Mary, Jesus and the Charismatic Priest
Val's first book on the Rennes-le-Château mysteries. Published April 2010
The book tells you the story of Rennes-le-Château and its priest Berenger Saunière, and his secrets. What did he know that no-one else did? His secrets involved Mary Magdalene in ways you would never suspect, for the Languedocian legends say that both Mary Magdalene AND Jesus came to the Languedoc - that was heretical!
Val investigated his life right from the beginning, including his time in the Pays de Sault, the home of the aristocratic family who had lived in the castle of Rennes-le-Château before the Revolution.
But what happened after Bérenger died? Just how did the story of his life turn into the mysteries we know today? It was worth investigating the old legend about Mary Magdalene and Jesus, for Val is sure that Bérenger Saunière and his friend Henri Boudet, knew it. Meanwhile, many other larger than life characters moved to Rennes-le-Château village and some of them got tantalisingly close to finding "the treasure " - whatever it was.
This book has gradually become more and more popular, and it was a shock for Val to find how few copies were left and then none! We thought at first of re-printing, but after six years it's a bit out of date. A revision? But by now, many of the themes of the book have since had a whole new book to themselves. But the "Charismatic Priest"? No, he had not. And we were entering 2017, the centenary of his death in 1917. . . . a biography of the priest around whom Rennes-le-Château evolved was the answer. Click here for more news.
A Brilliant Recommendation from Andrew Gough
"I have read dozens of books on RLC, but 40 pages into this I am riveted. I loved the book. It's full of fresh and insightful information that most English-speaking people will not have been exposed to. Good work is never out of vogue, that's the thing. There is much new material never seen in other English books on the subject. The writing style is light and easy. Listen, I love that book."
Andrew Gough is so well-known in the UK, he is a writer and TV personality, and has studied esoterica all his life. His site of esoteric research is called Arcadia.
A wonderful review
By Doc Edwards, a well-known American medium.
Mary, Jesus, and the Charismatic Priest, by Val Wineyard, is filled with historical facts, supporting legends, and anecdotal references, taken from those closest to the scene.
Reading this marvelous book, it soon becomes clear that no author could have possibly done a more engaging job of digging deeper than an archaeologist in the countryside around the ancient area of Languedoc in France, than Val Wineyard did in Mary, Jesus, and the Charismatic Priest, as well as addressing some of our more tenacious questions and mysteries concerning the continuing story of what truly happened, not only to Jesus, but also to those closest to him, mainly Mary Magdalene.
It's true that the recent publication, of some of Christianity's earliest documents, the Nag Hammadi texts as they are collectively called, offer a startlingly different, contradictory rendering of some of the churches long held and loudly touted conclusions, particularly those concerning the identity of Jesus' closest "companion," May Magdalene. One of those controversial, ancient texts, the ancient Gospel of Philip, clearly states on the subject of this otherwise mysterious woman, Mary Magdalene:
"There were three who always walked with the Lord: Mary his mother and her sister and Magdalene, the one who was called his companion."(The Gospel of Philip) Val Wineyard gives us a truly marvelous icon of holy possibilities and spectacular alternative scenarios in a technicolour style of historical writing.
Her re-telling of the local legends concerning this holy love affair are laced with romantic overtones and alternative possibilities for the life of Mary and Jesus in this most romantic of places, the south of France.She doesn't simply state these things, but gives instead, like the academic she must be at heart, reasons and proofs, however tenuous after two thousand years, that she puts before our awareness.
There is something pleasing, suspenseful, even exhilarating about breaching the borders of academia's stuffiness and thereby taking their castle by storm, throwing the pious dotards from their guarded ivory towers into the gaping moats below, all with facts and proposals every bit as probable as their mainstream dribble, but a whole lot more astounding, earth-shattering and fun!
When I find a magic carpet hidden between two covers, with a power spilled out on every page, that takes me to that world where I am consumed; within its community, its landscape, its evocative magic, with imagery so vivid that I feel not only transported to that place about which it is written, but it also seems to light a small candle of memory, filling me with an unknown nostalgia as if in another world, another place, perhaps even another time, I was indeed there.
What the readers say
"The book is beside my bed for my leisure reading. I found it very interesting and I especially liked the dropped in pictures." Andrew Lownie, Literary Agent
"I enjoyed your new book very much. I have long been interested in the Jesus cover-up and the Rennes mysteries. One wonders how much of Christianity has been manufactured to suit the Roman church? I am more interested in learning the true teaching of Mary and Jesus which seem to me to make a lot of sense." David Allner, Cazedarnes"
I am French and read a little English - the book is very clearly written and easy to understand. The pictures bring it to life. We are going to Rennes-le-Château to see it for ourselves as soon as we can." Jean, Castres
"The narrative is well paced and overall it's a good contribution to the genre." Trevor Greenfield, O-Books
"I couldn't put it down, it was like a detective story with one discovery leading to another." Chrissie Lane, Watford.
"I loved the book and read it from cover to cover. Fascinating stuff. Really surprised about the freemasonry twist! The Roman influence amazes me - can't wait to see all the places you have written about." Keith Ashby, Feltham
"The end of the book is the bit that grabs me. I knew I never liked the Romans but didn't know just how awful they were. No wonder loving kindness fell on fruitful ground." Shirley van Velden, Issel
"I enjoyed your book very much. Although Mary Magdalene was the special theme running through it all, you covered a lot of different religions and it was a case of reading on to find out what happened next. I lent it to my French friend Mathilde and she couldn't put it down! She said it would encourage the French tourists to visit the places you have mentioned and photographed." Mrs. Whitelock, Edinburgh (aged 91)
"Never mind the Slow Food Movement, I have created the Slow Reading Movement. I have taken a while to read this book with all it's detail. It's a fascinating book with some questions answered and many mysteries touched upon. It's a good book." Jayde
"I have finished your book 'Mary, Jesus and the Charismatic Priest'. It was like a detective story, with one discovery leading on to another. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I can see you have done your research well. So Jesus is buried at...ooh nearly gave it away there, people will just have to buy the book if they want to know." Christie Moore, London.
"Mary, Jesus and the Charismatic priest is beautifully done - the pictures are spot on and the in-depth research shines from every page." David Warr, Warrington
Reviewed in Fortean Times!
The reviewer loved the photographs and said there was much new information that people who read only the books in English about Rennes-le-Château wouldn't know "including the complex inter-relationships of the various clergy in the Saunière story."
Well, of course! We haven't lived here for twenty years for nothing!
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