The Inward Journey – France 2024 with Cynthia James

Join Cynthia James on a priceless, inward journey to explore the sacred sites and energies of southern France – the legendary home of Mary Magdalene – sites that have for centuries attracted mystics, magicians, saints, and those who seek the Holy Grail.

Follow in the footsteps of Mary Magdalene, embrace the Black Madonna, explore the mysteries of the Cathars, stand in awe deep in a prehistoric cave exactly where people did 16,700 years ago, walk the largest labyrinth in the world, and so much more. We’ll spend time in Marseilles, St. Baume, Arles, Sainte Maries de la Mer, Carcassonne, Montpellier, Chartres, and end in Paris.

In partnership with Spirit Tours, you get to travel in an open, relaxed, and luxurious state, knowing that all the details are taken care of! Experience transformational practices and be surrounded by loving, like-minded travelers as you soak up everything that this inward journey in France has to offer.

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR RECORDING 

Day 1: September 17, 2024
Arrive in Marseilles, situated in the Provence region in southern France. It is located on the coast of the Gulf of Lion, part of the Mediterranean Sea, near the mouth of the Rhone River. It’s a marvelous place to begin our journey together. This is the location where Marie-Madeleine preached in Marseilles in the company of Lazare.

Our accommodations are at one of these 4-star hotels perfectly located at the Vieux-Port – Hotel La Residence du Vieux-Port or Maisons du Monde Hotel & Suites.

Upon arrival, you’ll have time to get settled in and walk around the Vieux Port area with its quaint streets and fish market. We will have our Welcome Dinner together.

Meal Included: Dinner

Day 2:  September 18, 2024
After breakfast, you begin your inward journey – beginning with the legendary cave in the Sainte-Baume Mountains where Mary Magdalene is said to have lived there for 30 years of her life. We take a winding, 45-minute pilgrimage in the footsteps of Mary Magdalene up the mountain to the Grotte de Sainte Marie-Madeleine. We spend sacred time in the mystical cave where Magdalene did her water initiations. This special mountain is sacred to Isis and has been considered sacred ground for thousands of years.

After our sacred pilgrimage and time spent in the grotto, we make our way to the beautiful city of Arles, set on the banks of the Rhône River, for lunch on your own. Vincent Van Gogh was charmed by Arles, with its sun-kissed stone houses, cobbled squares, and Roman ruins.

We then travel to Sainte-Maries-de-la-Mer – driving through and into the marshlands known as “The Camargue” where wild white horses and black bulls roam, and pink flamingoes migrate from Africa – it is a truly mythical landscape.

Sainte-Maries-de-la-Mer is a beautiful fishing town on the Mediterranean Sea where, according to an ancient French legend, Mary Magdalene landed in a small boat around 42 CE, together with some other members of the holy family and friends. The town is named after “the Marys” who accompanied Mary Magdalene, Mary Jacobe and Mary Salome – relatives of the Mother of Jesus. They had braved a dangerous passage from the Holy Land, without sails and oars, to spread Jesus’s teachings after his Crucifixion. Purportedly a great preacher in Palestine who even wrote her own Gospel (among the more recently discovered esoteric Gnostic texts being studied by scholars), Magdalene is said to have preached to the locals in Saintes-Maries, converting many.

After checking into our beautiful accommodations at the 4-star Vila De La Mar Hotel and Spa, you’ll love walking to the beach and exploring the village where’s, shopping, and savor seafood dishes at any one of the exquisite cafes and restaurants.

Meal Included: Breakfast

Day 3: September 19, 2024
After breakfast, we make a sacred visit to the extraordinary Church of the Saintes Maries de la Mer (Church of the Sainte Marys of the Sea).  The crypt is where the bones of Sainte Sarah and the two “other” Marys were discovered by Good King Rene d’Anjou during his excavations in the 15th century, and there is a first century stone altar on display which may be the first Christian altar in the world – used entirely by female disciples. The church is indescribable as a treasure trove of history – and perhaps heresy, as the crypt also contains one of the most spectacular Black Madonna statues in the world – the near life-sized image of Sainte Sarah.

We then head to the beach for a powerful ritual in the area where Mary Magdalene landed.

