TLS Annual Gathering
Featured Panels in 2018
At the 2018 Annual Gathering we enjoyed two discussion panels, Bountiful Harvest - looking back to early beginnings, and Sowing Seeds - looking forward to new ways the labyrinth is being used.
BOUNTIFUL HARVEST PANEL
Labyrinths: Their Mystery and Magic, Then and Now
For her 1996 video LABYRINTHS: THEIR MYSTERY AND MAGIC, producer Penny Price filmed several people who would later become founding members of TLS. In this panel, they discussed the labyrinth experience then and how it has transformed over 20+ years.
PANELISTS:
Marty Cain
Marty Cain, a founding member of The Labyrinth Society, collaborates with earth energies and angelic realms to co-create sacred spaces for individuals and institutions. Her labyrinth designs are located across North America, as well as Hawaii, Canada, Brazil and South Africa. Marty learned dowsing from her grandfather, Frank Witkus. After attending the American Society of Dowser's convention in Vermont in 1986, she became a life member. She co-directed the National Convention’s Beginning School for six years and served on the Board of Trustees as secretary and co-vice president. Marty presents labyrinth and dowsing workshops, consults, writes and creates visual art.
Helen Curry
Helen Post Curry, The Labyrinth Society’s first President, was introduced to labyrinths by The Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress in February 1993. She founded The Labyrinth Project of Connecticut, Inc. shortly thereafter and has taught walking meditation using labyrinths in England, Russia, Lithuania, and all over the United States. As an ordained inter-faith minister, she performs labyrinth weddings and other ceremonies, and has retired from a 16-year ministry at Danbury Federal Prison. Her book, The Way of the Labyrinth, was published by Penguin Putnam in 2000.
David Gallagher
A native of Philadelphia, in 1981 at age 40 David Gallagher relocated with his wife Jane and their three sons to Ithaca, NY, where he taught practice management for 10 years at The College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University. David first walked a labyrinth in 1995 and that changed everything in life-altering ways. Metaphorically, labyrinth walking became the turning of the knob that opened the door to a hitherto unknown world of questions and mysteries. One aspect of the experience was knowing that he had been called to help bring the healing potential of the labyrinth to others. He has subsequently lived that purpose principally through participation in the founding of The Labyrinth Society, ensuing service as an officer and director, and currently as its first Executive Director.
Annette Reynolds
Annette Reynolds is a Registered Nurse and Art Therapist, and was the Founder and Director of the Labyrinth Project of Alabama. Annette is a Founding Member of The Labyrinth Society and served on various committees and the Board of Directors for many years. She currently serves as Founder, President and Steward of Manitou Cave of Alabama, a mission driven 501(c)(3) non-profit. Annette facilitates group walks on a labyrinthian journey into the womb of Mother Earth at this ancient sacred site.
MODERATOR: Neal Harris
Neal Harris is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, with a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology. He has practiced the art of psychotherapy for the past 32 years. He is also the managing director of Relax4Life, a holistic education and services center and has been a workshop leader in the holistic health and self-enrichment fields since 1985. In 1997, Neal was the originator of the Earth-Wisdom Labyrinth, Illinois’ first permanent outdoor labyrinth located in Elgin. He has been a consultant on, and the creator of other public labyrinths, fabric traveling labyrinths, wood finger labyrinths (including his patented brain balancing, double finger labyrinth design known as the Intuipath®) and manuals for creating outdoor labyrinths. Neal leads labyrinth workshops around the country and is both a founding member of The Labyrinth Society and a Certified Veriditas Facilitator.
SOWING SEEDS PANEL
Labyrinths of Today and Tomorrow
This panel discussion featured several TLS members who are using the labyrinth in new and unique ways to meet the needs of our contemporary society.
PANELISTS:
Mark Healy
Mark Healy’s 40 year working life as a nurseryman, landscaper, bio dynamic farmer, permaculture designer, builder, healer, group facilitator, and artist has always been highly creative. For 24 years Mark has been inspiring, designing and creating labyrinths, sacred symbol gardens as landscape features and he shares his Labyrinth love with a large audience creating labyrinth art installations at festivals. Mark has founded The Labyrinth Collective, is a Veriditas Trained Labyrinth Facilitator and Co-founder/ Vice President of the Australia Labyrinth Network.
Clive Johnson
Clive Johnson is an interfaith minister and a writer, an Englishman who spends much of my time on the road, a self-described nomad by nature. His book, Labyrinth A–Ω explores the lure of labyrinths, giving a brief history of the labyrinth, and suggesting how to approach and walk the labyrinth. Clive’s most recent project is Labyrinth Around America. Beginning in 2016, Clive purchased a portable labyrinth and set off on a journey to bring the labyrinth to every state that marks the boundaries of the United States (those that have a coastline, or which have a border with either Canada or Mexico). The notion is to ‘create a positive energy’ by the movement of the labyrinth in a circle around the USA.
Rūta Janulevičiene
Rūta Janulevičiene is an internationally recognized Reiki Mercar Master Teacher. She is registered Karuna Reiki Master Teacher of the ICRT. Ruta enjoys working with energy and draws on her gifts of clairvoyance, clairaudience, and channeling. She helps intuitively identify the root cause of patterns keeping individual attached in recurring life or health situations. She has been a member of the Labyrinth Society since 2012. Ruta facilitates various practical workshops using the labyrinth. Scientific interests are: psychology, coaching, the Silva method, psychotherapy & psychodrama.
Janice Lewis
Janice Lewis currently volunteers her time with Chicago Lights, an organization dedicated to supporting and meeting the needs of children, youth, and adults who are facing the challenges of poverty in Chicago. For Chicago Lights, labyrinth workshops, mediation training, peace circles, and work with the Enneagram were created to help clients reduce the terrible stresses they deal with in their daily lives. More than 100 youths and adults are involved in workshops this summer. Youths from elementary to high school are part of their program. Janice owns four canvas labyrinths and created the Traveling Labyrinth Workshop to bring walking meditation, and the benefits of spiritual and personal development to a broader audience. Janice is a Veriditas Advanced Facilitator and serves on the TLS Board as Membership Chair.
Randall Stuart
Randall Stuart is the founder and executive director of Cerimon House, a humanities and cultural arts organization in Portland, Oregon, and a visiting professor to several institutions of higher learning, where he works with theatre and playwriting majors at college, university, and graduate programs across the nation. His time directing and acting on the stages of regional theatres includes the American Conservatory Theater, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Berkeley Repertory Theatre, among others. His additional interests include the fields of philosophy, thanatology, and hospice care.
MODERATOR: Lisa Gidlow Moriarty
Lisa Gidlow Moriarty is an artist, professional labyrinth maker, and Veriditas certified advanced labyrinth facilitator. She has made hundreds of labyrinths, from room-size portable labyrinths to permanent concrete installations. Her work can be found both nationally and internationally in hospitals, schools, churches and more. Lisa is past president of TLS and currently operates Paths of Peace in Stillwater, MN, where she is the caretaker of 15 outdoor labyrinths and a fleet of canvas rentals. She sells exquisitely detailed Chartres replica finger labyrinths as well as other designs in wood, metal and jewelry, and leads annual walking pilgrimages to Chartres, France.