Continuing the dissection of the narrative fabric of the Second Continuation of the "Perceval", we extract the gist of the knight's experiences and their parallels with rituals and practices of spiritual elevation.

Perceval finds himself facing a very difficult situation near a tomb, where a majestic tree seems to preside over both the rest of the deceased and the episode of the meeting; under the slab hides a presence that he calls to liberation. Succeeding in the effort to lift the stone, Perceval frees a knight who appears, but this, by trickery, traps him in his place (27432-33). The knight then attempts to dominate the mule and the horse without success until he recognizes his mistake towards Perceval, revealing his true noble nature (27477-86). This experience brings us to a key teaching: the power of closure and stasis, symbolized by the tomb and the veils of illusions, fails to hold Perceval, symbol of the spiritual aspirant who refuses to be limited by the material.

In a symbolic parallel with the Masonic myth of Hiram and with the use of the key as a symbol linked to the figure of Venus (and a woman appears in the following episode), we see here a resonance of alchemical and initiatory principles linked to the process of spiritual transformation . Here there is a ritual that corresponds exactly but we cannot talk about it too openly because it is linked to societies that like to maintain privacy about their rituals.

Nearby, Perceval finds the beautiful girl and returns her mule and ring. She quickly leaves, mysteriously dragged elsewhere. Alone in the desert, Perceval spends the night keeping vigil, praying at dawn for guidance to the Grail and the Castles of the Chessboard. A supernatural voice from a large tree tells him to follow the beagle to the Chessboard Castle (line 27616). There Perceval is greeted by a spiritual-looking lady, to whom he presents the deer's head and shares her exploits. She shows him a room of indescribable beauty and seven maidens, each embodying wisdom and beauty (lines 28083-97). In the beautiful room Perceval and the woman unite.

The large tree is omnipresent and symbolize this living presence

These seven maidens represent the seven planets and also the seven organs as they are inside the castle. This part of narrative connects to a technique of revitalisation of the organs.

 The connection in the room connects to the union of sky and earth and it is also a prelude to the vertical. 

Exercise

In the practice this technique can be done using the sounds. The sound of each organ will be done and also the sound connecting earth and sky 

The next day, the maiden, white in order to remembers the Albedo phase leads Perceval into a boat locked by a key hanging from a large oak tree, which symbolized the World Tree (lines 28180-88).

The Oak and the rune ᚪ in the anglo-frisian Futhork

To note that in the runes the Oak tree received a specific rune: The Anglo-Saxon futhorc split the Elder Futhark ansuz rune into three independent runes due to the development of the vowel system in Anglo-Frisian. These three runes are ōs ᚩ (transliterated o), ac "oak" ᚪ (transliterated a), and æsc ᚫ "ash" (transliterated æ).

On the other side of the river, after a full day's ride, Perceval doesn't find a key on a "large branched oak" (line 28254), but rather a knight "hanging by his feet" (line 28252). Perceval rescues him and listens to his story: he was heading to Mount Doloroso, home to an immense column, to attempt its trial — "no knight can tie a horse, palfrey, or steed to a ring on the column [...] unless he is the best in the world" (lines 28317-21). He was accosted by four Arthurian knights, including Keu the Seneschal, returning from the Mount, humbled by their arrogance. They attacked the unfortunate knight and hung him upside down from the tree.

This episode teaches that one does not ascend Mount Doloroso without consequence. Misfortune befalls the unprepared: the peak and its column intensify virtues but also flaws. This mirrors the alchemical process, where, as Evola says, "if the dross of desires, sensations, inclinations, and deep-rooted constellations in the shadows of consciousness are not removed, the result will be the immense amplification of all these elements," echoing the Hermetic maxim: "Fire increases the virtue of the Wise and the corruption of the wicked." On one side of the river, the key evokes images of opening, overcoming, and open pathways, while on the other, the hanging knight symbolizes ties and obstacles, lost spirits. The key and the knight contradict yet paradoxically balance each other in meaning.

