Pilgrimage Report from your ED June 2024
From our Board Chair
Our Executive Director
Meet Annika
Staff Directory
The Labyrinth and the Earth Treasure Vase Practice
Of Aesop, Ants and an Ancient Practice
Myth, Magic & Mystery— Veriditas Classical Labyrinth Pilgrimage to Sweden

Where in the World ...?
Book review: Circle of Grace
Auction news
Veriditas Mid-Year Campaign
Facilitator Corner
Did you know?
Little Miracles on the Path
Featured Labyrinth

Summer 2024

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Pilgrimage Report from your ED June 2024

As many of you know, the labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral stands at the heart of Veriditas. It is the labyrinth that inspired Lauren Artress to write Walking a Sacred Path. Thus, what has been termed “the labyrinth movement” began. Lauren and Veriditas have been going to Chartres for almost 30 years.

Our most recent pilgrimage, the Walking A Sacred Path week with Jill Geoffrion in June, was outstanding. She shared her many years of research at the Cathedral with our group of 24 participants and our leadership circle of six. We were all especially excited to learn her theories about the linkages between the labyrinth and the stained glass windows. Even for those of us who have been to Chartres many, many times, she helped us see this special place and our experiences there with fresh eyes and insight. That is one of the great gifts of Veriditas pilgrimages…the opportunity to see and understand ourselves, our lives and the world from different perspectives. And that insight was only deepened when, with special permission, Jill was able to walk us through the crypt as pilgrims, which was a particularly meaningful experience.

We are able to offer our unique and enriching Chartres pilgrimages thanks to the long-standing relationship between Veriditas and Chartres Cathedral. With recent turnover in the Cathedral staff, we also took this opportunity to reestablish our relationship with the new Cathedral authorities over lunch and tea during our stay. While the changes have brought some new rules regarding the use of the labyrinth and the crypt in Chartres Cathedral, it was important to let them know that coming to Chartres with Veriditas is truly a pilgrimage for the soul and spirit. We are very grateful that our meeting was successful in establishing new ties for our continued relationship.

In addition to our week with Jill, we held an in-person Facilitator Training that had seven participants from seven different countries (Latvia, England, Australia, USA, Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands). As we see with our Friday walks, the work of Veriditas is becoming more and more international!

Our Advanced Facilitator Training attracted truly advanced facilitators - all had a clear focus to their work. Again, of the six attendees, we had facilitators coming from Hong Kong, the UK, France, Canada and the US. Each of them is doing unique work with the labyrinth in their areas.

If you have not yet made it to Chartres with Veriditas (or even if you have!), we still have spots remaining for what promises to be an amazing pilgrimage in September. Cosmogenesis: Finding Meaning and Beauty in the Universe will be hosted by our founder, Reverend Dr. Lauren Artress with Phil Cousineau and Dr. Brian Thomas Swimme. Through poetry, storytelling, music, film clips and creative exercises, we will explore a New Story of how Creation is still happening here and now, the role our imaginations play, what the universe has always “known” and how this spiritual narrative reflects our desire to create art – a recognition of the allure of beauty in the classical Greek sense. Add in stargazing, walks along medieval streets, mindfulness practices and more, and you can expect to leave with a new sense of awe about the universe and your place in it. And watch for new pilgrimages in 2025. You can find out more here.

We often say that a Veriditas Chartres pilgrimage is truly a once in a lifetime experience. What this most recent pilgrimage reminded me yet again is that this is true every single time.

Lean back and look at the beauty of the night sky,
lean forward and gaze at the sublime vision of a medieval cathedral,
lean in and walk labyrinth.
You are no longer the same person.

From Our Board Chair

By Twylla Alexander

My favorite quote by Lauren Artress appears in her book, The Sacred Path Companion…

“I am amazed by the number of people who begin to find their life’s purpose and shape their life’s work through walking the labyrinth. It is certainly true of me, and I have seen many others whose gifts are opened, whether it be teaching, organizing, writing, or speaking. It is as though the labyrinth ‘births’ people into their gifts. This does not happen without taking risks, of course, but the unfolding of people’s lives is quite dramatic when this powerful archetypal energy is activated. You are freed to take courageous action on your own behalf.”

When I stepped into my first labyrinth, I had no idea it could be a portal into a world of unknown possibilities, just waiting for me. Not as dramatic, perhaps, as the wardrobe to Narnia, rabbit hole to Wonderland, or platform 9 3/4 to the Hogwarts Express; but transformative none the less.

