The Saint of the Cave
There’s a legend whispered through the rocky hills of southern France, that a woman once walked these stony paths barefoot, cloaked not in silk but silence, her only companions: the wind, her prayers, and a skull.
That woman? Mary Magdalen. And her story is one of mystery, transformation, and radiant faith.
A Saint’s Journey Across the Sea
After the resurrection of Christ, tradition holds that Mary Magdalen, along with Martha, Lazarus, and others, was cast adrift in a rudderless boat, exiled for proclaiming the Gospel. By divine providence, the boat reached the shores of Provence. From there, Mary walked inland and eventually sought solitude in a cave high above the village of Saint-Maximin.
For the last thirty years of her life, according to legend, she lived in that grotto—La Sainte-Baume—dedicating her days to penance, contemplation, and divine union. Pilgrims have climbed the steep path to her cave for centuries, breathing the same wild air that once carried her whispered prayers.
But according to medieval legend, her solitude was not entirely of this world.
Seven times a day, angels would descend into her cave and lift her bodily into the heavens—a mystical elevation, where she would taste the joy of paradise before returning to her rocky hermitage. It was a rhythm of grace, a divine embrace that marked her as both penitent and beloved.
The Shrine at Saint-Maximin
Just a short journey from the cave lies the Basilica of Saint Mary Magdalen in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume. It’s believed to house her relics—the golden reliquary beneath the altar bearing her name.
Even today, the site is alive with devotion. Pilgrims from around the world climb the mountain, walk the forest path, and light candles beside her relics, hoping to touch the hem of her radical love and boundless repentance.
Skulls, Caves, and Sacred Reminders
In sacred art, Mary Magdalen is often shown in the twilight of her penitent years. Wild hair cascading like a veil, a simple cloak around her shoulders, and always, always the skull at her side.
This skull is no morbid relic. It’s a tender reminder of mortality. The woman once known for perfume and alabaster now sits in stillness, contemplating eternity.
These sombering depictions were the quiet muse behind my Magdalen stud earring design—a delicate skull, etched from real freshwater pearl, echoing the beauty of her story. Not as a symbol of death, but of fierce hope and clarity.
Mary Magdalen challenges us to see beyond our assumptions of others, of ourselves and of what redemption looks like. Her life moves from darkness to light, not in a single act, but through decades of solitude, reflection, and courage. She is not just the first to see the risen Christ, she is the first to carry the good news into the world.
