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LABYRINTHS
Breemie Labyrinth – The First Year
The Breemie Labyrinth tale
began when Jason
Schroeder, a South African “tribal healer”,
based near Aberdeen, had a dream, a vision of a new Mind,
Body, and Spirit Festival, sited at a new stone circle that
Spirit had drawn him to co-create at Breemie, in Aberdeenshire,
at Beltane, 2004
Over the seven or eight
years that he has been in the area, Jason has developed
a great love of, and interest in, the recumbent stone rings
that are such a striking feature of NE Scotland’s
landscape and heritage. He has also been fortunate to develop
a strong, and effective, working relationship with Alan
Brownie, a farmer from the Dunecht area whose own father
was a dowser and healer. It was this partnership that resulted
in the construction of probably the first modern, and almost
certainly, the largest, recumbent stone ring in Aberdeenshire.
Interestingly, nine of the eleven stones used in the construction
had come from a single granite glacial erratic, dynamited
nearby some forty years previously. (The other two stones
were stones that Alan had saved for “something special”).
Although the Breemie site
did host a Steam Fair shortly after it was built, Jason’s
dream at Spring Equinox, 2005, led him to spearhead a three-month
push to facilitate a Summer Solstice Mind, Body, Spirit
Festival at Breemie on 18th June 2005, to mark the circle’s
first anniversary. Part of the vision given to Jason was
that a labyrinth workshop should play a headline role at
the festival and, having spent some time with Geomancy Group
members at Samhain 2004, Jason approached me about the possibility
of the Group getting involved in this. We were very pleased
to have the opportunity to participate, and I agreed to
present the workshop.
Although the original idea
had been that I would give a talk on labyrinths, and lay
out a temporary labyrinth for people to walk, there came
a time when the question arose as to whether we were really
looking at a temporary labyrinth here, or a permanent one.
Having posed the question, the answer seemed obvious –
we were now engaged in the co-creation of a new, permanent,
sacred space!
As the time for the festival
drew near, I invited my colleague Barry
Hoon, recently returned to the Dundee area, to join
me on the project. We had both visited Breemie at Samhain,
and had met with Jason and Alan at that time, so we had
a pre-existing energetic connection with the site itself,
and with its human guardians. When it was suggested that
we locate the labyrinth at the back left of the field where
the circle is sited, we both recognised that this was not
where it was energetically required, individually identifying
a site directly in front of the stone circle, with the entrance
to the South-West. For those unfamiliar with Aberdeenshire
stone circles, the South-West is generally the site of the
recumbent – a feature specific to this part of Scotland
– where a very large megalith is placed on its side
with an upright flanking each end. The new Breemie Stone
Circle has continued this tradition.
Although we had both map
dowsed the site, we felt that it was important to carry
out an on-site survey, particularly to evaluate the quality
of the proposed building material – stone, once more.
Given Barry’s proximity, he made a trip up to Breemie
to meet Jason and his partner Claudia at the site, on Sunday
22nd May, to conduct our research.
Barry dowsed and tuned into
the site, picking up a strong impression that while the
Spirit of Place definitely wanted a labyrinth, it was not
where Jason had planned it to be. Over the course of the
next five hours, Barry sat down at each stone in turn in
the big Breemie circle, tuned in and worked on a psyche
art drawing, a wonderfully effective tool that he uses
to plot a given energetic situation, either for clients,
or for his own use. By the time he had worked his way around
the circle, the drawing was complete, and showed much more
about the site energetics and dynamics than Jason had realised.
Once he had had the opportunity to study it, Barry explained
our perceptions to him. Jason now recognised how positioning
the labyrinth to the front of the circle might provide people
with a useful clearing and centring tool for preparing themselves
to undertake any ceremonial work in the circle. So it happened
that, by the time he left the site that evening, Barry had
marked out the boundaries of the area in which we would
work, although the precise site and scale were not yet established.
At this point in the process,
I set to work on preparing a design. All parties recognised
that we needed a site-specific design, rather than just
laying out a standard Classical 7 Circuit, or a Chartres-type,
labyrinth. I was also drawn to include a spiral in the design,
initially working with the spiral as a design in its own
right. However I felt that it was important to reflect the
local rings, both the new one in the same field, and others
in the wider landscape, in the design too, to produce a
labyrinth that would be in harmony and balance with the
landscape in which it was to be placed.
