Labyrinth Images and Labyrinths on the Grounds:

October 15 Deadline

Labyrinth Images

Share your beautiful labyrinth creations — walkable, finger or artistic — with others by responding to the annual "Call for Images." Each year we accept submissions of digital photographs to be shown during the Annual Gathering. Any current TLS member may submit an image, whether or not you are able to be physically present at the conference. Sharing our recent projects helps to inspire and inform others about the many environments, settings, designs, and uses for labyrinths around the world.

Please send images of labyrinths, mazes, and labyrinth-inspired art with which you are involved. Whether permanent or temporary, outdoors or indoors, large or small, intricate or simple, all are invited. If your work was shown in a previous year and you want to submit it again, please do so. TO BE INCLUDED IN THE 2016 LABYRINTH IMAGES, SUBMIT BY October 15, 2016.

Please limit images to no more than 6 pictures and images should be from recent works, 2014 and newer. By submitting your images to The Labyrinth Society you are confirming that you possess the legal right or license to the images and that you authorize the Society to present your images at the 2016 Gathering in digital format.

STEP 1: SEND IMAGES AS EMAIL ATTACHMENTS 
Files must be in the .jpg format, ideally less than 1MB in size and a minimum of 1200 pixels wide. If you can’t tell the type or size, go ahead and send your image and we do our best to reformat the photo. Do be aware that large pictures (digital files) can take time to transfer and should be sent individually in separate emails. And please, no panoramas. Please title your images TLS-2016-Lastname-#.jpg (ie. TLS-2016-Howlett-1.jpg,  TLS-2016-Howlett-2.jpg etc) and email them with "TLS 2016 Member Images" in the subject line to Lars Howlett.

NEW! STEP 2: LABYRINTH INFO MUST BE SUBMITTED VIA GOOGLE FORM 

To simplify and streamline the submission process, photo descriptions will only be accepted by completing the Google form. This will help us better track and prepare submissions for sharing at the gathering. Once you have emailed your submission of 1-6 photographs, complete the Google Form where you will be asked the following: 

A) Brief Description of the Image (to confirm photo and info are matched correctly)

B) Name of Site/Venue (ie. Grace Cathedral)

C) Location of Site/Venue (ie. San Francisco, CA)

D) Your Role (designer, builder, caretaker, photographer -- ie. photographer)

E) Labyrinth Name or Type (Chartres Medieval)

Submit the google form and send email attachments NO LATER THAN October 15, 2016.

Labyrinths on the Grounds

Many years at the Annual Gathering, open spaces are provided for laying out temporary labyrinths. We invite members to build temporary labyrinths on the grounds of our Gathering venues. Space typically allows for a limited number. Anyone interested in this opportunity will be asked to submit a request. 

If there is sufficient space, locations may be available for spontaneous labyrinths to make an appearance.

Plan to bring an 8 ½” x 11” laminated sign or a page in a sheet protector to be placed next to your labyrinth. The information should include the name of the labyrinth, your name and, if applicable, the purpose for which the labyrinth was designed.

NOTE:  Builders must bring all their own materials and tools, and are responsible for removing the labyrinth at the end of the Gathering.

If you are certain that you would like to lay out a 'Labyrinth-on-the-Grounds' at the 2016 Gathering, the coordinator for this activity would appreciate receiving the following information about you and your intended labyrinth by October 15th:

Personal: Your name, place of residence, and a brief description of your labyrinth activities.
Proposed Labyrinth: size, type, materials to be used, any special considerations such as electricity needed.

Please complete and submit one of the forms posted below to pre-register your intention to construct a temporary labyrinth on the grounds at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Houston, TX:

2016 Annual Gathering Labyrinths-on-the-Grounds (.doc 74K)

2016 Annual Gathering Labyrinths-on-the-Grounds (.pdf 86K)

If you have questions, contact coordinator, Tom Vetter.  

18th Annual Gathering 

Diverse Journeys on a Common Path:

Building Community through the Labyrinth

 

                           

Come walk with us!

Labyrinth excitement around the globe is growing in anticipation of the 18th Annual Gathering of the Labyrinth Society, in the heart of Houston's Museum District at St. Paul's United Methodist Church. You will not want to miss this uniquely urban experience with over 20 labyrinths in the Houston metropolitan area. Register here.

