The Rollins Labyrinth Project was a multi-phase effort to provide training and resources on the labyrinth process/experience to students, faculty, staff, and the wider campus community over the span of the academic years of 2018-19, and 2019-20.

Its goal was to introduce and educate the campus community to the labyrinth as a vital educational and personal growth reflective experience to enhance learning, both in and out the classroom, as well as contribute to an increased sense of campus wellness through a variety of inclusive and diverse events. These included an initial half-day educational workshop on the Rollins campus attended by faculty, staff, students, as well as interested community members. In addition, representatives were in attendance from several local colleges and universities, with an interest in labyrinth work on their respective campuses. As part of the lead-up to this program, a series of labyrinth walks and events were held to promote the event. 

As a result, a follow-up series of events exploring the use of the labyrinth to build “Beloved Community” were held including a community clergy breakfast, and a series of on-campus/community labyrinth walks scheduled in conjunction with the 2020 MLK Week Events at Rollins College.

The success of this project has begun to generate the development of a network of colleges/universities in Central Florida, and across the state who desire to collaborate and network on labyrinth projects. In addition, a second phase of this project is in progress to extend and expand the initial effort in new directions including creation of media hub resources, virtual labyrinth trainings and events, continued outreach to wider communities as well as the expansion of the network with other Florida colleges/universities interested in labyrinth work.

For more information or details on this project, please contact Frank Faine at [email protected].

In 2020 The Labyrinth Society provided Susan Murphy with $500.00 for a labyrinth in Rwanda.  Susan had been three times to Rwanda working with Embrace Rwanda (ER) who introduced Susan to Francine Muhawenimana – Coordinator of the Children’s Peace Library which is part of The Transformation Leadership.  Francine was excited to join Susan in this endeavor.

The vision of the Children’s Peace Library is to see sustainable peace promotion among the children of Rwanda.

The Children’s Peace Library opened in 2009, in the Kicukiro neighborhood in Kigali.  They have libraries in Gisenyi and Kanzenze (Rubavu District),  Byumba (Gicumbi District), and Ruhengeri (Musanze District). 

Susan and Francine spent two months on the following labyrinth related events and projects.

The projects we worked on were:

• Umuganda and Peace Prayer:  On the last Saturday of the month adult Rwandans come together to do community work.  We worked with the headmaster and children of George Fox School to build a three-circuit labyrinth where the children learned a prayer for peace.

  
  Clive Johnson, RR for UK and Julius Zigama from GAMA Arts joined us on the Saturday

• Clive, Susan and Francine did a three-day workshop for librarian staff, the coordinator of The Transformation Leadership (David Bucura) and his staff.  The workshop show staff how to build three labyrinths: 3 circuit, reconciliation and ceremonial. We used the ceremonial labyrinth in the evening for a Hero’s Day event – where the headmaster joined us.  Clive created a movie showing the labyrinth in many settings and helped ease translation costs.  
  
  We introduced the TLS website, Labyrinth launchpad, and Veriditas websites.  We also made zoom call to TLS volunteers.
  
  
• We made two field visits to libraries outside Kigali
  
  
• Reconciliation labyrinth that could be used for conflict resolution and mediation training hosted by the library whose education approach focuses on effective education: developing character and leadership by linking inner values with everyday actions in interpersonal relationships.
  
  
• Four imigondo finger labyrinths (made from cow dung) were distributed to the various libraries.
  
  
• Afternoon workshop with Grace Rwanda to introduce labyrinth.  We built a 3-circiut labyrinth for the children who walked it while reading books, bouncing balls or playing soccer.  Staff were able to integrate the labyrinth into a game they called “stick”.

Unfortunately, the virus put a halt to the labyrinth activities but they are ready to start again when it is safe. 

Article: Coronavirus and Rwanda’s Children’s Peace Libraries 

Francine Muhawenimana has become Labyrinth Society Regional Rep for Rwanda to help further the growth of Labyrinths in her country!

