Lure of the Labyrinth

Community Candlelight Walk June 26th Features 'Sisters of the Drum'

"Lure of the Labyrinth" is the theme for this summer's official opening of the Carleton Place Community Labyrinth, a grass labyrinth located behind the Victoria School Museum on 267 Edmund Street in Carleton Place. The Labyrinth Committee (TLC), invites you to join the free festivities from 7:30 to 9:00 pm. on Saturday June 26th, as we celebrate the first week of summer solstice with an 'alluring' evening candlelit walk.

For this sixth public labyrinth event, hundreds of luminaries will be set up along the path, casting a warm glow and guiding the pathway for people of all ages. “This will be a high energy, fun gathering of old and new friends and families", says Christine Hume, a member of the Labyrinth Committee, who will provide an introduction to the labyrinth for participants.

An exciting feature of this year's event will be Sisters of the Drum, a traditional Algonquin hand drum group with members from across Eastern Ontario, who will accompany us on the walk. Sisters of the Drum share native culture and teachings to communities through storytelling and singing, as well as their magnificent drumming ceremonies.

For those new to the labyrinth experience, a labyrinth is a circular path, derived from an ancient spiral symbol. The path of a labyrinth is 'unicursal'- the path on which you enter, is the same path on which you exit. Unlike a maze, the labyrinth holds no tricks or dead ends. The walker can focus on a thought, a prayer, or simply enjoy the walk itself. Walking a labyrinth works through our senses, and can be helpful in supporting healing, meditation, and personal growth.

Don't miss a chance to walk our Community Labyrinth: an evening walk under a full moon, with flickering luminaries, the sounds of the drums, a roaring bonfire, and refreshments promises to satisfy all the senses!

For more information, including how to volunteer for this event contact:
Christine Hume: 613-859-2136 or chume@bsl.com

Photo Credit:  Hand drum image

Striking Stone Signage

On Tuesday May 25th, Carleton Place town staff erected these impressive stones at the community labyrinth site. The stones were donated by Allan Code and moved by the town to the site. I chose stones that I thought would make an impact but had no idea how wonderfully it would all come together...

What a powerful statement, not only as a signpost to announce "this is where the labyrinth is" but as well the striking sculpture is symbolic of our rock solid intention, commitment and determination to build the Carleton Place Community Labyrinth.

Walk the path
Debby

Creating a Special Space at the Health & Wellness Show

How satisfying to have pushed myself out of my comfort zone!  Yesterday was the first time Marie-Chantale, Amanda and I got to practise doing the basic presentation we had learned in the Veriditas Labyrinth facilitator training. We introduced people at the Health & Wellness show in Ottawa to our temporary classical labyrinth "under the willow".  We all felt nervous and anxious about the day - but those feelings fell away as we started to tell the story about this ancient and powerful meditative tool!

The whole process has been very energizing.  From having the initial idea, planning the event and how to promote it, to building the labyrinth out of rope and garden stakes in less than 2 hours!  The moment I saw the suggested location for the labyrinth I knew it was perfect.  I could even see circles and a spiral pattern in the grass.  We only noticed yesterday as people were doing the first labyrinth walk - the lovely statue of Mary - that could be seen through the trees.  It seemed as if she was also pointing right to this spot!

After we finished building the labyrinth on the Friday evening - I stayed on - and was setting up the signage for the event...  A young family came by and were having fun lying on the grass watching a hot air balloon fly overhead.  Their young son saw the labyrinth and immediately leapt up and ran over to the entrance.  He skipped and ran joyfully to the centre and back out - while his family went on ahead.  Our labyrinth was officially opened and ready for more visitors the next morning!

Throughout the day people started to make their way to the labyrinth.  Some on their own, a family with young children, a mom and dad with their grown daughters, a group of young professionals, a couple that had travelled the world, girlfriends, and so on.  Many people didn't understand the difference between a maze and a labyrinth.  Everyone seemed to have time to have thoughtful, meaningful conversations. They all interacted with the labyrinth in their own individual ways - and came away feeling calmer, more centred, and grounded. 

We found that we were very energized by the day and many creative ideas for future labyrinth experiences and events were flowing!

