The 25th annual gathering was held in October 2023 at the beautiful Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, NC.  Kanuga’s facilities are located on 1,400 acres of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and it was a gorgeous time of year to be there.  The leaves were turning, the air was crisp, the lake beautiful, and the hospitality was warm and inviting.

The theme was “Exploring the Past – Expanding the Future.” 

Many people stayed in the nice hotel style accommodations, but I enjoyed the historic little cottage I shared with some old and new friends. It was a bit on the shabby chic side, but I would do it again anytime.  It was nice to have a private sitting room to chat and enjoy the end of the day together.  It really made it feel like a home away from home.

The featured speaker was Jill Kimberly Hartwell Geoffrion, Ph.D. and she lectured on Medieval manuscript labyrinths and shared many examples, some of which she had identified that had not been previously recognized by the modern labyrinth community.  She posed questions making her listeners think about how understanding these ancient labyrinths could enhance our walking of labyrinths now.  Jill also gave a post gathering lecture on the stained glass windows of Chartres.

We had a wide variety of poster presentations as well as a series of mini presentations that shared presenter experiences across the spectrum from building a labyrinth at your home  to sharing labyrinths with children at risk in the US or in Africa.  It was interesting to learn how people are bringing the use of labyrinths to so many populations and how research is expanding the science of the benefits of walking labyrinths.

It’s always a mixed blessing to have so many great workshops to choose from when it’s time for the concurrent sessions!  I thoroughly enjoyed the workshops I attended and heard from others that the workshops and lectures they attended were wonderful, too.  I especially enjoyed Jay Stailey’s lecture on labyrinths in unusual places and Jill Carnell’s  interactive workshop using Kintsugi labyrinths she made from broken labyrinths.  I always choose artsy and fun workshops when available, and I learned tons of ideas from Amy Broady and had a great time creating with her art supplies.

The opening and closing ceremonies were special this year, as were the pre and post gathering opportunities.  We had a special visitor Ms. Amy Walker who was a Native American of the Cherokee tribe and made a dramatic last minute entrance having been delayed unexpectedly.  I was honored to lead a workshop on some of my favorite labyrinths, the “Celestial Labyrinths” and to participate in Maia Scott’s very creative workshop that had us using a variety of materials and making tactile labyrinths.

  The final treat of any gathering, if you can stay an extra day, is the labyrinth tour.  Those of us who went on this tour were treated to labyrinths in many locations such as churches, a private home, and even in the backyard of a commercial business.  It’s always enlightening to talk about the experiences at the labyrinths.  What each person gets out of it can be so different as to make you wonder if you were at the same place.  At one labyrinth some people had shared that the labyrinth had made them uncomfortable and they had felt distress and the destruction that had been part of the history of some of the elements of the labyrinth.  I don’t always share openly about deep feelings, but I shared that I had experienced a feeling of a sense of healing and hope for the future at the labyrinth and its community, and had felt a peace and presence of others while being there.  Those who were listening said they appreciated my sharing and were feeling better about the labyrinth’s future there.  

   This Gathering was great; I love spending time with my labyrinth family, and it makes me excited about our next one.  I hope if you’re reading this you will want to be there, too!