now 96 years old and alert and alive and still being interviewed for documentaries about the Great Round of Arthur stories – what a privilege it will be to spend time with him. His presence will bring not just a certain nobility of soul, which he possesses, but a living link with much of the way the world now sees the story of Arthur. His scholarship and participation in archaeological digs has helped link Glastonbury and Cadbury (which he first named as a probable site for “Camelot”) with Arthur and Guinevere.
SEJ: The journey will wind its way through the beautiful south-west countryside of England – is there a particular site or place that you are most looking forward to (re-)visiting?
Phil Cousineau: There are innumerable sites of geographical beauty I look forward to revisiting, such as Devon and Cornwall, as well as gorgeous seaside towns such as Mousehole and the island of St Michael’s Mount. I am eager to revisit the majestic and haunting ruins of Tintagel, the grand Roman town of Bath, and of course a few country pubs where the art of conversation still exists.
SEJ: Is there anything else you would like to share about this journey?
Phil Cousineau: Over the last few years I have come to look forward to The Long Conversations that I help spark every morning of our tours and then when possible revisit them during our evening gatherings. These group discussions help set the stage for the day by reading passages of relevant texts or poetry and allows our groups to find a sense of solidarity on our Quest to make our journeys more than just another tourist romp. A profound realization has unfolded that those who partake the most in these Long Conversations are those who garner the most from the tours and who have the deepest encounters with the land and people we are visiting.
Our Quest for King Arthur’s Avalon and the Holy Grail will weave myth and legends with the splendours of the English landscape. From the medieval manuscripts of the British Museum to Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Mists of Avalon, the Great Round of Arthurian stories will come to life as we visit key sacred sites in this ancient land. Our journey includes St. Michael’s Mount, Marlborough’s Merlin’s Grave, the Arthur’s Round Table in Winchester Cathedral & more. Excursions to the West End & Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre will indulge our passion for English literature.
To join Phil Cousineau on this wonderful journey, rich in myth, legend and history, visit our website! There are a few spots remaining – secure your space today!
