Join 15 other women from around the world for 8 nights in France, near Toulouse.
The ancient lands of the Cathars and Mary Magdalene.
October 10th – 18th 2025
This is one of two journeys to the south of France in 2025. This one focuses an extra day on ceremony in sacred caves. It is an initiation for those who are ready to co-create a field of presence to go further together than we can go alone into the living dimension of the feminine Christ. We will invoke the intention for full mergence with the Divine Mother’s highest destiny for our journey together.
Water Priestess Arts, Sensual Embodiment, Divine Union, Holy Sisterhood
We are Mermaids & Womb PriestessesCalling Initiates of Union
Those who remember walking these lands before…
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The Dragon Mothers who Guard the Pearls of Immaculate Conception.
Those ready to walk into the mythic realms of the mystery together.
To part the veil of the bride so we may See with the eyes of the Beloved.
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Those who are happy to give their mental agenda a burial and enter the chamber of the otherworld together. Those who are happy to surrender our human plan to the Divine Mother’s plan that can only unfold in the present moment. Those who stand for purity, love, and truth. Those rooted in the wisdom of the Christed womb.
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Calling in Mermaids of the Magdalene to let the seeds of love planted in the soil long ago to bloom within our cells.
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Our focus will be journeying to sacred caves, churches on powerful dragon ley lines, and bodies of water to make offerings and receive whatever we are ordained to. The mission is Union with the Beloved within and in sisterhood to anchor heaven on earth dimensions for the stabilization of the Christos/Sophia song in our bodies and Gaia. Each day we will have a plan, but also be open to the present plan of the moment as She moves through us. We will ask to be guided, and we will listen so the highest destiny of our time together can bloom. We will embrace heaven on earth together through meeting each moment in the ecstatic fullness of what is True.
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If blessed by Her, we will allow the dragon mother’s kundalini to weave and illuminate the grid lines of our bodies and the key ley lines of the earth. Letting the seeds of love planted by the Cathar’s great offering bloom in our wombs.
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I call this an INITIATION for a reason.
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It is not a gentle vacation or about checking Magdalene sites off a list.
It is not only rose petals and divine oils.
It is whatever the moment calls for us to meet.
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“Initiation is not a degree of knowledge, but a state.”
– Louis Charpentier
A state of Being.
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It is to more deeply understand what it means to embrace Magdalene not as a human in the past, but as a living stream of gnosis within our own hearts.
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It is for those who are available to be catalyzed in the cathartic seeds of cathar love that are ready to bloom in ready wombs with those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. It’s for those who want to go beyond the “self” to marry the beloved within.
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It is for the Daughters of the Dragon and the Dove.
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This is an invitation to embrace the mythic dimensions of reality.
To live the continuation of the miraculous story of the lineage of love.
Together. In sisterhood. Devoted to the heartbeat of the holy grail within. For the resurrection of Heaven on Earth.
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This is for women who desire to be in a roundtable council of equality where each woman is honored for the unique gifts and embodiments of her soul. You will be asked to be fully responsible for yourself and the thoughts and emotions you bring to the sacred circle, knowing that they impact the waters of our bodies & group field.
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You + Dakota + 3 assistants + 11 other participants = 16 women total
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May the Blue Rose Bloom in the Waters of our Wombs,
awakening sleeping beauty and kissing the beast to marry the treasure that can never be bought or sold.
Honoring the Blue Pearl Lineage of Love
Restoring the Head of the Dragon Mother
Releasing the Grief of Separation
Resting into the Ecstasy of Revelation
Singing the Song Lines Illumined
Unveiling the Bride of God
Divine Mother, Water Goddess of Love in her many Forms
Mary Magdalene is documented as the apostle of apostle in the gnostic gospels who received the highest level initiations. A high priestess and royal queen of the serpentine anointing mysteries of the mother goddess. She did not walk alone but with many incredible, miraculous women by her side. Each playing their perfect role in the great story. Just as YOU have a unique role to play in the story of our great remembering.
