Have you ever gotten involved in something only later to find out that it was part of something much bigger in the world?

You may have been attracted by the surface level of something – a hobby, sport, conversation, etc.  Then, with time, your growing passion had you diving much deeper into a grander global design – a movement from “me” to “we”. 

The labyrinth is turning out to be such an experience for me.

Decades ago, I walked labyrinths for the quiet contemplation – this form of moving meditation helped me connect to inner peace, joy, intuition, focused intention and prayer.

If I could be there alone, all the better!

I continued this practice alone in the studio, painting dotted labyrinths as another form of meditation and prayer, connecting me to this ancient aesthetic design that appealed to my soul.

I was connecting the dots on the surface of the canvas, ignorant of the fact that others were connecting dots physically and energetically through a global movement called Contemplative Labyrinth Activism, which I’ll explain further down.

This past Sunday was the dedication ceremony for the Ocean Health Labyrinth at the Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in the city of St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador, where I live.

It is now #9 in a global network of labyrinths in the Legacy Labyrinth Project.

The LLP’s  vision:

We believe that the labyrinth experience creates connection, compassion and coherence for individuals, communities and the planet.”

The LLP mission:

We build, connect and use labyrinths to effect change throughout the world.  We conduct research and collaborate with labyrinth walkers in practice of contemplative labyrinth activism.

Each of the 9 labyrinths in this growing network on 3 continents so far is dedicated to a different focal theme.

In addition to our theme of Ocean Health here in St. John’s, the other 8 are:

1. La Falda, Argentina
   Reconciliation for families and neighbors of the people forced to flee their homes in Europe during the Holocaust
2. Ohio Wesleyan University – Delaware, OH – USA
   Inter-faith Peace
3. Hoffman Institute (formerly Institute of Noetic Sciences) – Petaluma, CA – USA
   Universal Interconnectedness
4. The Crossing – Grasslands National Park: Val Marie, SK – Canada
   Divine Feminine & Healing
5. Hotellerie St. Yves – Chartres – France
   Wisdom
6. Rollins College – Winter Park, FL-USA
   Becoming Responsible Global Citizens
7. ASA Adirondack – Bakers Mills, NY-USA
   Interconnectedness of All Beings
8. Center for Spiritual Living of Colorado Springs – Colorado Springs, CO – USA
   Great Love

Is your community the next?

During Sunday’s ceremony, all those who participated were given a small vial containing sand, grass, minerals, etc. from one of the other 8 locations. We added these to the sea water for our Ocean Health Labyrinth and the whole was later sprinkled around the cathedral – joining this location to this growing global network.

Since the 9 labyrinths have been dedicated and linked both physically and energetically, people walking one labyrinth can easily add their intentions and energy to any of the other communities and themes.

I’m so glad I arrived at the cathedral half an hour early for my Artist Talk on Saturday to workshop participants from both the United States and Canada.

The presentation before mine was my first introduction to the concept of Contemplative Labyrinth Activism.

As described on the Labyrinth Activist Network site:

Labyrinth activism is walking in heart coherence, with a shared focused intention for change or healing. It is most effective when done in groups. It is often experienced as a sacred experience cultivating a sense of connectedness and insight.

This collective of labyrinth walkers are peacefully contributing to global change in a variety of ways, including monthly zoom meetings, gathering in response to international emergencies, and training activists to achieve their goals in more peaceful ways.

Meeting several from the workshop group felt like meeting soul family – this wasn’t the first lifetime we’d crossed paths.

I’m not sure what my involvement will be in the future, but I’m grateful to have had my “me” labyrinth experience expanded and connected to a much greater “we” movement.

I’m also honoured to have contributed in the ways I was moved to before even having a clue of the bigger picture of what this would turn out to be.

• the co-creation with Spirit of the painting “Into the Sea of Infinity” (an 8-foot print on display in permanence in the cathedral)
• an exhibition and Artist Talk during the dedication weekend
• sharing here with you in case you’re inspired to pursue some of the links included

Other tidbits that delighted me this weekend were:

• hearing that when the Legacy Labyrinth Project organizers connected the dots of their locations on a map, it formed an infinity symbol, which I’d been intuitively guided to include in my painting
• The earliest known Christian labyrinth was laid in the floor of the basilica at Al-Asnam in Algeria in 324 AD, way before Chartres in the 1200s
• I had no idea I was walking #5 in the Legacy Labyrinth Network when I was in Chartres- it was in the backyard of my hotel during my Mary Magdalene Pilgrimage. You can see it at the very end of my video called Co-Creating Sacred Space here on Youtube.
• although I’d felt the power of both creating and walking a labyrinth as a group while in the Transformative Arts Program in Italy (see my video here), I now understand the importance of it on a much deeper level. My me to we dots are being connected! Yay!

Thank you to all who contributed to creating this sacred labyrinth space in St. John’s, to this weekend of ceremonies and workshops, and to all who are walking in peace and for peace in this world.