"We had talked a lot about the Cathari whilst in Nant Peris and had considered that the Pays du Cathars region could be an interesting place to look for property. We had also discussed Rennes le Chateau in the Aude department of Languedoc. The area is now popular with conspiracy theory tourists and those seeking all manner of a divine knowledge, spaceships and ufo’s since the publication of The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail and The Da Vinci Code. Regardless of the hype and the hoaxes and the drama I feel there is something connected with the land here that is meaningful. Talk of sacred geometry, monuments and temples certainly fire the imagination and Henry Lincoln in The Holy Place calls it the eighth wonder of the ancient world. ‘A natural and perfect pentacle of mountain peaks surrounded by a titanic, man made temple’. I have spent time here and feel an affinity to the land, to the energy of whatever went on here, or continues to go on here. I feel like I have entered the mystery, the mountain, the tomb and without knowing it absorbed the signs and symbols of an ancient story. With these feelings came the realization that I had already started working here! I felt like the mountain had accepted me and invited me to work. I started a project called Remains of Occitania and started researching and sweeping the terrain for sounds.'
This Friday; the concluding extract from John Redhead's forthcoming book 'Colonists Out'. This week, the Redhead family having left north Wales find themselves immersed in the ancient land of the Cathars in the Languedoc highlands of Southern France. A region rich in pagan folklore and customs. An inspiring land of stunning vistas and mystery. The perfect setting for a multi media artist to re-energise and touch creative base.
The Mary Station:John Redhead
