“Solvitur Ambulando” – It is solved by walking, Avondale Presbyterian Church – Charlotte NC, 2021 Labyrinth Walks:
Hot, hot, hot …
I hear the chimes and the running water in the fountain. And since one cause of wind is heat, the chimes should be clanging endlessly … ”Generally, we can say that the cause of the wind is the uneven heating of the Earth’s surface by the Sun. … Warm air rising yields a lower pressure on the Earth, because the air is not pressing down on the Earth’s surface, while descending cooler air produces a higher pressure.” Ask a science teacher: What creates the wind? | Fox News
I’m working through some troubling news from several angles in my life. I was returning from a business meeting downtown, so I routed myself to this labyrinth.
The temperature today is almost unbearable. When I walked my dog this morning at 7:30 AM, it was already 78°. I had no idea what it was as I walked, but I was ready for the heat to break. Oh, I checked. I picked the hottest point today to walk. It was 93°, but felt like 97°. And to make matters worse, it’s only going to get hotter here in Charlotte for the next week. Maybe I need to head to the mountains…
Today is National Dog Day. Is this a coincidence with what is potentially the “dog days of summer?” I know the dog days of summer have something to do with the dog constellation Serius, but in my mind it coincides with the last heat wave of summer. “The dog days or dog days of summer are the hot, sultry days of summer. They were historically the period following the heliacal rising of the star system Sirius (known colloquially as the “Dog Star”), which Hellenistic astrology connected with heat, drought, sudden thunderstorms, lethargy, fever, mad dogs, and bad luck. They are now taken to be the hottest, most uncomfortable part of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.” Dog days – Wikipedia
OK, I’ll add more sensory observations. There was a crow crowing. And the hostas were scorched.
I met with a friend yesterday for coffee and we discussed music and readings that are typical now for weddings. She mentioned Ecclesiastes 4:12.
“Although one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
And I immediately thought I heard it just this weekend. I checked the program and it was not one of the readings, but it was definitely referenced as part of the Homily or a part of a blessing or toast. The bride’s mom posted it with her first post of wedding pictures. I like the Ecclesiastes passage. I think I will do a little research on that one in the next few weeks. (And on a positive note this week, I have thoroughly enjoyed going through every day the pictures that friends and family have been posting from Zack and Kate’s wedding last weekend…it was a a great event.)
As I walked, the sun disappeared just for a few minutes behind the clouds. It was “pass out” hot. I needed that reprieve from the sun. I think, in general, I need a reprieve from from day-to-day life. Isn’t that called a vacation? What other words do you use for vacation? Here are a few … break, holiday, leave, recess, sabbatical, breather, respite, retreat, rest … Whatever, I am in need of one!
“Solvitur Ambulando” – It is solved by walking, 2021 Labyrinth Walks, Frederica Park – St. Simons Island GA:
It is hot, hot, hot, and muggy, muggy, muggy, but I’m up and out the door this morning despite being up till close to 2 AM and I’m looking for a labyrinth.
I was hoping to gain access to a private labyrinth here on the island, but that may not be. It’s become a tradition for me to celebrate life events: weddings, funerals, graduations, etc. with a labyrinth walk. I am always open to sharing my labyrinth walk, but I had no takers this morning.
I walked this labyrinth when I came to the daughter of my cousin two years ago. It is described as a “Contemporary Dual-path “reflection” labyrinth” on the Worldwide Labyrinth Locator. In reality it is a small maze that is raised and is essentially a climbing feature in the children’s playground, other climbing features include a fort and sailboats. I don’t mind an all purpose or multipurpose labyrinth, but this one is truly odd.
When I walked out of my hotel room this morning, I grabbed the two placeholders from wedding events. I will center them at the labyrinth. One, an oyster shell, was given at the bridesmaids’ luncheon. The oyster shells had been saved from one of many oyster roasts shared by the bride’s family and their close friends. I like that. I will use it to place rings, etc., in my bathroom.
As I mentioned, this labyrinth is actually a maze. You can make a few wrong turns, but that is OK. What was not OK … the mosquitoes. They would not leave me alone… Another example of my need to be more planning oriented. Maybe that will be my thought for Kate and Zack. Always remember to plan for those little pesky things. Because inevitably, they will appear.