We have lunch at the exquisite Le Chante Clair and afterwards you’ll have some time for shopping.

In the afternoon, we traveled to an immersive exhibition at Carrières des Lumières. This is now a highly popular site in Provence that’s located at the foot of the town of Les Baux-de-Provence, in the heart of the Alpilles, in a truly mysterious area: the Val d’Enfer. Since 2012, the Carrières des Lumières has put forward digital, immersive, and contemporary exhibitions in a location that must be experienced for yourself. Young and old alike come to live a unique experience, explore limitless universes, and let themselves be carried away to the heart of Art and Imagination.

Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 4: September 20, 2024
After breakfast, we travel out to explore a sacred site that’s shrouded in mysteries, conspiracies, and symbols – Rennes-Le-Château. Its strong history and mysteries are yet unraveled and have inspired the likes of bestselling books like The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Where did the wealth in this small village come from? Most notable include: Blanche of Castile Treasures, Knight Templar Treasures, and the Visigoths Treasure.

When we arrive, you’ll have lunch on your own in the café. We’ll explore the mysteries, symbolism, and the treasures that this sacred site has to offer. You’ll have time to visit the gardens, sculptures, and soak in the magnificent views from this mountaintop location before we head to Carcassonne.

We arrive in the medieval city of Carcassonne and make our way within the city walls for our special accommodations for two nights at the 4-star Hotel Le Donjon. The awe-inspiring Carcassonne is the largest and best-preserved medieval walled cities in the world. It was also a stronghold of the Cathar heresy.

We have dinner together at a special restaurant within the walls.

Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 5: September 21, 2024
After breakfast, we travel back in time (way, way, way back in time) in the northern foothills of the Pyrenees to visit one of Europe’s most impressive Paleolithic rock art galleries of cave paintings – Niaux Cave.

Staring at images painted a staggering 15,000 to 17,000 years ago is an awe-inspiring experience. Our prehistoric hunter-gatherer ancestors depicted the animals in their daily life—such as bison, horses, and ibexes—with impressive detail and skill.

More than a hundred paintings from the Magdalenian culture cover the walls of this cave complex, but the most vivid collection is located deep inside the cavern in the “Salon Noir” gallery, so named for the large black paintings found within. These images have been admired by modern visitors since at least the 1600s, as demonstrated by the 400-year-old graffiti covering the walls.

After our experience, we have lunch together in the quaint town of Niaux before heading back to Carcassonne.

You have time in the evening to explore inside Carcassonne’s walls with recommended shopping and restaurants.

Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 6: September 22, 2024
After breakfast, we experience the power of the Carcassonne walls and “their last stand.” The medieval citadel at Carcassonne, known as ‘La Cité’, is huge – encompassing no less than 53 towers, strung together by two enormous concentric walls, surrounded by a moat, and punctuated here and there by heavy barbicans, portcullis, and drawbridges. Within these fairy-tale fortifications sits a castle, a basilica (church), and a small town.

Due to its position on historical routes across France the location has been occupied for more than 5,000 years and was an important center from 2,500 years ago onwards. In the 13th century, the Albigensian Crusade (a military and ideological campaign initiated by Pope Innocent III to eliminate Catharism in Languedoc, what is now southern France). The Crusade was prosecuted primarily by the French crown and promptly took on a political aspect. Simon de Montfort attacked and seized this Cathar stronghold, and again more fortifications were added, sufficient to keep Edward the Black Prince out of Carcassonne during the Hundred Years War.

After our group time with Cynthia, you’ll have time on your own to explore the Old City and have lunch on your own.

In the afternoon, we travel to Montpellier and arrive at our 4-star Pullman Montpellier Centre. Enjoy the pools, spa, and other facilities. Then, enjoy this pedestrian city is a must to walk around and explore her sites, shops, and quaint restaurants.

Meal Included: Breakfast

Day 7: September 23, 2024After breakfast, we all get to experience the Bullet Train (TGV) to Paris! Soak up the France countryside on a highspeed, direct route from Montpellier to Paris. Upon our arrive, we travel to Chartres to begin the “Walking a Sacred Path Program” – one of the most spectacular places in France.