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After the crucifixion, she traveled to Gaul, the south of France, and evangelized with her heart of love. Temples to the Goddess abounded in Gaul and Iberia, from Isis to Diana, Minerva and Aphrodite. It was a place that honored the primordial mother goddess. A natural land for her teachings to flourish.
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Magdalene’s legacy lived on and grew, equality of women, women inheriting property, women ruling, women becoming priestesses, believing in reincarnation, teaching a legacy of love.
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Her lineage of blood and spirit flourished becoming a certain kind of catharism. The cathars (the pure ones) were named such from others, but they called themselves the bon hommes, good people.
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In the 1200’s the catholic church launched a crusade against the cathars, who were considered a threat to the pope’s rule. They lived in the Languedoc which was separate from France and the kings of France wanted their land and wealth for himself. But deeper than that, I believe that they wanted control of one of the most powerful womb stargate’s on earth. So he supported the pope and killed over 200,000 people in what is known as the Albigensian Crusade mostly in the south of France and northern Italy. The largest mass killing of Christians against Christians ever recorded. Their teachings of love were such a threat to the catholic church that they were hunted and burned en-mass.
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The first mass burning of their people in the town of Bezier was on July 22nd, Magdalene’s feast day. Then a year later, the next massacre in Minerve was also on her feast day. In Bezier, it is documented that the Cathars believed Magdalene was married to Yeshua. A belief they died for.
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Guilhem Belibaste, the last known cathar parfait (priest) to be caught and burned alive, shared a prophecy that in 700 years, the laurel would turn green again, meaning that the way of the cathars and teachings of love would return.
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Now we are now in the time of the fulfillment of the prophecy.
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We can learn much about original teachings of Christ and Magdalene by diving into the mysteries in Occitania.
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A way of love that includes and exalts the feminine, and the union of man and woman as sacred.
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Much of what you find about the Cathars was written and propagated by the same people that persecuted them as almost all their original sacred documents were either destroyed or hidden.
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Through our communion with the land and the waters, we can remember the living scripture of the shining realms that the Cathars & Magdalene anchored. Bridging heaven & earth within our bodies.
The Holy Grail
A love letter of the soul
Scribed in water’s eternal pages
Passed through the spiral of time
Into the dream of feminine ascension
On the wings of dragons we rise
To ignite the jewel within
The pearl forged with patience
Perfection laced with anguish
Mermaid mother’s milk us home on tides of hide and seek
Calling from the deep to see what we are destined to be
Home in the holy tree of the trinity, birthing ecstatically
Ecstasy is meeting and greeting with true presence breathing and believing
In the heaven on earth we are dreaming
Already existing
Kissing
The dragon and the dove
Excalibur pulls the sword from the stone
We all come home
Resting in the now
The universe takes a bow
Overview
My intention is for us to partake in all the experiences shared below. However, because this is an initiation and we are opening up to be available for the highest plan that can’t be planned for, we may not be able to get to every experience listed below. Also, we must always have permission from the land to enter the sacred sites. Most of the time, we receive a yes, but on rare occassions, we do not. (This has only happened to me twice in 7 years of teaching) Therefore, we are flexible and trusting in the flow of the present moment.
The southwest of France is absolutely enchanting. The land is rich and soaked in a lineage of love from Mary Magdalene and the Cathars. The land looks similar to Tuscany with rolling green and golden hills, yet there are also gorgeous dramatic mountains. It is a terrain that is abundant in natural beauty and sacred water sites. Endless churches and castles.
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As a little girl, I wanted to go to France more than anywhere in the world. It called my heart and beaconed me. The first time I went 6 years ago was life changing for me. Then, in 2021, I had a powerful dream telling me to travel to a specific place in France I’d never heard of and connect with the spirit of a Cathar priestess. I traveled there in 2022 for a self guided Cathar & Mary Magdalene pilgrimage and finally found the places in France that I’d been waiting to discover since I was a child. I walked those lands and felt them not only in my blood as ancestry, but in my spirit. Finally remembering the fragrance as wet candle lit caves, wild blooming rosemary, and golden love. I discovered places without proper directions off the tourist trail that are some of my favorite places ever. I’ve guided three pilgrimages and over 50 women to these lands in the past few years.
