During the pandemic, we lost a beautiful soul who crossed on April 4, 2021. Author and researcher Gloria Amendola was a light in the world who spent most of her life in search of the Truth.  Gloria was an intuitive who had a passion for esoteric knowledge and dream language. She was also interested in history – the history of the Holy Family, Mary Magdalene, the Vatican, the Crusaders, the Cathars, the Templars, and more. She was an author, writing three small, channeled books on Mary Magdalene and two fiction stories called The Tower series, which was to be a trilogy. “Migdala” means tower, which is one of the symbols used by the Templars to signify Mary Magdalene as the wife and partner of Jesus. Many of us joined Gloria along her journey- traveling throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States.

Although we celebrated her life during summer solstice the year she passed, the realization of the knowledge and wisdom that she held and shared left a void. How can her life’s work be suddenly lost?  How can those who walked with her find some peace knowing that what she brought and shared in the world will live on?

Well, in the fall of 2023, I found out that Gloria’s good friend, René Barnett was putting together a trip to Southern France, to the Languedoc area where she and Gloria facilitated tours for years.  It was her favorite place in the world. This “tour” included a day of celebrating Gloria’s life with a visit to Rennes le Chateau and a ceremony to honor her life.

In the late winter of 2021, Gloria began planning to go back to Rennes le Chateau that September.  For years I was resistant to join her tours in France and I now believe it was because of the history surrounding the Albigensian Massacre.  Gloria felt I needed to go so I agreed. Of course, with her passing that was not to be, so when I found out about Rene’s proposed trip, I knew I had to go.  So many signs confirmed my decision to go, and I was excited to learn there would be seven fellow travelers going as well.  Gloria would have loved us all being together!

To my surprise and joy, René along with historian James Martin, master chef Maximus Martin-Fox, artist Gill Bladen, and jewelry artisan Jo Bridges, put together an amazing trip.  We had eight days of traveling to different sacred sites, all of which held memories for us.  It seemed we were being guided by Gloria to see and hear what we needed to bring healing and peace to ourselves and the land.

I had never been to Rennes-le-Chateau, that tiny, mysterious hilltop village full of pilgrims following the trail of the Knights Templar and chasing the mysteries that Dan Brown revealed in his bestselling novel of all time, The Da Vinci Code.  I was blown away to see there was a church dedicated to Mary Magdalene. My memory of her, as I was taught in Catholic school, was that she was a prostitute and was “saved” by Jesus.

The legends surrounding Mary Magdalene in southern France could not be more different. The statues, symbols, and phrases in and outside the church pointed to a different history, one that held Mary Magdalene with honor and awe.  Legends say that after the crucifixion, she along with Mary Jacobs and Mary Salome sought refuge following a flight from persecution in Palestine.  They found themselves adrift on a makeshift raft and landed on the sandy shores of Camargue, now called Saintes-Marie-de-la-Mer. They journeyed across France, spreading Jesus’ teachings and some say lived out their lives in France.  It was evident as we entered the church, which was dedicated to Mary Magdalene, that she was revered and that she played an important role in Jesus’ life.

James Martin, co-author of Uncharted: A Rediscovered History of Voyages to the Americas before Columbus, spent the week with us guiding us to amazing ancient sites and sharing some of the hidden knowledge and symbols of these sites. His knowledge and amazing recall of events and the history surrounding these events in Southern France was jaw-dropping. I imagined Gloria along with us pressing James with questions and clarifications as we tried to take in all that he was sharing with us. She would have reveled in the conversations and teachings that he shared with us. I, for one, cannot wait until his new book comes out!

Gloria would also have loved the foods Chef Max shared with us. He took such excellent care of us, catering to our needs and tastes. Talk about experiencing French cuisine! I cannot imagine a better way of learning about French culture than tasting their cuisine and learning about how people there gathered as family and friends around the kitchen table.

Our ceremony for Gloria was held on April 4th, the anniversary of the day she died, which was Easter Sunday in 2021. René chose a spot off the side of the road in which we could see Rennes-les-Chateau in the near distance. It was the perfect spot on a little hill with trees at the top. We walked up to find a good spot through what looked like thousands of little daffodils. After the ceremony, which we all created and took part in, we buried her ashes under a young fir tree. Her cousin, Victor, who always took the role of her protector as she traveled to France and the UK for over 20 years, died 6 months after Gloria. We spread some of his ashes around Gloria acknowledging his role as a fellow traveler and protector. We found out afterward that those beautiful little flowers were not daffodils, but tiny fleur de lis – another symbol used by the Templars, signifying the Trinity – girl, mother, and widow. Another sign of her presence.

Thank you, Gloria, for the knowledge you shared, the places where you guided us, the experiences we were opened to by being on these sacred sites, and the connections you made and helped us make with the Divine Feminine. Your ancestors are proud and happy that you were able to bring so many along with you. And thank you René for bringing us together to celebrate and honor the life and service of our dear friend, Gloria.

Terry Anne Wildman is a former teacher in the Philadelphia school system and holds a master’s degree in American history. , By the way, you may find Gloria Amendola’s books on Amazon.