We check-in to the Hotellerie Saint Yves – built on the site of an ancient monastery. It’s situated less than 50 m from the famous cathedral of Chartres and offers a sacred environment in a peaceful setting overlooking the town.

We begin our “Walking a Sacred Path Program” with introductions, orientations, and a wonderful reception.

Walking a Sacred Path Program with Cynthia James and Lauren Artress

The great artist and mystic William Blake stated, “Imagination is evidence of the Divine.” He knew—and we are discovering now—that to live a life with a vibrant, grounded imagination is not a luxury, it is a necessity, especially during these chaotic and worrisome times for everyone on Planet Earth. Yet to live a life nurtured by our imaginations we must honor symbols and metaphors as keys to another way of knowing; a deep, embodied way of receiving guidance that welcomes healing and the Holy into our lives. To invite the Holy, we must step over the invisible lines of being “proper” or “cultured” or “educated” in the formal rational sense. We must become Holy Fools, approaching life through synchronicity, attention to hidden meaning in plain sight, humor and yes, even bravery.

Activating our imaginations in service to creating for the good of humankind is the challenge of our age. Imagination is the most important resource we have, and yet we mistrust it, disparage it, and abandon nurturing it within ourselves and within our communities. When our imagination is alive and grounded in the body, it becomes a compass for our passion, our soul’s calling, and our next step in life.

The Walking a Sacred Path Program in Chartres will be an opportunity to befriend your imagination, embrace its wisdom through symbols and metaphors. In morning seminars with Cynthia and Lauren Artress, providing content through stories, writing prompts, and discussion, through the tours of the Crypt and Chartres Cathedral our imaginations will be nurtured. The highlight of the week is a private evening in Chartres Cathedral for an initiatory ritual culminating in a labyrinth walk with live music.

This experience is about co-creation and manifestation.

Meal Included: Breakfast

Day 8: September 24, 2024
After breakfast, we continue our journey with Cynthia and Lauren. The day includes meditation, song, ritual, small group work, cathedral crypt tour, and more.

Meal Included: Breakfast

Day 9: September 25, 2024
After breakfast, we continue our journey with Cynthia and Lauren. The day includes meditation, song, ritual, small group work, an introduction to the Labyrinth, a private candlelit Labyrinth walk at night, and more.

Meal Included: Breakfast

Day 10: September 26, 2024
After breakfast, we continue our journey with Cynthia and Lauren. The day includes meditation, song, ritual, small group work, and more sacred surprises for you. In the evening, there is an optional train ride to see the projected lights show around Chartres.

Meal Included: Breakfast

Day 11: September 27, 2024
After breakfast, we continue our journey with Cynthia and Lauren. The day includes meditation, song, small group work, a closing ritual, a reception, walking the Labyrinth with live music, and a celebratory dinner.

Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 12: September 28, 2024
After breakfast, we travel back to Paris. We will drop everyone off at Charles de Gaulle Airport to travel back home or begin to explore Paris on your own.

Meal Included: Breakfast

PRICING FOR 12-DAYS and 11-NIGHTS LAND PACKAGE:
Per person Double Occupancy: $5,589
Single Supplement for entire tour is an additional $1,450

PAYMENT SCHEDULE AND CANCELLATION POLICY:
There is a $800 deposit required to reserve your spot.
Additional $1,400 due by October 1, 2023
Additional $1,400 due by February 1, 2024
Full balance of total tour is due by June 1, 2024

If cancelled outside of 90 days of tour date – full refund minus $800 nonrefundable deposit
If cancelled between 89 and 61 days – 50% is refundable minus $800 nonrefundable deposit
If cancelled within 60 days – No Refund

Trip Insurance (Cancellation/Interruption/Medical) highly recommended and medical insurance required for all international tours. Assistance with Trip Insurance and Airfare reservations are available through Spirit Tours.

Note: Each traveler is responsible to adhere to local Pandemic Protocols, ie: wearing masks and social distancing where advised. It is the Traveler’s responsibility to have all the necessary documents, tests, and vaccinations completed prior to departure. Improper required travel documentation is typically not covered by travel insurance. Spirit Tours/Agency/Agent not liable for errors and omissions of approved/paid itinerary and held harmless for unforeseen travel complications as of result of Pandemics and Quarantines.