Labyrinth in Mebane!

It is about 60' in diameter. The center is 8' in diameter and the path ranges from 3' to 4' wide.
I did it free hand, so it is a little wobbly. I had walked a Cretan labyrinth near Ashville in the spring and it has BIG variations in the widths of the path. I found that I like that metaphor. There are times in our lives when the way is broad and easy and other times when it is more constricted. So, I felt less obligated to make meticulous measurements for my own labyrinth.

I first walked a labyrinth in 2001 at the Episcopal church I was attending. It was a canvas 3/4 siize Chartes replica and borrowed from another church andit rocked my socks. I had this huge, ugly, empty field in my backyard that I had been trying to think of a way to beautify and the idea was born.

My husband was not interested in helping me install a labyrinth or in putting any money into one so it never happened. After that marriage ended, I bought a different house for myself and there was, once again, a huge, open space behind the house. My first thought when I saw the emptiness was "My labyrinth can go there."

I lived here for 2 years puzzling over how best to make it a reality before I got around to actually doing anything.

This spring, I walked the Cretan labyrinth and then had opportunity to walk a Santa Rosa labyrinth made of lavender in Michigan in June. I had already decided that I like the design of the Santa Rosa for a variety of reasons and that walk kind of put me over the edge.

When I got back from that trip, I still had some money in my bank account, so I went to a rock and gravel company and looked at all the options. I looked at a LOT of rocks. And decided that I liked the glacial rocks the best. They range from pieces a couple of inches wide to about the size of a baby's head. They are varied in color; they are roundish; I like that they have done some travelling.

I bought 2 baskets of them to the tune of 2.5 tons. They sat in my yard for the whole summer waiting for the grass to slow down its growth.

When I finally felt like it was time, I started making circles in the grass. When I had all eight circles outlined, I made the lines that divided the paths by breaking the lines of the circles I had made and opening up the sections that needed it.

I walked it to be sure that I had divided it correctly and made a couple of adjustments. Then, I started filling in the lines.

I only work on it on the weekends. By the time I get home from work and recuperate a little, it is too dark to see what I'm doing. I have about 1/4 to 1/3 of the lines filled in completely. I expect to have that finished in 2 weeks, based on how much I got done last Saturday.

A friend walked it last night. I was delighted. She had never walked a labyrinth before and she liked it. She's been listening to me talk about it for a while, so she was curious.

I have registered it in the Grace Cathedral Labyrinth Locator and intend to share it with whomever wants to use it. When I get to church in the next couple of weeks, I will be offering it to the UU congregation.

I have some Pagan friends that I have told are welcome, too. One was delighted when I told her that her coven was welcome to come to for a day or evening if they wanted to. "Evening" being a Southern euphemism. I don't care what time they come or how late they stay. Darkness just means we have to find a way to light it up, but I have a lot of jelly jars and tealights, so that is not impossible.