Meet Cordelia Rose---a lovely, friendly British/American who lives high upon White Mesa and has gone to considerable effort to express her fascination for Labyrinths----constructing lots of them on her land. Laurie, Peg and I made our way up on this mysterious plateau and introduced ourselves. Want the full story:
She gave us a tour---explained a bit of labyrinth history--distinguished them from mazes-- then let us walk as many of them as we wanted---in whatever meditative fashion we chose.
Each has an entrance and when fully walked brings one out at the same place one entered.
This is not a labyrinth----it is a maze---she constructed it to show the difference. Labyrinths are an effortless experience----a guided path requiring no decisions. The maze is a puzzle--a challenge---it is possible to go wrong--to get frustrated even---it has a prize---a right answer---it calls forth our reason.
Of course I accepted the challenge----and eventually worked my way to the center---the prize.
Laurie is lost in meditative bliss as she follows the path ---in full confidence it will lead wherever it should. Unlike the maze---each step is as significant as any other---there is no challenge or failure---just experience.
Likewise Peg ---also a meditator seems lost in a pleasant--going nowhere--journey. I gave the meditative journey a shot also. Enjoyed it! Certainly a sharp contrast to the maze experience.
Laurie contemplates a very imaginative labyrinth---a blank one--of soft--carefully raked earth. The idea is to walk a path of pure intuition---eyes opened or closed---just letting yourself be gently guided by? Whatever. When you finish, you may look at your tracks to see what your wanderings suggest to you. Then you take the provided rake, walk a circular route outward and restore the earth for the next walker.
An unlikely labyrinth made of horse turds---I walked it.
close up shot
RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES: I believe life is more like a maze than a labyrinth---more like a puzzle than a path; that creative responsiveness is better than obedience. If there is a God I don't think He writes (or inspires) authoritative books or has a divine will---a path--for us to follow. I prefer the notion that He made us co-creators ---responsible for creating our ethics, art and purpose. That He winces at the misguided millions who merely wish to obey.
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