What a pleasure it was to meet with friends old and new at the Labyrinths in Britain gathering in Wanstead near London yesterday. We heard from some excellent speakers: Lea Goode-Harris explained how the Santa Rosa Labyrinth design came to be, and her pleasure at seeing it spread around the world; Mark Willenbruch spoke about his journey to the labyrinth via his work with healing plants, and encouraged us all to use our heart and gut centres to help tune in to the wisdom of the plant world. He had brought copies of his lovely hand written and illustrated book for signing. Sally Welch then explained and demonstrated the intriguing art of making and using ‘labyrinth beads’, which enable the user to walk a virtual Chartres-style labyrinth on any piece of open ground. I had long looked forward to this and with a bit of help soon got the hang of it. After lunch and labyrinth walking indoors and out, Kimberly Saward read a message from the President of The Labyrinth Society, Kay Whipple, and spoke about the role of the TLS and Veriditas in furthering knowledge and experience of labyrinths around the world. Jim Buchanan delighted us with his artistic perspective on labyrinths large and small, with much discussion of the interplay between light and shadow in his beautiful projected ‘labyrinths of light’. I particularly enjoyed holding the tactile ceramic labyrinth balls, which feature a raised labyrinth overlaid on the surface, where the centre leads you through a hole in the centre of the ball and back to the start. Brilliant! I was too involved in soaking up the experience of the day to take many photos, but I did find a peaceful moment towards the end to take a photo of the grassy mown labyrinth in the garden of the meeting house. It was such a pleasure to walk it with bare feet on a warm and sunny afternoon. Thank you to Jan Sellers for hosting us at this lovely venue, her own Quaker Meeting House, and to Andy Wiggins and Jeff and Kimberly for all their excellent organisation. I hope to see some of the participants again at the Veriditas Summer Intensive in August, and we will certainly organise another gathering next summer – probably in Saffron Walden, to coincide with the Maze Festival, which we hope will run again next year.
Tag Archives: Kay Barrett
World Labyrinth Day in Cambridge and a Labyrinth Retreat in Suffolk
Addenbrooke’s Mental Health Resilience Labyrinth
Kay and a team of helpers made this temporary labyrinth out of poured sand and LED tea lights for Addenbrooke’s Mental Health Resilience Week. People of all ages and backgrounds came to walk it. This magical photo was taken at nightfall from the top of the staff car park by Jan Sellers. Find out more by reading the Addenbrooke’s Mental Health Resilience Week page on this blog.
The Chartres-style labyrinth at Saffron Walden Maze Festival 2013
Maze Festival visitors walking the cloth Chartres-style labyrinth in the Saffron Walden Friends’ Meeting House, 17th August 2013. The labyrinth was kindly loaned by the University of Kent and the photo was taken by Saffron Walden Camera Club. For more about the Festival do read the Maze Festival page on this blog – and visit http://www.saffronwaldenmazefestival.co.uk
Invitation: Lode Chapel Quiet Day with ‘Pebble’ Labyrinth
You are warmly invited to a Quiet Day at Lode Chapel, Cambridgeshire, on Saturday 18th May. The theme of the day will be ‘Waiting for the Comforter’. Meeting on the day before the church festival of Pentecost, we will reflect on being open to all that the moment brings, opening our hearts in trust and anticipation, much as the disciples must have done, gathered together, on the eve of the first Pentecost.
You will be gently guided into periods of silence… there will be the opportunity to wander the churchyard with its wildflowers, the pretty village of Lode and the footpath to the lode and water mill at the back of Anglesey Abbey. Kay will bring the cloth ‘pebble’ labyrinth for walking, and a selection of inspirational books, finger labyrinths, writing and art and craft materials.
The day will run from 10.45 to 4.00. The cost is £15 (please make cheques payable to ‘Lode Chapel’) and please bring lunch to share. If you are planning to come, please email Kay at singing.kay@gmail.com
If you can’t come this time but would like to be on the mailing list for future occasions, do let Kay know.