Labyrinth Committee Updates
Our labyrinth committee has dreamed of a labyrinth on our church
grounds ever since we were gifted with the former land on Hatch Road and we are
thrilled to have our beautiful labyrinth.
Click HERE to learn about our labyrinth's
creation and dedication. There are many wonderful photos and stories.
See a
bird's eye view of our Labyrinth!
Women's Labyrinth Ritual Group
Here are the upcoming Walks for 2007
Please join us! If you have
never walked the Labyrinth before, come 15 minutes early for an introduction to
the Labyrinth. No experience necessary! J
September 23rd, 2007 7:00PM (Sunday), Autumnal Equinox Walk, Facilitator: Joyce Phelps
October 28th, 2007 7:00PM (Sunday), Samhain, Facilitator: Linda
Webster
November 23rd, 2007 7:30PM (Friday), Gratitude Walk, Facilitator: Joyce Phelps
December 22nd, 2007 5:30PM(Saturday), Winter Solstice Walk, Facilitator: Susan Steffes
Labyrinth News
September 2007
Autumn Equinox Walk Sunday, September 23 at 7:00 pm on Live Oak Labyrinth
Come celebrate the balance of the light as the earth turns and the hours of
the day equal the hours of the night. On this date the sun rises due east and
sets due west on the horizon and the days begin to grow shorter and shorter and
the nights longer. The wheel of the year turns and we stand together on common
ground once again on the labyrinth.
There is a theme that is present at harvest time that is found in all
cultures around the world. Preparation involves some kind of purification —
fasting, praying, reflecting on past offenses, a cleansing of body and spirit.
It is a time for thanksgiving and an opportunity to become new ourselves, to let
go of old hurts and failures, to get on with life as nature does and let
ourselves be open to hope and possibilities.
Come join us to honor the light that is shared by us all.
If you are new to labyrinth walking, come 15 minutes early for an
orientation. For more information, contact Joyce Phelps (733-0561,
joycephelps@austin.rr.com).
August 2007
In July, I, with a lot of help from my friends, constructed a temporary
Amiens labyrinth on the lawn just out the north door from the Fellowship Hall.
When last checked, it was still visible in the grass. But if you haven’t walked
it yet, you better do it soon!
On July 1, Joyce Phelps facilitated the always popular Independence Day Walk,
which saw a lot more fireworks than we did on the actual day (because of the
weather).
In August we’re going to do something a little different. Last summer I read
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. When I got to the part where Bilbo named
his account of the events in The Hobbit as There and Back Again, I said, “What a
wonderful description of a labyrinth!” When you think about it, both of these
stories tell a tale of someone who undertakes a journey and returns home, a
changed person. Is this not what we hope to accomplish with a labyrinth walk?
(Of course, we strive to return with all of our fingers in place.)
Thus, we will hold a Middle Earth walk on Sunday, August 26, at
8:00 pm. The plan is to read some of the more uplifting poems from The Lord
of the Rings, walk to the center, and then share some mead (and lighter
refreshment for the little ones). (Bring your own Old Tobe!) Costumes are
encouraged!
If you have a favorite passage from the books that you’d like to read, please
come and read it to us. I’ve already got my eye on the Tree Ent song.
Contact Mike Schultz (835- 2377,
mikes@texas.net) for more information.
Mike Schultz, Labyrinth Committee Chair
July 2007
Come join us for an Intergenerational Labyrinth Walk on Sunday, July 1, at
8:30 pm (this is a time change on our calendar of events) to celebrate the
fundamental ideals of this country of acceptance and peace. This USA is not
perfect, but it still provides us with the opportunity to strive to be who we
are and to work for what is good and right in this world. Children, young and
old, love this walk with sparklers and glow sticks. Feel free to bring some of
your own to share. There will be time for sitting in the center to share in
community under the stars, so bring your lawn chairs! (The moonrise is at 9:58
pm.) Contact Joyce Phelps (733-0561, joycephelps@austin.rr.com) for additional
information.
Bonus Labyrinth Walk: We noticed that almost two months will pass between the
Independence Day walk (see above) and the Middle Earth walk on August 26, so on
Saturday, July 28, at 8:00 pm, we’ll have a bonus Full Moon walk.
