The First Labyrinth:The Sacred Circle The Sacred Circle and The Labyrinth is in us.It is what we are; What we are becoming. It is flowing and moving in our blood. It is the rhythms of our brain cells. It is a part of the Spirit of this Land. It is not an import. Long before the Labyrinths of the Cretan and other cultures of the East, it was on the ancient walls of canyons and caves, the earthworks of the ancient tribes, stone rings of the Medicine Wheels of The Northern Plains. Only later did it become intergrated into the Spiritual Practices of the Mystics of Christian Tradition But the Labyinth is even more basic.It is inside of us, the cells and organs of our bodies, the eyes through which we see and the birth path through which we were born. This labyrinth is all around us, holding us wrapped in the blanket of the earth and sky, the warmth of the sun, the beauty of the flowers, the sounds of life which we hear. We can lay out many paths by which to walk the labyrinth, to assist us in staying on the path as we journey in to it's center and out again; to guide us to a deeper conscious awareness of our passage through time and experience. However when, with our walking staff, we simply enter, spiraling inward toward the center, guided only by our inner movements, touching the dips and holes of the Earth itself, we connect our body,mind and spirit in a deep fundamental way with our Being, that goes beyond any preconcieved Ways of Doing. Walk the Labyrinth, in fact, walk many of them, experience their sacred and ancient ways of healing and tranformation. Know in your deepest Heart Space the Labyrinth is What You Are and what You are Becoming. OOOO A wonderful Resource: "The Medicine Wheel Garden": Creating Sacred Space For Healing, Celebration and Tranquility. E. Barrie Kavasch.

Thoughts: Claiming The Vision Oh what is this vision that is calling me, this longing yearning that shows up in my dreams and fantasys, the image that draws my eye, lifts my spirit and that guides my hands? Perhaps in these words I will discover and uncover the answers. This Wheel of Life: Medicine Circle, Sacred Circle, The Sacred Hoop is all over the world, found in the most ancient of Art Forms. In Caves, Buriel Mounds and on ancient canyon walls, It's presence speaks forth the voice of those who have gone before. Even the physicists of our time are beginning to listen to their voices. But the First Peoples of this land have always known this Presence. Great Mystery, The Great Something. This Circle of Life, the Power of Life; The Elements of earth,fire,water,air hold All life together in an interconnected whole, like a family we are in relationship.Inclusive of all creation, regarded as family relatives, the animal beings, the plant beings, the flying beings, the swimming beings, stone being and Human beings. Yes!Family are we. We all have a place on the Circle. All are equal on the circle. From the East, the South, The West and the North we are gathered as Family. We live, move and have our being, inclusive,dependent and interdependent: Rituals and Ceremonies all share the purpose of keeping life in balance and Harmony. All of life is imaged as a circle, a spiral; The energies that power the life of the universe, the four winds, the grandfathers, the grandmothers, Mother Earth, Father Sky, the cycle of the Seasons, the Movement of the Day, the Movment of the Spiritual Life, the movment of Ordinary Life. The Movement of my Life: Birth, Childhood, Adulthood, Elderhood. All of my Life experience are of the Circle of Life. All of this experience is a learning. All of it is a teaching. All if for the Good Of the People, Held Sacred and Holy. But The Circle is Broken and Life is out of Balance. OOOOOOO ___________________________________________________________ .......teachingbear this is what my grandfather told me. Once the Circle was perfect. the four winds of the east,south,west and north, the Earth, the air, the water the Fire, All was Life, All was Spirit. All the Beings lived together in Balance and Harmony.Everything was ending, everything was a beginning. everything was moving with the Spirit. Everything was moving with Life. Death was part of the Circle's movement Everything was natural. everything was in the Great Mystery, The One Above. I am what I am. Then Coyote came and messed it all up. Coyote is the trickster, the teller of lies, the fool, the joker. He distracts us with his crazyiness.But Coyote is a Teacher and Coyote gets our attention. We have listened to Coyote instead of listening to Great Mystery'. Thats why we are in the mess we're in. That's Why We have the Rituals and Ceremonies to Bring the Circle back to Balance, to Keep Life Moving On. .... and that's what GrandFather told me,Teaching Bear OOOOOOO ___________________________________________________________

