I enjoy walking labyrinths. Labyrinths are maze-like structures that have been used as spiritual tools for centuries. There are many of them around, and I am in the habit of trying to visit a lot of them. For more information about labyrinths, check out The Labyrinth Society. Find where labyrinths are in your area at the Worldwide Labyrinth Locator.

I went to the labyrinth at Salford Mennonite Meetinghouse, straight from the previous one. You’ll want to read the last two posts (one / two) first for context.

This is a seven-circuit classical, mown into the grass. I’ve walked this type of labyrinth before, and I’m always amazed at them: they are so fragile. All it would take is one month of neglect, or one quick mow over the whole thing, and the labyrinth would be gone. It takes continual regular attention to keep this labyrinth there.

I was continuing the morning’s discussion with this question: “What can I do to daily visit the edges in a sustainable way?” I wanted to make sure that whatever I came up with was simple and easy enough that I wouldn’t just give up on it in a few weeks. The answer came surprisingly quickly, almost immediately as I started walking.

I developed a simple plan as I walked. I would set an alarm on my watch for sunrise, solar noon, and sunset each day. (Solar noon is the actual time when the sun is directly overhead, which is not usually right at 12:00, especially during Daylight Saving Time.) When that alarm goes off, I will take a moment and pray a particular prayer, no matter what I’m doing or where I am at the time. This should be a simple prayer, one I can memorize in a few days. I think it will be meaningful to recognize the turning of the day like this. And perhaps, over time, I might add to it, to make it change with the days of the week or with the seasons. But for now at least, keep it very simple.

From there, I headed to the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, also in Harleysville. The labyrinth here is a Chartres replica, painted directly onto the concrete on a kind of patio just outside the church building. There was also a large vertical Chartres labyrinth erected nearby. This one wasn’t for walking, but was a beautiful landmark and anchor.

At this point in my journey, I wasn’t sure what question was left to ask. I had my plan already for prayers throughout the day, something like the daily office. But perhaps there was a way this could tie in with my writing? So I asked this question: “How can I write about the edges?”

Again, the answer I got was so simple. I would write something brief every night. Each evening, I’ll keep a simple journal in which I will record where I was at each of the three prayer times that day, and also record if there was anything of great meaning that day, particularly at one of those times. Then I will look up what the times of the next day’s sunrise, solar noon, and sunset will be, and adjust my alarms accordingly. This would all take less than five minutes, and I can definitely add five minutes to my nighttime ritual.

I felt so very, very grateful. This day of four labyrinths was so productive. I was very excited to get started on what I hoped would be a helpful spiritual tool.