The Power and Presence of Mary Magdalene Pilgrimage

Join Rev Abigail Schairer and Rev Jay Lang September 5-14, 2027

Journey through Southern France and into the heart of one of spirituality’s most compelling and transformative figures: Mary Magdalene.

Over ten extraordinary days, we follow the traditions and legends surrounding her presence in Provence, encounter the mystery of the Black Madonna, walk the lands of the Cathars, enter an ancient prehistoric cave, explore places of beauty and mystery, and ultimately make our way to Paris.

Yet this is much more than a journey through history.

Each day becomes an invitation to explore the Divine Feminine within ourselves—to listen more deeply, love more courageously, stand more fully in our truth, and discover what Mary Magdalene’s story may have to say to our own.

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 sacred, powerful journey in France has to offer.

Explore Sacred Sites:
– Visit the caves where Mary Magdalene is believed to have lived and taught.
– Experience the profound energy of the Black Madonna in ancient cathedrals and hidden sanctuaries.
– Walk the paths of saints and mystics in medieval villages and peaceful countryside.
Spiritual Transformation:
– Engage in sacred ceremonies and rituals to connect with the wisdom of the divine feminine.
– Enjoy guided meditations and teachings that deepen your connection to Mary Magdalene’s legacy.
– Receive blessings and insights from the powerful presence of the Black Madonna.
Unforgettable Luxury:
– Stay in charming 4-star accommodations.
– Savor gourmet French cuisine as you nourish both body and soul.
– Be guided by phenomenal spiritual leaders who creates space for major transformation.

This journey is more than a pilgrimage—it’s an awakening to the sacred within you. Let the Power and Presence of Mary Magdalene and the Black Madonna transform your heart as you walk in their footsteps.

SUMMARY OF ITINERARY for September 5 – 14, 2027

Day 1: Sept 5 – Marseille – ARRIVE

Welcome to France!

Arrive in Marseille, the ancient Mediterranean port and vibrant gateway to Provence. According to Provençal tradition, Mary Magdalene came to these shores following the Crucifixion and later preached in Marseille alongside Lazarus.

What a marvelous place to begin our pilgrimage.

Our accommodations are at the wonderful 4-star Hotel La Residence du Vieux-Port, beautifully situated overlooking Marseille’s historic Vieux-Port.

After settling in, the remainder of the day is yours. Wander the waterfront, explore the winding streets surrounding the Old Port, visit the famous fish market, find a charming café or restaurant along the harbor, and simply allow yourself to arrive.

Breathe in the Mediterranean air. Watch the light change over the water. Savor your first taste of France.

Our pilgrimage has begun.

Day 2: Sept 6 – Marseille – AWAKEN

After breakfast, we gather for our first sacred circle.

This is our opportunity to meet one another, set our intentions for the journey ahead, and begin exploring the Power and Presence of Mary Magdalene and the Divine Feminine.

We then encounter another powerful feminine image—the Black Madonna at the ancient Abbey of Saint-Victor.

For centuries, Black Madonnas have inspired devotion, mystery, scholarship, and countless interpretations. Who is the Black Madonna? What might she represent? And what does this ancient feminine presence invite us to discover within ourselves?

Rather than seeking one definitive answer, we enter the mystery.

Tonight, we gather for our special Welcome Dinner, celebrating the beginning of our pilgrimage, the community already forming among us, and all that awaits.

Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 3: Sept 7 – Sainte-Baume & Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer – REMEMBER

Today, we quite literally walk in the footsteps of Mary Magdalene.

We travel into the magnificent Sainte-Baume Mountains to one of the most important Magdalene pilgrimage sites in Provence: the Grotte de Sainte Marie-Madeleine.

According to centuries-old Provençal tradition, Mary Magdalene withdrew to this cave for the final 30 years of her life, devoting herself to teaching, contemplation, and prayer. We take a winding, 45-minute pilgrimage in the footsteps of Mary Magdalene along a mountain path and through an ancient forest before reaching the grotto tucked dramatically into the limestone cliffs 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.

Here, we slow down. We listen.

We enter sacred space.

We spend contemplative time within the cave, allowing the silence, the stone, and the centuries of devotion held within this place to speak to us.

