Call for Researchers and Discoverers- Labyrinth Society

The Labyrinth Society is an international organization whose mission is to support all those who create, maintain, and use labyrinths and to serve the global community by providing education, networking, and opportunities to experience transformation.

Early in the twenty-first century, perhaps for the first time in the multi-thousand-year history of labyrinths, people began asking different questions about the maze. In addition to the usual historical, contextual, and archaeological questions about the designs, locations, and uses of labyrinths over the years, people began to ask questions about the reported effects of walking labyrinths or interacting with mazes in a variety of other ways.

People began to ask questions about the psychological and physiological causes of perceived and often-reported “labyrinth effects,” as well as whether or not these perceived “labyrinth effects” could be isolated and measured. These questions have given rise to a new and emerging field of labyrinth research.

If you are interested in labyrinth research, please join other like-minded individuals and us as we build a research base. Many people who want to take labyrinths to hospitals, hospices, schools, corporations, and other organizations are confronted with requests for data, not only on the maze but also if/why it has its effects.

Whether your area of interest is health, education, spirituality, art, history, or other areas, we invite your participation in developing reliable information that will document the effects of the labyrinth. Below is the mission statement of the Research Committee. If you are interested in finding out about labyrinth research, initiating a research project, or joining the Research Committee, please contact the Research Committee Chair.

Mission Statement of the Labyrinth Research Committee

The Labyrinth Society Research Committee supports research on labyrinths and experiences by providing a resource base and encouraging various labyrinth-related research interests.

Ceremonial Circle- Tribute to Grandmother's

 ENVIRONMENTAL INSTALLATION "the Land"

Rituals and traditions Purification Ceremony

Join us for a day of construction, altar making, and painting in the environment Saturday, May 25th; our day will begin at 10am - continue through the evening. Storyteller Diana Bruton-  San Joaquin Valley Genealogical Society Researcher of Bruton, Burks Family, will join us on Friday.

Blessing of the land was conducted by facilitators: Josephine Talamantez and Stan Padilla on our opening day. Together they left these poles for me to place in the four directions to surround my installation with positive vibrations; Earth, Air, Water, and Wind.

With much due respect, I will attend the 8th annual Louie & Anne Oliver Memorial Day Come Back, MeWuk Indian gathering this weekend to begin my spiritual experience.

In our limited knowledge, we will not hold an actual sweat here but a gathering, a talking about our loved ones, and bring their memories to this living tradition. The Independence tribe will be sharing its culture, history, and heritage through a number of cultural events, including dances, interpretive displays, and good old-fashioned fellowship.

Altar for Michelle Walker

Ondrea Walker prepares elements for her mother's and grandma's altar.

This Altar is the focal point of my ceremonial circle holding the sunflowers and altar elements carried outside, up the hill where I am working.

Fire Keeper Pit- Preparation,  I dug up pottery Anita had thrown into a pit over the years. It was a hole left from where she had her retainer wall built. I dug up old broken pottery she had thrown out because it was cracked or broken, some folks didn't come back to pick it up, or she just didn't want. I  packed the red clay dirt down and packed it around the sides, and began the re-layering of broken ceramics to turn the pit into our "Fire Keeper" sacred place. We will use the candles from MAP Gallery Myths, Stories, and Living Tradition in the hole so that the wax will cover the broken pottery.

One night Happy, Caryl, and I were sitting around the "Ceremonial Circle" and watched the sunlight play on the surface of this tree. It was decided it would be another place to build an altar. Talver Germany Miller - Grandma's Tree painted the vertical mural to honor Michelle, as the sunflower was one of her favorite colors.

Alpha Bruton, Diana Bruton, Ondrea Walker 

Andrea Jennifer  "YaYa" Porras-
Altar installation Trainer

Turtle Shell Sculpture, Anita conducted sessions each day so each participant could leave their mark on the community project. She fired all the slabs on Tuesday night, and we began painting then on Wednesday night in the studio.

Building the Environment:

Orientation – The door must face a scared fire. Here in Auburn, we are facing Northwest; I am placing the entry point in a natural path from the studio, up the hill, into the circle. The circle is made of natural elements that are already on the land. I arranged wood stumps for sitting, used the trees to hang banners, and used logs as pedestals for the Phantom Gallery Chicago, exhibiting Anita's found artworks. I designed four symbols on Sunday during Caryl's symbol workshop.

