I recently attended a weekend workshop led by the writer and shamanic practitioner, Simon Buxton, who I interviewed in 2009 in support of his wonderful book, The Shamanic Way of the Bee. Simon facilitated The Way of the Shaman workshop on behalf of The Foundation for Shamanic Studies, who have helped inspire a revival in shamanism, at least in the West, over

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred, maybe even a thousand times; man does not live by mysteries alone. Putting it simply, one needs pursuits and hobbies that do not involve questing after the Holy Grail! Luckily for me, there’s music; a vice that soothes my soul in an altogether different way. I grew up in Chicago

The legend of Atlantis is predicated on hearsay and I have my suspicions that the fabled antediluvian utopia never existed. You see, Plato (428 BC – 328 BC) introduced the notion of the lost civilization in his dialogues, Timaeus and Critias, and of the four personalities that he recounts only Critias speaks of Atlantis. Our entire notion of this antediluvian

Today is my fourth appearance on Philip Gardiner’s syndicated talk show, Gardiners World, sort of an esoteric ‘David Letterman’ show. On my first visit, some three months earlier, I had spoken about the forgotten legacy of the sacred bee, and on my second, I bantered with my friend, the godfather of punk, Rat Scabies. We disagreed on

Rinpoche means ‘precious master’ in Himalayan Buddhism and is a title awarded to young men who are believed to be reincarnated masters. On a recent trip to Bhutan, where Buddhism continues to flourish – some say in its purest form – I had the privilege to meet with His Holiness, Rinpoche Jangtrul, a reincarnated Bhutanese meditation master from the 14th

The world of Rennes-Le-Chateau has lost a great friend; it has lost Jean-Luc Robin. Jean-Luc during our interview, in the Garden of the Villa Bethania Jean-Luc was my friend and gave me my first tour of Rennes-Le-Chateau. His knowledge was broad and deep, and his conclusions sensible, sceptical and measured. He lived and breathed Rennes-Le-Chateau, having once served as caretaker

Golgotha is the name of a hill near Jerusalem where Christ was crucified. Biblical texts refer to it as the ‘place of the skull’, leading many scholars to place it northwest of the city, near a rocky outcrop that resembles a skull. To his end, John 19:17 informs us of the legend: “So they took Jesus, and he went out,

André Douzet is an enigma, much like the subjects he writes about in his books and on his website, Société Perillos. While many feel his research into the mystery of Rennes-le-Château is vital and fresh, others are less complementary. What are his theories? For a start, he’s championed the belief that Bérenger Saunière traveled with regularity to Lyon and Perillos,

There’s a new name in Rennes-le-Château research; Patrice Chaplin. City of Secrets, Chaplin’s controversial new book unveils an entirely new twist to the conventional mystery and in the process delivers the most refreshing work in the genre in years. Oh, and it’s a love story. Patrice Chaplin’s provocative new book In City of Secrets, Chaplin draws on a life time

Mark, hi. Thanks for looking after the web site while I’m away! So, greetings from Atlantis! The Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island that is; not far from Bimini Road, in the Bahamas. Albeit a little ostentatious, the hotel is all right, really. Sadly, people seem oblivious to its amazing esoteric design and symbolism. The guy who built it seems to

90 years ago today, Bérenger Saunière, the beloved protagonist of Rennes-le-Château lore, passed from this mortal realm. On reflection, his death was nearly as enigmatic as his life. Bérenger Saunière: 1852-1917 Many speculate whether Saunière was murdered, like father Gelis (fatal blows to the head) and father Boudet (apparent poisoning) before him? Perhaps not, but having suffered an attack on

The study of Rennes-le-Château is rife with ludicrious flights of fancy and leaps of faith. Most theories are completely void of rational thought, let alone the application of Occam’s Razor. For every well researched theory there are literally dozens of others that have been constructed on suppositions from a bygone era, taken as read by researches too lazy to re-evaluate

I recently visited the former South of France residence of the legendary Grail hunter Otto Rahn, only to discover that it was scheduled to be demolished, thus ending an era, and prompting this memorial. I believe Otto Rahn (1904-1939) was a hero; the real Indiana Jones and prototype for Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon character.  A tireless explorer, Rahn was a

The 22nd of July is the feast day of Saint Mary Magdalene. It is also one of the most peculiar days, numbers and themes in the Legend of Rennes-le-Château. Berenger Saunière entered the seminary at the age of 22. Before long, he was appointed priest of the ancient church of Saint Mary Magdalene, in Rennes-le-Château. Here, he positioned the statues

Perillos is a strange place. There are no tourist offices, book stores or restaurants. Hell, there aren’t even any people. It’s completely abandoned; eerily silent. Perillos – only grapes remain.   Philip Coppens expounds on Perillos and its ancient legacy in 17 Questions. He’s one of two people (Andre Douzet the other) who have championed a mystery that may soon