On this day, moon rise is at 7:52 pm and sun set is at 8:28 pm, so after the
walk, we’ll hang out at the center and watch the celestial light show. Bring a
chair, a drink, and a snack if you’d like to join us.
Speaking of the August walk, it will be time to get your Tolkein on (costume,
that is). In August, the labyrinth walk will be a tribute to the Lord of the
Rings and Hobbit stories, so be thinking about a costume and come walk with
us in August through Middle Earth.
June 2007
Well, a funny thing happened on the way to the Blue Moon walk this month.
I went online to learn more about Blue Moons. I discovered that that phrase is
from the Maine Farmer’s Almanac and is the third full moon when there are four
moons in a season. The Alamanac would designate this with a blue moon symbol.
The interesting point is that since the seasons don’t actually start at the
beginning of a month, the second full moon in a month is not necessarily Blue.
So where did this idea come from? It turns out that it was a mistake introduced
in a March 1946 article in, of all places, Sky and Telescope. The author, James
Hugh Pruett, jumped to the conclusion that the second moon of a month is always
a Blue Moon. So, this is just a long way of saying that, despite the fact that
this month has two full moons in it, it is not officially a Blue Moon. However,
a full moon is always a good reason for a walk, in my opinion, so we’ll be
merely having a Full Moon Walk on Wednesday, May 30, at 8:00 pm.
Whenever I walk under a Full Moon, I always hear Nanci Griffith’s song Once
in a Very Blue Moon (by Patrick Alger and Gene Levine) in my head. So, I’d like
to walk accompanied by music this month. Besides Ms. Griffith’s song, I’ll try
to find a few other moon-related songs for us to walk to. Hope to see you there!
Mike Schultz, Labyrinth Committee Chair
On Thursday, June 21, beginning at 8:00 pm, we’ll celebrate the Summer
Solstice with a labyrinth walk. The summer solstice is the longest day of the
year and it symbolizes the fullness of the sun and the time of abundance. Let’s
fill the center of the labyrinth with things to share of the summer abundance;
for example, fruits, vegetables, or herbs from your garden, flowers, food or
drink for after the ritual, and other items that represent the richness of
summer. This ritual will be fun for children as well as for adults. Please also
bring something to sit on in the center of the labyrinth. For more information,
contact Linda Webster
(lindawebster@grandecom.net).
May 2007
“Just once, in a very blue moon”. This month’s labyrinth walk will be a Blue
Moon Walk on Wednesday, May 30, at 8:00 pm.
The labyrinth’s birthday party last month was a huge success. What with the
cake, the balloons, and drummers, everyone had a great time. Thanks to everyone
who came to walk and help us party!
Mike Schultz, Labyrinth Committee Chair
April 2007
One could not have asked for a better, prettier, spring day on March 3 to
work on the labyrinth! It was neither hot nor cold. Thirteen folks gathered at
the labyrinth to install new solar lights, reset some of the stones that had
worked their way loose, trim trees, pull weeds, and add some more crushed
granite. We even fixed the weed block that accidentally covered one of the water
sprinklers next to the path by the church building. After the workers worked up
an appetite, the Labyrinth Committee treated them to lunch. Labyrinth-sized
thanks to Jay Landers, Courtney Havenwood, their kids, Kirby Kendall, Gerrie and
Larry Smith, Chris Lufkin, Annie Callahan, Maryann Todd-Thompson, Mike Schultz,
and John and Joyce Phelps.
The labyrinth’s annual May Day walk will be held on Sunday, April 29,
after the service. Details are still being finalized, but there is sure to be a
May Pole dance. Put it on your calendar!
March 2007
Ahhh, March. The days are getting longer. The weather is getting
warmer. And people’s fancy’s turn to … well, you know. Take some of that energy
and celebrate the coming spring by sprucing up the labyrinth for the next year.