Anita Posey Lowe working with Azul on making a slab for the sculpture, turtles shells that will make the dome. Twelve slabs were made by each participant that attended the retreat. We had seniors as old as 80 to as young as 2 months; here little Mia with her parents Alisa and Oliver.

The circle is set up like a coliseum with an amphitheater, an area for guests to sit made from logs already cut. To the north, I have a place for the staging, and to the East, I have our altar to the land and to grandmother's tree.

We are using the four directions and creating a narrative for storytelling, poetry, positive affirmations, and remembering so each "Spirit Keeper" will participate in the storytelling.

Construction – As I worked on Thursday night, a wild turkey visited me, sat perched on a limb above the ceremonial circle, and watched as I hung our banners. This morning a couple of deers were investigating the process; we watched them from the dining room table. This morning I will begin building the frame of our altar, so we can add fabric and a mural around it. Also, we have to install turtle shells made from the slab clay workshop. 

Support –  Because we are not actually performing a purification ceremony, this will be a circle to tell the stories of the ones we dedicate the process to. The animal skins have been replaced with blankets, plastic sheeting, old carpet, heavy gauge canvas sheets, and tarps to retain the heat and the steam. We are dyeing canvas with the natural dye Caryl made from bark and other vegetation on the property. Talver donated raw canvas and  burlap, and we added the fabric from the MAP gallery to add to the "temple."

Training-

YaYa and I drove to the Buena Vista Rancheria on Sunday afternoon. She was performing at the  8th annual Louie & Anne Oliver Memorial Day Come Back, MeWuk Native American. Buena Vista Me-Wuk Indians have been living on aboriginal tribal land of what later became Amador County since at least 1817. I can't put into words just yet of the experience. It was like one big family reunion, with lots of food, fun, and tribal dancing. There was also an Inipi (Ceremonial Purification Circle) that I was able to visit, but I have not had the spiritual experience yet. I would like to spend time fasting and cleansing before attending a ceremony.

Training - Most cultures holding ceremonial sweats require that someone undergo intensive training for many years to be allowed to lead a purification ceremony. One of the requirements is that the leader can pray and communicate fluently in the indigenous language of that culture and that they understand how to conduct the ceremony safely. This leadership role is granted by the Elders of the community, not self-designation.



A full weekend past & the Full Moon Ritual to come...

May 21, 2013

 

On Sunday morning, Caryl and I walked the labyrinth for the first time. It was a wonderful experience. Though I'd been walking it throughout the process of building it, this was the first time I'd walked it with a different purpose. Caryl's reaction when she came out was heartwarming. Working the land was new and exquisitely wonderful for a visual artist whose primary medium is photography.

 Labyrinth triangle and grotto

We had several visitors over the weekend. Saturday, Ya Ya came up with her son Sol and young friends Yazmin and Alejandra. They helped Alpha work on her piece up on the hill, played on their skateboards and scooter for a while, and then came down to the labyrinth. The kids were great! They took the wheelbarrow around the land, found enough pine cones to complete a piece of the labyrinth details, then kept working till the cones were laid out following Caryl's pattern.

Our Sunday visitors participated in Caryl's knockout workshop on symbols, where she talked about her work with characters from the Adinkra from Ghana. We used Adinkra to create our own symbols representing who we are and who/how we want to be. These were later carried on the inaugural public labyrinth walk and placed in the center grotto. 
 

 

Some folks worked with Anita making clay oval-shaped disks to be incorporated into Alpha's piece, a tribute to Mama Crecy's people and Sally Alpha', which is growing daily as she works to realize her vision.

Caryl also worked on and finished boiling the bark and leaves, mixing them with slip from Anita's pottery workshop. (I'll leave the practical details to her…so let us know if you want to know more.) Then, late in the day, she began her painting of the excellent Grandmother Tree/live oak that grounds the labyrinth.

 

 

 leading into the grotto, the labyrinth

My time outside the workshop was taken up, making sure the labyrinth path was clearly marked. 

When we began the inaugural walk, I led a short grounding
meditation, including loose instructions for walking the labyrinth; i.e., walk in with something in mind (in this case, it related to the symbols we chose to define ourselves), clear your mind when you reach the center, pay attention when you walk out for words/feelings/energy.
Of course, we had a lot of good food and conversation throughout.

This Friday, we are holding a ritual at the labyrinth in celebration of the total moon eclipse. We will begin around 8:30, so please start arriving after 6:00 pm for dinner and socializing; the gathering for the event is to begin at 8:00 pm at the latest.