In addition to the many journeys we will travel together through the amazing facilitation of our speakers, presentations, and workshops, the Houston Museum District offers profound sacred places for us to explore. 

First, as you look at pictures of our majestic setting, take note of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church’s vision statement, “To be a cathedral for Houston that embodies its diversity, inspires faith, and leads change for the common good of all peoples and communities." How complimentary this vision is to The Labyrinth Society’s vision and, yes, a beautiful outdoor labyrinth awaits us! 

We will have to carve out time for the Houston Museum District "...whose mission is dedicated to collaborative efforts that maximize use of the artistic, scientific and educational resources of Houston Museum District institutions by all citizens of and visitors to Houston. Decision-making as to where to visit will be its own labyrinthine journey. Here are four suggestions of 19 museums from which to choose.

Labyrinth builders may find inspiration at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, a nonprofit arts organization founded to advance education about the process, product, and history of craft. 

Another choice is The Jung Center. The center offers more than 200 classes each year on topics ranging from relationships to ethics, religious studies to expressive arts, and writing to meditation.  In addition to gifts and cards, the bookstore includes the most complete collection of books on depth psychology in the Southwest. 

A most appropriate choice for our Gathering would be the Rothko Chapel. "The mission of the Rothko Chapel is to inspire people to action through art and contemplation, to nurture reverence for the highest aspirations of humanity, and to provide a forum to explore matters of worldwide concern."

Then, there is the Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC) that explores stories inspired by themes of opportunity, empowerment, creativity, innovation, and cultural interrelationships through the lens of the African American experience. 

In closing, all that is most essential to the Self and to the Community is found within the labyrinth structure. Walking a labyrinth reveals the dark and the light; the seen and the concealed; the loneliness and the connection; the fear and the security; the defense and the openness; the battle and the peace; the struggle and the rest. Perhaps, the common in the diverse is that the workings of the labyrinth come not only to the individual Self but also culturally in context to any diverse community. May we truly build community and life-long memories as we gather for the 18th time in freedom to listen, learn, and love anew!

 Hotel Reduced Rates Deadline October 19:

Roommate Service Deadline October 12

GATHERING REGISTRATION DOES NOT INCLUDE LODGING

 

Wyndham Hotel Lodging  

Wyndham Houston - Medical Center Hotel and Suites 

6800 Main Street
Houston, TX  77030
713-528-7744

A block of rooms has been arranged for Gathering participants at the Wyndham Houston Medical Center Hotel and Suites.  Per-night prices tax included range from $127.53 for a Standard Two-Queen Room to $232.83 for a Two-Bedroom Suite. 

Each individual guest must make his or her own reservations by calling 1-713-528-7744 or 1-800-996-3426 no later than 5:00 P.M. on Wednesday, October 19, 2016.  They must identify themselves as members of The Labyrinth Society.  All reservations must be guaranteed with a credit card.  Reservations and substitution requests received after the Reservation Cut-Off Date will be handled on a space available basis. 

If you wish assistance with finding a roommate with whom you may share accommodation expense, please complete the information request for roommate matching service during the online registration process.  This service will be available through October 12.  We will provide you with roommate contact information in ample time for you to complete your hotel reservation. For more information, go to Accommodations.

Sponsorship and Program Ads

October 15 Deadline

Sponsoring a dinner, a speaker, entertainment, or even the printing of the name tags and registration "goody bags" are excellent ways to help The Labyrinth Society and get your company's name out to the Gathering participants. Placing an ad in the Gathering Program is another excellent option to benefit you and to help fund TLS costs. 

A corporate sponsorship is an option for hospitality events after the scheduled activities. Light snacks (fruit and cheese trays) and beverages (coffee, tea, and water) could be planned as a means of providing more networking opportunities for Gathering participants.  If you are interested in sponsoring one or more of these hospitality events (each event costs approximately $300).

Yet another way to get the name of your business out there is by placing an ad in the Gathering Program. For those interested in placing an ad, please contact the Executive Director. To make a donation, mail a check to The Labyrinth Society, P.O. Box 736, Trumansburg, NY, 14886 OR donate online by PayPal or credit card. All donations are tax deductible in the US to the full extent of the law.

