The grail knight metaphor is pure

The grail knight metaphor for the two conscious shocks and real, internal development is pure.

Think about it. You say: "I'm going to do some battle with dark forces." How? By accumulating some higher energy doing self-remembering and non-identifying, then seeing what comes up. And doing battle with it.

This is what the knight does. He takes off into the trackless forest, self-remembering and non-identifying (being on his horse is symbolic of this work with emotional energy, higher energy). Then, expected, yet unpredictable, he is confronted by 'dark forces' (knights in black armor, or just other knights hostile to him; they are often tests that protect threshold entrances). He has to do battle with them and overcome them. Then (and here is the interesting part of doing the Work in real time) he moves on but in a different realm. He enters higher aspects of time and space. Ultimately this is where the Grail castle exists. In real life though you can be in these higher realms. It's where the strange things happen even though your environment seems to be the same. C Influence is able to be in contact with you. More possibilities exist in terms of laws.

But the thing is: with the Work this is all practical and doable right now. By effort to be in the third state of consciousness, and maintaining it for duration and depth. Spiritual warfare can be provoked right now. It is how you develop level of being. It's how you increase your capacity for new understanding. You have to confront dark forces within yourself and outside yourself. Struggle and victory, even if you come out bloodied, is ground gained.