St. Aidan's labyrinths in Alexandria

The labyrinth is under some old pines and other trees and thus gets lots of shade. Something planted nearby made the approach smell really pleasant.

St. Aidan's Episcopal Church in Alexandria, VA, has both a large outdoor labyrinth and a small indoor labyrinth painted on the floor at the back of the sanctuary.   The 40-foot outdoor labyrinth paths are rubber mulch (like playgrounds use) over ground cloth, with white stones outlining the path. As I walked, I felt the energy of many hands and much care that went into building it. The Worldwide Labyrinth Locator says it was completed September 2012.

I like the fact that benches are nearby, but not facing the labyrinth itself.

The natural site is echoed inside the sanctuary where the walls are rough hewn wood. I almost missed the small labyrinth painted on the floor at the back, because it was covered with chairs. The St. Aidan's web site, though, has a wonderful photograph of a confirmation class meeting in the middle of this sacred space. 

 

Location:  

St. Aidan's Episcopal Church
8531 Riverside Road
Alexandria,  VA 22308

http://www.staidansepiscopal.com

Two Santa Rosa labyrinths in Maryland

Walking two labyrinths of the same pattern, in similar settings near Washington, DC, provided a great opportunity to compare the little design details that give a labyrinth its individual character. Both the private Hallowood Retreat Center and the public Brookside Gardens sited their labyrinths next to small lakes. Both follow the Santa Rosa design by Dr. Lea Goode-Harris and use similar materials, rough gravel for the path and stone blocks to mark the path's boundaries. The two main points of difference are the sense of enclosure and the contrast between the path and its boundaries. 

Enclosure

Brookside labyrinth, looking toward tea house island​

The Hallowood labyrinth slopes a little more than the Brookside site, toward the water, and is enclosed on the uphill side by a line of shrubs, trees, and large rocks. The waterside vista is toward the retreat center buildings on the other side of the lake. At a labyrinth event that I facilitated at Hallowood, one participant said she felt more enclosed than she expected, given how much of the site is open.  

At Brookside, things are roughly reversed. The lakeside view is toward a large cypress tree and the island that shelters the Japanese tea house and garden.  Away from the lake, the view is up a long hill. ​

Contrast​

The second major point of difference is the contrast between line and path. The Hallowood labyrinth uses larger blocks to mark the path than the one at Brookside. The roughly 2-to-1 ratio between lines and path gives it a very solid feel, accentuated by the stronger contrast between the dark gravel and lighter blocks. The Brookside labyrinth feels like it's drawn with a pencil, rather than a wide-tip marker, and the path is wider. 

​​Labyrinth at Hallowood Retreat Center near Sugarloaf, MD

I rather like the scattering of leftover blocks near the entrance of the Brookside labyrinth. It gives it the suggestion of an ancient monument that has seen just a slight bit of decay. 

I'm not saying that one is better than the other, only that these little differences -- and the effect they have on your walk -- are part of what makes it fun to visit outdoor labyrinths.

Labyrinth at Brookside Gardens ​in Wheaton MD

St. Luke's Episcopal Church labyrinth

[UPDATE BELOW] The outdoor labyrinth at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 6030 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, MD, is always available. This is one of many labyrinths in the DC and Baltimore areas supported by grants from the TKF Foundation.

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St. Thomas Parish (Episcopal) labyrinth

[UPDATE BELOW] The outdoor labyrinth in the St. Thomas Parish (Episcopal) garden is barely visible from the street at 18th and Church NW, because it's elevated. (Thevideo below shows you how to find it.) It's a surprisingly peaceful place, given the vast amount of foot and car traffic passing by. The entrance is on 18th Street. 

This is the only labyrinth in Washington, DC, that is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Enjoy it while you can. The parish hopes to build a new sanctuary to replace the one that was destroyed by arson in 1970, an act of violence to which the congregation responded by building the peaceful garden that today houses the labyrinth and a fragment of the original sanctuary. 

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Georgetown Waterfront Park labyrinth

There's a labyrinth in Georgetown? Overlooking the river? With fabulous views? Yes! Yes! Yes! Few people seem to know that the section of Georgetown Waterfront Park at the foot of 33rd Street has a beautiful labyrinth, funded in part by the TKF Foundation. This labyrinth is open sunrise to sunset. Its wide paths invite strollers, wheelchairs, and walkers (as well as skateboards and bicycles).

Some have called the spirit of this labyrinth exuberant, in contrast to the meditative mood of most other labyrinths. 

 

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