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Mary Magdalene and Black Madonna Pilgrimage
August 30 – September 12, 2007
Past Tour
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Tour Leaders:
Mark Amaru Pinkham is a noted author, researcher, spiritual teacher,
North American Grand Prior of The International Order of Gnostic Templars,
and founder/director of The Seven Rays of Healing School. Andrea
Mikana-Pinkham is the Co-North American Commander of The International
Order of Gnostic Templars. Her greatest passion in life is to assist others
to travel to and connect with the transformative energies at sacred sites around
the world. Learn more about Mark & Andrea on
our About Your Tour Leaders page.
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Detailed Itinerary |
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Day 1 -
Thurs.,
August 30: Your home city to Paris |
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Depart from your home city on your international departure to Paris. En route
overnight. |
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Day 2 -
Fri.,
August 31: Arrive Paris/ Sightseeing Tour (D) |
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Arrive Paris in the morning. Clear Immigration, Baggage Claim and Customs. Meet
our local tour representative for the transfer to our hotel. Lunch on your own.
Afternoon sightseeing tour of Paris, including drives by the famous Arch
de Triumph, Eiffel Tower, Place de La Concorde, The Louvre and other famous
sites. We will visit the powerful Cathedral of Notre Dame, built to honor
Mary Magdalene, and alchemically associated with the color blue, the 5th
Chakra (communication). Standing on the Ile de la Cité on a site that was sacred
to the Celts and their Goddess Culture, and where the Romans worshipped Jupiter
and Mars, the cathedral is in the center of the land that eventually became the
capital of France. Notre Dame is one of the supreme alchemical temples in all of
Europe. We have time here for individual meditation to connect with these
powerfully transformative energies….an auspicious beginning to our pilgrimage! |
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Day 3 -
Sat.,
Sept. 1: To
Toulouse/Limoux (B/D) |
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Check out after breakfast and depart to the train station, where we board the
train for a trip through the French countryside in comfort and luxury. Lunch on
your own. Arrive at Toulouse and transfer by bus to Limoux, nearby to Rennes-Le-Chateau,
heart of one of the most baffling mysteries of the century! Arrive late
afternoon & check into the hotel. Group dinner. Overnight Limoux. |
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Day 4 -
Sun,
Sept. 2: Rennes-Le-Chateau (B/L/D) |
Morning lecture with Speaker Mark Pinkham: “Mary Magdalene and The
Black Madonna Tradition”
Later morning departure to visit the Black Madonna at Notre Dame du Marceille
outside of Limoux, one of the unusually young and beautiful dark skinned
Madonnas. Group lunch at a local restaurant.
We continue to Rennes-Le-Chateau, the small hill top village in the
Eastern Pyrenees, that is shrouded in mystery and linked with the Knight
Templars, Cathars, Merovingian Kings and the secrets of Mary Magdalene. The
village has become a modern day enigma, beginning in 1885 with the arrival of a
new parish priest named Berenger Sauniere. While restoring the church Sauniere
uncovered something. No one knows exactly what he uncovered, but it enabled
Sauniere to spend a vast amount of money. Was it treasure belonging to the
Knights Templars or Cathars or some other group or secret society? Was it a set
of parchment papers giving information of a family tree dating from Merovingian
times and linking the Hapsburgs to the throne of France? Was it a family tree
showing descendents of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene? We will explore these
fascinating mysteries and more during our visit to this strange area. First we
visit the museum with some of the artifacts & parchments that Sauniere found
that led him to the treasure, then the Villa Bethania, Sauniere's home At
the Magdalene Tower, we will explore more of the Magdalene Mysteries.
What does Magdala mean: a tower, a title, an archetype, or mystery? There are
many answers. For Gnostics, she is a major mystery at the heart of their faith.
Mark and Andrea will help us to unravel some of this mystery.
Return to the hotel for our group dinner this evening. Overnight Limoux. |
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Day 5 -
Mon., Sept. 3: Montsegur (B/D) |
We depart after breakfast to spend a full day in Cathar country visiting
Montsegur, the last Cathar stronghold. On the way Mark and Andrea will share
information about the Cathar Heresy and Montsegur. Below Montsegur lies a
peaceful meadow named "Field of the Burned", indicating the grim event that took
place there a little over 700 years ago in March 1244, when 205 Cathars were
burned alive on the site, rather than renounce their creed. Before their final
defeat at Montsegur it is believed that much of their wealth, and/or Knights
Templar wealth, was secretly slipped out of Montsegur. Legend says that four men
made a daring escape from the garrison by dangling from ropes on the sheer
mountainside. What was this great treasure? Mark and Andrea will share
information from their research regarding this fascinating mystery. You have the
option to walk to the top to visit the fortress, with its superb view of the
surrounding countryside, or stay and visit the on-site museum, and view the
castle from below. Lunch on your own at the visitor center at Montsegur.
