I have always had a passion for Labyrinths. I have walked indoor ones, outdoor ones, paved ones, and ones made out of rocks. Walking the outdoor desert labyrinth at the Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale... was something I really enjoyed when we lived in Phoenix. Since we moved to UT, the only labyrinth I've come across is at the St. John's Episcopal Church, in their main lobby. So, when I found an outdoor one (15 minutes away) I got pretty excited.
While Carolynn was up here visiting this past week, we decided to take a morning for ourselves and check it out. It was just lovely!
The Manthua labyrinth (named Anan Cara Agape) is in the backyard of a private residence, which coincidentally, is right across the street from a gun range. Go figure. We called in advance to make sure that we didn't need an appointment, but the owner, Jean Gilbert, told us to come by anytime.
The structure of the labyrinth is identical to the one in Scottsdale, which is the same as the famous Chartes Cathedral Labyrinth in France. Jean did a wonderful job, constructing her labyrinth out of cement and stones. She has also incorporated a Medicine Wheel motif and has 4 signs up depicting insights from the East, South, West, and North.
In the center, is a small gazebo-like structure with benches and a beautiful crystal on a pedestal. On the "floor" is a glorious bed of sand, making it seem like very sacred space. It is a wonderful spot to meditate or just be!
To complement the playfulness of the backyard, Jean Gilbert has a glorious Indian tipi. You can tell this lady is in touch with her inner child, from the beautiful paintings of children & trees on the tipi. In addition, she has a "Fairy Garden", a big fire pit, and free ranging chickens.
The whole place had a wonderful energy to it. As if to say, "here lives a person who really enjoys life". I am soooooo glad that I stumbled across this awesome place. I know I will be back... again and again.