The final design was a derivation
of the Classical 7 Circuit, Hecate (or Chakra Vayuat) style
labyrinth, featuring a three-circuit spiral at the goal
and the more traditional, labyrinthine pattern for the four
outer circuits. The goal itself is four path widths in diameter,
allowing the space to be used for both personal and group
work or ceremony, and contains a perfect circle, though
this is not fully marked out in the physical plane by the
walls, and nor should it be. (Neither should the spiral
continue all the way in to the Frog Stone. When some of
those who helped in the construction inadvertently connected
the spiral to the stone, the energies became completely
blocked). In terms of sacred geometry, the circle is considered
to be shape that most closely represents the “One”,
or “Monad”, or Spirit, and contains within it
the sacred proportion Pi (3.1416 : 1), a transcendental
number ( i.e. a number that cannot be expressed in algebraic
form) that can never be completely expressed, just like
the Divine. The circle has no beginning and no end, and
is ideally suited to group ceremonial work, as it provides
protective space. The labyrinth perimeter is also circular
in form. Although we worked to a great extend with proportion
in the creation of this space, we did not establish a pre-determined
circumference, diameter etc; the layout was purely based
on the proportional relationships of path width to goal
size and circumference. (In fact, the first time that we
even thought of taking a measurement was when we had the
entire design marked out).
One of our colleagues, Grahame
Gardner, made another site visit shortly before we were
due to arrive for the installation, and reported that 11
tons of hand-picked stone had been laid around the site
that we had identified. While this may sound like, and indeed
look like, a large quantity of roughly head-sized stones,
the majority of which were granite, I was quite concerned
that we would not have enough to complete the project for,
although we didn’t know just how big the labyrinth
would be, it seemed likely that it was going to be reasonably
large to allow for group usage.
Barry and I arrived on site
a couple of days in advance of the Summer Solstice festival,
to find a hive of activity on the hill. A stage, topped
with large flags representing the seven chakras, had been
erected just behind the recumbent, and a tent and marquee
village was springing up to accommodate workshops and healing
spaces.
Towards the back of the
field, to the right of the stone ring, was a newly installed
spiral, with a sister-stone to most of the megaliths in
the ring, the main energetic focus at Breemie, at its centre.
Before our arrival, we had known nothing of the wonderful
Fire Spiral, for this is what it was to become at the close
of the festival, but we realised that we were not the only
human helpers who had picked up on the importance of the
spiral to the Spirit of Place,
Our chosen space was just
inside the entrance to the festival perimeter, where we
found the stones deposited in a horseshoe, some 100 feet
across. The markers that Barry had put in situ had all been
removed, to allow the area to be mowed, so we were faced
with a beautiful, green, circular, blank canvas.
We spent a day and night
just tuning into Breemie, to the Spirit of Place, to the
landscape devas and to the Spirit of the Labyrinth before
we even considered engaging on a physical level. Finally,
on Friday morning, the day before the festival, we began
preparing an energetic map of the installation site. Although
we had both expected to find ley energy flowing through,
our dowsing did not corroborate this. We identified a water
line, with a strong energetic component, coming in from
the WNW, that made a sudden dogleg across in front of the
energetic centre, previously pinpointed by dowsing, before
doglegging again to emerge in the south of our patch. We
further found a couple of spirals and a positive energy
fountain, as well as one other vein that just barely penetrated
the circumference, on the eastern side. Following on from
some of the work that we have done with Billy Gawn, we checked
for any planetary energies that we needed to work with in
the space, and found a strong connection to the Venus grid.
Mapping completed, we ceremonially
opened the space with a blessing and invocation of the Four
Directions, and of Spirit. We then set to work to dowse
the precise location and scale of the labyrinth. Starting
at the energetic centre in the goal, we proceeded outwards.
When dowsing earth energies in the field, both of us generally
favour the aurameter as our tool of choice, though we have
also worked on our deviceless dowsing with Billy Gawn, one
of the most celebrated of all modern earth energies dowsers.
By now, however, the energetic imprint of this labyrinth
was so strong that we could barely be said to have used
deviceless dowsing to mark the walls – we could actually
see it pre-marked on the land for us!
As always in the labyrinth-creation
process, there was a moment of confusion, and skipped heartbeats,
when we thought that we had completely misread the situation
and managed to end up with eight circuits instead of seven.
However, on further investigation, we discovered that the
outermost circuit was, in fact, a complete circle, casting
a protective mantle around the space. Heaving a sigh of
relief, we armed ourselves with spray paint, marking this
circle in with the very first line that we drew on the physical
plane.
Using a slight variation
on Robert
Ferré’s construction method, to allow for
the Hecate-style spiral at the centre of the design, we
marked the entire labyrinth out in little more than 1 ˝
hours – not bad when one considers that the labyrinth
had revealed itself as having with a diameter of 46 feet!
Over the previous few weeks,
Jason had enquired if we could incorporate two more sister-stones
from the ring into the labyrinth. While this certainly felt
energetically appropriate to us, the stones themselves simply
did not fit within the confines of the space; nor did they
seem to have the right shape to be node markers. We eventually
all felt happy to have these two stones on the circular
perimeter line, providing an entrance to the labyrinth on
one hand, while providing an energetic bridge to Jason’s
ring on the other. However, by now, it had become clear
to us that we needed a stone at the centre of the goal,
as well as stones marking the node points on the main turns,
within the labyrinth.
