MURRAY CREEK LABYRINTH
|
Crossing the foot bridge to path leading to the Labyrinth
|
Mid-Summer at the Labyrinth is hot and dry, but banked along the creek by oaks, wild grapes, and blackberries
|
First arrivals are heading for mid-day shade along the creek.
|
Sam, having forded the creek, arrives on his quad.
|
Preparations include stomping out gopher holes
|
Ann G and Annie
K
|
Two More Ann's - Ann C and Ann E - arriving
|
Opening the Ashes
|
|
Gathered and waiting to begin
|
|
We move towards the entrance of the Labyrinth
|
Gini's flute leading us into the winding labyrinth pathways as one-by-one we make our way towards the center.
|
Gathering at the Center
|
All together now at the center we take time to tone and attune, to meld our voices and hearts , mindful of why we are here.
|
Helene sounds Bob's Drum
|
Recalling one
of Bob's favorite songs, we sing:
|
We begin by burying a portion of the ashes under the Mother Stone to become a permanent part of this land and ,perhaps, with the help of the gophers and rain to merge with underground caverns and streams.
|
Here Joseph prepares to bury another portion of ashes under the Father Stone.
|
Ashes are added to the rich red earth at the base of the large quartz Father Stone--the power center of the Murray Creek Labyrinth.
|
Also being implanted with ashes are crystals from Bob's Medicine Bag.
|
One of Seven crystals from Bob's Medicine bag placed with ashes
|
A larger crystal, also from Medicine Bag, is placed on the Mother Stone, and immediately attracts a small creature.
|
From closer up
|
From Really
Close Up:
|
Carefully, thoughtfully, amongst small and large stones Bob's ashes are returned to earth. And some blowing with the wind will become a part of the atmosphere here and even the very air we breathe.
|
As each one is guided, the ashes and crystals are distributed throughout the Labyrinth.
|
|
A reflective moment
|
Gini plays us back out as the scattering of the ashes is completed.
|
Re-gathered under the oaks we share our experiences of Bob's continuing presence and influences in our lives. Among us someone (who "sees") points to Bob's presence as against a bank of manzanita, his entire being expanded with arms outstretched in blessing; now dancing his joy in new-found freedom of spirit.
|
Under what sparse shade we can find we enjoy a time of drumming together as a way of allowing all that we have experienced to sink in more deeply. Someone observes that walking the labyrinth will for them never again be the same, and which speaks incredibly true, perhaps for each of us.
|
Having shared so richly on so many levels we now share food.
|
And we linger on, reluctant to part from such rich and joyous fellowship.
|
And on we linger
|
And on
|
And on
|