Baptismal Waters, A Pilgrim's Church + An Ancient Abbey
Fountaine des Amours, Saint Salvarye, and Abbaye of Alet les Bains
I woke up on the third day of my solo pilgrimage thinking about the Cathars and about their spiritual journey of becoming “perfect,” and their unique sacrament of baptism which is called consolamentum. Because the Cathars believed in sin, and that being in the human body was a separation from the Good God, they strived to live a pure life but inevitably regret occurred which required “consolation” (thus “consolamentum”). This consolamentum brought them closer to God and to heaven. This baptism occurred twice in a lifetime: upon confirmation into the faith, and upon impending death. These rites were available to both men and women who made a commitment to the faith. Once the ceremony was finished, the consoled person became a “Cathar Perfect.”
The rain came
suddenly
and I let it
carry me
into its darkness
Until
I realized
it was
little drops
of light
and hope
A baptism
inviting
my heart
to open
like never
before
I’ve been studying the Acts of Paul and Thecla with Meggan Watterson since the beginning of this year, and before this I began a deep dive into researching all of the various forms of baptismal rituals and ceremonies across different cultures and faiths, following a natural and creative curiosity. (I’ll be sharing a separate post about this in the coming days.)
I’ve been a girl who baptized herself for a long, long time…the poem above is from my poetry book which I published many years ago.
“Love is holy.” ― William Shakespeare
My intention for the early morning of day three of this solo pilgrimage in the South of France was to take myself to the Fountaine des Amours or Fountain of Loves, where the legend is that Mary Magdalene baptized people. I also wanted to connect deeply with all of the holy waters of this area: in addition to the Salz River, there are thermal and medicinal waters on this land.
There was a sacred stillness when I arrived, the early morning light was making its way through the trees and bringing the river to life in colors of iridescent blues and greens. The only sound I could hear was the sound of water.
The mystique of this exact spot is tremendous.
The river, as she does, makes her way through the riverbed slipping past the shore, gliding over stones and pebbles, and splashing in some places; all of this in a natural and easy flow. This fountain of loves contains two natural pools, carved by the river into the stone, that are still as glass amongst the two waterfalls that spill into them - it is pure poetry.
I dipped my toes into the holy water first, and then slid my entire body in…baptized.
It was an absolute blessing to have this spot all to myself for the hour that I spent here, and I am looking forward to returning soon with a dear one for her private baptism ceremony.
I carried this very quiet, inner pilgrimage, purified silence with me along the winding road to the top of Alet les Bains where I was met by a pilgrim’s church that holds a lot of mystery called Saint Salavarye which means Holy Savior.
Again, I was alone and met with pure silence…everything paused and in its place.
It felt as if I was walking into the chapters of history that have taken place here, all of the relics still there, a mash-up of energy, faiths and cultures…I could feel it all.
“The more you turn inward, the more available the sacred becomes. When you sit in silence and turn your gaze toward the holy mystery you once called God, the mystery follows you back out into the world.” ― Mirabai Starr
This little church holds a lot of mystery, an invitation that I absolutely LOVE.
For me, the invitation is to take in all of the possibilities of the history here and then to walk inside and feel the space for myself. The stories range from the church being on an ancient Druid site, to being a rest stop for travelers and sacrifices during Roman times, and even to the possibility that Jesus and Mary Magdalene passed through, and that Jesus is buried nearby.
Just one kilometer north of the church there is a menhir or standing stone called “La Pierre Droite,” which is often called “The Druid Stone.” It is unusual in that it disturbs the readings of non-magnetic electronic compasses. Also nearby are the Lascaux Caves where you can see neolithic art.
The church is nearly square with a Saint Andrew’s cross design rather than a crucifix shape which makes it highly unusual for the times and location.
Also noteworthy is the location: you can trace a line on the map connecting Carcassonne with the tiny church and then when you continue directly south on the map the first place the line touches is the church of Rennes le Château. (Potential evidence of it being a Roman lookout post for communication, especially because it is located in a little hamlet on a pasture plateau at the top of the mountain 700m high.)
Without a doubt, all of this mystery can be felt in the silence of the walls that keep its secrets. Various sensations have been recorded over time by visitors of this church, overwhelmingly a sensation of warmth. On the day that I visited it was incredibly hot on this hilltop.
“How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
In a believer's ear.”― William Fraser McDowell
From here I made my way back down to Alet les Bains to the 10th century Notre-Dame d’Alet Abbey. The ruins of this abbey are formidable, and the remains tell a story of what once was and continue to create a new modern story in light-play with the various openings, arches and ancient walls.
The stonework, columns and details of this ancient site are living art despite the destruction which has become a catalog of the wars, and changing of hands over time. At one point this abbey was an important place of pilgrimage because it was home to a fragment of the “True Cross.”
I’ve been sitting inside of myself since returning to Paris after this four-day solo pilgrimage, sorting out all of the silent places I visited. I’ve been listening to the silence, feeling the energy…it is a welcome blessing to have this body, these feet, these eyes, these ears…to see and hear for myself…and to have these sacred places frozen in time.