Order of St Esclarmonde

March 16th is Montsegur Day. The Cathars, a 13th century Christian sect centred in provincial France, had long established Montsegur as a place of refuge for their small community. On this day in 1244, approximately 220 Cathar Perfecti and Sergents-At-Arms were marched out of Montsegur by the armies of the King Of France, and in the name of the Catholic Church were burnt alive.

On this day in 2008 I took my vows in the Order of St Esclarmonde, a solitary order of monks and nuns devoted to Gnosis in the contemporary world. St Esclarmonde refers to the noblewoman of Languedoc, Esclarmonde of Foix, a Cathar Perfecti who had part in helping to rebuild the first Montsegur, and who established hospitals and girls' homes in the area.

In an old shepards tale from Languedoc, a beautiful portrait is painted of Esclarmonde as the keeper of the Grail. When Montsegur is surrounded by the armies of Lucifer, a dove comes and splits Montsegur in two with its beak. Esclarmonde throws the Grail deep into the split in the mountain (Montsegur), and the mountain closes up again. In this way the Grail is preserved against the thievery of the enemy. The enraged army storms Montsegur, ransacks the Castle and burns all of the Perfecti in the Field of the Stake. Esclarmonde does not burn, and escapes by turning into a dove, and flying away.

Rich in symbolism, no?

Hospitality, mindfulness, contemplation and awakening. In a structured praxis.

Holy Mother,
Rightful Queen of faithful souls,
Who never erred,
Who never lied,
Follower of the rightful course,
Who never doubted
lest we should accept death
in the realm of the wrong god;
as we do not belong to this realm
and this realm is not ours –
teach us Your gnosis
and to love what You love.