The Episcopal pastor here in town approached us with a project that was interesting...paint a labyrinth on their concrete behind the church. A labyrinth, you say....and just HOW would we do that?!? Well after a few internet searches and conversations and measurements THIS is what we came up with.
Ben and I finished the Labyrinth yesterday. We started it Monday and then took a break. What a long day!! Crawling around on our hands and knees painting on hot forest green concrete. My body is too old for this!! Lou (the pastor's husband) helped us both days and brought us paint and water and told us stories. I am WHIPPED today though...but the Episcopal church has it's Labyrinth! I guess you walk on it and meditate? I didn't get it but they are thrilled!!
[ July 24, 2009, 05:48 PM: Message edited by: Jane Diaz ]
Posted by Jeff Ogden (Member # 3184) on :
You guys are blowing me away...don't you ever slow down?
The lab as I see it, it representative of life.
You enter at one point, and leave at another. So you spend most of your life trying to figure where exactly you are, in relation to the doors. It's all very cosmic.
Posted by Kimberly Zanetti (Member # 2546) on :
Jane, One of the last projects that my father was involved in was painting labyrinths. Somewhere I still have pounce patterns for one.
I have some fantastic photos of the one in Grace Cathedral (one he didn't paint) in SF. Ask Cat, I took her there to see it. I'll find them and post some.
Posted by Jane Diaz (Member # 595) on :
Heavy! That's far out, man! Hey, I'm an old hippy and I took a class in transcendental meditation when I was in college but walking around on this path thingy just makes me dizzy(ER)! I guess when the pain wears away from painting it, I should go and actually try to do what they profess it to be for. Who knows? I might be enlightened!
[ July 24, 2009, 06:13 PM: Message edited by: Jane Diaz ]
Posted by Kimberly Zanetti (Member # 2546) on :
Posted by Sonny Franks (Member # 588) on :
That's very cool, shall we gather for mandalas now?
Posted by Jeff Ogden (Member # 3184) on :
AWESOME...Thank you Kimberly !!!
Posted by Catharine C. Kennedy (Member # 4459) on :
Labyrinths are VERY cool- several of them in the Pittsfield, MA area- terriffic meditation aids- great job, Jane!!!
Posted by Jane Diaz (Member # 595) on :
I asked the pastor. Seriously, what are you supposed to do? I really don't get it.... I would love to enjoy what we did but right now it's the "site of the torture" as far as my knees are concerned. Maybe later I will go and try to enjoy it but I really don't get it at this point. Do you just walk around and think about different things at each curve or pray or what? I'm not Catholic but I taught at a Catholic school. I thought maybe it was like a rosary where you pray different prayers at different beads? Does anyone know what you are suppose to do or what it's for?
Posted by Jeff Ogden (Member # 3184) on :
It's a brain function test. For young people.
Adults simetimes get lost, and never return home. So mazes are not recommended for the over-the-hill crowd.
Posted by Jillbeans (Member # 1912) on :
What a cool project. You guys did a great job. I completely understand about getting worn out tho. Whenever I do a "big" job now I am too sore to sleep that night and totally junk the next day. Love....Jill
Posted by Kimberly Zanetti (Member # 2546) on :
I need to look through boxes - I have some pics my father took of that one that have the light streaming in the stained glass which left the COOLEST designs on the labyrinth.
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
Kimberly,
I thought labyrinth is what you are going through with the bank.
Posted by Tom & Kathy Durham (Member # 776) on :
Jane, just goes to show ya, we're all a part of the team. You and Ben did a great job.
Posted by Jon Butterworth (Member # 227) on :
Life is like a labyrinth ... how many times have you taken the wrong turn and run into a dead end?
Just a comment ... Jane's and Kimberley's labyrinths look almost identical ... is there a standard design for churches?
[ July 25, 2009, 02:44 AM: Message edited by: Jon Butterworth ]
Posted by Bob Kaschak (Member # 3146) on :
That's fantastic!