We have the third anniversary of our labyrinth coming up later this month and
the Labyrinth Committee wants to make sure that the labyrinth is nice and spiffy
for the event. We’ll be putting stones lining the path back in place, adding
some more crushed granite to the path, and removing the pesky weeds that are
starting to pop up. We’re also considering installing some solar lights and
planting some plants around it. It’s not a lot of work, but it will be a lot
more fun (and go a lot faster) with more hands contributing.
So please bring your rakes, shovels, and wheel barrows to the church on
Saturday, March 3 at 10:00 am to help us work on the labyrinth. If we have
enough people and get through early, we’ll do some odd jobs around the church.
If the weather is bad on that day, we have a make up day scheduled for the March
10. Thanks! Mike Schultz
It is hard to believe that the Live Oak Labyrinth is three years old this
March! In some ways it seems like just last year our amazing church community,
with the assistance of members from the greater community, came together to
build this gift in just ONE day. In other ways it seems the labyrinth has been a
part of our community for a very long time. To think on the myriad ways it has
been a part of our community for a very long time. To think on the myriad ways
it has been utilized in the past three years is to reflect upon a host of events
both joyful and somber. We have celebrated life, mourned loss, asked for
healing, reflected on beauty, prayed for peace, and hosted celebrations for
rites of passage such as birthdays, anniversaries, marriage, and birth. I have
never known of a labyrinth more loved and used than Live Oak’s; there are
monthly community walks, monthly women’s rituals, and many special events that
take place from within the community, the groups that lease space, and the
community at large. It is no wonder the paths are well worn and the energy it
holds is vibrant. If you’ve never walked the labyrinth, we invite you to join us
as the Live Oak Labyrinth celebrates its third anniversary on March 25 with a
community walk after the service. There will be music, cake, and balloons. Join
us as we “open the paths” for another year of great blessings from this ancient
mystical pathway. (Special thanks to Joyce and John Phelps for introducing us to
the idea of a labyrinth and helping to plan and build this amazing treasure.)
Susan Steffes
January 2007
"Walking the labyrinth clears the mind and gives insight into the spiritual
journey. It urges action, it calms people in the throes of life transition, it
helps them see their lives in the context of a path, a pilgrimage. They realize
that they are not human beings on a spiritual path, but spiritual beings on a
human path." ~ Lauren Artress from Walking a Sacred Path.
Come join us on Saturday, February 17, for a Dark of the Moon walk on
the Live Oak labyrinth. We will begin ingathering at 7:15 pm in the Fellowship
Hall, with our walk to begin at 7:30 pm. Come and experience the power of
transition with the practice of walking the sacred labyrinth and share with
fellow pilgrims in their spiritual journey. Since everyone’s journey is unique,
we gather after our walk for a sharing time and a light snack. If you have never
walked the labyrinth before, be sure to be there at 7:15 pm for a brief
orientation. For more information, contact Joyce Phelps
(joycephelps@austin.rr.com) .
In December, about 20 folks
attended the Winter Solstice Ritual at the labyrinth. This year, instead of the
ritual being read by just one person, it was divided into parts and we had a
reenactment of the Solstice story. Linda Webst
er
was our Crone, Katherine Enyart was our Angel, Susan Steffes was Mother Night,
Mike Schultz was the Old God, and Hayden Steffes was the Sun. Following the
ritual and walk, Genevieve Enyart performed fire dancing, Marion Magarick read a
solstice story to the kids, and we all sang Solstice songs. It was a really
magical night and everyone had a lot of fun!
The final labyrinth event for 2006 will be a New Year’s Eve walk on
December 31, 8:00-10:00 pm. There will be a fire pit, among other
festivities. So, don’t spend New Year’s Eve with Dick Clark or Anderson Cooper
on the TV – come and spend it with your friends on the labyrinth!
Two of our labyrinth enthusiasts, Linda Webster and Mike Schultz, are having
birthdays in mid- January, and they decided to hold a labyrinth birthday walk to
celebrate their big days. The walk will Friday, January 19, 2007, at 6:00 pm
and you’re invited! Please bring no presents – your presence is enough. For more
information, contact Mike Schultz (835-2377,
mikes@texas.net ).
Monthly Updates
2006 Updates * 2005 Updates *2004 Updates * 2003
Updates
Copyright
©2006, Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Church.