Later afternoon return to the hotel. Group dinner at the hotel. Overnight
Limoux. |
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Day 6 -
Tues., Sept.
4: To Rennes les Bains and Carcassonne (B/L) |
Check out of the hotel after breakfast. Our morning visit is to Rennes les
Bains, known for its thermal spa, where you will be able to visit the hot
springs and take a dip in the nearby thermal swimming pool. Additionally, we
will make the short hike to a nearby prehistoric site called Isis's Chair. Why
is it located here? What connection does Isis have to the Black Madonnas? Will
Isis reveal herself to you? Lunch with the group. Afterwards we depart to the
medieval walled city of Carcassonne, visited by the Knights Templars,
worshippers of the Goddess. Our afternoon tour will take us through the city for
a visit back in time. Late afternoon check in at the hotel.
Dinner on your own. Overnight Carcassonne. |
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Day 7 –
Wed., Sept.
5: To Stes. Maries de la Mer/Arles (B/L) |
After breakfast, we check out of the hotel and journey via private motorcoach to
Stes. Marie de la Mer. Lunch on the way with the group. Continue to this
small town dedicated originally to St. Mary (our Lady) of the Sea; its title
later became The Three Marys of the Sea--'Les Saintes Maries de la Mer." A
legend originating about the year 1200 CE says that fourteen years after Jesus’
crucifixion, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, Mary Salome, her sister
Martha, their maid Sara, Lazarus, Maximin, one of the seventy-two disciples, and
Sidonius, the man born blind, were set adrift in a vessel without sails, oars,
or rudder by the Jews. They were guided by Spirit and landed in this area. We
visit the crypt of the Black Madonna of the area, Sara-la-Kâli, the
patron saint of the Gypsies, located in the antique fortified Romanesque
sanctuary of the little village. Bring a candle to add to the white fiery forest
that spreads in the crypt of the chapel. Near Her statue, you can leave a note
with intention, or an offering of your choice. You may see linens and clothing
of children, humble jewels, abandoned crutches, and the robes that are placed on
the statue and accumulate day to day.
Continue to Arles and check in at our hotel. Dinner on your own. Overnight
Arles. |
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Day 8 -
Thurs., Sept. 6: To St. Baume (B) |
Morning check-out from the hotel. We depart via our motorcoach to St. Maximin
Le St. Baume in the heart of Provence. St-Maximin la Ste Baume lies at the
northern foot of the Massif de la Ste-Baume in the basin of a dried-up lake,
northeast of Marseilles and east of Aix-en-Provence. The little basin was
already settled at the time of the Roman occupation. The town became famous, not
only for its church, but also as the place where, it is said, the bones of St
Mary Magdalene reside. Lunch on your own along the way. We arrive in the small
town and visit the St. Madeleine Basilica. After their arrival in Stes.
Marie de la Mer, while some of her fellow exiles stayed to preach near the
coast, Mary Magdalene went inland, towards the Ste. Baume massif, to preach near
the village of St Maximin. A 5th to 6th century Latin document refers to an
earlier church document that claimed that Mary Magdalene traveled to Aix-le-Provence
with Saint Maximin. She kept the mission that Jesus entrusted to her as the
first apostle; she and Maximin preached the gospel in Gaul. She lived there for
many years before she died in Aix at the age of 60. When Mary died, St. Maximin
placed her embalmed body in a crypt and had a Basilica built over it to honor
and protect it. Here we enter the crypt and view what are reputed to be
relics of Mary Magdalene – a golden statue with a darkish mask - her skull!
Time for meditation and contemplation here in this powerful sacred site.
Continue to Aix- en-Provence. Check in at the hotel. Dinner on your own.