Do come join us, and feel free to camp out. If so, come earlier so you can set up your tent. 

Everyone is invited to bring food and/or drink to share.



Sacred Space and Other Places

Dr. Patricia Adelekan, YOMI, Founder

"Sacred Spaces and Other Places"  Members of the International Educator Hall of Fame and the Board of Directors of YOMI will gather to vision a strategy for  Hall of Fame Inductees to have their collections archived as small museums. Establishing a trust for the International Educators Hall of Fame Museum.

 

 

Date: Thursday, May 23rd, Noon- 5pm, Bring your own lunch or snack, or you can schedule a lunch break for 2 hrs to go into downtown Auburn.

 

 Location is 1855 Christian Valley Road, Auburn, CA,  coming from Sacramento-

	Take the exit onto I-80 E toward Reno
		37.4 mi
	Take the exit toward Dry Creek Rd
		0.2 mi
	Turn left onto Neils Rd
		0.1 mi
	Turn left onto Lake Arthur Rd
		0.2 mi
	Take the 1st right onto Christian Valley Rd The destination will be on the left.
		2.0 mi

1855 Christian Valley Rd Auburn, CA 9560

Conservation Land Trust: A land trust is a nonprofit organization that, as part of its mission, actively works to conserve land by undertaking or assisting in land or conservation easement acquisition or by its stewardship of such land or easements.

Putting real estate assets into a land trust allows the owner to avoid probate and save on estate taxes when the property passes to heirs. It will also protect the property from liens and judgments that might otherwise be brought against an owner. For partners and tenants in common, each owner is insulated from decisions. With a land trust, an owner can privately transfer their beneficial interest in the faith (the actual ownership) without being reported to any governmental agencies. Lastly, a person's property right remains confidential with a land trust and does not appear in any county recorder's office or another publicly-accessible resource.

In particular, Community land trusts attempt to meet the needs of residents least served by the prevailing land market. Community land trusts help communities: Gain control over local land use and reduce absentee ownership, provide affordable housing for lower-income residents in the community, promote resident ownership and control of housing, keep housing affordable for future residents and build a strong base for community action.

Biographical Profile:

I have over 60 years of experience as an International Scholar, Consultant, Educationist, Teacher
Trainer, Researcher, Writer, Speaker, and Publicist and Published numerous books and a few hundred articles.
 
I speak, read and write fluent French and English and know Spanish, German, and Yoruba well. I am the founder of nine International Institutions, have been featured in several national and international "Who's Who" Achievement Volumes, and have received over 300 honors and awards. Selected Toastmaster of the Year 2011-2012. Named Outstanding Senior of the Year by Senator Lou Correrea in Orange County, California. 

 I founded Youth-on-the-Move, Inc. (YOM I), a nonprofit community-based youth organization (NGO/CBO) in 1986 which operated a school and a Youth Talk – a radio program among other achievements (2013 celebrated its 27th Anniversary of YOMI); founded the International Educator's Hall of Fame, in 1993 in Sacramento, California, now spread throughout America and the world with over 530 inductees from 21 countries, 20^th Anniversary -2013).  
 

 

 

Moon Rising Ceremony and Blessing Calling to Sprit Keepers of the East, South, West, and North

Friday, May 17, 2013, guest artists: Alpha, Caryl, Happy, and host Anita walked down to the installation being created around the Grandma's tree, a tree on the property where Anita took her grand-daughters Anisa and Morena to play, swing, and climb upon. This sacred tree is the heart of the installation, where we together will perform a walking meditation to begin the making of our labyrinth /medicine wheel.

Calling to Spirit Keepers of the East, South, West, and North

 Happy facing East:

Oh Spirit of the East, Land of the rising Sun, Of Air, the winds that blow across the lands. Of new beginnings each day, and of open horizons. We bless you and ask for your wisdom and blessing here with us today. please join us, Spirit of the East.

Alpha facing South:

Oh, Spirit of the South, Place of Passion, Fire and Creation and inspiration, whose warm breath reminds us of summer days. Ignite our hearts with love. We bless you and ask for your wisdom and blessing here with us today. Please join us, Spirit of the  South.

 Caryl facing West:

Oh Spirit of the West, the land of the setting Sun, Of water and Autumn's whisper. Bless us with the knowledge of peace which follows the harvest of a f ruitful life. We bless you and ask for your wisdom and blessing here today. Please join us, Spirit of the West.