“Every traveler can transform any journey into pilgrimage with a commitment to finding something personally sacred along the road.” -Phil Counsineau, The Art of Pilgrimage

Our Executive Director

Dawn Matheny was going through a difficult time in her life. A friend suggested she attend the Women’s Dream Quest at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Dawn, who has an undergraduate degree in psychology, a Master's Degree in counseling, and whose PhD dissertation analyzed how people varied in their approach to their dreams, decided to go. There she met Dream Quest Leader Judith Tripp and took one of her first labyrinth walks. Dawn recalls now how the labyrinth grounded her and the Cathedral acted as a container for her grief.

Judith later called Dawn and mentioned that Veriditas was seeking its first Executive Director. Prior to that time, Dawn had spent twenty-three years in county government, developing special programs for volunteers and for staff. Before her local government career, she was executive director of a non-profit organization serving women and children. The idea of applying for the job at Veriditas appealed to her as her next career path.

When Lauren Artress interviewed Dawn for the position of Executive Director, she asked what Dawn was looking for in her work. Dawn replied she was looking for a position that was both spiritual and creative. Dawn smiles when she recalls Lauren’s response (and apparent offer of work): “Have I got a job for you.” Dawn became Executive Director of Veriditas in May of 2007.

Question: What are the duties of an Executive Director for a small, under-resourced non-profit like Veriditas? Answer: Whatever is required. As Executive Director for Veriditas, Dawn supervises staff, works with the Board of Directors and Board Committees, plans events, assists with facilitator training, fund raises, and does whatever else is needed. She does much of the behind-the scenes work during pilgrimages to Chartres and encourages and assists volunteers in their work.

Most gratifying for Dawn in her work with Veriditas are the relationships she has formed with many different people and the joy of doing meaningful work for a purpose-driven organization. The labyrinth is such a powerful symbol of wholeness and hope in these uncertain times. The most difficult part of her job is the constant fundraising needed to keep Veriditas thriving.

When she’s not acting as Executive Director, Dawn enjoys her husband Milton, her children Tara and Peter, and she sets aside specific time each week to be with her grandson, Kai, who is now seven. She also has a mellow dog and a cat who hang out in her home office, keeping her company as she quietly works and furthers the mission of Veriditas.

Meet Annika

In 2010, Annika Moore was searching for a new job. Born and raised in South Africa, in her twenties she had decided it was time to explore the wider world. Eventually, Annika settled in the San Francisco Bay area of the U.S. to be near her brother’s family. She wanted to be part of the life of a beloved niece. But in 2010 there were few positions available, even for someone with Annika’s experience as an administrative assistant and graphic designer,  and qualifications - she has a BA Health Sciences and Social Services with specialization in applied psychology for professional contexts.  One night, before falling asleep, Annika asked the Universe for help in finding a job with an organization that was making a difference in the world. The following morning a craigslist® job offering for an administrative assistant at Veriditas appeared. Although 200 people applied for the position, after testing and interviewing with Dawn and Lauren, Annika was offered the position.

Annika’s current roles at Veriditas encompass graphic design, website and systems development, marketing, offering support for the Friday Online Finger Walks, and occasional event support. She says it is rare for designers to be given the level of creative freedom that she experiences in her work with Veriditas. Annika loves working with Dawn and her co-workers, who, she says, feel like family and work very well together.

One of Annika’s most memorable and meaningful experiences took place in 2011 in Chartres. Eighteen people, mostly women over the age of 60, moved, by hand, an enormous pile of cobblestones from one end of the Hotellerie St. Yves to the other, and then constructed the labyrinth in the secret garden at the Hotellerie St. Yves. The easy flow of the whole experience, the beautiful singing while working together, gave Annika a sense of Divine Grace surrounding the whole process of building that labyrinth. As they walked the finished labyrinth, a rising full moon appeared over the entrance to the labyrinth to illuminate their walk.

Annika lives with her husband on a small farm near Petaluma where she cares for her Miniature Schnauzer, Emma, now 15 and ½ years old. In addition to her Veriditas work, Annika has a sideline graphic design business, Protea Creative. (Protea is the national flower of South Africa.) She works with clients on logo design, brochures, newsletters, posters, websites, magazine ads, and more. She designed the cover of The Path of the Holy Fool, the most recent book by Lauren Artress. Annika’s website address is www.proteacreative.com.