Posted by Judy Grossman (Member # 235) on :
I believe it actually started from Buddhism, I think. I have to look it up for sure. It is a silent walking meditation. You concentrate on the path and release other thoughts. You do it in silence, watching every step. You repeat your mantra, or prayer over and over again as you step slowly. All the way in and all the way out. It's a going within process of meditation and release of the outside world and it's pressures.
How're your back and knees now? Ready to crawl through the labyrinth? Watch a fun movie made in the 80's by the same name. Very cute.
Posted by Kimberly Zanetti (Member # 2546) on :
I'm curious. Some labyrinths I see have possibilities for wrong turns and dead ends, causing it to be somewhat of a puzzle that you have to figure out. However, these church labyrinths look like they are more of a just a twisty-turny path that you start on and the only option is to end up at the middle.
I guess that would be because the purpose of the path is different? I think what Judy posted may explain it...
Looks cool, though, Jane...
Posted by Kimberly Zanetti (Member # 2546) on :
Yes Jon, these labyrinths are NOT supposed to be a maze, just a journey. They are meditative and are meant to be relaxing. California Pacific Medical Center in SF has one outside of the building for family members, etc of ill patients or patients themselves to be able to use to relieve stress.
You can also start at the middle and end up outside which is what I prefer.
My father created several on large canvas that were able to be folded up and taken to other locations and used at different events, etc. This way, they could be enjoyed be people not able to travel to one.
[ July 25, 2009, 12:17 PM: Message edited by: Kimberly Zanetti ]
Posted by Jon Jantz (Member # 6137) on :
Very cool... Thanks for the explanation, Kimberly....
Curiosity aroused, I googled 'labyrinth vs. maze'... I see that most modern scholars consider a 'labyrinth' to have the one path from start to finish... and would refer to the puzzle type as a 'maze'.
I learned something.
[ July 25, 2009, 12:28 PM: Message edited by: Jon Jantz ]
Posted by Kimberly Zanetti (Member # 2546) on :
FYI: I just saw that on Monday, the San Francisco Chronicle will be doing a piece on the Grace Cathedral labyrinth. Check out sfgate.com on Monday.
Posted by Jane Diaz (Member # 595) on :
Thanks, Kimberly! That first site explained it very well. I think that I WILL go back and try to "Release, Receive and Return". I like the sentiment. I wish the pastor had explained it to me better. Sounds like a good relax and revive for me one day.
Posted by W. R. Pickett (Member # 3842) on :
...We have to take the journey in and out.
Posted by Lotti Prokott (Member # 2684) on :
You guys did a super job, Jane, my knees hurt just thinking aobut this...
For balance in the discussion of the labyrith's use and meaning, I would like to offer a different view for your consideration: http://www.eternalpath.com/labyrinth.html Posted by Jeff Ogden (Member # 3184) on :
Jane...I'm sure Bill knows this, but you can duct tape a fitch or a cutter to a broom handle, and not have to be on your hands and knees...just stand up and paint.
I learned that after suffering at the Gainesville Raceway a time or two. One time I spent a whole week on my knees and elbows, painting the 3 ft. high barrier wall up one side of the track, and down the other. Ouch !
The next year I had a roll around dolly with 6" wheels and padded carpet...it was mucho better.
Posted by Cam Bortz (Member # 55) on :
On a similar note, around here in the fall we have several corn mazes. The good ones can actually get you turned around for a while. One trick I have been told is to maintain contact, at all times, with one wall (right or left doesn't matter) and you will inevitably find the exit, no matter how complex the maze might be.
Posted by Sunset Regall (Member # 11140) on :
cam...try a corn maze at night....way fun! sun
Posted by Bill Diaz (Member # 2549) on :
I didn't think of that, Jeff. I used to do that to get up high with paint, but I must confess, I've done very few floor jobs and didn't think of that for Ben and Jane.
Jane is still suffering some, but I would have been out of commission totally. I've had that darned old sciatica pinched nerve in my back and that has scared me away from a lot of low stuff. Luckily I've had other work to keep me in work.
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