Magdalene sacred journey in Provence and in Cathar Country : October 15 to 22, 2022
Mary Magdalene, remarkable woman at the heart of the Christian mysteries
Also called Mary of Magdala (a small Galilean town north of Jerusalem), Mary Magdalene was at the same time, teacher, healer, mystic, divine feminine archetype, apostle, and beloved companion of Jesus of Nazareth. First witness of the risen Christ, she was eventually maligned during centuries by the church as a sinner and prostitute. But her legend has always maintained a strong following.
Meet the many faces of the Sacred Feminine through the metamorphoses of Mary Magdalene during her life. She was the converted sinner, the Loving Woman, the Healer Woman, the Spiritual Woman, the Apostle of the Apostles and above all Apostle of Love.
Magdalene sacred journey : Itinerary
The fishing village of Les Saintes Maries de la Mer
This journey begins at the tiny and picturesque fishing village of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer South of Arles in Camargue. It is a wild, rustic area of salty marches, pink flamingos, bulls and white horses. According to the Tradition, Mary Magdalene and her companions landed in this town where the Rhône River meets the Mediterranean Sea. The fortified church shelters the relics of the Two Mary (Mary Jacobé and Mary Salomé) and those of Sara, the black Madonna and Patron Saint of the Gypsies.
Magdalene’s grotto in Saint Baume mountain
Our next destination is the legendary grotto in the Sainte-Baume Mountain, where Mary Magdalene retired to spend the rest of her life in prayer and contemplation after preaching and performing many miracles in the region.
A place of healing and transformation, the forest of La Sainte Baume has been a pilgrimage destination for thousands of years for crowned heads and anonymous, and continues to grow in popularity with people of all faiths and belief systems.
This ancient mystical forest of la Sainte Baume has many levels of magical beauty.
First dedicated to the Mother Goddess, the Druids practiced there their worship. Lots of legends are linked to that place.
We also visit the Basilica in Saint Maximin, built in 1295 over the spot where Charles II found Magdalene’s remains. The crypt shelters a wonderful gilded reliquary containing Magdalene’s skull.
The Cathar region
The purpose of this pilgrimage is to highlight the path of Mary Magdalene in the Cathar country.
How these people called Cathars lived. What was their connection with Magdalene and Jesus ?
By relying on historical facts, we will visit some of the sacred places in this country :
– Beziers, where, on July 22, 1209, took place the first of the many dramas which will punctuate the crusade against the Albigenses.
– Minerve and Montségur. Here, during the Inquisition, more than a hundred of Cathars died on the stake for refusing to renounce their beliefs, rooted in direct mystical contact with the Divine.
– The fortified medieval town of Carcassonne. Listed on UNESCO World Heritage site, it was once a Cathar fortress.
– Rennes-le-Chateau, the fabled village of Holy Grail and the mysterious treasure,where Magdalene also allegedly preached.
Nearby is Rennes-les-Bains, home to rejuvenating hot springs. There, we can also find a majestic stone throne known as the seat of Isis, very close to the Madeleine’s spring.
– One day in the Black Mountains, which was a refuge for the Cathars to hide during the Crusades. We arrive at the magnificent Cathar site of Lastours, with a breathtaking view of the four castles dating from the 13th century. I will tell you the stories of the troubadours, the trobareizts (female troubadours) and a femme fatale called « Na Loba, the wolf ».
– We will re-connect to deep energies at the Dolmen of the Fairies. Located in the middle of a grove of pines, the dolmen is the largest wide-corridor dolmen in South of France. It was built around 3,500 BCE by the people of Veraza culture who honored the Mother Goddess
For that tour, arrivals and departures can be done from Toulouse Blagnac Airport or Marseille Provence Airport.