Staff Directory

	Lauren Artress, Founder lauren@laurenartress.com Media interviews, facilitator trainings, Grace and Chartres pilgrimages
	Dawn Matheny, Executive Director dawn@veriditas.org Leading Veriditas, managing staff and budget, liaising with Board, planning event calendar, contracts, fundraising
	Annika Moore, Communications, Marketing & Technology Manager annika@veriditas.org Communications & marketing, website, supporting registration, lodging, internal systems and VIA membership. Handles event listings, graphics & materials
	Kathleen Stewart, Event Coordinator, Facilitator Support kathleen@veriditas.org Event support & coordination, facilitator certification, scholarships, canvas labyrinths, Friday fiinger labyrinth walks, facilitator list serve

“I am responsible for the pace I bring to the moment, just as I am responsible for the peace I bring to the moment.”—-Christina Baldwin, The Seven Whispers

The Labyrinth and the Earth Treasure
Vase Practice

By Judith Tripp

Since September 2021, I have been involved with a group called Alliance for the Earth that has as its mission “planting” Earth Treasure Vases in significant places all over the Earth. Its founder, Cynthia Jurs, was given this ancient Tibetan Practice when she asked a venerable Lama in Nepal what she could do to help to protect and restore the Earth. As she recounts in her new book, Summoned by the Earth, she has faithfully executed this mission creating a “Gaia Mandala” of over 90 vases on every continent on the planet.

I was introduced to this practice by Veriditas Labyrinth foremother, dear Marge McCarthy. It was her hope that I would help link her beloved Buddhist practice with Cynthia Jurs to her equally beloved Labyrinth practice. She asked me to bury a Treasure Vase under a Labyrinth in Washington, D.C. in her stead. One doesn’t say no to Marge McCarthy!

Answering Marge’s call sent me to Ghost Ranch in New Mexico where I met Cynthia and was given the Vase destined for DC. I also crafted a third-generation vase that I subsequently buried in Scotland -- another long story!

Marge and I convened a working group to build a labyrinth in DC but were unable to make that happen after trying for over a year. In the spring of 2023, I began to dream of a woodland site near a labyrinth and, sure enough, there was such a place in a park in DC. I was able to tell Marge that we were closing in on the burial site before she passed away last October.

In February, after a Women’s Dream Quest in Charlottesville, VA, with the help of Veriditas friends, Lars Howlett and Mary Ann Wamhoff, and a wonderful UU minister from DC, I found the spot and made plans for a pilgrimage of 15 Veriditas and Alliance for the Earth members to bury the Vase on Earth Day.

In order to join the energies of Buddhist meditation and labyrinth walking, our pilgrimage had time for both practices. We also toured the museums in DC that honored both Native and African Americans and walked Black Lives Matter Plaza to the White House fence. Everywhere we went we prayed into the vase and made tangible offerings. The Vase had already visited Chartres in 2023 and received blessings from participants in the class, Holding Space for the Sacred.

On the Sunday before Earth Day, we attended a special service at All Souls Unitarian Church. Lars had borrowed a 40-foot labyrinth and laid it out in the social hall. The Alliance for the Earth tribe loved this practice and all of us were helped by the weaving our beloved labyrinth provides when we are in sacred space and having intense experiences.

The Vase was buried in a beautiful basket created by Liza Jane Alexander, who has been joining Veriditas’ Friday handheld labyrinth walks and has a long history with her woodland labyrinth in Tennessee. A pewter Chartres labyrinth topped the basket. As is the practice, there is no trace of the burial site. You should know that it is guarded by tall trees and is connected to a nearby stream and, therefore, the waterways that flow through Washington DC.

Cynthia will be joining me for a Webinar on August 26 to discuss this all further. Please join us. You can register here

Of Aesop, Ants and an Ancient Practice

By Stephanie Reib

This was going to be a completely different article. But when I couldn’t reach everyone I wanted to interview and with my deadline approaching, I needed a fresh start. So I went outside, gardened a bit, noticed a grasshopper – which I have never seen in our yard before – and thought it was unusual but not much more.

