The Knights Templar in the New World author: William E. Mann Destiny Books/Inner Traditions 1999, 2004 ISBN #089281185-4 William E. Mann comes from one of the greatest perspectives possible when discussing the Knights Templar - his great-uncle was a Supreme Grand Master of Knight's Templar of Canada. After his uncle's death Mann discovered the key that would allow him to unlock the mystery of the Scottish prince Henry Sinclair (Earl of Orkney), and his journey to the New World (specifically, Nova Scotia). From the back cover: "Bill Mann blends Pythagorean geometry, hermetic wisdom, and secrets of Freemasons to reveal a blueprint to the final resting place of the Holy Grail. From the Tarot to Tolkein, from Medieval France to modern day Nova Scotia, the reader is initiated into mysteries often hidden in plain sight." Steven Sora, author of "The Lost Treasure if the Knights Templar" In his foreword, Michael Bradley postulates that the Cathars, a heretical religious group, established a settlement in Nova Scotia as early as 1398 A.D., bringing with them what they considered to be the Holy Grail. Bradley goes into a bit of the European history of the Holy Grail, and introduces the subject of Scottish prince Henry Sinclair, wealthy patron to the Templars. Sinclair is reputed to have made a voyage that ended in Nova Scotia, where he established a settlement for refugee Templars. This is no small thing, as he would have had to leave his own family and lands unprotected during the time it took for the voyage and the establishment of the settlement. A second foreword was written by Reverend Lionel Fanthorpe, who, along with his wife, has authored a book that covers another of the myriad of trails connected to the Templars and the Holy Grail - the mystery of Rennes-le-Château in France. Fanthorpe acknowledges Mann's depth of research, and the fact that out of the same basic field of information they have come to different conclusions (there are many researchers, and a wealth of conclusions on this subject). The catalyst for this book was the book Holy Grail Across The Atlantic, which posited that Scottish Prince Henry Sinclair, along with a group of outlaw knights/heretics, had established a pre-Columbian settlement in Nova Scotia, Canada. The Knights Templar discusses how Sinclair and his renegade Knights Templar successfully "hid" the Holy Grail treasure through the implementing of geometric surveys and esoteric keys. I come to this work from a background of Tarot, Qaballa, Rosicrucian and other esoteric studies. I found this book to be easy to follow, and highly readable. There were no jumps, or leaps of faith - the conclusions that Mann reached were very well set out. His overlaying of the geometric format onto the map of Nova Scotia is very well done. Enough information is currently available to the general public concerning the Templars, Freemasons and other esoteric societies that his presentation can be validated. Where his thoughts are conjecture, he makes that clear. The Knights Templar is a wonderful journey through history, both geographical and human. We learn about the land that is this earth and the people that populated it at differing points in time. People that we know as scientists and/or scholars, names that are familiar from our textbooks, now take on another life as we read about their connections to secret societies, rituals and mysteries. Through pictures, maps and graphics, Mann takes us into a world that is mysterious, fascinating - and very, very real. To this day we face problems of church and state, and we have to wonder whether the mysterious treasure of the Templars would help heal the world, or whether it would act as a catalyst for dramatic, unprecedented change. Who has an interest in discovering this treasure and bringing it to light, and who has an interest in keeping the secret for all time? I found The Knights Templar In The New World to be both a wonderfully wrought mystery, and a great source of information re the Knights Templar, the Priory of Scion, the Mervoginian dynasty and the Holy Grail. I am going to end this review in the authors own words: "Finally, it must now be recognized that the mythical island of Avalon, like the blessed landscape of Arcadia, is a symbol of the spiritual reward of the quest. It should also be realized that on the "island" of Nova Scotia, within Prince Henry Sinclair's New Jerusalem, there lies an unfinished temple. In this unfinished Temple of Solomon lies the Holy Spirit of God, a spirit that reflects the goodness that is found within all of humankind. This spirit also reflects the ideal that modern society must return to the ancient beliefs, when Woman and the gifts of Mother Earth were considered to be the real treasures of God. Only then will the labyrnith of the Grail be followed to its source." © July 2004 Bonnie Cehovet Personal Lifestyle Reading - I offer a Personal Lifestyle Reading using Tarot that looks at past, present and future influences in your life, at the energies that are currently available to help you along your path, and at those energies that are appearing as challanges. My goal is to offer you insight into your decision making process, as well as tools that you can use to both better understand your path and make conscious, choice centered decisions. Home Personal Empowerment links Personal Empowerment articles View My Guestbook Sign My Guestbook Graphics by Art for the web