The Francis Bacon Research Trust Autun–Vézelay Pilgrimage Retreat
Sat 30 Aug - Sat 6 Sept 2008 led by Starting in Autun and moving on to Vézelay via the Morvan Mountains, this pilgrimage retreat week will explore the mystery and meaning of anointing in terms of not only the human being but also the geomancy of the Morvan Mountains’ landscape temple and sacred centres of Vézelay and Autun. The abbey of Vézelay is dedicated to Mary Magdalene, who is generally regarded as the woman who anointed the head and feet of Jesus prior to his crucifixion. Complementing this, the cathedral of Autun is dedicated to St Lazarus, reputedly Mary's brother. The former (Vézelay) is associated with the feet and the latter (Autun) with the crown of the Morvan landscape temple. Moreover, Vézelay is the gathering point in eastern France for pilgrims beginning their journey to Santiago de Compostela on the Way of St James , whilst Autun was built by the Roman emperor Augustus as a gift to the Gallic Aedui tribe, to replace their ancient capital of Bibracte on Mont Beuvray. In French esoteric tradition the land of France contains a great landscape zodiac, a counterpart on earth of the star-studded northern celestial hemisphere, with its various stars represented on the ground by abbeys and cathedrals. In this scheme both Autun and Vézelay are ‘stars’ of the constellation Ursa Major (‘Great Bear’), which area of landscape is one of the most delightful in France, ranging from the gentle hills and sunlit valleys around Vézelay to the Arcadian rolling hills, forests, rivers, lakes and heights of the Morvan Mountains. This area is associated mythologically with the Rosicrucians, who are known as ‘the Bear Race’. In Greek myth the constellation represents the celestial form of Calisto, the mother of Arcas, the shepherd-king of Arcadia, the land of the Rosicrucians. In Autun we will be staying at Les Ursulines, a 17th century convent converted into a lovely, quiet, character-full hotel close to the cathedral. In Vézelay we will be staying in the Hotel des Glycines and the neighbouring Cabalus guest house, both small but charming and located near the abbey church. The week will include meditations, teachings and pilgimages, including visits to Bibracte, le Lac des Settons, les Roches des Fées (‘Fairy Rocks’), Saint-Père, Asquins and Les Fontaines Salées (sacred thermal springs dating back to pre-Roman, pre-Celtic times).
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