Labyrinths Around the Globe, Calendar Site and Anne of Green Gables
FROM THE LIBRARIANS GUIDE TO THE INTERNET
Here are a couple of fun links for your entertainment from lii.org
Everything you need to plan your 2008 calendar is at the calendar website. Chinese, Christian, Jewish plus calendars no longer in use, such as the Mayan calendar are on the site with history and interesting information.
Anne of Green Gables is turning 100 and there is an entire website dedicated to the events surrounding the celebrations.
TODAY'S COLUMN Published December 19, 2007 07:03 pm -
Find yourself in a maze
By Molly Day Submitted Story Arizona, India, Scandinavia and other locations around the world had spiral rock carvings as early as 3,000 years before the birth of Christ.
In American, the Hopi people used square labyrinths to represent their Sun Father and Sun Mother. A labyrinth is similar to a maze but the labyrinth has a single path that leads to the center or goal location.
A maze on the other hand, has loops, forks and cul-de-sacs that circle the walker out and back. Some say that the difference is that in a maze you can get lost and in a labyrinth you can find yourself.
In Britain, people walked circle shaped labyrinths that were cut into grass and eleven of them are still walked today. The largest one is at Saffron Walden, England.Early Christians added loops to their labyrinths to make the walk have more curves and turns, creating mystery for the walker. Pavement walks were place on church grounds and finger labyrinths were put into church walls.
French cathedrals have octagonal (six-sided) walks as well as circular ones. At Chartres cathedral, the original form that was put into place in the year 1200 is maintained. Christians of that era used the walk to symbolize a personal journey to Jerusalem. Some did the walk on their hands and knees. A
ll around the United States, communities, churches and spiritual organizations are putting in labyrinth walks for public use. Participants use the simple, physical form of the labyrinth for prayer, celebration and contemplation. The Cheyenne Wyoming Botanic Garden and Ohio State University have installed a labyrinth walk where the labyrinth is modeled after the famous 11-circuit Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth in France.
At Ohio State they placed evergreens in the outer ring to represent the tree of life and yew to represent eternal life of the spirit. The inner ring is flowering dogwoods to honor early residents of the land who taught the settlers to admire the flowering native. Carolina spice bushes were put in place around the gravel path to scent the walk.
At Cornell University the horticulture students made a labyrinth last month as a class project. They hand planted 14,000 daffodils, grape hyacinths and tulips donated by the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center. The students used a seven-ring pattern, digging bulb-planting trenches eight inches deep and eight inches wide based on a design from the Labyrinthos Web site.
Churches around the country have installed labyrinths as places to pray. The structure takes walkers into the center and back out again to symbolize going inside for prayer and taking inspiration back out into one's life.
Hospitals from Austin Texas to Salem New Jersey have install labyrinths for prayer, meditation and calming. The one at Meridian Park Hospital in Portland, Ore., is 36 feet wide and uses blue as the color of peace and tranquility in theirs. Umbrellas are provided for walkers.
Saint Scholastica Monastery in Fort Smith, Ark., has a labyrinth that is open to the public and there are almost 25 labyrinths in Oklahoma open to the public. The City of Tulsa installed one in Hunter Park on 91st Street.
You can see photos of several Oklahoma public labyrinths at wwll.veriditas.labyrinthsociety.org.
Locally, Moonshadow Herb Farm on South Country Club Road has a labyrinth that will be open to the public, afternoons and evenings from Friday to Sunday."On the Labyrinth Walk schedule I have listed two or three suggestions with seasonal holiday themes," said Sharon Owen, owner. "It's a drop in event for the public."
In addition, Owen is opening the labyrinth walk for a holiday gathering of women to walk and dance together through her meadow and prairie labyrinth to Christmas and Yuletide music."Bring musical instruments if you wish," Owen said. "I will have a boom box to play seasonal music, too. We can have a hot drink in the big greenhouse, warm up and then be on our merry way."
Contact Owen for more information at 1-918-687-6765 and moonshads@aol.com.
Buddhist leader Thich Nhat Hanh suggests that you say as you take each step, "I walk in peace with the earth."
Peace is Every Step
Peace is every step.
The shining red sun is my heart.
Each flower smiles with me.
How green, how fresh all that grows.
How cool the wind blows.
Peace is every step.