The Vendor Area 

 

Making a School Labyrinth: Photo by Mary Beth Langley

Start reviewing your inventory, polishing your finger labyrinths, and planning your displays. The Vendor Area at this year's Gathering promises to be bigger and better than ever before!  In addition to offering people the opportunity to promote their products at  a Gathering, everyone has the opportunity to promote them in the Vendor Area. 

The Silent Auction

The proceeds from this exciting auction go to provide scholarships for the following year's Gathering. Anyone — whether he/she is attending the Gathering or not — is welcome to donate an item at the auction. 

Autographed books, jewelry, art work, small labyrinths, weekend retreat packages, spa vacations, pottery, sculpture, garden items, and other wonderful things, labyrinth-related or otherwise, are perfect donations. If you are unable to be there in person, we will gladly accept items sent by mail.

For more information, go to Silent Auction.

 The Vendor-Artisans Area

The Vendor/Artisans Area is a great place to display your wares and meet fellow members of TLS. We look forward to working with the many TLS vendors again. 

A limited number of tables will be available on a first come, first served basis. See Table fees.

In addition to the table fee, each vendor will be required to pay ten percent (10%) of his/her gross sales to The Labyrinth Society. This payment must be completed at the end of the Gathering, prior to your departure.

*Non-registered vendors may not attend Gathering workshops or speaker presentations except by purchasing tickets in those situations when public ticket sales are offered.  No meals are provided.

Please note: The process for reserving a vendor table is by mail only. You must complete the downloadable form below and send it with a check to the Vendor room coordinator at the address provided on the form. Download Form on TLS website.

The TLS Store

The TLS Store is a wonderful opportunity for someone who only has a few items for sale and does not want to spend all of his/her time during the Gathering in the vendor room. Enjoy your Gathering! Place your items in the TLS Store.

Any Gathering participant is invited to take advantage of this service. Your items will be sold and you will not have the worry of sitting at a table to sell them (except for the required hour of volunteer time, of course). 

If you have questions or wish to place an item in the Store, please contact David Gallagher. About the TLS Store

Advertise Your Products and Services in the TLS Marketplace Website

Even if you can't make it to Gathering, The Labyrinth Society can still help you market your product and services. As part of our mission to support all those who create, maintain and use labyrinths, and to serve the global community by providing education, networking and opportunities to experience transformation, the Labyrinth Society created the TLS Marketplace website. Last year’s reprogramming of this website made it more modern and more integrated with the Labyrinth Society’s website. The new Marketplace provides people around the world the ability to support the labyrinth community, 

Labyrinth society members are entitled to a free mini-ad or a discounted rate for Plus or Pro advertisements as a member benefit. However, advertisements are not limited to labyrinth products. You can advertise anything!

Take a look in the TLSMarketplace and the different Marketplace ad options.

Contact us for your ad today! Your One-Stop Guide to Labyrinth Products and Services makes worldwide shopping easy for your customers. For information about ad requirements, see How to Submit Your Ad.

The New TLS Regional Representatives Coordinator

 

The Labyrinth Society is happy to welcome Demise Funaro as its new Regional Representatives Coordinator.  Denise has so generously offered her time and talents to serve. What a fantastic ambassador she promises to be! 

Denise recently sold her childcare business after 28 years to pursue her new life path in natural healing.  She is passionate about sharing her love of healing energy of Reiki along with the teachings of Meditation and Yoga to encourage positive change. She recently purchased a canvas Labyrinth to use for workshops.  Denise loves volunteering, walking. running, and biking.

Congratulations, Denise, as you proceed on this next journey in life and thank you for sharing it with us!

Regional Representatives are TLS members with special passion and interest in helping others connect with our organization. They serve as ambassadors for TLS in their region, state or country. We would love to hear from you! We can help you connect with events, people, resources in your area or on the TLS website.  Our list of Regional Representatives is here to serve you. Please contact us. 

Announcing a New Resources Module

The Labyrinth Society has created a new module, within the Resources category, called Media. The Labyrinth Society Media module contains categorized information about labyrinths and labyrinth related activities that can be downloaded via embedded videos, podcasts (mp3, mp4), YouTube videos and more. 