The next morning, I thought of the grasshopper again. Just a random thought before I went online. And leave it to the always intuitive Judith Tripp (a past Veriditas Board member and longtime faculty member) to post a picture this morning of a rare visitor to her deck. A grasshopper, in all its green and glittering glory. Well, I know synchronistic sign when I see one! And I had my inspiration. For Judith, the grasshopper was a reminder of Mary Oliver’s poem, The Summer Day. The one that begins with a question, “Who made the world?” And ends with another we should all ask ourselves, “Tell me, what do you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

Me, though? I thought of Aesop. Specifically, I thought about one fable … The Ant and the Grasshopper. Surely you know it. The industrious ant, working all summer, harvesting and preparing to be sustained through a long winter. And the grasshopper, playing and singing all summer without a thought or care about planning for the future. Then, inevitably, came the winter. The ants are warm, well-provisioned and ready for whatever comes while the grasshopper -- cold, hungry and unprepared -- is soon at their door in need. There are countless versions of this story. Sometimes the ants help. Sometimes they don’t. (It is a lesson about being prepared, after all.) And, like labyrinths, the fable’s origins are something of a mystery. But it is safe to say that it pre-dates Aesop, which is saying something, since he lived c. 620 – 564 BCE. In fact, Aesop’s fables (of which there are estimated to be as many as 725, if you are wondering) are said to be based on Sumerian proverbs that were written around 1500 BCE.

Yet, here we are, thousands of years later, still telling this story.

As I thought about that I also thought about all the history our world has survived, shaped and celebrated. And inevitably, I thought about where we are now. There are few who do not think we are in a turbulent and chaotic time. The world is changing, and probably much faster than we … or any other living thing … can adjust. And that brought me back to grasshoppers and ants. And I wonder, are we prepared? Can we be?

For Aesop’s grasshopper, today – and every day -- is a day to sing and play and live in one’s own world. It moves through life without stopping to consider its place in it or notice the signs of 

change all around. It is not ready to weather a storm, much less a long winter. And if it got near a labyrinth at all, I suspect it would only be to eat the plants around it. I know a few grasshoppers and I’ll bet you do, too.

But the heart of Aesop’s fable is the industriousness of the ants. I recall one day when my attention was captivated by a single ant trying to drag a leaf far bigger than it was to a hole swarming with ant activity. To my surprise, a second ant started to help pull the leaf. Then another and another until a small ant army was working together and the leaf was actually being carried back to the hole. And then, slowly but surely, the seemingly too big leaf went down a very small hole and the ants went right along with it. It was amazing to watch. It was a lesson, too. Never underestimate the power of a group working together.

I’d say that labyrinth walkers have a lot in common with Aesop’s ants. We may love singing and playing as much as any grasshopper, but when we step onto a labyrinth, no matter our intention, we actively engage in preparing ourselves.

Walking a labyrinth, one can seek insight and strength…the very things that help us navigate disorderly times. We can find ways to bring order to any chaos in our own lives and be more ready for the chaos we encounter in the world. We can walk for peace and clarity and healing and solace and forgiveness. We can walk alone and together in solidarity. We can share our stories and insights and encourage others to do the same. This is one of the foundations of the growing community of walkers on our Friday online handheld labyrinth walks. We can listen. We can build up a storehouse of the tools, imagination and creativity we need for whatever the world brings our way. We can embrace our community. When we walk with a shared purpose, in person or virtually, we can radiate an energy greater than our own. Many of us intrinsically believe this, but anyone who has followed the research stemming from World Labyrinth Day has seen the proof as well. Hope is certainly needed, but so is action, including the small, mindful actions we take every day. Individually and collectively we can, as Ghandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

All these thousands of years later, we can still learn from a fable about being prepared for whatever life brings. But it is our turn to choose the version of Aesop’s fable we want to tell now. In these turning times of rapid change, division and uncertainty, are we prepared to open our doors wide or do we close them and hope to stay in our own world.

So tell me, what do you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

Myth, Magic & Mystery—
Veriditas Classical Labyrinth Pilgrimage to Sweden

Report Back by Lars Howlett

As our leadership team gathered on the eve of our pilgrimage, we expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be together in Sweden. Inside the stone ruins of a medieval church, we stood as a circle of four under an open sky planning our week of walks, rituals, and reflections. Only when we re-introduced ourselves did I realize we had all first crossed paths at Veriditas Summer School! I met co-leader Valarie Budayr at IONS in California and small group leaders, Catherine Anderson at Kanuga in North Carolina and Christina Rowntree in Sydney, Australia. Life is truly a labyrinth, and these sacred sites are the centers where we return to find ourselves and each other over and over again.

We decided our groups would be named after the four directions, as we would be traveling to the South, North and East on three bus trips and using the capital city of Visby as our home base in the West. In good labyrinth synchronicity, Valarie had discovered that our innkeeper’s grandfather and great grandfather had built two of the 15-Circuit Classical Labyrinths on the island over 100 years ago! His mother was also an accredited tour guide and father a retired pilot turned bus driver, so we felt comforted being in the care of the von Schulman family at the Hotel St. Clemens all week. We also lucked out with relatively warm weather and the long days of Midsummer meant night was only four hours long leaving lots of time for meandering around and making the most of our time together.