The Labyrinth Network Northwest received $500 to present the first Labyrinth Beach Festival at Tierra del Mar on the Oregon coast.

Denny Dyke of Circles in the Sand drew enormous, beautiful and captivating labyrinths on the beach, attracting many walkers, including families. We also made one out of pinwheels, which the children loved.

Presentations were given in a restaurant nearby which was closed for business.

It worked well as the LNN provided a pot luck soup and salad supper.

Earlier in the day, Kay Kinneavy gave a presentation on the wide variety of labyrinth designs and uses. In the evening Jodi Lorimer presented a power point talk on the mythic history of the labyrinth. A workshop in the afternoon featured craft projects open to all.

This event, it is hoped, will become an annual one, building on this model in the future, perhaps at different beaches to expose the labyrinth to as many beach-goers as possible.  

For more info see:

The Labyrinth Network Northwest Website

Our second grant went to Reginald Adams’s Sacred Spaces Project.

Reginald Adams LLC is a public art and design firm in Houston, Texas.

This was a very ambitious project in conjunction with International Exchange, a youth exchange program which “engages, empowers and inspires youth through hands-on service projects locally in foreign countries…this collaborative is a multi-disciplinary approach to cultural and social awareness that builds bridges between international communities to address issues of education, environment, urban revitalization, creative place-making and cultural tolerance.”

After tours to historic landmarks and cathedrals that have labyrinths, the group of 16 students, working with the local host team, created a 7 circuit classical labyrinth in 4 or 5 days on the ECAM Lyon Graduate School of Engineering.

More information and photos are available on the Sacred Sites Quest Facebook Page.

Or for more information see: Sacred Sites Quest on Reginald Adam’s website

Our third project was granted to the NEVLO organization to build the Labyrinth of Armone with a geodesic dome at the center to be erected temporarily at Burning Man in Nevada.

One attractive aspect of this project, which met the ‘seed money’ category of Special Projects grants, is the intention of the builder and designer, Gio Coehlo, to continue to build on the project over the next few years.

Eventually, he hopes to make it a mobile installation that could be constructed at any event ‘like the TLS Gatherings and other places where labyrinths are (and could be) welcome.’

He hopes to eventually house, in the center dome, a coalition of eco-designers to educate attendees in green and sustainable living.

The building of the project at Burning Man was made a good deal more complicated by the dust storms that plagued the area. However, it did go up and, according to Gio, was a rousing success with thousands of people, including families, walking the labyrinth.

He was so inspired that, on the way home, he stopped in Tahoe and a couple of other places to build labyrinths out of local rock. We have only just received a few photos from him as he’s still sorting it all out.

However, he has a new studio and is now even more excited, if that is possible, to complete a documentary film and pursue his dream of the finalized Labyrinth of Armone.

View a short Facebook video of the labyrinth at Burning Man.

A labyrinth constructed by community and student volunteers, it is available for use by all those who visit the Presbyterian Student Center, University of Georgia, providing the opportunity to experience the spiritual benefits of walking the labyrinth to a wide segment of the University of Georgia and the Athens-area community.

Labyrinths Around the World Workshop

A Dell Rapids, SD World Labyrinth Day event, May 7, 2011

The Mothers Healing Garden organization hosted Lisa Moriarty in Dell Rapids, who conducted a workshop to educate the public on the history and use of Labyrinths. Lisa brought two canvas labyrinths for participants to experience. She also provided a PowerPoint presentation and small group information breakout sessions.

The Midwest Regional Gatherings took place at Waycross Conference Center, Morgantown, Indiana.

They were opportunities to network with Labyrinth enthusiasts and Facilitators from everywhere, experience a variety of Labyrinths, attend Workshops and Roundtables on many topics, and display and share work in the resource area.

TLS member and artist Kelley Quinn worked with the 6th, 7th and 8th graders at this Illinois Middle School to create a public piece that the whole community can use.