Anita facing North:

Oh Spirit of the North, place of quiet, stillness, of cave and deep earth. Place of thankfulness for the knowledge and blessing s that have come to us with time. We bless you and ask your wisdom and blessing here today. Please join us, Spirit of the North.

L.A. Happy our Spirit Leader:

Oh Spirit of Mother Earth, you support us each day, welcoming our roots deep into your heart. You nurture and guide us finding sustenance and support. Help us to give thanks Always for Your bounty.  We bless you and ask for your wisdom and blessing here today. Please join us Spirit of Mother Earth.

Alpha- Retreat Coordinator:

Oh Spirit of Father Sky, of the angelic reals, the countless stars of the night remind us that you are vast beautiful and majestic beyond all of our knowing or understanding. Your light shines upon the earth both day and night guiding our steps. We bless you ask for your wisdom and blessing here today. Please join us, Father Sky.

Anta- Retreat Host:

Oh, Spirit of our souls within, Place of union, love, and reverence. We are grateful for this life gift and the love that guides our way. So we open our hearts and join with all in love. It is begun.

It's been a little over 24 hours

It's been a little over 24 hours since Happy/L. A. Hyder and I have been here in Auburn. Anita Posey-Lowe, our host, has been so welcoming and kind. The land where she lives is beautiful. Not so much, unlike the land that I live on.
Lots of trees, mostly pine, madrone, and oak.

We walked the land, found several spots that felt right for the piece, and chose a beautiful grandmother oak on the South Eastern corner of the property.

The actual shape of the labyrinth we are designing came about by thinking about traditional labyrinths, and then we followed the form of the land.

Like most pine forests, a deep layer of needles blankets the ground's surface. I enjoy the feeling of softness under my feet as I walk about. We used a rake to move the character and placed pine cones to delineate the path. Pretty cool.

Now we have something to work with today. We bless the space and prep for our "Gathering and Grounding" workshop this afternoon.

Gathering and Grounding

Together we will perform a walking meditation to begin making our labyrinth /medicine wheel. The Ritual will help us to identify and gather the specific rocks to create a sacred labyrinth/medicine wheel. May 14 - May 25.

Caryl Henry Alexander- Faculty

Visual artist, Social Justice activist, educator, and traveler, UU. For 25 years has offered visual arts projects in communities with a focus on creative literacy, community collaboration, and arts-integrated curriculum. Her projects have been successful in schools with grades 3-12 and multi-generational, multicultural, and interfaith communities in diverse settings.

 

Happy Hyder                                                                                Bernadette Zambrano

     

Gathering and Grounding

The We are all Drawn Here workshop will be facilitated by 3 women artists, Caryl Henry Alexander, Happy/L.A. Hyder, and Bernadette Zambrano.
 In the We are all Drawn Here workshop, we will explore traditional symbols from diverse cultures celebrating creativity and the earth while paying homage to the land we are one of and the people who came before.
 Each participant will use traditional symbols and create her own symbols while exploring what we seek to learn from communing with the land and each other.

 Gathering and Marking
Together we will perform a walking meditation to begin making our labyrinth /medicine wheel. Then, in Ritual, incorporating the collective and our profoundly personal exploration, we will identify and gather rocks to create a sacred labyrinth/medicine we finally, we. We will mark our collection of stones with paint we make from grass, bark, and soil.

 Defining
In Ritual, we will enliven a labyrinth already defined (or outlined) on the land with our word- and image-painted rocks.

 Walking
We will inaugurate the labyrinth with those who built it. This first walking of the labyrinth will emphasize the land and those who came before and our humble growing connection with these.
The labyrinth will be available throughout the gathering for our and others use. 

The culmination will be with a group ritual on May 24, during the full Moon and eclipse.

Friday the 24^th = full Moon in Sag 9:25 pm and  Penumbral Lunar Eclipse 9:11 pm (visible over the Americas).

We, Moon, say this eclipse: “Be open for insight about the way forward, and make shifts in the present that reflect those visions.”






 

"Commitment to Live"

.

Faculty- Toni Colley-Perry, M.Ed

Thursday, May 16, 2013.

 Time: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

1855 Christian Valley Rd

Auburn, CA

• The cost of the Retreat is $40.00 (money can be brought the day of the retreat)

•  The clay will be provided by www.aposeylowepottery.com

•  You are encouraged to pack a lunch and bring something to share.
• Water will be provided

• Wear comfortable clothes and enclosed shoes. We will be in the foothills you may want to take a walk during breaks.