Medicine Wheel: Sacred Circle: Sacred Hoop whatever the term that is used , it refers to  a  model or view  of Life that is  common to Native American and other Indigenous Peoples Rituals and ceremonies may  differ from tribe to tribe but the circle is shared, pointing to the shared purpose of Balance and Healing for life The circle of life is recognized as Sacred,inclusive and interconnected. "Mitakuye Oyasin" -we are all related. Inclusive of all creation. We are relatives with • animal beings • plant beings• flying beings• swimming beings• stone beings • human beings . Four elements  hold it all together:  • earth• fire• air• water. This circle is reverenced, respected and held sacred. Not a object of worship but an expression of the Great Mystery.Everything a part of the “Great Mystery” the “great Spirit” Rituals-Ceremonies all share the purpose of keeping life in balance. Connection with dynamic life force energies , The Great Mystery Inclusive of all life experienceInclusive of all beings respect and equality.Cyclic Dependence and interdependent.Wholistic communalIndividual gifts, power and responsibility for the good of the tribe Expressed by the four cardinal directions: East-South-West-North. Usually the four sacred colors of Red, Yellow, Black and White   four winds• the grandfathers-the grandmothers.Mother Earth-Father Sky Everything is a circle/spiral: the day-season-life cycle, faith development, interior life,the cells of our body, etc. We begin with awareness of sacred space. Sacred form. Sacred sound, sacred movement in all that we do ....mitakuye oyasin

Living The Circle is Interwoven with Forgiveness. ‘One is as close to God as the person you like the least’ which might include yourself. Comanche Elder The process of Forgiveness: Four steps toward Freedom. 1. Identify and become aware of situations or experiences in your life where forgiveness is needed, either for others or for yourself. 2 Be willing to forgive others for any harm they may have caused you. This applies also to situations and institutions. 3. Be willing and give permission for others to forgive you for any harm you may have caused them. 4. Forgive yourself for allowing these feelings and emotions to affect you. 5. Be willing to look for and receive the deeper understanding, insight or teaching that this situation has given you. What is the Blessing of this situation.? How have you become more mindful of compassion and un-conditional Love? This can be used anytime, anyplace and any situation. Can be used in any emergency or crisis A physical way to calm the person, A spiritual way to elicit hope ****************************************************************** Forgiveness Ritual: •Enter into a state of relaxation. •Focus on a situation or person •Become aware of the feeling or emotion •Take a deep breath and hold it • I am willing to forgive this person or situation for any harm •: I am willing to be forgiven for my part in this situation •: I am willing to forgive myself for allowing this to affect me •: I am willing to receive the blessing and teaching from this experience • •Let all your breath out •Give Thanks to Your Higher Power for this forgiveness I have given and received. **complete by taking seven deep breaths. OOOOOOO Write a Mediation of Forgiveness from Your heart. If I had a Year to live I would .... OOOOOOO "we should understand well that all things are works of the Great Spirit. We should know the Great Spirit is within all things:the trees, the grasses, the rivers, the mountains, and four legged and winged peoples; and even more important , we should understand that the Great Spirit is also above all these things and peoples. When we do understand all this deeply in our hearts, then we will fear, and love, and know the Great Spirit, and then we will be and act and live as The Spirit intends.(Black Elk) OOOOOOO

The Labyrinth Within Your life is a sacred journey. And it is about change, growth, discovery, movement, transformation, continuously expanding your vision of what is possible, stretching your soul, learning to see clearly and deeply, listening to your intuition, taking courageous challenges at every step along the way. You are on the path... now in this moment with the past only a memory... And from here, you can only go forward, shaping your life story into a magnificent tale of triumph, of healing of courage, of beauty, of wisdom, of power, of dignity, and of love." A labyrinth is an ancient and universal symbol that relates to wholeness. It combines the imagery of the circle and the spiral into a meandering but purposeful path. The Labyrinth represents a journey to our own center and back again out into the world. Labyrinths have long been used as meditation and prayer tools. A labyrinth is an archetype with which we can have a direct experience. We can walk it. It is a metaphor for life's journey. It is a symbol that creates a sacred space and place and takes us out of our ego to "That Which Is Within." ....carolyn adams In recent times the Labyrinth is being recovered as a Spritual Practice but it has always been with us. Here at Singing Stones, the Labyrinth is unmarked, except for the markers which identify the four directions. As we walk the Labyrinth, we move intuitively in harmony with our interior body wisdom. Some amazing insights are called forth. We offer the labyrinth walk in most of our workshops. ....Anne A labyrinth is a right brain task. It involves intuition, creativity, and imagery. With a maze many choices must be made and an active mind is needed to solve the problem of finding the center. With a labyrinth there is only one choice to be made. The choice is to enter or not. A more passive, receptive mindset is needed. The choice is whether or not to walk a spiritual path. At its most basic level the labyrinth is a metaphor for the journey to the center of your deepest self and back out into the world with a broadened understanding of who you are.