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SPIRITUAL JOURNEY 2014: Staying in the castle hotel. Is it really the “Château des Pommes Bleues”?

Those of you who have read the novel “The Expected One” by Kathleen McGowan might remember the often-quoted “Château des Pommes Bleues”, in which the protagonists of the book live. I think I have read somewhere that Kathleen McGowan drew her inspiration for the fictitious castle “Château des Pommes Bleues” from the castle and the modern-day hotel „Château des Ducs de Joyeuse“ in Couiza.

However that may be: In the Languedoc region this is the only hotel far and wide which meets my expectations on a seminar hotel, therefore, we are going to stay there with our tour party for five days. Maybe there still is a castle ghost somewhere? Maybe we are going to put one or two things straight energetically in those rooms, who knows? The fact is, at the same time as us an American group is going to stay at the hotel. They are going to walk in the footsteps of Mary Magdalene in Languedoc as well. We are already looking forward to a lively exchange of ideas.

Mary Magdalene
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SPIRITUAL JOURNEY 2014: What I have discovered at Saint Hilaire

If you leave Carcassonne and drive south through the placid rolling hills and the picturesque vineyards, you reach the abbey Saint Hilaire (Hilarius). The monastery dates back to the 9th century and for a long time was inhabited by monks who stood under the patronage of the counts of Carcassonne.

During the crusades in the Middle Ages, in the course of which the institutional Church tried to obliterate the Cathars, also the monks of St. Hilaire, who were close to the Cathars, were accused of blasphemy. Therefore, their monastery was destroyed. The Romanesque-Gothic church and the beautiful cloister are especially worth visiting.

However, what I consider to be the most exceptional is the semi-relief which represents Jesus hugging a woman and a woman sitting next to him. Who this woman is with whom Jesus is represented to be very familiar, is a question that should be answered by everyone himself. In the course of our SPIRITUAL JOURNEY 2014 I am going to show this beauty spot to the participants.

Mary Magdalene
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SPIRITUAL JOURNEY 2014: How Carcassonne came by its name

Once upon a time the castle of Carcassonne was inhabited by a lady named Carcas. Rumour has it that she wangled to end the long lasting siege of the castle through Charlemagne. When nearly all the food supplies had been consumed and the inhabitants of the castle town came near suffering death by starvation, she ordered the last pig to be fattened and to be thrown across the castle walls. The enemies fell for this trick and thought that the castle still was far from being conquered, since the inhabitants obviously still had enough to eat and were not starving. Resignedly they withdrew. Subsequently, Madame Carcas let the bells chime in order to make peace with Charlemagne. Her stone bust can be admired in one of the gateways until the present day.

Carcassonne is a mere tourist village with about 250 inhabitants, the other residents stay in the town for touristic reasons only. In 1997 the beautiful old castle town with its double castle wall was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

Mary Magdalene
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SPIRITUAL JOURNEY 2014: The castle town Carcassonne

The castle town Carcassonne in the heartland of the Cathars is so tawdrily beautiful that it served Walt Disney as a model for the castle in his movie “Sleeping Beauty”. Plunging oneself into the throng of people within the castle walls one is taken back to the Middle Ages immediately. Then one is standing in a small town, which hides behind mighty battlements which have already given shelter and security to the Cathars.

Already in the Middle Ages this faith group, of whom it is said that they have the same origin as the Essenes, has been a thorn in the institutional Church’s flesh, since they refused unwaveringly to acknowledge Jesus as God’s son, but “merely” considered him to be a very enlightened human being. Also gender equality was one of their big concerns and, therefore, male as well as female itinerant preachers propagated the Word of God.

Also the inhabitants of Carcassonne had to make a heroic stand against the superior troops of the king of France and the Pope, nevertheless, the fortress was won in 1209. In the course of our spiritual journey 2014 we are going to have plenty of time to explore Carcassonne and to follow the tracks of the Cathars.

Mary Magdalene
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SPIRITUAL JOURNEY 2014: The Cathars in Toulouse

During the Albigensian Crusades in the Middle Ages the counts of Toulouse were on the side of the “dissenters”, namely the Cathars, who are often mentioned in the same breath with Mary Magdalene and her successors. The town originally carried the epithet “city of hundred towers” and in the course of the religious wars the counts of Toulouse supported those who were persecuted for their faith and harboured them. Hence the town was number one on the hit list of the king of France and the Pope. Although the inhabitants of Toulouse were able to brave the siege for some time, they ultimately had to bend to the superior numbers of the attackers.

We are going to begin and end our spiritual journey through Languedoc in Toulouse. Those who know me well won’t be surprised to hear that I have chosen two beautiful hotels, so that the delightful and aesthetic parts do not go short. On the last day of our circular tour we are going to have the opportunity to visit the most interesting buildings and places in Toulouse, and there is going to be ample opportunity for shopping and rambling about the city.