Following our pilgrimage, we’ll enjoy a special picnic lunch together and share some of what we have experienced.

Then our landscape changes dramatically as we travel into the Camargue—an almost mythical expanse of wetlands where white horses roam, black bulls graze, and pink flamingos rise above the marshes. Our destination is Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.

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. The evening is yours to walk to the beach, explore the village, shop, or savor fresh Mediterranean cuisine at one of the many local restaurants.

Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 4: Sept 8 – Saintes Maries de la Mer – RECEIVE

Today, 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.

Then we make our way to the Mediterranean itself for a special beach ritual near the shores associated with the legendary arrival of the holy women.

Sea. Sky. Earth. Breath.

We allow the elements themselves to become part of our practice as we contemplate arrival, surrender, courage, and new beginnings. The remainder of the day is yours to enjoy this delightful, walkable seaside village. Explore the shops and cafés, relax on the beach, or perhaps visit the nearby ornithological park and discover some of the extraordinary wildlife of the Camargue—including its famous pink flamingos.

Meal Included: Breakfast

Day 5: Sept 9 – Rennes-Le-Chateau – SEEK

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 will visit the museum, the church dedicated to Mary Magdalene that is at the heart of the Rennes-le-Chateau mystery, the Magdala Tower and see panoramic views of the region. Taking time to meditate in Mary Magdeline’s church we reach for deeper understanding of the mysteries that surround Rennes-le-Chateau.

Not every mystery is meant to be solved. Some mysteries are meant to open us.

Afterward, it is a short journey to our extraordinary accommodations at the 4-star Château des Ducs de Joyeuse in Couiza. Tonight, we dine together within the walls of our 16th-century château—a remarkable setting where history, beauty, and gracious French hospitality come together. This is an immersive experience, combining preserved historical architecture, high-end services and a peaceful setting between river, hills and vineyards.

Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 6: Sept 10 – Montségur & Niaux – STAND

Today, we take a stand.

We travel to Montségur, forever associated with the Cathars and the dramatic religious and political conflicts of 13th-century France.

For those willing and able, the climb to the fortress atop the pog rewards us with magnificent views and a powerful encounter with this historic landscape. Those who prefer not to make the climb can spend time exploring the village below and learning more about the events surrounding the famous siege of 1244. The site’s documented Cathar period spans 1204–1244.

Here we contemplate conviction, courage, persecution, loyalty, betrayal, and the archetypal struggle between fear and faith.

What do we stand for? When are we called to speak?

And how do we remain anchored in love even when the world around us is divided?

Together, we offer healing prayers for all those experiencing conflict in our world—that peace, understanding, and reconciliation might become part of a new reality.

After a delicious buffet lunch, we travel even farther back in time—

way, way, way back!

Deep in the northern foothills of the Pyrenees, we enter the extraordinary Niaux Cave, home to some of Europe’s remarkable surviving Paleolithic cave art.

Imagine standing before images of bison, horses, and ibex created by human beings approximately 15,000–17,000 years ago.

Deep within the cavern, surrounded by darkness and ancient stone, we encounter the creative impulse of our distant ancestors.

Long before cathedrals, temples, scriptures, or theology, human beings were making meaning.

Creating images. Entering caves. Reaching toward something greater.

Tonight, we return to our château for dinner and share how this extraordinary day has touched us.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 7: Sept 11 – Alet-Les-Bains & Montpellier – OPEN

After yesterday’s encounters with courage, conviction, and ancient human expression, today invites us inward.

During our sacred group time with Rev Abigail and Rev Jay, we explore what it means to truly open the heart—not simply as an emotion, but as a spiritual practice.

What happens when the heart becomes the place from which we listen, discern, forgive, choose, and live?

Before leaving the region, there may be an opportunity for a short optional excursion to nearby Alet-les-Bains, where the atmospheric remains of the Notre-Dame Abbey-Cathedral reveal layers of manesque and Gothic history in the heart of this medieval village.

Then we say goodbye to Cathar Country and travel to Montpellier.

We check into the 4-star Pullman Montpellier Centre, where you can settle in and enjoy the hotel’s amenities.

