I had heard of the labyrinth at St. Joseph’s
Convent in Kincumber (about one hundred kilometers north of Sydney) when I
attended a women’s fellowship group. It sounded interesting and so Lyle and I
made a special trip to find it. We weren’t disappointed.
The labyrinth was outside in a cleared
grass area in the Australian bush. The rings or circles on the ground were
marked out by low hedges – only about ten centimetres tall but very effective. In the centre there was a shady tree with
wooden benches around the trunk. In the
outside area of the labyrinth were scattered bushes. I recognized one as a
fragrant frangipani bush. The area was quiet and very conducive to meditation.
I think that what I liked most about this
particular labyrinth was the markings on the ground. I could feel the track
with my feet and I didn’t have to rely on my sight to see where I needed to go.
With previous experiences of walking a labyrinth, I found that I was
concentrating more on where I should be rather than letting my mind wander with
a contemplative experience.
A labyrinth is not a maze. With a maze
there are dead ends and the trick is to find one’s way through a confusing
pattern. With a labyrinth the trail is clearly marked through concentric
circular patterns until one reaches the centre. It is representative of one’s
journey through life. Several people can walk a labyrinth at the same time.
When Lyle and I walked, we passed each other several times – sometimes going in
the same direction of a parallel circle and at other times going in the
opposite direction. I suppose that this too is representative of life.
Basically we walk alone but we meet and pass others on our individual journey.
I have included three pictures with this
post. The first shows part of the labyrinth.
The second is of me walking the labyrinth, and the third is a close up
of some frangipani flowers.
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| Labyrinth |
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| Sue walking in the labyrinth |
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| Frangipani |
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