It’s been, hmm, about 3 months since my last dispatch. When you signed up for the Forest Labyrinth newsletter, it did say messages would be few and infrequent 😉 We get enough clutter in our Inbox, I try not to add to that. So, a few bits of Forest Labyrinth news follow but first and most importantly coming up next week…
World Peace Day (MON)
Did you know that September 21st is International Day of Peace, first proclaimed by the United Nations in 1981? Elusive as peace… especially world peace… may seem, it doesn’t make the day any less worthy of note or action. What a great reason to find a labyrinth and walk with intention to reflect on what peace looks like to you, and how you might cultivate it in the world around you.
In Grey-Bruce we even have two labyrinths (at Georgian Shores United in Owen Sound and Geddes Park in Kincardine) specifically dedicated as peace labyrinths. And in Walkerton there is the White Rose Coffee House which is part of a network of Peace Cafés… I first encountered a Peace Café in 2012 when I was in San Francisco for labyrinth facilitator training, and what a surprise to get back home and discover one right here in our area!
Semi-related, peace can seem very elusive which I can’t help but find discouraging. A friend who is a lifelong activist shared some useful advice with me recently about staying positive by separating actions from outcomes. I wrote a brief blog posting on my SoulTrail web site… if you find yourself in need of encouragement in this crazy world, maybe you will find her words helpful.
Fall Equinox (TUE)
On Tuesday, the Autumnal Equinox occurs at 9:32AM in Grey-Bruce. The sun directly over the equator, on its way southward, it is a shifting of season and a nod to the forthcoming darker and quieter time. (And for solar-powered off-gridders like me a transition from time of plenty to one of moderation!)
On this day of balance… the sun almost exactly 12 hours above the horizon and 12 hours below… it is perhaps a good occasion to gear down a notch or two, and to take stock of what you have gratitude for. And, my suggestion, make a point to notice beauty around you in all its forms.
A nature walk is a particularly fine idea on the Equinox. Or combine it with a labyrinth visit here at the Forest Labyrinth or one of several other labyrinths in the area which are found in beautiful natural settings (e.g., Rural Rootz outside Wiarton, Cedar Grove in Thornbury, Geddes Park in Kincardine, Edible Labyrinth in Owen Sound, to name a few).
Happenings since the last Forest Labyrinth News
- At the end of June, $260 was evenly split and donated to M’Wikwedong Indigenous Friendship Centre and Chapman House Hospice. That amount represents Forest Labyrinth visitor donations, in their entirety, since the start of the year. Many thanks for showing your gratitude for the labyrinth in such a way!
- In July, our local culture magazine Rrampt did a nice profile on the forest labyrinth and what motivated me to create it. You can pick up Rrampt magazine for free at a stores and venues all around Grey-Bruce-Simcoe, or find the article posted on forestlabyrinth.ca
- Guess what? In early August there was a marriage at the Forest Labyrinth! An outdoorsy couple who had wedding plans scuttled by COVID inquired if they could have a small, intimate ceremony at the labyrinth which sounded like a stellar idea to me. They even camped out in the yurt that night.
- Also in August, the Owen Sounder magazine had a re-birth. It’s a direct mail publication to all households and businesses in Owen Sound and contains a readable assortment of local interest stories and happenings. I contributed a labyrinth-themed article “Best Places in O.S. to Switch Off Your Mind”, which you can access by reading the autumn edition online.
Day-use Yurt Rental
There is a yurt nestled into the forest, just steps away from the labyrinth, and it makes a wonderful setting for some personal retreat time, a yoga marathon, playing/composing music, some self-indulgent pondering, or whatever personal activity might benefit from being surrounded by trees, in sight of the labyrinth, and connected to the forest by sight, sound and smell.
If you could make (personal/non-commercial) use of such a space, get in touch with me for more details.
The Forest Labyrinth 