Overnight Aix-en-Provence. |
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Day 9 -
Fri.,
Sept. 7(B/L) |
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Our day’s journey takes us into the hills of the Massif de la Ste-Baume to the
Grotto of La St Baume to the cave where the Magdalene is said to have
passed the last 33 years of her life in solitude and ecstatic contemplation, and
where she is supposed to have written her memoirs. Perhaps this is where she
penned the Gospel of Mary? Lunch included. |
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Day 10 -
Sat., Sept.
8: To Vezelay (B) |
We depart after breakfast on our private motorcoach for our full day journey to
Vezeley in Burgundy, a settled pre-Celtic community from at least 900BC, due to
the existence of mineral water springs at the foot of the Vezelay hill. The land
fell into the hands of the Roman estate of Vercellus (hence Vezelay), then those
of the Carolingian Emperors before they were taken over in the 800s by Count
Girart de Roussillon. He established two convents that did not survive long due
to Saracen raids. A monastery built in a better defensive position at the top of
the hill lasted until it too was looted and burned down in the early 900’s by
the Normans. Sometime during this period, legend says that a monk named
Baudillon obtained some of the bones of Mary Magdalene from Saint Maximin la Ste
Baume and brought them to the monastery. In 1037 the ironwork was melted down
and refashioned into wrought iron railings around the Mary Magdelene altar. A
papal letter dated April 27, 1058 confirmed the genuineness of the relics and
sparked such a vast influx of pilgrims that by 1096, the year after the first
crusade was launched, it was necessary to build a new Basilica to accommodate
all the visitors. The new church was dedicated on April 21, 1104. By 1132
Vezelay housed over 800 monks. In 1147, from the Basilica of Saint Mary
Magdelene the Cistercian Abbot Saint Bernard preached the ill fated Second
Crusade to a crowd of over 100,000 people. In 1166 Thomas Becket preached the
sermon at Vezelay, announcing the excommunication of the main followers of his
English King, Henry II. Henry then facilitated the murder of Thomas, the
Archbishop of Canterbury in Canterbury Cathedral on 29 December 1170. In 1190
Kings Richard I and Philip II spent April, May and June in Vezelay assembling
their forces before setting off to the middle east on the Third Crusade. The
nave that burned down again in 1165 was rebuilt in its present form later in the
eleven hundreds using translucent local white and colored limestone; this is the
nave that stands today as one of the most beautiful examples of Romanesque
architecture. During Europe's religious wars, Vezelay became a refuge for
Huguenot refugees who torched the Magdelene relics, though they were not
destroyed. Vezelay escaped the wreckers after the French Revolution at the end
of the 1700s. In 1834, after the French national inspector of historical
monuments warned that it was about to collapse, the rising young architect
Viollet-le-Duc supervised a massive and successful restoration between 1840 and
1861. Lunch on your own along the way.
Arrive late afternoon and check in at the hotel. Dinner on your own.
Overnight Vezelay. |
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Day 11
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Sun., Sept.
9: Visit Vezelay Cathedral/ To Chartres (B) |
Our morning visit is to Vezelay Cathedral, to view more reputed relics
of St. Mary Magdalene. Legend says that as the monk that was moving Her
remains from St. Maximim La Ste. Baume, Mary Magdalene appeared to him at night
saying that he should not be afraid but should complete the work which he had
started. The monk started home, but very close to the monastery the remains
became so heavy that he could not carry them. The abbot and monks of the
monastery appeared in solemn procession, and they all took St. Mary Magdalene's
remains to their cathedral. The adoration of St. Mary Magdalene has since been
accompanied by many miracles. She is supposed to have awakened a dead knight to
life, to have aided lost sailors to find their way, and to have returned vision
to a blind pilgrim when he had asked her for help in front of the church. As
well, she is supposed to have released a prisoner from chains and to have shown
the path of virtue to a sinful priest. What blessing of Spirit will She bestow
on us, modern-day pilgrims who have come today in search of Her Blessing? Time
for meditation and reflection to receive Her gift to you.
Afterwards we enjoy lunch on our own with the group, then depart to Chartres.
