Labyrinths: 7 circuit

From the name of this blog you know right on that labyrinths are a special interest of mine AND of my daughter Julie. (shown here). Julie has been doing some reading and studying about them and come to find out their history is more than fascinating and goes back 3000 years! There are many many kinds of labyrinths. This one is known as a "classic" 7 circuit. This is a nice one to start out with although you could go with 5 circuits too I think to start even smaller. Julie worked for two solid days making this one...there is a lot of labor involved!!! This one came from a pattern in a book by Donna Schaper and Carole Ann Camp called Labyrinths from the Outside In: A Walking Guide to Spiritual Insight: A Beginner's Guide. This one fit well along the rocky shoreline of little Tippecanoe Lake in Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin.

We are in severe drought here and the shore line of rocks you see here should all be UNDER WATER! We are somewhat distraught over this. But making lemonade out of lemons, Julie decided to give us something special with this unintentional space. What a lovely gift. The contemplative nature of a walk through a labyrinth is amazing. And to have it along a shore of a lovely lake is quite amazing too (I'll have to show a photo with the lake in it too as it right behind where Julie is standing.) We are thinking of placing a chair or bench in the very center so the walker can sit quietly in the center for awhile if he or she wishes.

There is a lot of history too of how the labyrinth and mazes are used as artistic decoration on pottery and on murals throughout history! I know jewelry makers have used them as well.