Creating a Sacred Space

The site had been cleared.  The rip rap rock and mulch sat in two large piles, staged as close to the site as possible.  The team had gathered (so many thanks to Lori, Dan, Susan, Paddy, Sharon, Becky, and Kathy for giving up a Sunday afternoon to share in this project that means so much to me!) to await instructions from our designer, David-Anthony Curtis.  We were ready to create a labyrinth!

David began by leading us in prayers for healing and peace and explaining a bit about labyrinths.  He reminded us that we were indeed creating a sacred space in the midst of God's creation.  In doing so, we would be unleashing a divine energy in that grove of trees and reconnecting to the earth in a new and powerful way.

With diagram and tape measure in hand and a wealth of experience in his head and heart, David laid out large "guide stones" that would represent points bordering the center of the labyrinth as well as key places where paths would begin and end, twist and turn.  Our job, as he explained it, would be to fill in the spaces in between these guide stones by intentionally placing rocks that "fit" next to one another, always touching, so the paths would be continuous and complete. 

While some of us helped David measure to be sure that the pathways would be about 2 1/2 feet wide, others of us filled a wheel barrow and a trusty sturdy wagon many times over with stones measuring anywhere from 6 inches to well over a foot in diameter and moved them to the site to complete the borders of the pathways.  We ended up needing a bit more space than I had originally cleared, so we cut down a couple more small trees as well and raked back pineneedles and brush a couple more feet in one area.

It took quite a while to envision the labyrinth taking shape.  Until quite close to the end of the construction, it looked like disconnected stones and circles.  Then, all of sudden, the labyrinth fell together before our eyes.  We could see the short and direct way into the center as well as the more traditional pathways winding back on eachother that also led to the center. 

What earlier in the afternoon looked more like a maze, which has many pathways and deadends and is intended to confuse and confound, now obviously there was one short way in and out of the center and one long way in and out.  These continuous circuits are what differentiates a labyrinth from a maze - a clear path in and a clear path out.  Set before us in stone was a representation of the journey that each one of us takes in our own lives.  The path may at times look and feel confusing and chaotic, but if we just keep walking, we will get to the center - the place where we will find God. 

With the stonework done, the task before us was to fill in the pathways between the stones with rich, dark mulch.  And so we turned to the enormous mulch pile and began shoveling it into the wheel barrow.  We dukmped load after load on the pathways to be raked out smoothly.  We got about a third of it mulched by the end of the afternoon.

We took a bit of time to admire our handiwork.  The white of the stones and the black of the mulch made for a powerful combination.  Susan led us in a blessing of the labyrinth at the end of our work day.  We gathered in the center of the labyrinth, talked about our experience of building it,and said a prayer together.  Then we all walked out of the labyrinth - one at a time, at our own pace.  I think we all truly felt that we were treading on holy ground.

I will be finishing up the mulching over the next week - and then will begin the process of landscaping ithe labyrinth site and purchasing a stone bench for the center.  I have lots of ideas for planting bulbs, transplanting ferns, working with the sun and shadows to create garden spots around the area as well as clearing even more alot of the branches I removed earlier.  I look forward to working on and enjoying this sacred space.