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PLACES WE IDEALLY WILL GO:
Arrival day, our last full day, and one other day, we will won’t drive anywhere. All the other days, we will drive to many sacred sites.
Cathar Castles
Lombrives Cave, Magdalene Cave & Secret Caves
Montsegur Mountain
Magdalene Churches
Miraculous Spring Water Sites
Fountain of Love
Warm Waterfall Dragon Spring
Rennes le Chateau
Bugarach
The most magical pink castle awaits us. In 7 years of teaching retreats and being an avid traveler, this is the most exquisite property I’ve ever had the joy of staying at. It is saturated in mystery. Originally built upon much older structures dating from the time of the cathars, the current design built in the late 1800’s in the troubadour style, and recently completely restored & renovated in 2021, this is an ancient gem with a modern, clean interior.
We have the blessing of staying in a glorious castle with all modern conveniences, wonderful energy, and an incredible staff.
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The chateau and surrounding buildings for additional accomodation rest upon over 37 acres. It is an exquisite English style park of romantic inspiration, with species from all over the world, a private chapel grotto, Egyptian obelisk, lake, man made grottos, columns, bees and rose garden.
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Many layers of history and mystery live here that you will learn more about during our stay.
Two separate buildings flank the castle that we will also use. One of them contains our temple room for indoor workshops. There are private rooms in the castle and shared apartments of various styles in the other buildings. Some accomodations also have their own kitchens and living rooms. Everyone has access to the castle living room, library, and dining room where we will have all of our meals.
On this journey, we will to two initiatory caves that we will not have time for during the pilgrimage in September.
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Caves are the womb of the mother. This area of France is overflowing with sacred caves and underground tunnels. Many were used as places of ceremony by the Cathars. Some are secret and off the tourist trail and others well known. We will journey to three caves. One is said to be the most sacred to the cathars and connected to Venus. The other is technically three caves in one, we will go to the middle cave as it is a birthing cave connected to the energies of the cervix with a stone throne inside where we will do ceremony.
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Lombrives cave system was also very sacred to the Cathars and is one of the largest caves in Europe. This place in very special. We will have a private many hour walking tour and learn the fascinating history of the place before dropping into a singing activation in the huge cathedral room with incredible acoustics. A special surprise awaits.
Magical churches abound in almost every town! And it is surprising to enter a church that doesn’t have at least a statue, symbol, or stained glass window honoring Magdalene. On this pilgrimage, we will go off the tourist trail to a church with the most exquisite Magdalene statue I’ve ever seen as well as the most famous Magdalene church in the world at Rennes Le Chateau.
You will experience all kinds of unique water workshops. There will be opening and closing water rituals, daily water communion, libations & water blessings for the land. We will be keeping a water altar for the duration of the retreat and visit many sacred water sites.
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We will have the great blessing of doing a group baptism ceremony in a sacred warm spring waterfall. We will also do a pearl ceremony at the river some say Magdalene may have baptized people, but the story mainly came from one women’s claim. I will share more in person.
We will have the great blessing of doing a group baptism ceremony in a sacred warm spring waterfall with powerful dragon mother energy. We will also experience a pearl ceremony at the river some say Magdalene may have baptized people, but the story mainly comes from one women’s claim. However, I definitely believe Magdalene lived in this area and immersed in the waters. I will share more in person.
Body temple tending softens us into presence and love through the gateway of the 5 senses. The room becomes magnetic with heavenly love. We drop into the space of woman as goddess. Body as sacred. It is a gentle and nourishing way to heal sisterhood wounds, sexual trauma, body shame, anxiety, and more. You can either be completely clothed or topless. We focus on the meditative healing power of magnetic sensual energy, NOT sexual energy. This is also a very integrative practice to tend and honor the nervous system through calling forth the Venusian frequencies of the divine mother. My highest priority is creating a field of purity and safety.
I will be bringing my traveling harp to share music in various churches and sacred sites. We will also learn some songs to sing together along the journey.