Labyrinth at the Health & Wellness Show

Recent graduates from the Veriditas Facilitor Training Workshop (held at St. John’s Anglican Church and facilitated by Rev. Lauren Artress) will be creating a temporary Classical labyrinth at this year’s Health & Wellness Show. The show is being held this weekend - Saturday June 5th and Sunday June 6th - at St. Paul's University, 223 Main Street, Ottawa.

Four open walks will be held during the weekend:
Saturday June 5th: 
Opening walk - 10:00 - 11:30 am; Afternoon walk - 2:00 - 3:30 pm
Sunday June 6th:
Morning walk - 10:00 - 11:30 am; Closing walk - 2:00 - 3:30 pm

The objective will be to introduce people to the meditative, healing and stress-relieving aspects of labyrinth walking. Each walk will be presented by a different facilitator – who will provide a brief introduction about labyrinths – and coordinate the open labyrinth walk. There will be an opportunity to reflect on the walk afterwards through creative expression or journaling.

A freewill donation will be requested. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Children at Risk (a charity supported by the Health & Wellness show organizers ) and to help build a permanent labyrinth in Carleton Place.

For more information contact:
Christine Hume, Veriditas Labyrinth Facilitator
613 859 2136, chume@bsl.com

May 1st Workshop

Heather, Christine and Debby connecting with other labyrinth enthusiasts at the Sacred Pattern, Sacred Path workshop at St. John's Anglican church in South March. We participated in a wonderful day of opportunities - learning more about labyrinths and sacred space from Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress, a pioneer in the resurgence of walking meditation and one of the best know North American experts on labyrinths. I purchased her book "Walking a Sacred Path", rediscovering the labyrinth as a Spiritual Practice and look forwards to many hours of insightful reading.

Lessons Learned on the Labyrinth

Several of our Carleton Place Community Labyrinth committee members were really pleased to participate in the Sacred Pattern, Sacred Path labyrinth workshop held at St. John's Anglican Church in Kanata on Sunday May 2nd.   The workshop was facilitated by the Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress, author of THE book about labyrinths (Walking a Sacred Path: The Rediscovery of the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Practise) and the person responsible for reintroducing the ancient labyrinth to our modern world!

Lauren is a wonderful facilitator, teacher, spiritual director and human BE-ing!  We were all enthralled as she took us through a presentation on the history of the labyrinth, different labyrinth designs and meditative ways of walking the path.  Lauren teaches by story-telling - and sharing some of the many deep, rich experiences she has had over the years introducing the labyrinth to people around the world.

There were several opportunities during the day to walk the indoor or outdoor labyrinth ourselves.  We were encouraged to take time to journal, reflect, rest, really take a break from our busy and hectic lives!  Everyone was really present and in the moment...  We met new friends, had wonderful conversations, laughed, even stretched out on the grass to rest and spend some time cloud-gazing if we felt like it!

Lauren provided the comprehensive labyrinth facilitator training on May 3rd and 4th  and I was thrilled to take this course.  We were able to deepen our knowledge of labyrinth during the course and some of us may go on to become Veriditas Certified Labyrinth Facilitators.  Rather than trying to describe what we learned in detail -  these random phrases give a flavour of the experience...

nourshing our souls

help you find your way

come home to yourself

be present

 feel connected

the soul needs beauty 

take the time you need

whatever happens, happens

teaching self-reflection

 

Do not ask what the world needs.  Ask instead what you need and what makes you come alive and fills you with passion. Because the world needs people who are alive and filled with passion!

Worldwide Labyrinth Day - Celebrated Together

Glad to have celebrated World Labyrinth day with you all today on the site of our “getting closer to reality” permanent labyrinth. A crowd of about 30 people gathered - all were interested and supportive and it was lovely to see some new faces. 

There was a postive energy and a natural flow to the day - from the church bells tolling right at 1 pm - to the recitation of the "Simple Tools" poem by Inez - and to the moment of entering the labyrinth and walking the path - one by one. 

There were smiling faces, embraces, tears and hugs, spine-tingling moments, the much-maligned dandelions brightly leading the way - to the centre!  A moment of being all together - resting awhile - then refreshed , feeling renewed, treading softly back to the entrance, entranced by the feeling of being one of many walking the path today!