The lost key has been found but you must not misuse: to enable the transformation of the "self" into the Self, it is essential to ensure that its contact with this free Mercury neither dissolves it entirely nor exacerbates its imperfections, as previously mentioned, or, through repulsion, further encloses it within itself. The "thinning" process occurs through the four elements — transforming earth into water, water into fire, and fire into air. It's notable that the four deranged knights symbolize these elements, with Keu representing the lowest element, earth. His actions against the unfortunate knight are a manifestation of this earthly violence.

This adventure teaches that ascending Mount Doloroso demands preparedness. Misfortune awaits the unprepared, as the mountain's peak and its column amplify virtues and flaws alike. In alchemical terms, if impurities are not removed, they will be greatly amplified. The key on one side of the river symbolizes pathways and openings, while the hanging knight represents restrictions and "lost" spirits. These contrasting symbols, however, paradoxically balance each other in their meanings.

Exercise

The suggested exercise here involves approaching verticality by feeling the rising energy within, while staying grounded. The energy has already been integrated in the previous episode with the lady of the chessboard. The mystical union with her, following the reception of the white stag's head symbolizing life force, indeed preludes the direct contact with this force within oneself.

After leaving the unfortunate knight, Perceval wanders for fifteen days before entering a forest. There, he sees a child on a high tree branch, holding an apple and dressed splendidly, appearing no older than five years old (lines 31432-43). The child refuses to come down, asserting he is not part of Perceval's trials (lines 31452-54). The child offers cryptic guidance, suggesting Perceval visit the column at Mount Doloroso for pleasant news (lines 31484-88). The child then climbs higher and vanishes into thin air (line 31501).

This segment hints at recognizing the signs of internalized strength. Sensitivity to these signs, akin to listening to one's inner child, is crucial for progression. The child, a symbol of the divine self, remains unincorporated in Perceval, explaining its high, unreachable position and brief appearance, foreshadowing Perceval's impending rebirth. Perceval, recognizing a symbolic reflection of himself in the child perched on this "very high" tree, understands it as the World Tree that prefigurates the column of the Mont douloureux. In alchemy it can connects to the "regulus"

Exercise:

Develop inner guidance and guidance from higher source. It will happen naturally if you will work on presence

The next day at noon, the shadowless hour signifying the tangent between Time and Eternity, Perceval approaches Mount Doloroso, the highest or most beautiful in the world according to manuscripts. At its base, a maiden on a palfrey warns him against the mountain's trial, describing it as "too great a folly" (line 31545), fearing for her own and Perceval's safety. Despite her pleas and the warning of her lover's madness after attempting the trial, Perceval remains undeterred and begins his ascent.Atop the mountain, Perceval marvels at a unique monument, primarily a large column made of copper, gilded and polished, reaching the height of a crossbow shot. Around it are fifteen crosses, five red, five white as snow, and five blue (lines 31583-602). Perceval enters the circle of crosses, approaches the tall, golden column, and finds a ring, its material and value indeterminate. An inscription in Latin warns that only the world's best knight should tie their horse to the column (lines 31609-21). Perceval ties his horse, places his shield and lance against the column, and then stands motionless.

Perceval can attach his horse at the central stag.  "Immobility" and "Verticality". They don't imply a lack of movement or action but rather a steadiness of mind that allows an individual to remain centered and undisturbed amid external distractions or challenges.

In the preceding moments when Perceval faced his opponents at Mont Orgueil, the immobility of the mind is in its ability to stay focused and undisturbed, reacting to each threat in turn. This means that although Perceval's mind was engaged in action and responded to each attack, it didn't get carried away or fixated on any single distraction or event. This quality enables the chevalier to remain fully present and effective in each situation, unoverwhelmed or thrown off by the complexity or intensity of the action.

When Perceval rejoins the immobile axis after his battle at Mont-Orgeuil, it symbolizes his return to a state of internal calm and focus, where he is not shaken or diverted by external events. This symbolizes a mastery of self and wisdom, where the mind remains stable and centered, capable of navigating through turmoil without losing its grounding or clarity. This illustrates a key principle in Perceval's spiritual and chivalric quest: true strength lies in inner tranquility and the ability to remain unshakeable amid life's many facets.

At this point an unshakeable energy can come up. This part refers to kundalini rising and at various energies coming up.