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One evening after dinner, we will gather in the spirit of the Troubadors to learn about their tradition regarding the courts of love and how it relates to Mary Magdalene.
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Then we will each share either a poem or a song that you have written and prepared for this night. Ideally it will about something to do with love, whether divine or personal, but can also be about a topic you feel relates to our pilgrimage.
In France, the word for spring is source. I can’t think of a more perfect name than to call this water flowing from the womb of the earth what she is…living pulsing liquid source of us all. The mother. The womb. France, especially the Languedoc, is overflowing with spring water. It seems like every town has a sacred spring or well. We will gather and drink spring water for the duration of our time together.
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I will bring you to around 4 different springs revered for their healing/miraculous powers. We will not go to Lourdes, as it’s a long drive, incredibly touristy and not a favorite of mine. But we will go to another miracle spring that features a white lady visitation and was almost made the “Lourdes” of France.
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We will journey to the springs off the tourist trail to commune with the sacred waters, the white ladies, and make many offerings & prayers. By connecting to these miracle water springs, we connect with the depth of the womb of the earth.
Extraordinary people live in this area and we have the joy of connecting with four different locals who will share various experiences with us including a harp concert and private access to special mysteries at Rennes le Chateau. We will likely also meet new magical humans along our journey who will show us unexpected wonders.
The chateau comes with a wonderful chef who uses ingredients from the castle’s garden and from producers within a distance of 50 km. There is a wine list that offers a wide selection of organic and natural wines. Eggs come from chickens kept at the house. Breakfast is homemade sourdough, crossants, eggs, cheese, yohurt, granola, jams and juice. Dinner is a three course gourmet meal. Lunch will be eaten out either as a picnic or at a local restaurant.
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This is a feasting celebration retreat when it comes to food. A nourishment of our taste buds and bodies in a rich and ancient way. The theme of our nourishment for the week is organic and as local as possible. This is not a vegan or gluten free retreat, but can accommodate some dietary needs if notified in advance.
Mermaids of the Magdalene was my very first initiation into water priestess arts, and it transformed me beyond anything I could have ever imagined or dreamed of. I joined on pure intuition and it was hands down one of the best decisions I have ever made..
Dakota practices what she preaches and more importantly: she embodies every piece of wisdom she shares. She holds such a pure, innocent, powerful and clear frequency that is profoundly magnetic. I know I will carry the wisdom, remembrance and clarity I received at this retreat for the rest of my life, into my next lifetimes and beyond.
This retreat not only changed me as a person, it also helped me get clear on my own mission on this Earth, and it made me come home to myself in ways I could have never imagined. A week before the retreat I was diagnosed with ADHD and it shook me a lot. During the retreat, I noticed that all of my intense symptoms that I experience “out in the world” faded like rain before a blazing sun. I felt safe in a way I have never experienced in my life. I felt held and supported, and I feel we unlocked the codes of what true sisterhood means. I literally feel I have made new neural pathways in my brain that are connected to the deepest sense of safety. And I am forever beyond grateful for this!!
I will cherish all experiences, ceremonies, activations, hugs, giggles and profoundly transformative rituals for the rest of my life. I love Dakota’s work, her soul, her presence, and the way she embodies her mission. I hold her and her work in highest regard.
I absolutely LOVED every aspect of this entire retreat. And I recommend everyone to give themselves the gift of learning from Dakota, and bathe in the profound primordial water wisdom she holds.
“When I first read about Dakota’s Magdalene pilgrimage in the South of France, I felt an immediate “YES” resonating in my body. I had seen many offerings & retreats but nothing was fully calling to me. I’m so grateful I listened to my intuition and heeded the call, for as soon as I said yes to the journey I felt an expansive, transformational container begin to envelop me. I felt like I was stepping into something huge, & indeed it was one of the most transformational pilgrimages yet!
