Labit
Labit was once an abandoned place with a roofless ruin, trees growing between the walls, grass two feet high, the domain of fox and wild boar… Later it was rebuilt and renovated by the local mayor as a holiday retreat. And in 2004 it was sold to us, foreigners, on the run from stress and overpopulation and in search of quietness, peace, and a natural environment. No one had ever lived there before…
Labit is a very natural place, 3,5 km from the little village of Villardebelle with its 74 inhabitants, in the heart of the Hautes Corbières in southern France. It is located at an altitude of 712 m between cedar and beech forests, wasted sheep moorland and an abundance of wild box trees. From the summit of the nearby Cantaloups, 853 m high and a 20 minute hike away from Labit, there’s a 360° panoramic view that on clear days extends to the Montagne Noire in the north, the Pyrenees in the south, and the Mediterranean in the east. The air is very pure, the surrounding area radiates a refreshing peace.
the domain
On the sloping, wooded domain there’s a renovated ‘bergerie’, the actual house. Like almost every building in the area it is built with natural stones, the walls 60 cm thick, built for eternity…
Forty metres away there’s a beautiful old barn, also in natural stones. On the ground floor it serves as a work and storage place, and it also houses a small art gallery for exhibitions. The first floor offers a large, multipurpose space suited for all kinds of creative activities. A back door on this level surprisingly leads directly outside into the vegetable garden behind the barn, overshadowed by an enormous, majestic beech tree.
Then there is Songlines, a cosy wooden gypsy wagon, which in 2004 made the entire trip all the way from Belgium, pulled by an old Fendt tractor. It now serves as a unique cabin on wheels for visitors to stay in, stealing everyone’s heart at first sight.
And then there is the kindest of all pilgrims: Pelgrim (which is Flemish for Pilgrim), a Pyrenees donkey, a good friend and loyal companion on walks in the area.
It’s not only the great natural beauty which makes the area very attractive. There’s the typical southern laid back atmosphere, the pleasant climate, and the hot springs of Rennes-les-Bains, to name only a few things. But there’s more…
The whole area is alive with all kinds of alternative people, artists, treasure hunters, psychics, spiritual groups, old hippies, new-agers, writers, and would-be hermits, attracted from all over the world by what everyone calls the ‘special energy’. Indeed one cannot ignore the many legends and stories and speculations, nor the tidal wave of books, websites, and articles in newspapers and magazines, published over the last two decades about Rennes-le-Château, the Templars, Jesus and Mary Magdalene, the Holy Grail, the Cathar people, Leonardo Da Vinci, the Cité of Carcassonne, the Pic de Bugarach, etc. all referring in very colourful ways to this special energy.
This frustrating barbed wire experience was the basis for the idea of a pilgrims’ place, centre, nest, or whatever it would be called. It would be a quiet place, a refuge, a place for reflection and energy recharging, and a meeting place for people on the road. Not only in South Africa does barbed wire decorate the landscape, the landscape of our own mind also has a fair share of it…
This is how, after long wanderings, we have found Labit. Or is it Labit that drew us to it in order to realise this pilgrims’ nest idea? Anyway, Labit didn’t draw people to it to sit back and enjoy the southern sunshine. As its strong energy is introspective and truly transforming, if you fail to do something with it, you either ‘die’ from it or you run away from it. The energy needs to be used, and used in the right way and in the right proportion, just like fuel: too little produces no result, and too much makes things explode.
Probably it’s no coincidence that this area is called the Corbières, derived from the word ‘corbeau’, the raven, the bird of transformation. Probably it’s no coincidence that it’s here where centuries ago the Cathar people lived, Christians who were more Christian than the pope himself. Probably it’s no coincidence that 1 km beyond Labit one of the highest passes across the Corbières is called the ‘Col de l’Homme Mort’, Dead Man’s Pass, and another one a bit further away the ‘Col du Paradis’, Paradise Pass…
The place is ideally suited for quiet, meditative activities and workshops, such as yoga, reiki, sacred dances, meditation, tai chi, qi gong, massage sessions, sweat huts, etc…
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| Inside Songlines |
Then there is Songlines, a cosy wooden gypsy wagon, which in 2004 made the entire trip all the way from Belgium, pulled by an old Fendt tractor. It now serves as a unique cabin on wheels for visitors to stay in, stealing everyone’s heart at first sight.
