Valerie and John have arrived in the south of France and settled in. Valerie writes of the local history she has discovered exploring churches, and subterranean caves. The region around Montignac is rich in archaeological history. There is much that hints at the story of the Knights Templar, and the region seems to be part of the soul-story of Valerie. Our photo here is from the underground church of St Jean which is close to where Valerie and John are staying.
John is interested in researching the Knights Templar and we find we have landed smack bang in the middle of their country dating from 1028 – it could be earlier. How’s that for co-ordinated arrangements? I love working with Spirit. When we decided to look for a ‘Home Exchange’ we were open to all opportunities. We felt, because of our age, it would be good to travel to Europe for 6 months on a long stay. The house we are at now has been offered to us for that longer time. If you just follow that feeling of inner guidance from your heart it can lead you into some wonderful adventures. It can feel like you are walking a thin tight-rope sometimes but there is always a ‘sign’ given by ‘Upstairs’ that can keep plotting you on the right path.
I am reading a book I just ‘happened’ to give John for his 80th birthday – Pirates and The Lost Templar Fleet by David Hatcher Childress. The author writes narrates (to our surprise) how the Templars had large fleets of sea-faring vessels and how they came in from La Rochelle entrance to the Charente river to Angoulême; and then to the Mediterranean sea at Coilloure taking goods and pilgrims safely across to the Holy Lands. That was how they avoided the dangerous passage travelling through the Straits of Gibraltar.
We have been here long enough now to find there were many noblemen who built castles and fortresses from the early 10th century and how many of the churches show images or symbols of the presence of Knights Templar. Romanesque Architecture dates from 800 to 1100 AD and with French work graduating to Gothic Architecture from the 12th Century lasting until 16th Century. After the French Revolution many of the buildings were sold and the huge churches that remain serve small village parishes.
We are staying at Montignac – Charente with the remains of a fortress for DonJon 1028 that was built to keep an eye on the vessels that sailed up the Charante River from the Bay of Biscay – it is just up the road from where we are residing – and it is linked with the huge fortress nearby in ancient Angoulême (Angoulmois) …
The large Church Saint Martial is in Angoulême (100,000 people) and look at this ancient mural!!!
Boss of Knight Templar on wall of Saint Martial Church Angoulême, France
In the ancient centre of Angoulême (then known as Angoulmois) it WAS named New York Square !? and when I asked, it seems the Statue of Liberty was made with the local material and sent to New York USA as a gift of LIBERTY … In fact it is said that New York USA was first named New Angouleme!!
When the suppression of the Knights Templars happened in France 1307 they then disappeared to other safe places. One was Portugal and of course Scotland but even from there they are said to have disappeared to the New World which they already knew about. (Before Christopher Columbus was said to have discovered U.S.A. in 1492 – Remember He had the white sails with the big Red Cross on it.)
I have a strong impression this is all tied up with the Knights Templar – who went on to develop the Masonic Lodges and there is ample evidence to hand about the Masons and layout of the streets and thoroughfares of Washington D.C. along with the architecture which displays Masonic symbols. The development of the Masonic lodges emerges from the Knights Templar and pre-dates the discovery of the Americas. Masons emigrated from Scotland – New Caledonia to establish a new world order – which is scribed on the US Dollar Bill.
By the way the date of the suppression of the Templars in France was 13th October 1307 – Black Friday – which is where the superstition is said to have first came about “Friday the 13th” being unlucky.
We were slow at recovering from jet-lag – takes a little longer now that we are in our eighties and I cannot see us climbing any high mountains this trip. I was wondering how I could run meditation meetings for the next 6 months to receive the regular transmission from Cosmic Sai Baba.
We had two lovely ladies arrive from Angoulême – friends of Patrick’s (a bachelor and who owns this house) and gifting us with a home-made cheese cake. To make a long story short, they have been very helpful and we find that they are open to meditation! And want to come! I had noticed a signboard for notices in the local newspaper shop but was wondering how I was going to conduct meditation in French? Anyway Lillianne, a French – English Teacher, has retired from teaching and wants to translate for me while the meditation is taking place and the transmission. ‘UPSTAIRS’ has organised it all for me – how lovely. I find Patrick is French – living in France mostly Catholic but here, has a small altar in his kitchen – for Buddha. And a beautiful calendar with ‘quotes from Philosophers’ from all around the world. I am open to all religions, believing in one God – so I am really happy.
The Quarry near Artenac, Saint-Mary, Charente, Poitou-Charentes, France. This quarry became an archaeological dig in 1972 when caves were discovered. There have been a number of excavations in 1974 and from 1982 – 1993 to rescue objects found in the cave, which dates from the Pleistocene age. There are a number of archaeological beds around Artenac with large mammalian bones.
We have read there is a Neanderthal Cave (600,000 years BC) here at Montignac. But no, it is a different Montignac near St Marys/Artenac. We visited the quarry at Boissieres near Artenac. Work had stopped two years before and the scaffolding to explore looked too dangerous.
This thick Handaxe is a field find, found at Cognac/ Charente near the Marcel Clouet Cave, a rock shelter in the Cretaceous limestone cliffs along the Antenne, a tributary of the Charente River. The artifacts recovered in stratigraphic context represent both Middle and Upper Paleolithic. The former is an example of Mousterian of Acheulian Tradition (MTA), while the latter includes a Châtelperronian, an early Aurignacian and Gravettian, as well as some Solutrean objects recovered outside of stratigraphic context. Read more on Aggsbach’s Paleolithic Blog
There is ancient cave at another place called Montignac near Lascoux but not sure if it is open yet. Need to explore that! A long time ago a Qujiboard reader said I had lived in Caves in France before the ice age – wonder if it is the same one? The area in South West France is all subterranean limestone – easy to cut caves into, although stable.
it’s just so tall inside the Cave Church of St Jean Aubeterra sur Dronne.
Yesterday we visited the Church of Saint Jean – Aubeterre sur Dronne said to be built (gouged out of limestone) in the 8th Century. Would have been after the Roman Empire, or it’s transformation around 476 AD. I found it very impressive.
Entrance to the subterranean Church of Saint Jean -Aubeterre sur Dronne
Description
The Église monolithe d’Aubeterre-sur-Dronne (Monolithic Church of Aubeterre-sur-Dronne) is a cave church, carved out a mighty cliff along the Dronne valley, overlooking the village Aubeterre. The cave church was built in the 8th century, so it is early Roman. During the 12th century it was considerably enlarged by Benedictine monks. Today it is one of the largest rock-hewn churches of France, declared a historic monument in 1912. The parish church is dedicated to St. John, so it is also named Eglise monolithe Saint Jean.
Monolith in the Church of St Jean – Aubeterra sur Dronne.
Note the Orb in the photo. The monolith is a replica of St Sepulcre
We have much more to share in another article – about what came to ‘light’ just down the road – in fact 2½ kms down the road from where we are living …
Follow the Universal Love and Divine Light within – you won’t regret it … Valerie and John.