Dakota is an incredibly humble yet powerful embodiment of the Divine Feminine, walking in deep integrity and alignment with the teachings of Magdalene and Christ. She is so deeply steeped in the living mystery & well aware of intricate layers of history that most people don’t know of through her extensive research & firsthand experiences on these ancient lands. It was a true joy & homecoming to reunite with Dakota and the group of potent women that came together for this journey. Not only did we visit the most magical places,& connect with local healers, we also stayed at an unbelievably enchanted true castle! If your heart is calling you, don’t hesitate to take the leap. It’s worth every moment!”
Mermaids of the Magdalene pilgrimage to the south of France with Dakota was deeply magical and sacred immersion in the holy energy of the south of France, of Mary Magdalene and her teachings, and into us as her by connecting to our own holiness.
Dakota’s love and respect for Mary Magdalena, who she really is, was evident and the basis of drawing each of us together. It felt like this pilgrimage was a legacy of love Dakota had returned to and was now inviting others to return to too. Every moment of it was a dream. Dakota held a container of sisterhood, relaxation, ease, feminine energy, transformation, delight, & peace. Her embodiment of these things made the container natural & supportive. Dakota’s astute professional leadership was wonderful to witness. As a teacher and creator of retreats myself I hold so much appreciation of her work.
All the ceremonies & activities had a beautiful cohesive flow. By the end of the week, I realized we had co-created heaven on earth & it’s that simple to do. Each ceremony, sacred spring, and chapel Dakota had found on her travels and brought us to was a transmission & reminder of this, a calling to step into creating heaven on earth now that we’d remembered we can. This was my most profound realization and became my most profound transformation.
Journeying to the south of France with Dakota was an incredibly transformative experience. There is a certain magic about honoring all that radiates through Dakota—a true Magdalene in every sense of the word, a Water Priestess, and basically Aphrodite incarnate, embodying all aspects of the Divine Feminine in ways that I have never before witnessed in this lifetime until I met her in France. It was evident in the words that she spoke, actions that she took, and pathways that she illuminated for others. The fact that she radiated the beauty of all life in this way, on the sacred lands of the South of France made my pilgrimage that much more potent.
It was nourishing on so many levels—through the historical and spiritual wisdom that Dakota shared of the land, through the ceremony and rituals that we collectively wove, and of course the delicious water that we sourced from sacred springs. The attention and intention to the variety of experiences that Dakota facilitated was so evident as an expression of devotion to her work. In her doing so, it surfaced so much within me—all of which I am looking forward to further exploring, transmuting, and developing. It was an honor to share in this journey with Dakota and to be a part of her work. I come away with more inspiration and devotion to the waters that exist on this Earth and within us, and highly recommend journeying with Dakota to anyone who is called to any or all expressions of her work. In deep gratitude.
Dakota’s in depth knowledge and wisdom was so beautifully and authentically shared with us. She is one of the most thorough and organized women I know, with such an artful capacity to hold the energy of leadership for all of the incredible sister Magdalene Mermaids for the entire seven days. I felt so deeply held and honored to be experiencing her codes of love, truth and beauty of the Divine Sacred Union within, as well as in partnership. She truly is a living example of one who lives her truth, and walks her path continually. She is such an inspiration of devotion to her heart that you can see that inextricable link between her heart and life path being one and the same. It is courageous and admirable and so inspiring. Her enthusiasm and passion is always present, she is wise beyond her years, and so deeply heart centered that you can’t help to feel the inspiration become contagious in the most positive way.
The Languedoc region of France is rich with history and culture, and beautiful beyond imagination. Seeing many sacred sites and collecting and drinking the living spring waters added yet another layer of depth and sacredness to the experience. Dakota guided us so effortlessly in many powerful and profound clearing and healing rituals in sacred ancient places, that deepened and empowered my own sense of self-love and self mastery. She truly is an angel, and I am forever a lifelong ally in the journey of creating the new heaven on Earth. Thank you Dakota for an experience that has touched me so deeply to the core of my soul, the imprint is indelible. I am so honored to be a witness and a participant on this path of love.
