| The Labyrinth Experience at URV
Each year, from spring to early fall, Unity of Roanoke Valley offers spiritual awareness with the use of our beautiful grounds and gardens. Let us be mindful of how blessed we are to have our grounds at URV nurtured and served by Greg Riley, our Buildings and Grounds Manager, and Donna Haley, our Office Manager. She is also a Master Gardener and Naturalist and our Rose Care Specialist. Master Gardener Celia McCormick coordinates our Giving Garden and all the wonderful volunteers who tend to this expression of love.
Unity of Roanoke Valley continues to hold the first Wednesday Guided Labyrinth Walks at 7:30 am and 11:00 am. Rev. Luz Lecour, or a Prayer Chaplain, will lead the guided meditation at noon. To conclude the first Wednesday activities, our URV family will gather together and share a simple potluck lunch after the guided meditation.
The Hopi Indians of North America had a symbol for Mother Earth known today as the “Classical Seven-Path Labyrinth.” It was this symbol of the Mother which identified the sacred in nature – that spiraling form found throughout nature. Labyrinths were woven into objects to personify man’s connection to his source and were often placed at sacred places in nature to remind him of this union. When one walks the labyrinth it is in recreating this very ancient expression of thanks and remembrance of the divine in all things.
Shared from Kathy Doore's blog, Labyrinthina.
According to Zen Master, spiritual leader, and author Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace is every step. This summer, we invite you to come and take that sacred journey on the peaceful grounds of Unity of Roanoke Valley and enjoy the Flower Garden, Vegetable Garden, and Labyrinth Circle.
May you be well. Namaste and Smile! Stephaine Robinson, Labyrinth Team Member
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The labyrinth represents the spiritual journey inward to our inner selves and the Sacred within, outward to the world held in God's love and yearning for peace and justice. Rev. Dr. Margaret Mayman, Uniting Church in Australia
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The history of the Labyrinth can be traced back over 4000 years. Most popular legends are connected to Ancient Greece's King Minos, who mandated Daedalus to design a maze to imprison the Minotaur (half human and half bull). The Minotaur was a terrifying creature ... who liked to eat humans. The maze was so confusing that even Daedalus, the builder, could barely find his way out. So every year, King Minos sent seven youths as food to pacify that Minotaur beast. Finally, a mindful Greek named Theseus retraced his steps with a magic ball of thread. He successfully stopped the Minotaur from misbehaving and found his way out of his obstacles.
So was the maze used originally to lock up repulsive self-images? Was Theseus quite mindful of his thoughts and steps? He did avoid being eaten by the bad boy Minotaur beast. "OH!!!" So ... a maze will lead you around in circles to a dead end. The Labyrinth became a place where you faced difficulty mindfully and found your way out ... Well, of course, this is just my two cents, but it connects some of the dots in mythology to our present-day practices.
Again, there are many stories, including our own stories. The Labyrinth Experience is an opportunity to reconnect through mindful awareness of what is happening as we take our journey of discovery around the Labyrinth at Unity of Roanoke Valley.
Namaste & Smile, Stephanie Robinson, Labyrinth Team Member |
