Valerie and her husband John are undertaking a pilgrimage to anchor the new energies of the 5th Dimension, and to bring light to places where the sacred light has been diminished. This is similar to the journey taken by Sai Baba to the major temples and shrines in India, where Sai Baba recharged the energies of those sacred places. In this story, we read of Valerie and John and their visit to the Mascarine (or Macarine), the place where St Amantius lived as a hermit for many, many years. After the passing of Amant the Hermit, the light remained in his hermitage for a long time, and even casual visitors could perceive this light. Our photo here is a reliquary, which contains the relics of St Valerie …
We have discovered the story of Saint Amant de Boixe; we have visited the Tumulus de Boixe and the Dolma. Now we visit the refuge of of the hermit known as Amantius called the Macarine (or Mascarine as it is sometimes called).
We seem to be working so closely with ‘upstairs’ these days – I think I was given ‘back’ problems so that we had to postpone a long trip by car to another interesting site.
Anyway, getting back to yesterday, John said we would go out for lunch just down the road so I wouldn’t have to work, because of my back & neck pain. As we arrived at the restaurant just opposite the beautiful Church (eglise) of Saint Amant de Boixe, I saw a man I recognised from watching a YouTube where he spoke of the Macarine that is being renovated and not open to the public at the moment. Legend says it is an ancient Roman Temple where Saint Amant spent most of his life living in the Forest of Boixe.
I asked John could we ask the man in French, where the Macarine was? I had not been able to find directions on my Internet. The man was helpful, but busy organising children onto a bus – and smilingly called upon a lovely lady to tell us how to get there. It was a complicated set of directions.
The only sign – we could have missed it – looking like
a Christian Cross pointing to an ancient Roman Temple.
I was feeling better after lunch so we decided to try and find the Macarine as the lady said it was only about 10 minute walk into the Bush after you parked the car at a certain place. The day was Thursday 9th, April 2015. Thursday is Sai Baba’s day and Sai Baba’s number plus Jesus 13 … as in 9 + 4 = 13 (I liked those signs).
These little flowers were peeping out in many places.
I liked that they were white with a pink centre and had 6 petals.
Looking like a Shatkona.
We eventually found it – but not before walking around in a circle for about 5 kilometres. The walking actually seemed to help my back and certainly as the Forest felt very familiar – it was lovely. And as John said, “It makes you really appreciate nature.” The building was being changed a bit (since I remember it in the life as Amantius) but the ‘High energy’ is still there. It has the same high energy that exists at Canyonleigh where the crystal and water is. (I would like to buy it (Canyonleigh) back.)
I was wondering how Amantius managed for water because there is no river nearby
– and I came across this tree growing from a spring of water.
Someone has placed white stones around it – recognising the same thing.
Earlier in the week we had been guided to the Tumulus de Forêt de Boixe, when we asked where Saint Amant had lived. We know Amantius well knew of the Dolma – and of the Tumulus – in fact when I arrived at the Tumulus (a Barrow) I was really happy and know ‘upstairs’ wants us to understand more about it. It is described as a BARROW but is different in ground design. It vies with Stonehenge in age and our French lady friends have lived in the area all their lives and didn’t know about it. We are amazed that is not better known. It is also noted that there are about 15 other ancient sites in the Forest.
Even John is recognising signs now and said if he hadn’t suggested we go out to the Abbey restaurant we wouldn’t have had the experience in finding the Macarine. All directional signs have been taken down while the restoration work is going on.
The Mascarine (or Macarine), is a twelfth century – ruined – chapel located southeast of the Chalet de la Boixe, in the municipality of Villejoubert is in the forest and accessible only by trail. It is thought that formerly it was Temple of Roman times, sacred to Apollo. It is also thought to be the site of the first chapel dedicated to St. Peter before it was returned to the care of the Abbey of Saint-Amant-de-Boixe by Count William V of Angoulême.
The Macarine (or Mascarine) is at present being restored, a project which commenced in 2010.
My friend Helen Smythe “tuned in” to the place called Macarine. Here is what she had to say:
I also tuned into La Macarine – the building seemed to ‘grab me’ – don’t know how else to explain it – built with such utter devotion by many different souls – with blood sweat and tears – a gift of penance – a lot of souls worked off their karmas – long after the building was finished – it continued to be ‘worked on’ – it seems it took centuries to complete the chapel – this is all I got from my tune-in.