Glorious song, laughter and eyes that sparkle with loving kindness, holding hands and deep communion. These were days of soul remembering, connection with place, union with the divine, elemental playtime and enchantment with life past, present and future. I am profoundly grateful and honored to have attended the Mermaids of the Magdalene Retreat. It has been a most precious gift, one that I feel deepening even beyond our time together in France. Dakota has a special way of bringing forth the purest wisdom, with a sweet and grounded presence. The women who heard the call came with hearts open and arms outstretched.
It was a slice of the template of life as it feels meant to be and a reminder of what is truly possible for humanity. In sensorium, I experienced being held by the divine feminine in a way that I felt my self anew. If only I could find the words to express the depths of my experience! Feeling truly safe, truly worthy and accepted just as I am, allowing the self judgements to fall away, such sweetness. Even if for a moment, this is a profound gift. My experience continues to deepen and unfold, weeks after our time together and images of the Black Madonnas, the sacred places and waters, the friendships, and teachings all dance in my awareness. My gratitude is immeasurable.
“The retreat held and transformed me in ways I could have never seen coming.
Dakota holds a frequency of pure unconditional love, powerful innocence and ancient wisdom. Everything that is not that is innately invited to emerge in the safety of the container to be alchemized.
This allows for a deeply healing sisterhood experience, where every sister is equally celebrated in her true essence and honoured in her power.
I’ve had a pattern for as long as I can remember of feeling deeply inferior in the presence of powerful beings and doubting my belonging in every group I have been a part of. For the first time in my life, I got confronted with the reality that this pattern is created by just a belief and that I actually do get to shift it, if only I choose to surrender to the greater truth.
I have never felt as safe in my body as I did at the retreat. I felt a bit shy knowing there would be practices involving physical touch and minimal clothing. But when the time came for them, my consciousness got flooded with remembrance that cast out the fear. I knew we had been tending to each other’s bodies in these ways for thousands of years. It felt right, invigorating and beautiful. I felt like my body could remember true joy for the first time in years. Remembering my body as holy and feeling every woman’s body as that made it so that both giving and receiving in these ways felt like an equally great honour.
My relationship to water has shifted substantially. Learning some ways of the water priestess initiated me into feeling deeply connected to the waters of the earth and the waters within in a very new way.
I will continue to integrate this beautiful experience for a long time.
Dakota, deep bows for listening to spirit in such a meaningful way and thank you, thank you for all you embody, all you offer and all that you are.
Love love love
Video from 2024 Pilgrimage
Investment
Castle or Large Private Room w/ Private Bathroom
$6,000
Smaller Private Rooms w/ Shared Bathrooms
$5,500
Shared Room w/ Shared Bathroom
$4,900
PRICE INCLUDES:
5 Month Live Course Valued at $1222
One Introductory Zoom Call Before and One Integration Zoom Call After the Pilgrimage
3 Meals a Day & Accommodation
All Entrance Fees, Transportation, Ceremonies, Special Gifts & Adventures
DOES NOT COVER AIRFARE OR TRANSPORT TO/FROM AIRPORT
$1000 non refundable deposit to reserve your space.
Payment Plans Available. Must be paid in full 30 days before start date.
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*Please only apply if you are a yes to the financial commitment. All scholarships have been filled.
QUESTIONS?
Email [email protected]
Dakota Chanel has had the honor of journeying to the south of France for extensive pilgrimage four times over the past 6 years to commune with the land, do research for her upcoming book, and remember the magic of Occitania. Each time she goes, more is revealed. The land is an ancient manuscript that unveils new meaning the more you read it. Dakota has been learning about Mary Magdalene since she was 18, water priestess arts since she was 21 and leading retreats around the world for 8 years. It is her highest joy to share these teachings of love and union to co-create heaven on earth. She recently discovered that her mother is 50% French by DNA testing and has been discovering more of her French ancestry, including 14 recorded ancestors named after Magdalene. She can’t wait to share this beautiful journey with you.
SISTERHOOD SUPPORT STAFF
To make sure you feel properly supported during this journey, there will be three amazing women available to offer any additional attention you may require during our time together.
Photography: India D’Scarlett, Natalia Dunne, Sophie Bachere