You can search via categories such as; Artists (Crafts, Fine, Graphic, Multi-Media, Performance), Books, Construction/ Landscaping (Canvas, Outdoor), Film & Theater, History, Research, Social Causes, Spirituality, TLS Business and Web/Internet. 

Right now there are two Labyrinth Matters Newsletters from Australia. However, in the future, look for more newsletters from our enthusiastic labyrinth neighbors down under. The media module also has a series of Blog Talk Radio podcasts, called Labyrinths In the News, created by Christiana Brinton between September of 2009 and November of 2010.  

Christiana has also begun a new series. A new podcast series is scheduled to start within the next few weeks. See next article. Just click on the selections to read, listen, learn and enjoy!

New Podcast Show: MANY PATHS, MANY VISIONS

 Producer/Host, Christiana Brinton

In keeping with The Labyrinth Society’s mission to educate, inform and support the worldwide labyrinth community, we are pleased to announce a new podcast show, Many Paths, Many Visions, with host, Christiana Brinton, Public Relations chair for The Labyrinth Society. Join us as we explore various topics through interviews with labyrinth builders, artists, researchers, social workers, and others around the world, who have made labyrinths an integral part of their lives.

Listeners with Skype accounts will be able to live chat during the last 15 minutes of each 60-minute podcast and the archived podcasts will be available free to the public. In addition to The Labyrinth Society's Resource/Media area, see at the end of this article the list of TLS Social Media sites where you, as well as the public, can download the podcasts. 

Other hosts will be invited to create subsequent, future episodes too, so please plan on exploring this interactive, social media outreach platform with us!

The theme for the remainder of this year is Using Labyrinths to Address Social Issues, a variation of the 2016 Houston Gathering theme, Diverse Journeys on a Common Path; Building Community through the Labyrinth. Here is a list of upcoming episodes through October.

9/30/16: Can Walking a Labyrinth Help Tech Savvy College Students Reconnect? Join guest speaker, Dr. Nancy Bandiera, the newly appointed Publications Chair for The Labyrinth Society and a college professor at La Guardia Community College in New York, as she discusses using labyrinths to engage her students and help them succeed.  This is a pre-recorded interview so listeners will not have direct access to Nancy, but please meet her at the Gathering or Email.

 

10/7/16, 10:00am CST: Combining Art, Spirituality and Service Through the Labyrinth: Making a Difference One Labyrinth at a Time.  Join Christiana and her guests: Debi and Marty Kermeen, the well-known dynamic duo of the global labyrinth community and featured speakers at this year’s Gathering, as they discuss the personal and community impact of the Kermeens' numerous labyrinth installations.

 

10/13/16, 10:00am CST: Using Labyrinths to Dissolve Boundaries Through Artistic Expression and Social Engagement, with artist, social activist, featured speaker, Reginald Adams, at the TLS Gathering. Join us as we discuss his community building labyrinth work with Houston area high school students. 

 

10/21/16, 10:00am CST: In the Heart of a City; Labyrinths as Respite, with guest, Janice Lewis, a volunteer with Chicago Lights, a community outreach organization located at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago, Illinois. Chicago Lights offers comprehensive social service programs for at-risk youth, the homeless, and the disadvantaged across the Chicagoland area. Janice volunteers with a number of their programs and uses labyrinths as a foundational piece in her workshops, retreats, and classes.  Chicago Lights

TLS Social Media Sites

YouTube

Facebook

Twitter

GooglePlus

Resource/Media

 

   

 

 

New Edition of Labyrinth Pathways 

Now Available  

 

We are happy to announce the publication of the 10th edition of Labyrinth Pathways, an annual journal focusing on the labyrinth in the fields of spirituality, health and the arts. The journal is published annually by Labyrinthos, and is provided electronically to all TLS members as a member benefit.

This edition includes offerings from authors and artists far and wide, connected by a common thread of labyrinth interest. We hope that you will find something in these pages to inspire you as you make your way along your own path! We trust that you will also find new thoughts from familiar friends, as well as introductions to new voices emerging within the field. 

One of the true marvels of the labyrinth community is the continual flow of the people who love the meandering pathways and all that they represent! 

Digital back issues are also available on the TLS website for free access by members. 

Kimberly & Jeff Saward, Editors