The great need of our time is for people to be connected to spirit; for people to be connected to a core of feeling in themselves that makes their lives vital and full of meaning that makes life a mystery ever more to be uncovered. ~ Harold Stone
 

Throughout the centuries, whenever humans found concepts or ideas too vast or mysterious for language, they drew symbols such as runes, pictographs such as the hieroglyphs and patterns such as the labyrinth. As hints of archetypal energies that still remain in our ever-evolving collective consciousness, the patterns of labyrinths have survived the rise and fall of ancient civilizations, appearing and reappearing in various settings.

Patricia Telesco suggests in her book Labyrinth Walking: Patterns of Power that the geometric patterns of labyrinths created by our ancient ancestors were attempting to illustrate a truism that our modern-minded culture is only beginning to recognize: All of life can be a sacred pattern that guides us toward a reunion with spirit.

Residents of Southwest Florida are fortunate to have access to five permanent labyrinths that they can walk to reflect and experience a resonance with deeper truths, self-understanding and spirit.  Unity of Naples, Naples United Church of Christ, Naples Botanical Gardens, Happehatchee Center, in Estero, and the House of Prayer, in Alva, each have a labyrinth that is open to the public.

Unity of Naples

The Unity of Naples labyrinth is a Cretan, Classic 7-circuit pattern that was hand-built by Unity members with love and sacred intention. Its simplistic design refers back to ancient coins used on the island of Crete. “We refer to its three-fold mystical path of purgation (releasing when entering), illumination (listening in the center to the divine) and union (incorporating the connection into daily life),” says Reverend Diane Scribner Clevenger, who acknowledges that the connection she feels to labyrinths stems from a childhood fascination with sacred geometry.

A guided labyrinth walk will be offered at Unity of Naples on October 22 at 10 a.m.

Naples United Church of Christ

Kathe Rhinesmith, facilitator for Naples United Church of Christ (UNCOC) labyrinth ministry knows that there is no “right way” to walk a labyrinth. The labyrinth is open to all people as an interfaith, cross-cultural blueprint for well-being. As in life, the pace is up to the individual that holds a question, prayer or situation in their mind prior to entering.

Rhinesmith plans labyrinth programming, from November through April. “We schedule regular walks on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during Advent season, which begins the fourth Sunday before Christmas day. We also do them during the Lent, which occurs 40 days before Easter. We have 30-minute services in the middle of the day during Lent and labyrinth walks are connected to these,” remarks Rhinesmith, who notes that an educational labyrinth workshop is scheduled for February 1, 2017, from 9 to 12 a.m.

Open to the public, it includes a discussion on the history of the labyrinth and how to walk it. ‘We end with a walk,” says Rhinesmith, a Veriditas certified labyrinth facilitator who serves on the Veriditas board of directors. Reverend Lauren Artress, Canon for Grace Cathedral, in San Francisco, author of Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Practice and founder of Veriditas, the worldwide Labyrinth Project, led the dedication ceremony for the UNCOC labyrinth in 2013.

Naples Botanical Garden

The Jeanie Meg and Christopher B. Smith Labyrinth at Naples Botanical Garden is located in the Scott Florida Garden, which is now under construction and scheduled for reopening in November.

“The Smith Labyrinth is meant for quiet contemplation to allow visitors to become more present in the moment, not worrying about errands to run, kids to feed, etc.  It is a way to reconnect you with the land and environment that sustains and links us all. Strike the gong once before you begin your walk and follow the red brick path to the center, where a burbling fountain greets you. Then turn around and begin your trip back out, continuing your meditation, but preparing your mind to rejoin the outside world as you exit,” says Andrea Grace, Naples Botanical Garden adult education manager.

Nora van Houten, a wellness educator and certified yoga and meditation teacher, leads a walking meditation at the Smith Labyrinth on the second Monday of the month beginning October 10 through April 10. The walk, from 9:30 to 10:30 am, meets at the entry of the garden. The cost of the guided walk is $15 for Garden members and $20 for non-members. Space is limited and preregistration is encouraged.

House of Prayer Retreat Center

In the few months since Gerard Murphy arrived at House of Prayer Retreat Center to assume the role of director, he has seen how the labyrinth, as well as the nearby medicine wheel are a draw for individuals seeking quiet meditation and reflection. “The labyrinth is definitely popular. We have an information leaflet at the entrance for people who aren’t familiar with it,” says Murphy, who suggests that individuals call prior to when they want to spend time randomly walking the property, the labyrinth or the medicine wheel.

“We ask people to call beforehand because we also operate as a small conference center, which means that we host groups such as the upcoming Truly Helpful yoga teacher training with Allowah Lani (Alan Lowenschuss) from December 9 to 29. We also conduct half-day programs on the spirituality of the labyrinth,” advises Murphy.

Happehatchee Center

The sanctuary for peace and healing in the heart of Estero Village added its most recent program, a Labyrinth Walk to celebrate the equinoxes and solstices. Honoring the seasons, walkers create sacred space, intention setting and grounding, and make a medicinal herb and harvesting seasonal flower bundle. Intentions are written on parchment and burned/released to the universe. Labyrinth ceremonies close with conversation, herbal tea and refreshments. The next ceremony, organized by local resident Terry Ganley, is on December 20 at 6 p.m.

Three of these four labyrinths are patterns that replicate one of the most renowned 11-circuit labyrinths in the greatest of all Gothic cathedrals, France’s Chartres Cathedral. Clevenger, Rhinesmith and Murphy have all made pilgrimages to Chartres. In addition, they have been to Grace Cathedral’s labyrinth, in San Francisco.

Artress created her first canvass Chartres-style labyrinth at Grace Cathedral with the dream of peppering the planet with labyrinths. Her dream continues today as Veriditas trains and certifies labyrinth facilitators in workshops in Chartres. The organization also conducts urban pilgrimages at Grace Cathedral and offers LabyrinthLocator.com, a worldwide labyrinth locator launched in 2004.

Local Resources

Unity of Naples, 2000 Unity Way, Naples. 239-775-3009. NaplesUnity.org.

Naples United Church of Christ, 5200 Crayton Rd, Naples. 239-261-5469. Naplesucc.org.

Naples Botanical Garden, 820 Bayshore Dr., Naples. 239-643-7275. NaplesGarden.org.

House of Prayer, 17880 Cypress Creek Rd., Alva. 239-728-3614. HOPRetreatCenter.org.

Happehatchee Center, 8791 Corkscrew Rd., Estero. 239-992-5455. Happehatchee.org.