Yellow Bricks and Marble stones, 40’ in diameter This picture shows site preparation.
On the outside grounds of Central Reform Congregation we have a ‘Fitness Course for the Soul’. Each stop along the way is to help create a space to get in touch with different qualities of what makes us spiritual beings living in the world.
After two years of planning, I led 30 members of the congregation in building our labyrinth, modeled after the biblical, walled city of Jericho (see following pictures). To keep the entire process sacred, we spent 90 minutes building it in silence: lifting, carrying, passing and placing each of the 800 bricks and stones.
Afterwards it was infilled with topsoil and reseeded. It is light and inviting.
The Jericho Labyrinth from the Farhi Bible from 1366-1383. It shows the walled City of Jericho. While there are many different designs used for labyrinths, and many thousands are found around the world, we used this one as our inspiration.
Based on the design from the Farhi Bible (previous picture) we then used this simplified graphic to help with the layout. However, we actually made a mirror image of this, so that when you enter at the ‘bottom’, the first turn goes to the left.
We first laid out a series of concentric circles with a surveyor’s, inverted paint sprayer.
On the day of construction, 30 volunteers worked for 90 minutes in silence: lifting, carrying, passing, then placing the 800 bricks and stones, keeping the process sacred…
Silence…
Silence…
Silence…
Silence…
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……….still silent……
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…walking in the completed labyrinth, in silence…
Coming out of the silence with some tai chi, slow movements and breathing…
Tai chi blessing continues
The workers….
Ground level…..
Bricks and stone labyrinth, 40’ in diameter.
The next day the bricks were infilled with top spoil and reseeded.
Brick and stone labyrinth, 40’ in diameter
The grass has grown well over two weeks and looks soft and gently inviting.
All are pleased.
