O P I N I O N
THE URBAN HIPPIE
By Irene Martin
I’ve noticed that the older I get more and more of my stories begin with “I don’t remember when…” or “I’m not sure where…”, LOL! And this column begins exactly that way.
I’m not sure when or where I became aware of labyrinths and that they were pretty much everywhere around the world and I could find them and walk them whenever I wanted to. I suspect it was during the time my mother-in-law was in a senior care facility in Skippack, PA, and we would drive to see her at least once a week. Our drive took us past a church, St. Dunstan’s, with a sign that said “Labyrinth” and an arrow that pointed toward the church parking lot. I think that was it.
So on one trip my husband and I pulled in and I got out and walked the labyrinth, it was a classic Chartres labyrinth and took almost an hour. I’m grateful that the Hubs was so patient as I really enjoyed the experience. So assuming that was the beginning I’m going to go from there and say that first walk led me to research labyrinths and find out more about them. I admit I used to confuse labyrinths with mazes, probably because of the David Bowie film. A maze is a deliberately confusing structure that leads you in different directions, many of them false leads. They’re a lot of fun and you see them all over the place in the fall made out of corn. A labyrinth is very different.
Labyrinths have been around almost as long as humans have. There have been rudimentary labyrinths discovered among Neolithic ruins in cultures and locations all around the world. Eventually churches began using labyrinths as an effective prayer and meditation tool. You can learn all about labyrinths via this website link. But what’s even more exciting is you can search your location and find out how many labyrinths are in your area. I’m lucky in that I’m in an area with multiple options and anytime I travel now I check out the website to see if there are any labyrinths where I’m going to be.
So why walk labyrinths, you might ask? There are many different reasons that people walk labyrinths. For me, it’s truly a way to spend time with myself in my brain but with a focus as my feet slowly follow the circle. My mind is usually meditating or praying or just wide open to accept whatever the universe would like to send me via the labyrinth walk.
As I said I’m fortunate to live in an area with multiple labyrinths within 30 minutes of me. I even have one I consider my local, like some people refer to their favorite pub. Playwiki Farm in Feasterville, PA, has a terrific labyrinth laid out on grass. The first time I looked for it I couldn’t find it. Once again I think I was still confusing labyrinths and mazes. Or I was looking for a big splashy-looking thing in a parking lot. Instead I walked all around until finally found the labyrinth sign and when I looked down low and behold there was the labyrinth. It’s a classic Pesca Vitae design which means fish bladder. My favorite thing about it is that it’s a grass labyrinth. In the nice weather I often take off my shoes and walk barefoot (grounding). The connection between my feet on the earth and the sky above me as I slowly follow the path is something I can’t adequately describe. But when I’m done I usually feel refreshed and lighter than I was before I began.
So far my favorite Labyrinth is in Washington’s Crossing, Pa, at the Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve. It’s small and rustic and is never the same whenever I visit it. Because it’s outdoors and in the woods it truly changes with each season. Sometimes the path is hard to follow as debris or animals have altered it. Plus there’s a young Beech tree growing in the middle of one of the pathways that gets bigger each year making it a challenge to get around. And I love all of it. The Beech tree and I have become friends and I love to hug it for a while, or rest my check on its smooth, cool bark before I continue on my journey. The disappearing and reappearing path reminds me of my own human journey. Sometimes my own path seems so clear, and other times I just can’t see my way forward or have wandered too far and lost my way. When this happens I remember that little labyrinth tucked in the woods and know that with patience and persistence I will find my way again.
Sometimes I will walk a labyrinth with intention. An example of that was a nice little labyrinth in Doylestown, PA, outside one of the many museums there. It was my birthday week and my husband and I went to Doylestown as a sort of celebration. I was very sad because my former husband was in an IC unit after suffering a huge stroke that took away everything he was. His wife and my younger son bore most of the burden of this together. All I could do was love them both and lift everyone up in prayer. He was never going to be the person he was again but they were the people, especially his wife, Bernadette, who had to decide when his journey was going to end. I remember crying my eyes out and walking that labyrinth and just begging the universe but I didn’t know what for. There was no going back, there was undoing what had happened. Brutally tough decisions had to be made by people who were suffering tremendously with that awful burden. I remember getting to the middle of the labyrinth and just sitting down and ugly crying. Eventually I got up and as I was walking out one word just kept reverberating in my brain and that was “mercy.” And that’s what I really wanted for my family, mercy. So the hard decisions were made and it’s now six years later, this month actually, and I have never been back to visit that labyrinth. I don’t think I will but I am grateful that it was there when I needed it.
I’ve also walked Labyrinths with my pups, Casey and Rosie. It’s a completely different vibe and energy. I’ve walked busy labyrinths that had other people walking them at the same time I was. I must admit that isn’t something I enjoy at all. The energy is different and I feel obliged to move at a certain pace so as not to be in other people’s way. Years ago I was lucky enough to have my big brother in town for the holidays and he indulged his favorite sister by spending New Year’s Day walking a beautiful labyrinth with me. I’ve gone labyrinth walking with several dear friends over the years. Speaking of friends and labyrinths, my dear friend Michael Scholtes walks and writes wonderfully about his labyrinth journeys at his blog site.
And lastly, there is a very special and meaningful labyrinth that was left behind by one of the most incredible people I have ever known. Someday I will write a column (or ten) about my friend Judy. Someone who genuinely changed so many lives while she walked this earth, mine was only one of them. Taken way too soon and still missed and talked about by everyone who knew her. After our Judy passed her possessions were shared amongst those who loved her.
One day I was with my friend Mary Ann, who was with Judy almost every day until the end, and she handed me some of Judy’s things to look through to see if I wanted any of them. As I moved things around a little padded clutch caught my eye. I could tell it was one of Judy’s creations so I didn’t want it discarded; I was sure I could use it for something. As I opened and unwrapped it I found this gorgeous miniature of the labyrinth of the Cathedral de Chartres in France. Judy was an avid creator and collector who was very proud of her French heritage. I have no idea where she got this but it’s been a genuine blessing to me ever since I first held it. I’ve “walked” this labyrinth more times than I can count. During times of stress, loneliness or confusion, especially in the middle of the night, this has been a wonderful tool to help me calm and center myself. It’s my own wonderful fidget toy left behind by a woman who was herself a whirling dervish of ideas and energy. And it’s more precious to me than I can express.
So to close, I’d like to say I hope you’ve enjoyed this column and really encourage you to use the link to check out the Labyrinths in your area. You may just find a whole new side of yourself walking the path. I know I have.
The Urban Hippie is a 60-something senior living in the Philly burbs. Still trying to figure out what she wants to be when and if she ever grows up. She welcomes all feedback and can be reached at ireneemartinother@gmail.com.