Nordic Tradition and runes Kaunan (ᚲ) and Isaz (ᛁ)

If you have practiced before everything will happen naturally. It's interesting to note that Sansonetti associates Mount Doloroso with the rune Kaunan (ᚲ), likely due to its shape and sound, and the rune Isaz for the column. These runes, Kaunan representing a torch or beacon and Isaz (ᛁ) symbolizing ice or a pillar, add a deeper layer of symbolism to the narrative, suggesting a fusion of fire (transformation, enlightenment) and ice (stasis, challenge) in Perceval's journey.

• Kaunan (ᚲ), representing a torch or beacon, symbolizes transformation and enlightenment.

• Isaz (ᛁ), representing ice or a pillar, signifies stasis and challenge.

These runes, when associated with Mount Doloroso and the column in Perceval's journey, bring an added depth of mythological and symbolic meaning to his quest.

Upon reaching the summit, Perceval marvels at the unique monument standing before him. First, there is the grand column, made and constructed of copper, imagined to be resplendent as it is "gilded" and "entirely polished," reaching the height of a crossbow's shot. Surrounding it are "fifteen crosses, each twelve spans high" (lines 31583-91). The narrator adds, "I believe no man has ever seen such a beautiful creation... Of the fifteen crosses, five were red, five as white as snow on a branch," and the remaining "colored blue" (lines 31592-602). Perceval enters the circle of crosses, approaches the "tall, golden column," and finds an affixed ring. "I do not know if it was silver or gold, but I know it was as valuable as all the treasure that could be stored in a tower. On a fine silver band around the column, there was an inscription in Latin, saying that no knight should tie his steed to the column in insult unless he could identify himself as the best knight in the world" (lines 31609-21). Dismounting, Perceval ties his horse to the ring and leans his shield and lance against the column, standing motionless.

Suddenly, a beautiful maiden appears on "her white mule." Is she the same one he met before? It's left for us to guess. This "spiritual maiden" (line 31652) approaches Perceval, greeting him respectfully, and then goes to the horse tied to the ring, gently draping her cloak over its neck and head. Perceval watches in amazement as she says, "Sir... without a doubt, your body and your horse should be adored by the whole world more than certain saints on the altar... Now you can boast of the greatest honor that a knight, born of a woman, has ever received in his lifetime" (lines 31687-91).

It can be assumed that it is in front of the imposing ring, engraved with the inscription announcing the trial of the place, that the knight chooses to lean his lance. Thus reappears the alchemical glyph of Nitro D, indicating the virtue through which the Way is opened. Whether it's the lance held before the ring, or as depicted on the Gundestrup cauldron, where the god Cernunnos is shown holding a bracelet vertically, the symbolism remains the same. The ring on the column refers to the most essential alchemical meaning of the circle: that expressed by the formula "One the All," denoting the original Mercury.

Exercise: The exercise connected here is the opening of the gaze. Being atop a mountain also echoes the idea of an open gaze. The exercise involves standing in front of a mirror, practicing the exercises previously described in this work, until you no longer recognize the image in the mirror as your own but see it as a separate self. This image is indeed our animal self, but who is observing? It is still us. By widening our gaze and becoming vertical, we embody the Nitro sign. At this point, we are both the observer and the observed, beginning to access an even deeper dimension of ourselves, one that means everything we perceive is actually us. But what is behind it all? It's the non-dual reality. The arriving maiden indeed leads Perceval to the Fisher King's castle, where he mends the broken sword.

After leaving the Mount, a symbol of verticality, Perceval heads towards the Fisher King's castle crossing a forest at night. Here, he comes across a tree-light, radiant like thousands of candles, which illuminates the forest (similar to the nocturnal apparition of the Grail). In the Grail castle, Perceval enters a chamber shining with gold (32281) with silver stars on the vault (32285) and walls of gold and silver adorned with precious stones (32294-95). Here, the Fisher King presents him with a broken sword (32409-10) which Perceval manages to put back together (32550-56), earning the King's recognition as the best of all living knights (32561-67).

Interpretation:

The final goal is true non-duaity. This episode highlights the importance of attention to the present moment to achieve non-duality. The recomposed sword symbolizes the union of what is divided, reflecting the verticality and the previous activation of the kundalini and its energies (the tree). Presence in the present leads to change.