Come join us for a contemplative Labyrinth Walk on December 31 from 5 – 7 p.m. at the First Universalist Society in Franklin (FUSF), 262 Chestnut St., Franklin, MA. This will be our 10-year anniversary of our New Year’s Eve Labyrinth Walk. Enjoy the walk, light snacks and drinks, as well as making mandalas. Please bring any size baby diapers, toiletry items, clothing (any size, boys, girls, male or female – new or gently used), or twin sheets. Donations will go to Pathways Family Shelter in Framingham, MA.
We will have both a candlelight indoor labyrinth and an outdoor labyrinth lit by twinkle lights and a bonfire. We have added the drawing of mandalas to the festivities. The art activity of drawing mandalas originated in ancient India.
Whether you’re a seasoned labyrinth walker, or you are new to labyrinths, come join us. Sacred labyrinth walking on the labyrinth is a meditative activity. The labyrinth simulates a journey, which can be physical or internal.
The first labyrinth can be found in Greek mythology, when Daedalus built it for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, which was eventually killed by the hero, Theseus. Daedalus had so cunningly made the Labyrinth that he could barely escape it after he built it. Labyrinths, today, are simply patterns, unlike mazes, there is only one way in and the same way out.
According to www.mandalaproject.org, the labyrinth is a circular pattern, a mandala, which is more than a simple shape. Mandalas are rooted in ancient India. They represent wholeness, and the structure of life itself. These cosmic diagrams remind us of our relationship to the infinite and the world that extends beyond and within our bodies and our minds These mandalas can describe material and non-material realities. The celestial circles, we call earth, sun, and moon are mandalas, as well. Intangible circles, such as friends, family, and community, are mandalas. The drawing of Mandalas and coloring them is a meditation, as well.
It is the consolidated world vision symbolized by the mandala that emerged in the occidental religious and secular cultures. The Eastern religions had long embraced these ideas about mandalas, but the Western world has only recently been introduced to these ideas. It has the power of opening our eyes to a new perspective, which might change how we see ourselves, others, and the planet.
We invite you and your family to come and participate in this special evening. Come to celebrate your blessings from 2016. Come to think of your goals for 2017. The two labyrinths will be open until 7p.m. If you are not familiar with walking a labyrinth, it’s as easy as putting one foot ahead of another as you follow the path into the center of the labyrinth. You may want to spend a few moments soaking up the energy in the room. Then you return on the same path to the exit. Soft music and the glow of candles on the inside and the natural environment of the grove of trees that surround our outdoor labyrinth set the tone for your meditative walk. You may walk either or both, but keep in mind that most walks can be completed in 30 minutes, so plan to arrive before 6:30 p.m. The art activity can be done in 15-20 minutes. If you have any questions, please contact me, Judy Swaim, at (508) 528-7831 or jbswaim@verizon.net. Give yourself this gift to start your new year!
Issue Date:
December, 2016
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