As I walked, I listened to a Bryan Field McFarland’s “On a Labyrinth,” a Christian song about labyrinths that I recently discovered. I’ll post the whole song at the end. But I advise listening to it … https://youtu.be/e5h2f9PQgTQ
Bryan Field McFarland’s “On a Labyrinth”
I shot the artist a note via social media asking for the lyrics. Here’s an excerpt:
“On a labyrinth going ‘round. Listen for the sacred sound. With the ear of your heart heed the call This journey of life is home. We never are alone. Life within life. All in all. So eastward and westward. Chanting a blessed word. Sacred this path we trod. Northerly, southerly. Fatherly, motherly. Geometry’s roadmap to God”
So I’m becoming very fond of my life celebrations tradition on the labyrinth.
If you ever want to join me when we are together just ask. And I enjoyed listening tho the playful dogs and their humans in the nearby off leash dog area.
So despite the mosquitos, my walk was perfect.
Blessings to Zack and Kate!
8.21.21
Here’s the whole song …
On A Labyrinth – Way (DAD-2)
On a labyrinth going ‘round. Listen for the sacred sound. With the ear of your heart heed the call This journey of life is home. We never are alone. Life within life. All in all. So eastward and westward. Chanting a blessed word. Sacred this path we trod. Northerly, southerly. Fatherly, motherly. Geometry’s roadmap to God
As the strand frees and chains through life’s losses and gains All that we have is right now It’s our thread and our theme made of details and dreams We’ll learn what we need to… somehow.
Twisting and turning. Listing and learning. Walking this circle, this cross. Growing and grieving. Loving and leaving. Finding the lessons in loss. Putting off and putting on. Casting off and taking on. Tracing the truth and the fear. Growing through discipline. Seeking divine within. Facing our self in the mirror.
Once, a boy said to me, “I wanna get life all over me!” That’s how I yet want to live. Loving with all my heart. Finding new ways to start. Giving what’s been given me to give. Life’s a voyage, a heritage, a passage, a pilgrimage. There’s so much here that goes by unknown. All that matters is who we’ve been. Being kind, honest, and genuine. And the love we’ve received and we’ve shown. CHORUS
“Spiritual Renewal in the Mountains – Come walk the Labyrinth
If you are looking for a RELAXING OUTING in the mountains, you may choose to walk our Labyrinth nestled among the trees in the quiet countryside.�Labyrinths date back to prehistoric time, and are perceived as sacred space.
When walked, it can change one’s life. Open year-round during daylight hours – no appointment necessary.”
I met my friend RuthAnn at the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center where she is taking a two day course on back country medical responder skills, and I realized that it was about 20 minutes away. So after sharing lunch with RA, I made the 20 minute drive. I was enchanted by this new area. It is in quadrant of the Asheville extended area that I have never ventured. And I kept looking around as I got closer and closer to the labyrinth. I think I saw a sign for a cidery.
I must admit the drive to this labyrinth was absolutely gorgeous. It was about 75° and the sun was shining. On the last long stretch, I saw some beautiful, well-maintained mountain yards with wonderful wild flowers, another with serendipitously created lawn decorations, e.g., two oversized stuffed bears sitting on lawn tractors. I was also fascinated by the last trek on Brush Creek Road that took me by several large horse farms. But again, it was absolutely gorgeous with the sun streaming through the full summer leafed-out trees. I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful ride today. I am grateful.
In contrast to my last labyrinth walk, as I was getting near the last turn, WAZE instructed me to turn left on “Dark Star Way.” I think I prefer “Blessed Way.”
Right before i turned on Dark Star Way, the paved road ended and a gravel road began. I am out in the middle of nowhere.
As a pull up, the steward of the labyrinth was mowing the adjacent properties. And another labyrinth seeker was talking with her about the labyrinth. She directed me to park at a nearby house. She challenged me on the dog, but I promised to tether Albert and clean up after him. She seemed OK with that.
As I approached, I realized that this is going to be a whimsical labyrinth. Yes, definitely a whimsical labyrinth. It was set on the incline of a hill covered in moss. The entrance was between two of the three trees in a stand. It was made of stones placed in a Cretan pattern. Right at the entrance, on one of the first stones, was a porcelain fairy figurine. The next thing that jumped out at me was a tiara, and the next, a small cat sculpture. I also found a little creamer pitcher, which in and of itself is funny, because, at dinner last night at Griffs, they served my after dinner coffee with a bowl of cream and spoon. I needed that pitcher! I also spied an old mason jar with a metal ring cap closure and an upside down mug. Lots of people have left rocks, shells and polished stones, etc.
I also saw a Buddha, some other eastern religion monk, and a small Catholic saint. One of the boundary rocks held several AA chips. There was a collection of quartz and a collection of coins.
I never know what I will think about when I walk a labyrinth. Today, it was why am I here and what is the purpose of my visit?
