Journey inward through the lens of the heroine’s path, guided by the archetype of Mary Magdalene.

In Writing the Heroine’s Journey, you’ll map your personal spiritual journey alongside Magdalene’s story of devotion, challenge, and transformation. Through journaling, storytelling, and creative reflection, you will explore the stages of your own heroine’s journey—learning to navigate your challenges and claim your inner power. This retreat is designed for women seeking to understand their own spiritual path and express it through storytelling, supported by the sacred landscape of Sainte Baume in the South of France.

SAINTE BAUME - SOUTH OF FRANCE

Nearby Airports: Paris, Marseille + Nice
Closest Train Station: Aubagne

MEET YOUR GUIDES

PATRICIA RUSSO

Patricia Russo is a modern day mystic and embodied forever student and seeker. Her lifetime of service includes accolades as a public high school English teacher, global Bhakti yoga teacher, and spiritual guide for women on a path of softening. She weaves her love for theology, faith and devotion into her passion for serving women as she guides them on sacred pilgrimages. As a story alchemist she welcomes the energy of the land, the elements, and the hearts of the women who join her as she works with the magic, the mystery, and the medicine of the unfolding story to inspire a deeper connection to the hidden story within, and a remembering that we are Love. She is a also published poet, and luxury travel writer

CATHERINE CONNERS

Catherine Connors is a passionate believer in the deep magic of storytelling. A longtime scholar of story, she blends academic expertise in folklore and mythology with a legacy of leadership across entertainment and digital media. As a former head of content and Editor-in-Chief at The Walt Disney Company, Catherine has championed transformative narratives across some of the most important story spaces of our time. The award-winning author of The Feminine Revolution and a dedicated advocate for women and girls, she is a modern fairygodmother of story whose deepest passion is helping women and others unlock their inner storytellers and unleash their magic.

From the moment she steps off the train at Augbagne, she senses the invitation—a call to something profound.

Here begins the pilgrimage of her heroine’s journey, a sacred and transformative experience woven through threads of exploration, discovery, and story. She is met by her guides, her spiritual companions for this journey, and together they enter an adventure in which each step will unfold as an invitation to go deeper, to listen, and to receive.

Upon arrival in Sainte Baume, she settles into an intimate bed & breakfast that feels as timeless as the mountains surrounding it. Every morning, the view from her window invites her gaze upward, toward Mary’s cave nestled in the
cliffs—a place where myth, memory, and prayer breathe as one. The pilgrimage immerses her in holy silence and sacred dreaming, the mountain calling to her imagination and her spirit, and the forest holding her like a nurturing muse, whispering the stories of the women who came before.

As she explores the grotto where Mary Magdalene is said to have spent her final years in quiet communion and seeks out the paths to Mary's secret cave, she feels the weight of her own story press against her heart. Guided by the archetype
of Magdalene, she embarks on an inward journey parallel to her pilgrimage. With pen in hand, she begins to map
her personal spiritual path, tracing her own heroine’s journey within the ancient story of Mary—a journey of devotion, challenges, surrender, and transformation. Here, writing becomes both guide and witness, a way to meet her inner truth
in words that flow like footsteps across the page.

The pilgrimage is infused with moments of writing and reflection, times to capture the deep wisdom that stirs within her. Each day unfolds like a chapter: journaling beneath ancient trees, storytelling over shared meals, and creating space for insights that emerge as they journey together to mystical places—the Cave of Eggs, the mountain-top chapel, and the basilica in Sainte Maximin, where relics and memories intertwine. In these spaces, she begins to see her challenges
not as obstacles but as sacred thresholds on her path, each chapter revealing her strength and inviting her to trust
the story she is called to tell.

THIS INVITATION INCLUDES:

  • Shared Accommodations ($2000)* in Intimate 5-Star Bed + Breakfast for 6 Days + 5 Nights

  • Single Accommodations ($2500)* in Intimate 5-Star Bed + Breakfast for 6 Days + 5 Nights

  • Space is Limited to 4-6 Guests per Pilgrimage

  • Daily Made-with-Love French Breakfast + Wild Forged Privately Catered Picnic Lunches + Intimate Nightly Dinners

  • All Tours, Guides, Hiking + Exploring for 4 Days of this Holy Experience (Grotto Chapel, Mountaintop Chapel,
    Cave of Eggs + Basilique)

  • All Writing Workshops, Classes + Practices

  • Private Car Pick-Up + Drop-Off at Aubagne Train Station

  • Welcome Bag w/ Altar Gifts + Sacred Mementos

  • Daily Guided Meditation Practices + Reflection/Journal Prompts + Circles to Share

  • Ample Time to Wander + Sit in Stillness on Your Own

  • Divine Magic + Surprises

SAY YES…

Because of the intimate nature of this experience space is limited to 4-6 guests per week. There is a $500 non-refundable deposit (which will be applied to the full investment) due at the time of your booking to hold your reservation; the balance will be due January 15th.

*The investment is all-inclusive (Minus the expense of arriving to Sainte Baume, any travel insurance you might want, gifts in the gift shop, and alcohol during the dinners)

*Prices are PER guest

FULL PAYMENT DUE BY JANUARY 15TH TO SECURE YOUR RESERVATION

REGISTER IN FULL TO GUARANTEE YOUR SPOT + ACCOMMODATION CHOICE

NO REFUNDS (Possible exchanges due to individual circumstances.)