Monday, February 18, 2019

Labyrinth restoration? Yes, we do that!

A labyrinth ready for restoration

One of the many services we provide is labyrinth restoration. In August 2018, we returned to Knoxville, Tennessee, to refurbish the labyrinth we created in 2001 for St. John's Cathedral. Commissioned by the Wright children, the Mary Clark Wright Memorial Labyrinth has been well cared for, but it definitely needed some tender, loving care after many years of weathering the wet climate of East Tennessee.

We felt so blessed to be back at St. John’s. This labyrinth holds a special place in our hearts because the dedication ceremony was held in September 2001, just a few days before the tragic events unfolded on 9/11. On that fateful day, people lined up around the whole city block to walk the labyrinth, seeking its sure path during that time of profound uncertainty.

Refurbishing a labyrinth involves a laborious three-part process: power washing, sanding, and sealing. Also, it’s usually a good idea to freshen up the contrast between the pavers during a complete restoration, especially if the pavers have faded from weather exposure.



Weather exposure can fade the paver colors over time.

The process begins with removing the accumulated dirt and debris—what we call the “sacred muck”—which can take three days (or more) of meticulous power washing. Special care needs to be taken to avoid damaging the pavers, especially the smallest of hand-carved shims. This Chartres-pattern labyrinth is 39 feet in diameter with a path width of 12.5 inches and a total path length of 750 feet, featuring thousands of hand-sculpted terracotta and light gray paving stones to create the lunations, trefoils, and the petals of the rosette. At the end of every eight-hour day, Marty was soaking wet and covered with sacred muck—a combination of dirt, compost, grime, candle wax, and bird droppings.


The Outlaws performing on Market Square

Amidst all of the hard work, we also had some time to enjoy ourselves. St. John’s Cathedral is located in the heart of Knoxville’s vibrant downtown, and we were fortunate to stay at the lovely new Hyatt Hotel just a couple of blocks away. We especially enjoyed visiting lively Market Square, particularly the Farmers Market, which features locally grown produce, great food, and excellent entertainment. One of our favorite buskers was The Outlaws, a duo playing their own soulful brand of folk and bluegrass music.

Debi and Rose of Sharon blessing the sand.

After the power washing is finished, the next step is usually staining the lines if necessary, but St. John’s preferred the muted contrast of the pavers, so we began the sanding process. Sanding the labyrinth involves filling all of the seams with bricklayer's sand, a finer grade of sand with smaller particles for such detailed work. One of the extra special things we do during the restoration process is to bless the sand before filling in the spaces between the pavers, asking for peace and healing for all of the pilgrims who will walk the path and expressing love and gratitude for all. A gorgeous Rose of Sharon, pictured behind Debi, assisted with the process, reminding all to walk in beauty



The Sand Blessing

We apply the personal touch to every labyrinth restoration process, filling the tiniest spaces by hand before we apply the sealer. Every square inch of paver receives a personal blessing to help the labyrinth do its work in the world. 


Applying the sealer


We finish the restoration by applying 45 gallons of sealer on the labyrinth. At St. John’s we also sealed the courtyard so that everything matched and looked fresh. Fortunately, we had sunny weather to do the work.

Another job well done!

After two full weeks of power washing, sanding, and sealing, the restoration of the Mary Clark Wright Memorial Labyrinth is complete. The labyrinth looks nearly brand new, and it’s ready for many more years of service to the church and the community. We had a wonderful time in Knoxville, which has such a great vibe. Restoring this beautiful labyrinth has reminded us of how much we love the work we do in the world. Even when you end the day covered with sacred muck, it helps to start each morning with a grateful heart!

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Labyrinths support military readiness

Soldier walking labyrinth in Angel Garden at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

Since we began working with labyrinths more than 20 years ago, they have grown in popularity and importance, emerging from relative obscurity in the 1990s into a full-blown worldwide labyrinth revival in the 21st Century. No longer a fringe element, labyrinths have finally become mainstream once again. Even our armed forces acknowledge the value of labyrinths in maximizing personal readiness and building resiliency among our combat forces. In fact, the labyrinth is now recognized as an important tool to support spiritual and physical health and wellness objectives of the Navy’s 21st Century Sailor and Marine initiative

For us, labyrinths officially entered the mainstream of American consciousness when we received a call in 2011 from Cmdr. Kim Donahue to build a labyrinth at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. We were so honored to have the opportunity to support our troops and veterans with a labyrinth specially designed for their needs—our way of saying “thanks for your service.”

Cmdr. Donahue, chaplain and head of Pastoral Care, told us that when she first checked into the command, she walked by the Angel Garden between Walter Reed Bethesda's Building 8 and 9 and noticed a large empty circle. Her first thought was to put a labyrinth there. She envisioned the labyrinth becoming a spiritual tool that all staff, patients, and family members could use to find peace, pray, or meditate as they walked along its path toward the center. We were ecstatic that her committee chose Labyrinths in Stone to make her vision a reality.

The 42-foot Chartres-pattern labyrinth was completed on November 16, 2011. National Naval Medical Center held an official dedication ceremony the following spring on March 14, 2012, during Pastoral Care Week when the department annually recognizes its staff and promotes its services.


Labyrinth in Angel Garden at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

"This is a community garden, and I want everyone to look at it like that," said Cmdr. Donahue. "This labyrinth is dedicated today, an enduring work of love, to bring healing, compassion, hope and peace, in memory and in honor of all those who have given themselves to free others." She also explained how research has indicated that labyrinths, which have been used in health care facilities for years, can positively change an individual's energy after walking through its path.

After walking through the labyrinth during the ceremony, Dr. Joan Gordon, a transition coordinator at Walter Reed Bethesda, said it reminded her of how life has its twists and turns. "Things always turn out better than you anticipate, and there's surprises along the way," she said.

Along with many other staff members, Gordon walked through the labyrinth toward its center where ceremony attendees could pick up a small stone paver, remaining from the labyrinth's construction, as a keepsake. Attendees could also write a message on the pavers, with permanent marker, noting their feelings about their experience while walking the path. Gordon wrote, "Faith, Hope and Love." "There's so much love here--the love of our patients, the love from family members that motivates us to give our best,” she said. “It's very appropriate to have it here."


Detail of labyrinth in Angel Garden at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

During the ceremony, Rear Adm. Alton L. Stocks, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center commander, noted the labyrinth's value and its healing capabilities. "What a special event this is for us. It's really a unique tool we have in our tool box to provide healing. I'm very excited that we have this here," Stocks said.

At long last, the labyrinth is now acknowledged once again as an important tool for healing for people of all paths of faith and all walks of life, including our combat forces and veterans. We feel so honored that the labyrinth at Walter Reed has served our armed forces so well, especially those who have given their all. We also feel validated that labyrinths are recognized as an important element of the 21st Century Sailor and Marine initiative to maximize personal readiness, build resiliency, and support the spiritual and physical health and wellness of our armed forces. We couldn’t be more proud to do our part to support our troops and veterans!

Traverse City: The gratitude well

A natural spring popped up near the labyrinth entrance. What a blessing! A natural spring popped up the day we arrived at the site for ...