Grail

Grail is the Principle of The Red Grail, The Flowermaker, and The Beachcomber, of desire, birth, seduction, and thirst. Its followers are characterized by inhuman desirability and an irresistible charisma. It is the aspect the Order of the Bloody Cup is dedicated to. Its lore is referred to as "the Succulent Lore".

Themes and Imagery

'Some words are spelt correctly only when the proper ink is used.'
'A Red Secret'
Grail is built around the concept of "pleasure" - although definitions of it may vary from one Grail Hour to another. The core elements of it are intense carnal sensations, such as feasting and various sexual activities, and also certain kinds of pain; childbirth and hunger hold a special place here since they are experiences in which pleasure and pain are intrinsically linked. Other approaches present pleasure in its less bodily forms - as pleasant thoughts and dreams, as following forbidden desires, and even as obtaining worldly possessions. Accordingly, those affined with Grail are proficient in (over)indulging themselves, and also in persuading others to (over)indulge; in raising hungers and pains, and in quenching or dulling or sweetening them.
Sacrifice is another prominent theme. Sometimes it's limited to a self-destructive behaviour such as in drug usage and overindulgence. Other cases are giving away a part of yourself, metaphorically or literally, for a pleasure of another - such as in self-denying relationships, motherhood, and, at its extreme, in cannibalism.

Hunger, lust, the drowning waters. [The principle of the Grail honors both the birth and the feast.]

Type

Metaphysical, Astral

'We must devour to be devoured. We cannot be undevoured, as we cannot be unborn. 'The Orchid Transfigurations, Vol. 1'