Collecting the Labyrinth Lights

September, 23rd, 2010 - a special day in so many ways.  The Full Moon - a Harvest Moon - and the Autumn Equinox.  The first time since 1991 that they have occurred together and this won't happen again until 2029.  A perfect night for a labyrinth walk.  Perfect weather, perfect light, perfect community.  And all this came together for me at the end of the evening when I collected the lights that I had placed in and around the labyrinth to guide our way.

Walking the labyrinth is a metaphor for the journey of life. When you walk you are never quite sure where you are on your journey and you have to just trust that if you put one foot in front of the other you will get where you need to be.  This is always a reminder to me to trust the universe, particularly when I don't quite know where I am going.  So, yesterday evening after the wonderful gathering finished, I decided I would walk the labyrinth and collect the lights.  I took a basket with me and gathered the lights in the basket as I walked the circuits.  Halfway through the walk I sensed the magic of carrying a basket of light with me.  The lights seemed to represent the wonderful people I meet on my journey of life, and made me so grateful to all those whose paths have crossed mine.

I opened the labyrinth walk with this prayer of thanks:

We give-away our thanks to the earth which gives us our home.
We give-away our thanks to the rivers and lakes which give-away their water.
We give-away our thanks to the trees which give-away fruit and nuts.
We give-away our thanks to the wind which brings rain to water the plants.
We give-away our thanks to the sun who gives-away warmth and light.
All beings on earth: the trees, the animals, the wind and the rivers
give-away to one another so all is in balance.
We give-away our promise to begin to learn how to stay in balance with all the earth.
Dolores La Chapelle

The full moon - a time to release that which no longer serves you on your journey - and the equinox - allowing you to come back into balance.  A magical evening.

One Step at a Time

What a wonderful day I had on Sunday with so many special people joining in the labyrinth walk.  The weather was absolutely perfect, one of those days when just feeling the air against your skin makes you smile.  I am so grateful to everyone who came and participated.

I wanted to share the poem that I read to open the labyrinth for our walk.  It is by Robin Heerens Lysne and is called "First Step".

Beginnings
are sometimes foggy.
The path is not always clear.
The end of one begets another.

To begin, put one foot
in front of the other.
Your foot knows where to land,
the one that moves forward first.
Forget about the best foot.

Just put it out there.
Stop traffic if you have to.
Go home if that is where it leads you.
Go back to work
if that is where your foot falls.

You don't have to
go anywhere
Just rest.
After you step,
take another.
Forget about the weather.
Step
Step again.


Yes, the labyrinth always reminds me to simply put one foot in front of the other and to trust the path ahead of me.