Although I did not bring anything with me to leave, and I often do, my thoughts were what should I leave. And why did these people leave what they left.
I also noticed some of the natural qualities of this labyrinth on the side of a hill. There was moss, a few weeds, the stones (which I assumed were local), some ferns, and a few wildflowers.
On my way out, I noticed a few more trinkets left at the entrance, Another small pottery vase, more quartz, a larger pitcher …
I searched in my purse, which is a new purse which I pulled out to hold the keys to my rental car, and all I found was a foreign coin which I have no idea where it came from. Very strange. I left my strange coin. Before I retrieved Albert, I looked to see what was hanging like a gong. I don’t think it really was a gong. There was nothing to strike it with.
Before I had entered, I walked the periphery counterclockwise, so I finished with a clockwise walk of the perimeter.
Albert said my time was up…
And I found JOY!
Yesterday when I researched “joy” and “Madeline L’Engle,” I found another L’Engle quote about time. I think this is a good way to memorialize my time here.
From Walking on Water, by Madeleine L’Engle: Kairos. Real time. God’s time.
“That time which breaks through chronos with a shock of joy, that time we do not recognize while we are experiencing it, but only afterwards, because kairos has nothing to do with chronological time. In kairos we are completely unselfconscious, and yet paradoxically far more real than we can ever be when we’re constantly checking our watches for chronological time.
The saint in contemplation, lost to self in the mind of God, is in kairos. The artist at work is in kairos. The child at play, totally thrown outside herself in the game, be it building a sand castle or making a daisy chain, is in kairos. In kairos we become what we are called to be as human beings, co-creators with God, touching on the wonder of creation.
This calling should not be limited to artists, or saints, but it is a fearful calling. It is both Mana and taboo. It can destroy as well as bring into being. “
As I was leaving, I talked to the steward of the labyrinth, I think that’s what she referred to herself. She reminded me of some of the details that were mentioned in her website. It is the Cretan pattern, one of the oldest known patterns, and I did not realize that this labyrinth has been here for 35 years… She had a dowser come look at the site, and he told her that it was a very spiritual place and that it would be a good site for a labyrinth.
The drive out was equally interesting. I saw a new brewery, Turgua Brewing, with a food truck and outdoor seating by the creek on the Cane Creek Road
and an interesting barbecue joint, Smoky In the Pig barbecue.
How This Labyrinth Came to Be When we began caretaking the property where we live, we recognized that the site where the labyrinth resides was of a nature that called our attention. As we maintained this area, we began to realize that we would surely do something special with this site.
As time passed, we began to encounter the word “labyrinth” in a new way. We were impulsed to discover more about them. We read and listened, drew them, and walked one. We visited historical cultural sites that in some way reunited us with this energy and this construct. The pattern drew us into ourselves and we began to envision a labyrinth on our “special spot”. We called our dowser friend, Sam. He came over, and when we had determined that the land agreed, we laid out the labyrinth according to the energy ley lines in the earth. Friends helped mark the paths with survey flags and tape, and set the stones that delineate them. Each stone was carried to the spot it wished to be. After three days, we suddenly realized all the spaces were filled, and when we looked, all the stones had been placed. It came out to the stone! We were amazed!
What appeared from the earth was a beautiful classic Cretan labyrinth. It was as if it had risen from under the ground, as if it had been there all along, just waiting for us to discover it!
When all was said and done, we had created sacred space, and it became obvious that we were to share this space with our community. When we opened the space to others, it opened us as well. Now people come all the time to walk the labyrinth and sit in the energy of this peaceful place. They share their energy with the earth, they seek answers and respite, and they heal and renew. They leave pieces of themselves and their individual journeys. We feel blessed to be the labyrinthkeepers. It is a constant reminder that life is an inward, and an outward journey.
There is no fee to walk and love offerings are accepted with gratitude. No appointment is needed unless you wish to use it for a private ceremony or gathering. Phone (828) 628-1706 for special arrangements.
So, if you’re ever nearby, come visit. It is a magnificent experience! And we say…Namaste…and Thank You.
“Solvitur Ambulando” – It is solved by walking, Unity Center – Mills River NC, 2021 Labyrinth Walks:
I guess I’ve never had the audio on as I navigate to the Unity Center. But today I did, and I had to chuckle to myself as it instructed me to “turn right on Blessed Way.”
Albert is with me today, and he is a wee bit whiny. But he does make a nice marker to the entrance.
