NESTING into the Metaphors of Tree Life on the Labyrinth: A Virtual Qualifying Workshop with Barrie Gibby, Faculty and Virginia Schenck, vocal artist

Trees are our Temples of wisdom. Their voices sing to us every day. Their ringed trunk is a fingerprint of cyclical life phases. To the Celts, the sacred trees hold the template for life guidelines, healing power and mystery. As we honor the spiral sequence of living systems, we celebrate our birth time in the Celtic tree calendar, source of the Ogham alphabet, originated by the ancient Tuatha De Danaan tribe. As pilgrims, we gather in Circle on the labyrinth, whose quadrants echo the cycles of tree life and our own. And we come to nest in between those life phases, hidden in the branches that stretch skyward.

What song is in your heart that accompanies your nesting? Is the act of rest lived

out in your threshold time between seasons? Are you still building your nest? How

does your Celtic birth tree honor your deeper self and life phases? What do you

wonder on your tree path? And how does that wondering become more prominent

in your roots?

Following the pattern of the thirteen moon months, we will explore Celtic tree

wisdom, their traditions and meanings and piece together a better understanding of the vital nature of each tree’s contribution to our awakened consciousness of

harmonious earth partnerships and interwoven ecosystems.

Barrie Carter Gibby:

A long-time educator, writer and avid traveler, Barrie interweaves her background in design, music, theater production and ritual-making to facilitate labyrinth workshops across the nation on a variety of themes. Her many pilgrimages to the 13th c. Chartres Cathedral labyrinth and others worldwide have guided her passion for the layers of symbology, cultural understanding and synchronicities in her labyrinth work. As an Advanced Certified Facilitator and on faculty at Veriditas, Barrie finds sacred spaces everywhere.

VA Virginia Schenck is an international vocal artist, social activist, arts advocate, licensed and board-certified music therapist, and Veriditas-trained labyrinth facilitator. In her retreats, VA brings the same emotional connectivity to her work as a performing artist. Known for her impact in the world of vocal improvisation, she also loves to dance in the labyrinth!