The remainder of the day is yours to experience Montpellier—a wonderfully walkable city filled with lively pedestrian streets, beautiful architecture, boutiques, cafés, plazas, and restaurants.

Tonight, wander. Taste. Laugh. Enjoy France.

Opening the heart also means allowing ourselves to experience joy.

Meal Included: Breakfast

Day 8: September 12 – Montpellier to Paris – EXPAND

Today, our pilgrimage takes another turn as we board France’s famous TGV high-speed train and journey from Montpellier to Paris.

Sit back and watch the French countryside sweep past your window as we travel north toward the City of Light.

Upon arrival, we check into our beautiful 4-star Holiday Inn Paris – Gare de Lyon Bastille, housed in a Belle Époque building conveniently located near the Gare de Lyon.

The rest of the day belongs to you.

Perhaps wander toward the Opéra Bastille, explore the fashionable boutiques and cafés of the Marais, stroll beside the River Seine, or make your way toward Notre-Dame Cathedral.

After the intimacy and ancient landscapes of Southern France, Paris offers a completely different energy.

Allow yourself to expand into it.

Meal Included: Breakfast

Day 9: Sept 13 – Paris – EMBODY

Our pilgrimage explored in depth the Power and Presence of Mary Magdalene.

What will you do with what you have discovered?

We visit the magnificent Church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine—La Madeleine—one of Paris’s most recognizable churches, dedicated to Mary Magdalene.

Here, near the completion of our journey, we return symbolically to the woman whose presence has accompanied us across France.

But perhaps we see her differently now. Not simply as a figure from history.

Not simply as saint, disciple, mystic, teacher, or symbol of the Divine Feminine.

Perhaps Mary Magdalene now becomes an invitation: To love courageously. To listen deeply.

To trust what we know. To remain present at the threshold. To bear witness.

To speak what is ours to speak.

And most importantly, to embody what we have discovered.

After our visit, you’ll have additional time to explore Paris before we gather for a spectacular Celebration Dinner.

Tonight, we board our private dinner cruise on the Seine River. As Paris illuminates around us, we’ll enjoy exquisite French cuisine while gliding past some of the city’s most iconic sights.

We celebrate France. We celebrate Mary Magdalene. We celebrate one another.

And we celebrate the journey that has unfolded within each of us.

Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 10: Sept 14 – Paris – RETURN

After breakfast, we gather one final time for our Closing Circle. Ten days ago, we arrived as individual travelers.

Since then, we have walked ancient pilgrimage paths, entered caves and churches, encountered Black Madonnas and holy women, contemplated mystery, courage, persecution, devotion, creativity, surrender, joy, and love.

We have followed the stories and traditions of Mary Magdalene across France. But every pilgrimage eventually asks us to turn toward home.

Together, we honor the journey, the friendships formed, the insights revealed, and the transformations that continue unfolding long after we leave France.

We return home carrying something with us: A deeper knowing. An awakened heart. A courageous presence. And more…

PRICING FOR 10-DAYS and 9-NIGHTS LAND PACKAGE:
Per person Double Occupancy: $4,429
Single Supplement for entire tour is an additional $1,050

There is a $889 nonrefundable deposit required to reserve your spot as tours are limited to small groups.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE AND CANCELLATION POLICY:
There is a $889 nonrefundable deposit required to reserve your spot as tours are limited to small groups.
Payment of $1400 due by December 1, 2026
Payment of $1400 due by February 1, 2027
Remaining balance of total tour costs due May 1, 2027

If cancelled outside of 120 days of tour date – full refund of total tour cost minus $889 nonrefundable deposit
If cancelled between 119 and 91 days – 50% of total tour cost is refundable minus $889 nonrefundable deposit
If cancelled within 90 days – No Refund

Travel Protection (Cancellation/Interruption/Medical) highly recommended and medical insurance required for all international tours. Assistance with insurance and airfare are available through Spirit Tours. To travel into France, your passport must not expire for at least 6 months beyond your arrival date. No VISA is required to enter France. See full details HERE.

It is the Traveler’s responsibility to have all the necessary documents, tests, and vaccinations (if required) 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. Tour details are subject to change.