Arrive later afternoon. Check in at our hotel on the outskirts of this ancient
town. Dinner on your own. Overnight Chartres. |
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Day 12 -
Mon.,
Sept. 10: Chartres Cathedral / To Paris (B) |
This morning we check out of the hotel and drive into Chartres, where we explore
world-famous Chartres Cathedral. Said to be the capital of the ancient
Druid world, the cathedral sits on the site of an important Druid mystery
center, and has been dedicated to Alchemy and the Divine Feminine since Celtic
times. One of the most famous Gothic cathedrals in all of Europe, it is located
on a leyline linking Glastonbury, Stonehenge and the Pyramids of Egypt. Built
using the principles of sacred geometry, Chartres has long been a pilgrimage
center for those following the Goddess Tradition, as it is associated with the
color green and the 4th Chakra energies (heart center of love and devotion). The
famous Chartres Labyrinth was an ancient goddess tool for transformation.
This original labyrinth is almost 40 feet in diameter, with 12 circles, 11
courses (or circuits), and 10 labyres. The axis mundi of the Cathedral passes
over the Labyrinth, symbolizing the way to God/Goddess here on earth. We may
have time to meditate with the Black Madonna of the Pillar in the main
cathedral area, and/or visit the Black Madonna of the Crypt, who reflects
the Hecate and Persephone archetypes. The crypt, a symphony of sacred geometry,
is reputed to be an ancient temple of the Great Goddess. This present statue, a
replica of the original one that was burned in a fire, carries the image of the
Chartres tradition relating to the pre-Christian image of the Virgin Who Will
Give Birth.
Afterwards we continue to Paris via our private motorcoach. Arrive and check in
at our hotel in the heart of the city. Dinner on your own at one of the nearby
restaurants or brasseries. Overnight Paris. |
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Day 13
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Tues., Sept.
11: Paris - Free time / Farewell Dinner (B/D) |
Today you have a full day to rest, relax and/or explore Paris on your own!
Perhaps you’d like to return to Notre Dame and come full circle from the
beginning of our journey, to spend more time there in meditation connecting with
the Magdalene energies. Or, perhaps you’d like to visit La Madeleine, the
church dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, located at the Place de la Madeleine,
close to the Palais Garnier and the Place de la Concorde. (In French, Magdalene
is known as Madeleine, hence the name of the building.) Inside, behind the altar
is a large statue depicting the ascension of Mary Magdalene. Or maybe the Black
Madonna in the Church of Nuns of the Sacred Heart. Or, any other of the numerous
exciting places that might call to you! Lunch on your own.
“Farewell to France” Dinner at a local restaurant. Return to hotel.
Overnight Paris. |
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Day 14
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Wed., Sept.
12: Depart Paris/Return to your home city (B) |
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Morning group transfer to the airport for your return flight to your home city.
Arrive same day. |
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(B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; D =
Dinner)
Note: This itinerary is subject to change due to conditions beyond our control. |
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Tour Inclusions
& Price |
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Tour
Includes: |
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Roundtrip transfers between airport and hotels |
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Accommodations in First Class hotels, including daily breakfast |
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Additional Meals, as per final itinerary (vegetarian always available) |
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Hotel taxes & service charges |
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Sightseeing tour as per itinerary, including entrance fees |
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Escorted throughout by Andrea and Mark Pinkham |
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Sightseeing tour in Paris |
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Bilingual Guides/Escorts |
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Added Features:
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Tour does not include: |
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Airfare to Paris (ask us for a quote from your
home city) |
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Cancellation & Medical Insurance (ask us for a
quote) |
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Meals not included, as indicated in the
itinerary |
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Any items of personal nature such as laundry,
drinks and telephone calls. |
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Any item that is not specifically detailed on
our web site or in the final trip itinerary |
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Tour Price |
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Tour Price Per Person (Land Only) |
Single Supplement |
Prepaid Gratuities |
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USD
$3,408.00 |
USD
$999.00 |
USD
$150.00 |
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Please call us for a quote on
airfare from your home city |
Note: Pre-paid gratuities to cover guides, drivers, waiters, baggage
handling, etc. Your Tour Escort will carry and disburse these funds so that you
can relax and enjoy your trip, knowing that everyone assisting you is being
taken care of properly.
Note: The single supplement is ONLY for those who would like to secure a
private room throughout the tour, at the indicated additional price. If you are
not traveling with anyone you know and would like to share a room, we will be
happy to work to find you a suitable roommate. Per our Terms and Conditions,
registration for the tour will be held open until two weeks before the departure
date in order to try to match everyone with a roommate. If by that date we have
not been able to match you with a suitable roommate, you will be responsible to
pay for the single supplement. An early registration will facilitate this
process. |
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© 2003 - 2010 Sacred
Earth Journeys.
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