 You are invited back on May 25, 2013, to pick up your artwork and participate in the Community Celebration.

 The workshop will examine the inner conflict we experience with relationships, careers, bodies, self-image, and choices. 

To be in harmony with yourself, you either make a commitment to change your life, or you have to change your values.  It is important for you to come from your truth and feel good about everything you do.

Participants will be asked, what are your personal values? Is your life consistent with your values? Take a moment to look at your childhood messages. How did your parents value money, their relationships, and the roles they played for the family? Were they loving and understanding towards you? Did they struggle emotionally, mentally, physically, or financially? Did you feel your wishes counted? Did they value money in a way that allowed them to feel alive, happy, and free?

 Participants will create a new personal story for themselves. Identify the values they want to live by and make choices that align directly with them. 

Through this clay workshop, I hope each participant will discover what it takes to believe in oneself and trust the higher energy.

Donations will be made to the Women's Wisdom Project and the Brickhouse Gallery. This project is co-sponsored by the African American Women's Health Legacy Project.

Toni Colley-Perry, M.Ed
Non-Profit & Education Consulting
Cell: 916-519-9189

"By Serving Each Other, We Become Free" was the
Inscription on the table used by the Knight of the Round Table

"Marking the Stones" With Natural Paint

As the workshop leader for "Marking the Stones," I am making plans so that we can make our paint from natural materials native to the land in Auburn. There are many options, and I am excited to experiment with the local plants, soil, insects, and bark! We will try this one of many approaches during our workshop!

http://en.espritcabane.com/paint-recipes/clay-paint.php
https://parideazafarmart.wordpress.com/workshop-on-making-paint-from-soil/

Opening Ceremony and Cleansing of the Site

Join us in our opening celebration to honor the "Life of Michelle Walker" the gathering will begin at 4pm and end at 8pm. We are calling artists, musicians, drummers, dancers, singers, storytellers, visual artists throughout California, to join us as we come together to honor our friend.

JosephineTalamantez-

May 14, 2013, 4pm - 8pm Opening Ceremony Cleansing & Blessing Ceremony of "the land". Josephine Talamantez in concert with Stan Padilla will conduct this ceremony to honor the memory of Michelle Walker, and her mother  Aurelie Beatrice Walker, for her daughter Ondrea Walker, friends of Michelle Walker, are invited to attend.

Stan Padilla

Symbolic offerings such as water, teas, wine, sugar, incense, gold and silver threads, flower petals, sunflowers, lavender, grains, seeds, shells, candies and more can be donated to the International Society of Altar Makers, and delivered to the pottery studio of Anita L. Lowe 1855 Christian Valley Rd, in Auburn, the week of May 14th - 25th.

Space Cleansing & Blessing Ceremony, in Spanish, the word despacho literally means "dispatch or shipment".

Everything around us is made of energy - from our own physical bodies to our cars, homes, land, trees, etc.  Just as we need to keep our own energy bodies cleansed and operating at a high frequency or vibration for Optimal Health & Happiness, it is also important to cleanse the spaces around us where we spend most of our time.   Energy accumulates from all historical owners and visitors to that space.

If you want to propose a workshop for your art group, or organization during the retreat contact Visual Arts Development Project, Alpha Bruton, at 773-681-6570, you can register or bring your circle of 12 as participants,  send proposals to alphabruton@gmail.com.

All cash donations can be made to the Placer County Arts Council, 808 Lincoln Way, Auburn, CA 95602, for Ondrea Walker's Art Education Enrichment Fund, "Dreams of Colour" a charity, that will assist children of diverse backgrounds to attend annual retreats of the International Society of Altar Makers, scholarships for travel and supplies, and to pursue artistic innovative arts programming.

Michelle Walker, a co-founder and executive director of MAP, passed away on January 29, 2013. She left behind a clear vision for supporting the arts and a vibrant organization to carry it out. Michelle integrated the arts into giving campaigns to public and private employees. MAP channels those donations to an array of arts organizations, large and small, for education and new audiences.

Most recently, Michelle envisioned sponsoring a fusion between the arts, inventors, and innovators, which MAP is now developing. For her, creativity has no boundaries. For Michelle’s many friends, family, and colleagues her passing is deeply felt. For MAP, her vision provides inspiration for producing programs that will bring ever-growing support and recognition to the arts in the years to come.