Cathar Initiation Caves: The Hermit (Part II)

The Cathar Initiation Caves at Ornolac in the Ariege region of Southern France continue to beckon the spiritual travellers to their initiatory door. This three-part cave complex houses the Eglise (Church), the Hermit and the Bethlehem Cave. These underground retreats, places of meeting with the 'Almighty Creative Essence', offered the Cathars a safe and peaceful dwelling place. We are told that in these caves the initiate would begin to access the state of the living Soul, the state of the 'Pure One' or 'Perfect One' (parfait). When the timing was right the disciple would go through the 'Mystical door', and come back into the world to devote themselves to suffering mankind, in service to Christ.

The Hermit is the second stage of the Initiation. This is where the initiate would be lead into a series of blackened tunnels, to live within the darkness of the Sacred Mountain for a period of time until the preparation was complete.

The Hermit comprises of a series of six tunnels that lead to seven individual caverns. Each cavern is associated with each of the seven chakras, and is known to emit an inaudible sound that resonates with the precise frequency of each chakra. The Hermit is a deep of deep introspection and total surrender into complete dissolution. Here is where you enter the dwelling place of the Living Soul and surrender to its medicine.