On the slope behind the bergerie is a nice plateau in the shade of some Douglas pine trees. It’s an ideal space for all kinds of outdoor activities for small groups, and it offers the opportunity to camp out in small tents.
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| Pelgrim, a pilgrim's donkey |
Furthermore the place is fed by clear, pure spring water. There is electricity generated by solar panels, heating from wood-burning stoves, there are organic vegetables from the garden, and nature grows a wealth of natural herbs everywhere…
‘special energy’
The Hautes Corbières is part of the renowned Cathar region. It is sparsely populated, has no major roads or industry, is dotted with tiny little villages, and consists of nothing else but natural landscapes: mountains, forests, sheep pastures, and rugged rock formations with old, weathered castle ruins perched on cliff tops. On the horizon are the impressive silhouettes of the nearby Pyrenees…
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| view on the Pyrenees |
It’s not only the great natural beauty which makes the area very attractive. There’s the typical southern laid back atmosphere, the pleasant climate, and the hot springs of Rennes-les-Bains, to name only a few things. But there’s more…
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| devil in the Mary Magdalen church at Rennes-le-Château |
But what is this special energy all about? What is it that people feel and get excited about when they are here? There are many explanations, theories, interpretations, and speculations. But the bottom line is that you can only come and feel the energy for yourself. Many have done so, and never left…
from barbed wire to a pilgrims’ nest
The idea of a pilgrims’ nest was born during a 6 months trip through South Africa and Namibia in 2003. Travelling in these two countries one is everywhere inescapably trapped on the road between two rows of barbed wire, even all the way into the desolate emptiness of the desert. Every night I was utterly frustrated by the impossibility to get off the road with my vehicle to camp out in that vast expanse of nature, stretching out on the other side of that wire. It was this frustrating experience that continuously brought to my attention a certain aspect of the difference between a tourist and a pilgrim.
It became all too clear to me how in our pre-programmed, purpose orientated society there’s often too little attention for places in between destinations, too little space for opportunism and process orientation. It became all too clear to me that there is a lack of awareness that moving between places is an important experience in its own right, an extended now-moment of limitless freedom, an extensive buffet of various intersections, alternative side-roads, and potential viewpoints. It is not necessarily just a straight, fast line between two destinations, or a projection of a future arrival. Often the road is more important, more instructive than the destination, more of a destination than the destination itself!
service station for spiritual fuel
An idea is an active energy spark, sent out into the universe in search of similar energy sparks. The attraction between these sparks forms the basis of the process of creation: enough sparks together creates matter!
The energy itself invites people to come and refuel, and use it for their own well-being and individual inner evolution. Several people have already left this place in tears after their stay, touched deeply in their inner self and determined once back home to change their lives…
Anyway, idea, place, and facilitators have found each other. The idea crystallises. Plans are being visualized, and volunteers are willing to come and help. The project can start. People can come to refuel and the energy can be put to good use. The Pilgrims’ Nest is born…
reflection and energy recharging
Labit welcomes all pilgrims on the road, and all who travel consciously their inner path of evolution. It also welcomes everyone who needs a few days or weeks of rest, reflection and energy recharging, or relaxation in the sense of getting away for awhile from stress and a hectic lifestyle, and to release accumulated tensions.
Quietness, nature, space, clean air, peace, it’s all here in abundance. You can come and enjoy the place quietly, or do hikes in the forest, or meet other people and join activities here or elsewhere. Or you can make cultural, spiritual, or touristic trips to the many special and interesting places with which this region is abundantly blessed.
You are welcome individually, or in small groups of up to 7 people after prior arrangement by phone or by email.
By mutual agreement either meals can be provided, or food can be brought and prepared by yourself.
Contact the Pilgrims’ Nest by email: pilgrimsnest@gmx.com
or mobile phone on 0033 681250002.
You will always be welcome !!!
Eddy.
