Louisiana
New
Orleans (2)
Friends of the Labyrinth at Audubon Park
The photo above was taken on the labyrinth dedication day, which was
the first Easter morning after Hurricane Katrina. Photo by Lynn Randall
Photo by George H. Long
From the Friends of the
Labyrinth at Audubon Park website:
The Labyrinth
at Audubon Park has been waiting for its own timing and purpose and
that
purpose
has
now
become
clear,
particularly
as
our
beloved New
Orleans is consumed by the gutting of homes, the rebuilding of levees and
the removing of debris from our neighborhoods. The labyrinth stands as
a symbol of hope and will offer our New Orleans community a place to heal,
to walk together, and to celebrate new life.
The labyrinth has been a five-year collaborative effort of the Audubon
Nature Institute and The Friends of The Labyrinth at Audubon Park. One
of America’s most well-known creators of labyrinths, Marty Kermeen,
was commissioned to construct it in Audubon Park.
The permanent labyrinth is located among the oak and sycamore trees on
Audubon Park’s East Drive where Laurel Street meets Audubon Park
near the Tree of Life.
Walking the Labyrinth
The labyrinth’s archetypal symbol of the spiral is the universal
representation of transformation. The labyrinth is a tool that provides
a sacred place for meditation, centering, and healing. A labyrinth is a
walking meditation. All people and all cultures are invited to journey
along the labyrinth. As in life, you will encounter many turns. Trust the
path. There is no right or wrong way to walk a labyrinth. There are no
tricks or decisions, just follow the single path, one foot in front of
the other, until you reach the center. Return along that same path.
We are a non-profit organization whose mission is to build and support
the first permanent labyrinth for the New Orleans community. The Friends
are also active in projects to educate the public about the history of
the ancient labyrinth and to raise awareness about the resurgence of the
labyrinth as a meditative and spiritual tool.
Shreveport
St. Luke's Methodist Church Labyrinth
Design collaboration with Lea Goode-Harris, Ph.D., Santa Rosa© Labyrinth
This
lovely labyrinth features the Santa Rosa© pattern created by Lea Goode-Harris,
Ph.D. It is the first stone installation of the Santa Rosa© design
in the United States – and the first permanent labyrinth installed
in the state of Louisiana. Created as a site for Christian Pilgrimage,
the labyrinth was presented as a gift to the Shreveport community by
St. Luke’s United Methodist Church.
Sculpted in taupe and gray concrete paving stones, the labyrinth is encompassed
by a beautiful Prayer Garden that was landscaped by St. Luke’s
Garden Club. The labyrinth is 37 feet in diameter, and the path is 18
3/4 inches wide, extending a total of 680 feet in length. The simple
yet elegant 7-circuit Santa Rosa© design features a pausing stone at
the entrance and a heart space stone located near the fourth path. A
three-inch crown insures proper drainage, and the perfectly smooth surface
allows for handicapped accessibility.
St. Luke’s Labyrinth and Prayer Garden is actively used for church
activities, community walks, and even weddings. St. Luke’s active
labyrinth ministry focuses on creative activities for the children of
the church. The Sunday school teachers, for example, often bring the
children to the center of the labyrinth to blow bubbles that carry their
prayers to God. The labyrinth is also incorporated into church-sponsored
social events, such as the annual
Pumpkin Festival.