LABYRINTH
On the island of Crete, about 4,000 years ago, a man sat down in middle of life, to wonder about his personal journey. With its twists and tuirns, false starts and dead-ends, his life journey seemed like a kind of maze. In that awareness, he felt a keen sense of the uniqueness of his own life--with appreciation, understanding and insight. Later, endowed with a Minoan eye for beauty and design, he began to play with drawings to represent his journey. Once he saw a formation of rocks outlining a path up a near mountainous terrain.. He then sketched and built the first primitive labyrinth as a walking meditation for personal awareness..
Similar awareness seems to have happened simultaneously in several ancient cultures. Labyrinths are found in many art forms about the year B.C.E. 3,500. Pliny's Natural History mentioned four ancient labyrinths: the Cretan labyrinth, an Egyptian labyrinth, a Lemnian labyrinth and an Italian labyrinth.
The LABYRINTH is a walking meditation garden with a maze-like path to a center. Participants walk in quiet awareness of the turns and twists of life. It is an ancient form of prayer which has experienced a renewed appreciation in recent years.
Christians in the middle ages who were unable to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land walked labyrinths in their towns and cathedrals as an alternative. Labyrinth may be one of the oldest spiritual exercise in history, as ancient art forms are often found in many cultures dating to 3,500 B.C.E.
The LABYRINTH walk of awareness is designed to bring one to a new center for oneself, an appreciation of one’s own unique and authentic life journey. Many walkers have had powerful experiences of illumination, union, beauty and renewed courage. Some couples use the labyrinth and the Zen garden center for their marital vows.
At its most basic level, the Labyrinth is a metaphor for the journey to the center of self and back out into the world with an expanded understanding of who you are. Tips for walking the Labyrinth are offered on site. Appointment is necessary. Tel (859) 293 - 5302
Our Labyrinth, completed in the summer of 2007, contains a CAIRN dedicated to the memory of John A. McGill, Kentucy Award winning sportswriter and friend of Paschal. Turner Lyman designed and with Paschal’s landscaping, built it. Barbara Lyman and Janette Baute consulted regularly. Ann Siudmak and members of the Spiritual Growth Network of Kentucky were orginal supporters of the Labyrinth experience here in previous workshops. Landscaping is being completed by Janette Baute. Dedic ation is planned in October of 2007.
© Paschal Baute, 2007
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Information about Labyrinth, Lexington and this blog.
The Spiritual Growth Network of Kentucky (see links or browse) is a non-profit interfaith educational group dedicated to encouraging people on their particular personal faith journey. This month, August, 2007, we celebrate 18 years of regular meetings and sharing.
We meet weekly on Sundays at 5 p.m. at Paschal's conference room off Winchester Road near the Clark County line, sharing the home of Janette and Paschal Baute. We conduct regular workshops and retreats on various aspects of the spiritual journey. This data is available elsewere.
We have explored the use of the walking meditation via labyrinth on several occasions with temporary outdoors marking. In the spring of this year, 2007, Paschal conceived of a labyrinth as a way to honor his friend John A. McGill, who died in early March. John had asked that his memorial be held here. Our friendship had involved many walks under the trees. For the purpose of convenience his memorial was held at Cumberland Lansdowne Presbyterian church with his friend Rev. Tom Cottingham presiding.
Janette Baute was inspirational in conceiving this labyinth, and Turner Lyman was enthusiastic in contributing his own labyrinth design experience to the project. Conversations began in April, planning in May, with selection and clearing of the site in June. A large woodshed was moved. Actual construction began on July 6 and basically complete in a month.
Aside from the design time, some 150 hours of labor was necessary. A total of 24 cub ic yards or truckloads of dirt, mulch, sand and stone was necessary. Some labor was hired, but most was done by Turner and Paschal. Landscaping has been done by Janette Baute, with cairns reserved for John McGill, Friends of the Spiritual Growth Network of Kentucky and family. Dedications planned for the fall of 2007.
The design is Left-handed, seven-circuit classical, in wooded area, ascending to Zen garden and meditation bench in center, and includes three mature trees and a cairn area. Material - "Rock and garden, PVC pipe on mulch. The labyrinth is registered on the Worldwide Labyrinth Locator. Walking available by appointment, call Paschal Baute, (859) 293-5302. Place is 4080 Lofgren Court, about eleven miles from downtown Lexington, or about 20 minutes drive. Fee: (optional) love offering.
Come and visit. "Be still and know that I am the Lord." Psamlist. On Saturday, August 18, members of the Spiritual Growth Network will celebrate their 18th birthday anniversary and construct an SGN cairn, by bringing a stone.
This blog will contain an introduction to Labyrinth, also to Cairns, the symbolism of this labyrinth, and tips for walking, and if I can manage the importing, some pictures. "Today is the day the Lord has made. let us be glad and rejoice in it."
We meet weekly on Sundays at 5 p.m. at Paschal's conference room off Winchester Road near the Clark County line, sharing the home of Janette and Paschal Baute. We conduct regular workshops and retreats on various aspects of the spiritual journey. This data is available elsewere.
We have explored the use of the walking meditation via labyrinth on several occasions with temporary outdoors marking. In the spring of this year, 2007, Paschal conceived of a labyrinth as a way to honor his friend John A. McGill, who died in early March. John had asked that his memorial be held here. Our friendship had involved many walks under the trees. For the purpose of convenience his memorial was held at Cumberland Lansdowne Presbyterian church with his friend Rev. Tom Cottingham presiding.
Janette Baute was inspirational in conceiving this labyinth, and Turner Lyman was enthusiastic in contributing his own labyrinth design experience to the project. Conversations began in April, planning in May, with selection and clearing of the site in June. A large woodshed was moved. Actual construction began on July 6 and basically complete in a month.
Aside from the design time, some 150 hours of labor was necessary. A total of 24 cub ic yards or truckloads of dirt, mulch, sand and stone was necessary. Some labor was hired, but most was done by Turner and Paschal. Landscaping has been done by Janette Baute, with cairns reserved for John McGill, Friends of the Spiritual Growth Network of Kentucky and family. Dedications planned for the fall of 2007.
The design is Left-handed, seven-circuit classical, in wooded area, ascending to Zen garden and meditation bench in center, and includes three mature trees and a cairn area. Material - "Rock and garden, PVC pipe on mulch. The labyrinth is registered on the Worldwide Labyrinth Locator. Walking available by appointment, call Paschal Baute, (859) 293-5302. Place is 4080 Lofgren Court, about eleven miles from downtown Lexington, or about 20 minutes drive. Fee: (optional) love offering.
Come and visit. "Be still and know that I am the Lord." Psamlist. On Saturday, August 18, members of the Spiritual Growth Network will celebrate their 18th birthday anniversary and construct an SGN cairn, by bringing a stone.
This blog will contain an introduction to Labyrinth, also to Cairns, the symbolism of this labyrinth, and tips for walking, and if I can manage the importing, some pictures. "Today is the day the Lord has made. let us be glad and rejoice in it."
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