Click onto the link for details of a labyrinth workshop to be run by Di Williams next year. Flyer for Di Williams
You might be interested to hear Di Williams, the UK’s first Veriditas Master Teacher and trainer for these events, being interviewed about labyrinths for BBC’s Women’s Hour, sometime between 10-11am on Friday 31st December.
As well the recent Walk to Remember at St Mary’s Church in Alsager, Cheshire, Bernard Moss has sent the information below about the labyrinth at Staffordshire University.
Bernard has led several labyrinth walk events at Staffordshire University, including on for a cohort of part time social work students whom he happened to be teaching on his last official day of teaching before retirement. It had a theme of thankfulness for the journey so far, and of stepping out into an unknown future.
As each student reached the centre, carrying their small glass pebble to represent whatever they took with them on their walk, they found a card addressed to them personally in which Bernard had written an appreciation for their contribution to the course and their many gifts, strengths and attributes. On their return they all wrote lengthy contributions in the labyrinth diary which helped everyone to mark the specialness of the occasion.
Additional walks have taken place to mark Mental Health and Well-being week at the university, with future events planned for reflective practice workshops for staff. There are strong hopes that Staffordshire University might soon have its own permanent labyrinth.
Bernard Moss led a labyrinth walk in his home town of Alsager, Cheshire, around the theme of Remembrance in November. This focussed not only on helping people remember those who have died in military conflict but also anyone experiencing the painful loss of bereavement, which focuses around the Christian festivals of All Souls and All Saints. Red rose petals were scattered along the labyrinth walk as memory moments for the walkers, together with an opportunity to take a small coloured glass pebble with them to focus their thoughts. Click here to download the handout prepared for participants (Word document)
Jeff and Kimberly Saward visited the University of Kent earlier this year for a lively seminar and a practical introduction to labyrinth-making –on the cheap! We started with an introduction to the history of labyrinths, followed by an opportunity to draw many different seed patterns. Then it was out to the chosen site, to see what we could do.
We set out to create a seven-circuit classical labyrinth from chopped corn (chickenfeed). The instructions can be found on Jeff and Kimberly’s Labyrinthos website, http://www.labyrinthos.net/layout.html This includes more photos of the process – mostly showing the team doubled up in concentration. Thanks are due to the Grounds Maintenance Team who recommended the site and made sure the grass was newly mown, and to the Biosciences Office who found a room for the photographer, looking down on the event as it proceeded!
The most time-consuming part was choosing the exact starting point, and laying out the seed pattern. For example, we needed to ensure that the completed labyrinth would be well clear of a grassy ditch and a paved footpath. Then the team was divided into runners and walkers. The walkers spaced ourselves out along a rope with ribbons marking our designated places (see the instructions). Each of us had a scoop (plastic bottle, trimmed to shape) full of chickenfeed ready to pour on the ground – it was the job of the runners to keep our scoops topped up. The rope was taut, pegged down at one end – we followed the rope, each of us pouring a narrow line of corn as we went, following the line that our individual ribbon traversed over the ground. Within 20 minutes we had a beautifully constructed labyrinth – ready to walk, run, dance…
This highly enjoyable day was a Creative Campus event at the University of Kent and was funded through my National Teaching Fellowship. It provided training for three different groups: volunteers from a primary school, labyrinth enthusiasts at the University, and staff and students from the University’s School of Arts who planned to use the labyrinth in a subsequent dance event. Photos include the expert clearing-up carried out by a campus resident.
Jan Sellers
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‘Love Your Campus’ is the theme of a new series of lunch-time events for students and staff at the University of Kent, part of the University’s Creative Campus. This Wednesday I led a craft session – first time I’d done this and I can report that glitter glue is a real asset!
This was a drop-in session, and anyone passing by was invited to join in, with the invitation to learn how to draw a labyrinth in five minutes and make a labyrinth to take away. I had a supply of craft materials – beads, card, paper, modelling clay, colouring pens and so on. Using a seven-circuit classical labyrinth, I made two examples on card, one with woven strips of paper and one that was just glitter glue, squeezed out of the tube like toothpaste. Students really took to this and once they had a sense of ownership of the classical design (see Labyrinthos website, http://www.labyrinthos.net/layout.html) they began to explore all sorts of possibilities – including one Architecture student who discovered Baltic, three- and five-pointed seed patterns for himself. The photos show work in progress and some completed works of art.
Jan Sellers
I was delighted to hear from Glen Robinson, Graphic Design lecturer at the University of Lincoln, about the labyrinths he and his friends have been building. Glen has kindly provided this link to more pictures on Flickr and the text below.
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“The artists collaboration GRRR and any friends they can talk into helping have been quietly building labyrinths in the sand on Lincolnshire beaches and in fields of snow for a couple of years now.‘We feel the process of making a labyrinth is an expression of coalescence with nature, to attain coherence with our surroundings and resonate with an ancient symbol. The ephemeral quality of using materials or building in environments where nature will “take back” is an interesting process for artists to explore and working in public often creates an opportunity to discuss the symbol’s design and origin with passers by, who are encouraged to walk the path, although the labyrinths we build are primarily for personal reflection and relaxation; a token of the unbounded potential of everything”.
GRRR – Glen & Rebecca
studio@grrr.org.uk
The Lincoln ‘Ermine Street’ Labyrinth was set out in the dramatic setting of Lincoln Cathedral on 29th September by Lincoln University Chaplain Les Acklam. This was part of an activity day for pupils from special needs schools from across the county. Two workshops were held for two groups of a dozen pupils who enjoyed the experience of walking the labyrinth and were intrigued by its design and history.
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“It was a delight to be launched as the first Veriditas Master Teacher for the UK at the first ever Veriditas Facilitator Training event held in this country. It was a personal privilege to teach a wonderfully experienced and skilled group. Together, we have taken a step along the path of deepening the labyrinth work already happening in the UK. I am excited at all that is to come”.
‘UK Veriditas Master Teacher and Labyrinth Consultant, Rev Di Williams. http://www.diwilliams.com/index.html
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‘Journeys through the Labyrinth’ workshop, under the University of Kent’s Creative Campus initiative, was an opportunity to learn more about the labyrinth and its use as a blueprint for a journey – whether through work, study, or major life decisions and transitions. The day included exploration of the history, meaning and impact of labyrinths in the world today, with a focus on reflection, creativity and spiritual development. As well as background information, and small and large group discussions, there were opportunities to walk both indoor and outdoor labyrinths in a day of personal journaling and reflection. The workshop was led by Lauren Artress, an Episcopal priest in the State of California and Founder and Creative Director of Veriditas. Jan Sellers, whose National Teacher Fellow project supported the creation of the beautiful Canterbury Labyrinth in the grounds of the University of Kent (see the picture gallery above) managed the event which doubled up as a pre-qualifying workshop for the labyrinth facilitator training weekend that followed. This training was led by Di Williams, Anglican minister and currently Chaplain at the University of Edinburgh. In 2008 Di was awarded an MBE for services to higher education including her interfaith and labyrinth work in Chaplaincy. Di is also a Veriditas Master Teacher and author of the book ‘Labyrinth – landscape of the Soul’ available at www.diwilliams.com 0r di@diwilliams.com Futher information about the University of Edinbugh Labyrinth can be found here on the Labyrinth Projects page.
The Canterbury Labyrinth is beautifully situated on the side of a wooded hill that looks down towards Canterbury Cathedral. The parallels with historical accounts of pilgrimage, in particular Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, makes the concept of taking time out for journeying and personal reflection even more appropriate.
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