We know from history and records that St Cybard, who lived under the ramparts of Angoulême, sent young Amantius to the Forêt de Boixe, to deal with a spirit that was troubling the locals in the forest. We also know that at the time of young Amantius, this country was called Gaul, and under control of the Romans before then. What was once a Temple to Apollo (the Roman god of just about everything), my friend Helen Smythe has shown how the pagan temple was converted to a Christian chapel and accommodation for a hermit. After the passing of Amant the Hermit, the light remained in his hermitage for a long time, and even casual visitors could perceive this light. You can read what Alcheringa had to say about the light in the hermitage here.
I was searching the Internet to find out how Saint Amant, who died in 600 came to be revered and connected to the beautiful Eglise Saint Amant de Boixe and I found a link which gave account of the life of St Martial. There, I was reading the connection to Saint Martial – my eye caught the name Valerie or Valeria (which by the way my father used to call me as a child?) – as it happened when we first visited Angoulême after our arrival in France we saw a connection to a Saint Valerie. I had joked to John about being a Saint! But now that she was connecting to the Legend of Saint Amant through Saint Martial I thought I would research her.
Saint Valerie
The incident most insistently retold about St Valerie is that she was beheaded for her faith and then carried her own head to set before her bishop, Saint Martial, who had converted her. This firmly sets her in the Roman period, although Saint Martial himself has notoriously been moved by hagiographers among the first three centuries. St Martial is called the Apostle of Aquitaine, and he is better known as Martial de Limoges. St Martial was evangelising (spreading the good news) in Aquitaine in the third and fourth centuries before settling in Limoges in Limousin.
St.Valerie of Limoges is well known in the region. Valerie was betrothed to a duke, one pagan Duke Stephen. Apparently, Valerie and her mother converted to Christianity while Valerie’s fiancé (Duke Stephen) was out of town. When he returned to find that the engagement had been broken off and that Valerie had given all her property to the Church (including her intended dowry, no doubt), he became very upset and dispatched a servant to recover her. If she did not recant her Christian conversion, the servant was to kill her. The servant cut off her head, Valerie picked it up and ascended to Heaven in a ball of light, accompanied by singing angels. Other legends have Valerie taking her head to St Martial.
Excerpt from The Golden Legend
[O]n a time died the holy woman Susanna, and [before] her death she recommended to [St. Martial] her daughter, [who] was called [Valerie], which had promised and avowed to our Lord chastity as long as she lived. After, when the holy maid knew that they should come to Limoges a lord named Steven, [who] was lord of all the province from the river of Rhone unto the sea, she was so afraid lest he would do to her any grief or [annoyance] against her vow, and gave away all her riches to poor folk for the love of God.
When the said Steven was came to Limoges, he made her come before him the holy maid, to the end to have his will of her; but when she came and he saw that she would not consent to do his will, anon he made her head to be [cut] off. Then the squire that beheaded her heard the angels sing, [who bore] the soul of the holy virgin into heaven, with much great joy and solemnity, and anon he returned unto his master and told him all that he had seen and heard, and [then] fell down dead at his feet. Then the duke and all his company had much great dread, and the duke himself clad him next his flesh in a sharp hair and hard, for great repentance...
Saint Valerie is now buried beside Saint Martial at Limoges (not far from here). Saint Valeire is venerated as the Protomartyr of the Gauls. You can read a Kondakion – a chant, similar to a litany – to Saint Valerie here.
People have been coming to visit who have found us on my website and telephoned – we have then invited them to visit us and enjoyed their company. Often of interest, is they advise different sites we should be visiting to assist us in our research of the Knights Templar – more about that to come.
We are realising we have had many lives in France and this is the reason ‘Holy Spirit’ has brought us here. It is as though history is being played backwards – to right the wrongs that have occurred here and to promote the positive energy that belongs to this beautiful land. We needed to walk here and anchor the new energy that is coming onto this earth to help uplift our consciousness.
We have no regrets in our coming – the village people are very friendly, helpful and even struggle with speaking a little English, for our sake. We feel very welcomed.
John standing in front of the Macarine. It is under construction
we were told it is to receive a domed roof.