This labyrinth has a full circuit around the exterior which I walked counterclockwise to shut down time. And of course I noticed one of my favorite aspects of this labyrinth: it has markers telling me the directions, North, South, East and West. I like to get oriented at the very beginning, interesting that I am closing down time but re-orienting towards space
I enjoy the quotations and memorials expressed on the brick pavers that form the boundaries to this labyrinth. But at the same time I have found them distracting. Regardless, I put my glasses back on to read them; the first one I saw said, “visualize the world beyond war.”
Today, there were lots of birds flying overhead, and a few squawking at me. I also heard the traffic on the nearby something Old Fanning Road.
I’m always impressed with the landscaping here. It almost feels like I’m out in a desert oasis. Someone works very hard to create this little thin place.
At the center is a heart and many people have left remembrances of their walks. I took a few in my pocket to share at another labyrinth.
The last paver that I noticed was inscribed, “Joy is the most infallible sign of God’s presence.” Although I’m not sure who actually wrote that quotation, I do know that I came across a version of it in Madeline L’Engle works (“And it was joy. Joy, Grandfather would remind me, joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God.”- A Ring of Endless Light by Madeline L’Engle). And it has been a favorite of mine for many years.
“Solvitur Ambulando” – It is solved by walking, Calvary United Methodist Church – Nashville TN, 2021 Labyrinth Walks:
I knew I wanted to walk the labyrinth this morning. So I put my address into the labyrinth locator and headed out about 2 miles on the same street. I didn’t walk this labyrinth when I was here the last time I came to Nashville.
I arrived at 6:30 AM and the sun was a nice orange ball welcoming me as I pulled in the parking lot.
My first thought for where the labyrinth might be was with the columbarium. But it was not here. It was a lovely columbarium.
I continued my walk around the church. It really was a lovely 60s church. I’m not very fond of 60s era architecture, church or otherwise. But this one worked. This church and related facilities were big. I’ve been wondering for years what is going to happen to all of our churches. Nashville, like my hometown Charlotte, has many, many churches, and they are big. Calvary United Methodist seems especially big.
When I first approached the church, I noticed a lone rocking chair on the front entrance amidst the two story columns. And then I noticed rocking chairs all over the campus. Some of them a lone and some in pairs or multiples.
The flag pole in the carpool line of the preschool jumped out at me. I’ve had several discussions with my friends about the relationship between church and state and whether you should display a flag inside a church or at a church. At the base of this flagpole is a marker showing that it is in memory of those who served in the armed forces.
I walked all around the campus until I found a locked gate to the preschool playground called “Parker’s Place.”
I have mentioned that I enjoy yard signs. This Church has a yard that says, “You are loved.”
I feel like there has been a proliferation of yard times in the last few years, some associated with black lives matter, but now you can’t go down a street without seeing a multitude of yard signs indicating school affiliations, social organizations and interests and more recently, put out by churches. I assume the members of this congregation support for the church in their community with the signs.
I finally found it… It is a grass labyrinth, full Chartres. But But before I walked, I looked around the campus. On the playground I was not sure what the white structure was. But I think it creates a chapel… And on the inside of the “chapel” windows were various chimes and other music items. I think it made an outdoor chapel. I’m just not quite sure since I can’t see the inside.
I tehered Albert to a child-sized picnic table, and I walked the around the perimeter. As I got to the backside and it’s not a large place, I saw a prayer wall. I tied my prayer to the center of the Circle.
At the entrance, I realize that this was going to be a hard one to walk because it was overgrown and wet with the morning dew and there were picnic tables sitting on parts of the labyrinth. It was also slightly overgrown… But I knew the path.
And I just mentioned that I knew the path, that was definitely a good thing. I was not very far in and I was already second-guessing myself…
My shoes were completely soaked before the end of the first circuit. I had thought about wearing my plastic bright pink sandals this morning… They would look nice on most labyrinths (I actually think about these things) … But I would’ve been miserable on this one.
I was welcomed by the birds and watched over. I don’t know if Albert was watching or just me listened to me dictate. Probably just watched me. But today, Albert who hates wet grass , Just layed down in the wet grass while I walked.
Once at the center, I realize that there is indeed the rosette typical of a Chartres pattern, but it is almost completely grown over. At the very center is a cross which I assume is a Methodist cross.
As I walked part of my thought process focused on how to successfully navigate being a parent to three adult children. I quickly fall back on “ because I said so,” which I don’t say to them, but I say to myself, and that just doesn’t work.
And as I typed this, the 29-year-old who has been helping us move calls me. It is a rare thing for him to wake up at 7 AM. I just have to laugh at that one.
The birds continued to chirp.…Well, it is early morning.
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