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Spiritual Journey 2014: Albi – the place where the persecution of Cathars began

One of the absolute highlights of our spiritual journey 2014 “In the footsteps of Mary Magdalene and her successors” through the Languedoc is doubtlessly going to be the visit we are going to pay to the former heartland of the Cathars, namely Albi. This town won notoriety during the Albigensian Crusade, since the Albigenses, the important group of Cathars who used to inhabit this region, namely the North-East of Toulouse, originally come from there. The interior of the church is so breathtakingly beautiful that I rank it among the most impressive sacred buildings I have ever seen. Unfortunately, the photos I have taken are unable to fully express its ravishing beauty. For this reason, I am all the more looking forward to visit this impressive monument of the Cathars together with my fellow travelers in October 2014 again.

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SPIRITUAL JOURNEY 2014: The mysterious “village of Mary Magdalene” Rennes-le-Château

Philip Coppens, Kathleen McGowan’s unfortunately too early deceased husband, wrote a very impressive book on the small village in which Mary Magdalene has been worshipped for centuries: „The Cryptogram [1] of Rennes-le-Chateau“. The book tells the story of Bérenger Saunière, the former country curate who became extremely wealthy by unknown means in the middle of the 19th century, which enabled him to renovate the church which was dedicated to Mary Magdalene out of his own pocket and fashion it in an unusual way.

Already on entering the church one is staggered by the stoup, which is borne by a horned man. There are several depictions of Mary Magdalene in the interior of the building, for instance in a semi-relief on the altar, as statue or on the marvelous windows.

There are many photos in my Facebook album “The Expected One”, in which I have published many albums that accord well with text passages from the same-titled novel by Kathleen McGowan

[1] A cryptogram is an encrypted text.

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SPIRITUAL JOURNEY 2014: World-famous among the fans of Mary Magdalene: Rennes-le-Château

A journey on the trails of Mary Magdalene and her successors through the Languedoc – without visiting Rennes-le-Château – is impossible! After all the small mountain village is situated only a few miles from our castle hotel.

Over the centuries treasure hunters have been looking for the “Holy Grail” in and around the village and the small town also gained fame in the last 150 years owing to the legendary country curate Bérenger Saunière, who was an ardent worshipper of Mary Magdalene. Today I am going to show you the charming landscape around Rennes-le-Château, there will be more information on this place in the next blog entries.

www.marymagdala.at 

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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.

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