Quinn, who is a Certified Labyrinth Facilitator, helped the students design a mandala pattern to go under a 7-circuit classical labyrinth, and trained the students how to use the labyrinth and establish a Labyrinth Keeper club to maintain and continue to educate future users for years to come.

The Perrine Elementary Expressive Arts Labyrinth project aims to provide an alternative yet innovative approach to helping students focus on solving emotional issues impacting their ability to access their education.

The students whose academics are faltering due to their focus on social emotional issue, such as, anger management; lack of impulse control, self-control, self-esteem; and the need to learn self-soothing techniques will have an opportunity to utilize the transformational attributes of a labyrinth.

The labyrinth is a reconfiguration of an existing living plant maze-like feature to a classic labyrinth and is also used to help students with critical thinking meditation.

A beautiful labyrinth was built at Kingston Episcopal Parish in Mathews, Virginia under the direction of Mary Chapman.

TLS provided a $500 grant to assist in the cost of excavation and preparation of the land to be performed by a licensed contractor: sand, gravel and pavers will be used. The congregation provided the labor to install labyrinth. It was amazing to watch everyone work together to create this work of art that will be enjoyed by the community for years to come.

On a prepared circle of crush and run….Parishioners moved about 11 tons of stone dust by wheelbarrow and shovel and carried and placed over 1300 pavers….they raked and leveled and swept in a sequence of cooperation that was wonderful.

The written prayers have been incorporated into the labyrinth and any additional prayers will be added to the surrounding space.

Over 30 volunteers in the community of Mancelona, Michigan under the direction of Ellen Whitehead came together to build the Mancelona Labyrinth of Hope.

The community in beautiful Northern Michigan has suffered in recent years from the economic recession of the past decade, manufacturing job leaving the country, and businesses shutting up in our small downtown. But our people are resilient and still have hope in their hearts for a renaissance to begin in our town—and it has!

Our labyrinth has already touched many people of all ages, both community residents and tourists who visit the area. The $500 grant received from TLS enabled three individuals receive facilitator training so they can further educate the community and facilitate labyrinth events. 

TLS provided a $250 grant for materials and supplies to design and construct a labyrinth on the equator in Ecuador, South America during the summer of 2016.

Under the direction of Reginald Adams 18 high school students from the Houston area participated in a 9-month long training, Sacred Sites Quest, designed to prepare them for their labyrinth project in Ecuador. 

A Special Project grant provided funds for the purchase of a tape machine to create a temporary labyrinth for the first World Labyrinth Day May 2, 2009.

Participants lined the paths with donations for the local food pantry.

It was the first public labyrinth walk held in North Curry County and was so popular that it was repeated for WLD 2010.

Labyrinth Network Northwest Newsletter

The ‘Journeys through the Labyrinth’ workshop on September 3, 2010, provided an opportunity to learn in depth about the labyrinth and its use as a blueprint for one’s own journey – journeys through work, study, or major life transitions.

An offsite venue at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Melbourne, Australia, December 2009, this labyrinth hosted seven events in the course of the Parliament and was hosted by the Australian region of TLS.

Labyrinth Network Northwest (LNN) seeks to improve communication and cooperation between labyrinth-interested people in the Pacific Northwest.

Labyrinth Network Northwest (LNN) is a new organization devoted to supporting activities and practices centered on the labyrinth. It seeks to bring together labyrinth walkers, facilitators, spiritual directors, and craftspeople in the region – all united in their passion for the labyrinth and the possibilities for transformation. These various interests will be connected through a variety of formats, including occasional meetings and – most importantly — electronic communication to publicize labyrinth programs, consultants, information and labyrinth sharing, workshops, and book groups, to name a few.

The Carol Shields Memorial Labyrinth is an outdoor garden labyrinth, commemorating renowned author Carol Shields. It is approximately 150′ x 150′ located in King’s Park, Winnipeg close to the University of Manitoba where she taught and is wheel chair accessible.

Sponsored by the Labyrinth Network Northwest, these now annual gatherings in Oregon feature speakers, workshops, fellowship and fun.