Sweden has more surviving ancient and historic labyrinths than any country in the world with over 400 examples. On the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea, there are 40+ with at least half easily accessible and in good walkable condition. We averaged visiting three a day, with one ritual walk of a field labyrinth made of stones set by beaches, lighthouses or sheep fields. Valarie shared local legends, folklore and traditions, as the island is her ancestral home, and she is fluent in the language and culture. Our pilgrimage themes of Myth, Magic and Mystery were everywhere!

We marveled at a labyrinth fresco and graffiti in the bell towers of medieval churches. We met women who had built labyrinths around the island and shared their inspiring stories. One of the most well-known labyrinth tales is of an imprisoned maiden who won her freedom by building a labyrinth, placing one stone each day. Our week culminated with a traditional Midsummer celebration, dancing around the maypole with the local villagers and fellow travelers. Our handmade flower crowns seemed to brighten all our spirits and complexions.

We learned how to draw labyrinths and walked an ‘invisible’ one using only the seed pattern. Catherine led us in creating travel altars for our bedside tables and Christina invited the group to collect natural materials from all corners of the island to create a group mandala. Reflecting our small groups, we made a compass encircled by seven small stones placed by each participant. In total there were over 200 pebbles, as we were 29 pilgrims who together fell in love with Gotland and its treasure trove of labyrinths. When I showed a map of all the locations, someone asked "Did we visit all of them?" "No,"I responded, "we had to save some for the next pilgrimage!"

Where in the World ...?

By Stephanie Reib

No one knows exactly how many labyrinths are in the world today. But, thanks to the Worldwide Labyrinth Locator (WWLL) we know exactly where a lot of them are. And, with its newly revamped website, it is easier and faster than ever to find labyrinths all over the globe.

Sponsored by Veriditas and The Labyrinth Society, the WWLL now lists 6,479 labyrinths in more than 90 countries. You can search by city, province, state, country, zip code or by the name of an organization. You can also simply click on the map and zoom in on any location

None of this happens without a LOT of work. Jeff Saward, who handles administration and support for the WWLL, noted that the database contains nearly 6,500 entries. Keep in mind that some of the 90 countries represented have different alphabets and character sets, adding to the complexity of his work. And each entry has up to 42 different data fields for location, contact info, information, etc. It all adds up to over 250,000 individual pieces of data that have to be entered correctly in order for the software to accurately sort and display it. And it will only grow from here. So, huge thanks to Jeff for the long path he traveled and all of the hard work he put in so we can find new paths to travel ourselves!

If you know of a labyrinth that should be on the locator but isn’t, the website also has guidelines and a form to help you create a listing. In the meantime, check out the new site at https://labyrinthlocator.org/

“What you seek informs what you find.” -Jill Geoffrion, Praying the Chartres Labyrinth

A Book Review

by Marilyn Zimmerman

Circle of Grace: A Book of Blessings for the Seasons
by Jan Richardson

For those unfamiliar with the works of Jan Richardson, discovering them is a real treat. Jan is an ordained United Methodist Minister, a writer, and a visual artist.  She is also Director of The Wellspring Studio, LLC, in Florida, where she leads retreats and pursues her many creative interests.  In one of her books, The Sanctuary of Women, she wrote, “I continue to make a creative home for myself along the edges of the church, making it up as I go along.”  Her work, as you may have guessed, is a combination of thoughtful, edgy, and poetic.  And her artwork is unique, like the seven-circuit labyrinth into which she has penned the Prayer of St. Catherine on the path to the center. (See photo)

Richardson’s website, janrichardson.com/artprints and her blog, The Painted Prayerbook, showcase many of her creative offerings as well as the online Advent Retreats she offers each year.   Some time ago, she began offering blessings on her blog to accompany the church’s lectionary and since, has become known for her blessings, which she writes, “Enable us to perceive the ways the sacred inhabits the ordinary.”  Her several books include blessings on various topics.

In her small but intense book, Circle of Grace: A Book of Blessings for the Seasons, published in 2015, Richardson’s blessings follow the church’s liturgical year but the subjects of these blessings are more about the themes of the seasons rather than the seasons themselves.  She writes poetically about journeys, light bearers, hope, and beginnings.  Consider these lines from the poem/blessing titled, The Map You Make Yourself:

                        “Travel the most ancient way

                        of all:

                        the path that leads you

                        to the center

                        of your life.”