It turns the endless path to joy.
Our True Heritage
By Thich Nhat Hanh
Here are a couple of fun links for your entertainment from lii.org
Everything you need to plan your 2008 calendar is at the calendar website. Chinese, Christian, Jewish plus calendars no longer in use, such as the Mayan calendar are on the site with history and interesting information.
Anne of Green Gables is turning 100 and there is an entire website dedicated to the events surrounding the celebrations.
TODAY'S COLUMN Published December 19, 2007 07:03 pm -
Find yourself in a maze
By Molly Day Submitted Story Arizona, India, Scandinavia and other locations around the world had spiral rock carvings as early as 3,000 years before the birth of Christ.
In American, the Hopi people used square labyrinths to represent their Sun Father and Sun Mother. A labyrinth is similar to a maze but the labyrinth has a single path that leads to the center or goal location.
A maze on the other hand, has loops, forks and cul-de-sacs that circle the walker out and back. Some say that the difference is that in a maze you can get lost and in a labyrinth you can find yourself.
In Britain, people walked circle shaped labyrinths that were cut into grass and eleven of them are still walked today. The largest one is at Saffron Walden, England.Early Christians added loops to their labyrinths to make the walk have more curves and turns, creating mystery for the walker. Pavement walks were place on church grounds and finger labyrinths were put into church walls.
French cathedrals have octagonal (six-sided) walks as well as circular ones. At Chartres cathedral, the original form that was put into place in the year 1200 is maintained. Christians of that era used the walk to symbolize a personal journey to Jerusalem. Some did the walk on their hands and knees. A
ll around the United States, communities, churches and spiritual organizations are putting in labyrinth walks for public use. Participants use the simple, physical form of the labyrinth for prayer, celebration and contemplation. The Cheyenne Wyoming Botanic Garden and Ohio State University have installed a labyrinth walk where the labyrinth is modeled after the famous 11-circuit Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth in France.
At Ohio State they placed evergreens in the outer ring to represent the tree of life and yew to represent eternal life of the spirit. The inner ring is flowering dogwoods to honor early residents of the land who taught the settlers to admire the flowering native. Carolina spice bushes were put in place around the gravel path to scent the walk.
At Cornell University the horticulture students made a labyrinth last month as a class project. They hand planted 14,000 daffodils, grape hyacinths and tulips donated by the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center. The students used a seven-ring pattern, digging bulb-planting trenches eight inches deep and eight inches wide based on a design from the Labyrinthos Web site.
Churches around the country have installed labyrinths as places to pray. The structure takes walkers into the center and back out again to symbolize going inside for prayer and taking inspiration back out into one's life.
Hospitals from Austin Texas to Salem New Jersey have install labyrinths for prayer, meditation and calming. The one at Meridian Park Hospital in Portland, Ore., is 36 feet wide and uses blue as the color of peace and tranquility in theirs. Umbrellas are provided for walkers.
Saint Scholastica Monastery in Fort Smith, Ark., has a labyrinth that is open to the public and there are almost 25 labyrinths in Oklahoma open to the public. The City of Tulsa installed one in Hunter Park on 91st Street.
You can see photos of several Oklahoma public labyrinths at wwll.veriditas.labyrinthsociety.org.
Locally, Moonshadow Herb Farm on South Country Club Road has a labyrinth that will be open to the public, afternoons and evenings from Friday to Sunday."On the Labyrinth Walk schedule I have listed two or three suggestions with seasonal holiday themes," said Sharon Owen, owner. "It's a drop in event for the public."
In addition, Owen is opening the labyrinth walk for a holiday gathering of women to walk and dance together through her meadow and prairie labyrinth to Christmas and Yuletide music."Bring musical instruments if you wish," Owen said. "I will have a boom box to play seasonal music, too. We can have a hot drink in the big greenhouse, warm up and then be on our merry way."
Contact Owen for more information at 1-918-687-6765 and moonshads@aol.com.
Buddhist leader Thich Nhat Hanh suggests that you say as you take each step, "I walk in peace with the earth."
Peace is Every Step
Peace is every step.
The shining red sun is my heart.
Each flower smiles with me.
How green, how fresh all that grows.
How cool the wind blows.
Peace is every step.
It turns the endless path to joy.
Our True Heritage
By Thich Nhat Hanh
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