26th June: a beautiful summer’s day at Ferrar House Retreat Centre, Little Gidding, well known for its association with the poet TS Eliot. Many thanks to Judy Fox for taking care of running the Labyrinth Day for me while I was recovering from an operation, and to Wendy Skirrow for her enthusiasm, hosting the day and looking after everyone so well.

If you came this way,

Taking any route, starting from anywhere,

At any time or at any season,

It would always be the same: you would have to put off

Sense and notion. You are not here to verify,

Instruct yourself, or inform curiosity

Or carry report. You are here to kneel

Where prayer has been valid.

TS Eliot (Little Gidding)

I

The group made a corn labyrinth on the lawn in front of the house and spent time reflecting and enjoying the natural beauty all around, especially the plentiful bees and butterflies visiting the garden. After lunch the group made the 10 minutes’ walk to Steeple Gidding, where the cloth ‘pebble’ labyrinth was laid out in the beautiful space of Saint Andrew’s Church.

At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;

Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,

But neither arrest nor movement.

And do not call it fixity,

Where past and future are gathered.

Neither movement from nor towards,

Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,

There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.

TS Eliot (from ‘Burnt Norton’)