And these lines from How the Light Comes:

                        “I cannot tell you

                        how the light comes,

                        but that it does.

                        That it will.

                        That it works its way

                        into the deepest dark

                        that enfolds you,

                        though it may seem

                        long ages in coming

                        or arrive in a shape

                        you did not foresee.”

I have found the works of Jan Richardson to have a special place in my labyrinth facilitations and in my spiritual life.  You may find them helpful in yours.  In closing, here’s one poem of Jan Richardson I especially like to recite before a labyrinth walk:

                        A Walking Blessing

"That each step may be a shedding.

That you will let yourself become lost.

That when it looks like you’re going backwards,

you may be making progress.

That progress is not the goal anyway,

but presence,

to the feel of the path on your skin,

to the way it reshapes you

in each place you make contact,

to the way you cannot see it

until the moment you have stepped out."

We’re Counting Down to Our Annual Auction FUNdraiser

Mark your calendar for Oct 1 – 15

Our annual auction is always exciting, interesting and full of surprises. That’s because, every year, Veriditas supporters donate a wide array of items from jewelry, labyrinth items and meditation tools to books, art, travel … and so much more. It’s no wonder we can’t wait to see what our donors conjure up to make the catalog full of “something for everyone” offerings. On top of that, our auction coordinator, Jenny Slama, has just returned from a Chartres pilgrimage with some very special items she chose while she was there.

Adding to the fun, for the first time, we’re planning an online Auction Kick-off Party on September 29th. This is the place to be to get a first look at some of the artwork and the inside story on some of the artists who are contributing their work this year. You will also meet Jenny, who has been running the auction for years and who will introduce you to some of the new items made exclusively for Veriditas. And we have more than one surprise up our sleeves only for those who join the party. Watch for your invite in September because you don’t want to miss it!

Of course, our auction’s success is only possible thanks to the generosity of folks like you! We hope you will consider participating in two ways. First, we would deeply appreciate your donation of one or more items to place in the auction. If you aren’t sure what to donate, you can find our wishlist, auction flyer, how-to’s and more at www.biddingforgood.com/veriditas where we are ready to take donations now.

Second, mark your calendar for the party and then shop the auction. If you have joined in our previous auctions, you know to watch for surprises, contests and “Easter eggs” as you bid on your favorite items. And be sure to follow the action, because once items are gone…they’re gone!

Facilitator Corner

Are you looking for music or poetry to use for physical or handheld labyrinth walks? Here are a few suggestions.

MUSIC: “Myfanwy” (arranged for Solo Cello)
performed by Sheku Kanneh-Mason

POETRY:

“A voice comes to your soul saying,

Lift your foot.  Cross Over. 

Move into emptiness

of question and answer and question.”
- Rumi “The Glance”

A BOOK TO CONSIDER (from which the above poem was taken):

The Soul of a Pilgrim: Eight Practices for the Journey Within by Christine Valters Paintner

Did You Know? 

• Did you know that even though the Chartres labyrinth has existed since 1202, there is still a discussion about exactly how many stones it is made of? That is because it depends on how the stones are counted. So if you look it up, you will find there are “exactly” between 268 and 274 stones.

• Many of us know that the Chartres labyrinth is a 42-foot wide 11-circuit Medieval labyrinth. But did you know that if you laid the path out in a straight line, it would be about 860 feet long? That is just a bit taller than the New York City’s 69-story Rockefeller building.
  
  
• Turf labyrinths (often called mazes or sometimes mizmazes) have a long history in England with at least two, Julian’s Bower and The Old Maze in Wing, likely dating to the 12^th century or earlier. Both are Chartres style labyrinths. Only eight of England’s ancient turf mazes remain and we may assume that others, when unused, simply faded from sight…something Shakespeare wrote about in Act II of A Midsummer’s Night Dream…

The nine men’s morris is fill’d up with mud,

And the quaint mazes in the wanton green,

For lack of tread, are undistinguishable.

In case you are wondering, four other ancient turf mazes remain, three in Germany and one in Sweden.

Featured Labyrinth: Trojaborg in Visby

Sweden’s most well worn and fabled labyrinth on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea was the site of the closing walk on the last day of the Veriditas pilgrimage. Legend tells of the local maiden who won her freedom from imprisonment by placing one stone each day to form the pattern.