8:26 AM
Susan Marek
Despite being the site of a Cathar massacre in 1210, Minerve is unexpectedly peaceful.
It's narrow streets wind up and down the diminutive hill on which it sits, overlooking a beautiful gorge. It is hard to believe that is was the place that 140 Cathar "parfaits" were burned for heresy. Energetically, Minerve had a blanket of loving energy over it, almost like a dome, protecting it and maintaining the feeling of love that so penetrated the Cathar society here once. It felt physically soft and calm. The group spent time walking to the Cathar memorial
and then journeyed down into the gorge, following the path of the martyrs. While walking, I had a vision of a line of parfaits walking down into the gorge, two by two, men and women. One pair were helping each other down when the woman slipped and the man gently caught her before she tumbled down the steep slope. It was such a gentle, loving gesture juxtapositioned against the harsh reality that awaited them at the bottom. There was an overwhelming feeling of sadness, which you would think wouldn't be unusual except that the sadness was not for themselves. The Cathars were grieving the fact that their conquerors were so misguided. The Parfaits were genuinely concerned for their persecutors! At first, it took me by surprise, but knowing the little I know about their ways and beliefs, I should have expected nothing less. It was actually quite lovely and a true "Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do" moment. At the site of the burning in the gorge, the group said a prayer for them and spent some time in silence.
One member of our group began to sing a song, inspired and divinely guided in that moment. We were all moved to tears. On our way back up to the town from the gorge, I 'saw' that Minerve was not just a place of memories, but in actuality is still a "working" enclave of the Cathars. There is a funnel of energy that exists over the town, that channels the Way of Love into the energy of this world. These people are still here etherically, holding a space for love to remain. Demori!
On to Rennes-le-Chateau...
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2 comments:
So sad to even think of what happened. What are parfaits?
Parfaits, or perfected ones, were the leaders of the Cathars who had reached a state of perfection or enlightenment according to their beliefs. They did not call themselves the Parfaits, but were given that name by others. Among their practices was the commitment to honesty at all times. During the inquisition, when asked about their faith, they would not lie. Even when given the chance to renounce their beliefs to save themselves from the pyre, they would not recant. Now that's commitment and faith!
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