Mary Magdalene
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SPIRITUAL JOURNEY 2014: Toulouse is much more beautiful than its reputation!

There are so many formidable places, landscapes and sites in Languedoc, the southwestern province of France, that it was very difficult for me to plan a travel route containing the most impressive spiritual highlights of this region. The biggest challenge was to determine the place from where we are going to start out on our circular tour, since the storybook town Carcassonne, which we are going to visit, can only be approached by plane from big Central European countries. Therefore, those travelers who come from smaller airports would have to make a stopover in Paris. And whoever has already had the opportunity to enjoy a changeover at the Parisian airport “Charles de Gaulle” knows that he/she can well do without adventures of that kind.

For this reason, I chose Toulouse as the starting point of our circular tour. Though this town is situated outside the Languedoc region, it nevertheless is historically very important in connection with Mary Magdalene and her successors. Since my schooldays it has been etched in my memory that Toulouse is an ugly industrial town where mainly planes are built. Therefore, before my visit to this metropolis, I still had some reservations about it. However, already after the first ramble about the city I fell for its charms. The picturesque Old Town with its alleys, squares and water courses did not only attract us, but also cast a spell over many other people. The college town is vibrant, people sit out of doors, meet each other in nice little restaurants or parks, and there is a multitude of beautiful shops and a lot of cultural life. Toulouse definitely merits being the starting- and endpoint of our circular tour!

Mary Magdalene
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“Free yourself from old role models”

“In former times traditional roles between men and women, children and parents, between rulers and subordinates were clearly defined. Everybody knew their place and what their roles were which they were born into. And most of them just accepted it as fate. But you know now that you are at the beginning of a great transformation process. The old learning experiences which were useful for many generations’ developments, steadily lose their importance. Some of you call the old outlived traditions ‘old energies’, making your lives tough and troublesome. Others, however, rigidly stick to them, as they provide them with (apparent) stability and structure. Both views are right and wrong at the same time! You have to decide yourself if these roles serve you or prevent you from being authentic. You have to decide yourself whether these roles can be altered so that they correspond with the energies and demands of our times. A big challenge lies ahead, accept it!” Mary Magdalene © transmitted through Ingrid Auer, 2014

Mary Magdalene
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“Communicate through your heart”

“Communication is a major issue of your time. In the whole history of mankind it has never been so easy to communicate with so many people (at the same time) over long distances. The focus is mainly on the exchange of knowledge and experiences. And this is good because education and knowledge can change the world in a positive way. However, I would like to remind you to include your heart in communication. Words and messages carry vibrations and energies. Before expressing the same sentence, you can create it in your mind, or you can include your heart. What a difference! Communication with your heart requires mutual respect and esteem. Therefore, I want to remind you to step out of your judgements. Whoever calls themselves spiritual should stop commenting on other people’s thoughts and deeds, and should dispense with gossip. I particularly want to point this out to therapists and other professional tutors. Because HOW – I wonder – would you like to support people to enter their process of self-healing, if you accompany them without love from the heart? You will find the answer yourself…”

Mary Magdalene ©transmitted through Ingrid Auer, 2014

Mary Magdalene
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“Learn from difficult relationships”

“Who would not like to have a happy and harmonious partnership? However, keep in mind that relationships are one of your most important learning programmes! Nevertheless, you are often after an ideal picture of partnership which you see in books and films. Be aware that you should not by all means try to live in harmony all the time. The main thing is that your partnership is based on mutual respect. There are also partnerships where one dominates the other, or one gives up his or her own personality and basic needs out of a false understanding of love. Sometimes people are even exploited by their partners without noticing it. As soon as someone external tries to hint at this fact, they even defend their partners. Do not judge yourself and others for this, but learn to understand and change the behaviour patterns and emotional deficits behind it. Sometimes it is necessary to set energetic and emotional borders to your partner, to remain true to yourself. Despite all the difficulties, try to keep in mind that you can learn a lot from complicated partnerships, and therefore you can develop personally and spiritually!” Mary Magdalene © transmitted through Ingrid Auer, 2014

Mary Magdalene
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“Appreciate your partnership”

“I often hear you people complain about your partnerships. It is understandable from the human point of view that in this area of your life difficulties do occur. They might tempt you to wonder: ‘Why am I doing this?’ But when you change your human point of view to a higher level, and look at your partnership from there, you will soon notice, that your partner is the perfect mirror for you, showing you all your inadequacies. Before you try to change your partner or some of his/her characteristics, have a closer look at what you are in resonance with! If you are absolutely honest with yourself, you will see that it is your own weaknesses, imbalances, deficits and sensitivities that meet you. However, there are many partnerships which are already hopelessly shaken and destroyed that they are really harmful for the people involved. It is necessary to recognize this and then take steps. In all the other cases, be grateful for your partnership because it offers lots of possibilities for your personal and spiritual development.” Maria Magdalene © transmitted through Ingrid Auer, 2014

Mary Magdalene