Careful dowsing of the large
stones that had been placed in situ to mark the festival
boundary proved successful, and we arranged with some of
the site crew to have them brought over by tractor –
perhaps not the most elegant or gentle way of working with
stone, but the best we could manage in the timeframe. In
the event, one of the things that struck us very forcibly
over our five-day stay at Breemie was just how much working
with stone seems to have become part of the psyche in Aberdeenshire.
The two node stones were negotiated into place first, with
the centre stone finally settling into place over some crystals,
and other offerings, that we had placed there.
It was about now that a
practical consideration that had been far from the top of
our minds, suddenly became crucial. Alan felt that the grass
needed to be cut again. We had completely forgotten about
this aspect of site maintenance, given the fact that we
were in the middle of a sheep field! And how did Alan propose
cutting it; a ride-on mower seemed to be the favoured choice.
Sharp intake of breath as we realised that the paths were
just perfect to allow the mower to negotiate the sharp turns
of the labyrinthine patterns; what a relief! As it happens,
the men became so protective and proud of the labyrinth
that there was competition to be allowed to be the labyrinth’s
caretaker.
While we had been setting
the intention for the space – that it would clear,
balance and harmonise the energies, both in the landscape
around it and from any people who might need to discard
their psychic or emotional junk there, we had been very
aware of frog energy, as well as the Venus energy previously
mentioned. With one of those synchronicities that become
almost commonplace in the creation of sacred space, we realised
that the centre stone actually had a strong frog-like resemblance,
giving rise to its name, “The Frog Stone”. (If
anyone is curious about a Venus stone, well, we were equally
curious. However, we looked in vain at the two nodal stones.
There is, nonetheless, a much smaller, red stone, some 10-12
inches in height, with a strong imprint of goddess-like
features, in the triangular space below the spiral. To us,
this is the Venus Stone.)
Our final task for the evening
was to position a set of chakra flags, similar to those
above the stage. It seemed most appropriate to us that these
form a bowl supporting the labyrinth site, towards the bottom
of the hillside, balancing those at the top of the hill.
We had wanted to Draw Down the North that night, to link
the celestial and earthly energies, but unfortunately the
Aberdeenshire skies proved too cloudy for us to get a visual
fix, so it was left to Barry to return and do this on another
occasion.
I had an early start the
following morning (Saturday), to get visual confirmation
of the Summer Solstice Sunrise alignment, which was due
to be marked by an outlying stone. (Although this was only
the 18th June, the sun moves so slowly as it approaches
Solstice that we expected the sighting would prove quite
accurate). The site has an elevated horizon to the North-East,
having a high tree-line, but I had first confirmation at
4.06am, with the sunbeams lighting up the Frog Stone, through
the billowing heart chakra flag, some six minutes later
(4.12am). Given the South-Westerly position of the recumbent,
this too was ablaze – a wonderful moment in the quiet
and stillness of the morning, further enriched by a flight
of six swans flying overhead.
In terms of the labyrinth’s
orientation, when standing at the Frog Stone in the goal
and looking out in a straight line along the right hand
wall, the eye is taken directly through the energetic gateway,
across the stone ring, to the recumbent behind it, and further
on to Barmekin Hill on the South-Western horizon, effectively
keying the viewer straight into the landscape. (As with
many recumbents, its profile mimics the shape of Barmekin).
Looking over to the West, or to the right as one faces the
mouth from the goal, the eye is immediately arrested by
the sight of Mither Tap of Bennachie. This peak’s
interesting shape is reflected within the labyrinth by the
small cairn in the triangle below the spiral.
A considerable number of
hours after the glorious Saturday morning sunrise, having
led the opening workshop of the festival, we made our way
down towards the labyrinth site, with promises of assistance
from those who had attended our session.
As Barry had strained his
back during the layout the previous day, I set to work laying
the first stones in the walls, ceremonially walking the
first stone in to the beginning/end of the spiral in the
goal . Barry positioned himself close to the mouth of the
labyrinth, encouraging newly-arriving visitors to come and
participate. We suggested that anyone who was drawn to contribute
to the process might like to chose (devicelessly dowse)
their own particular stone, and placing their special intent
in the stone, carry it in as they walked the path through
to the goal, taking as much time as they wanted in the goal
with the Frog Stone, and placing the stone wherever in the
walls it felt appropriate to do so. We indicated that they
might like to use this process to release whatever was holding
them back in their lives, so that as they followed the path
back out, they became conscious of having left their burden
behind them, emerging renewed and free.
Having worked with the labyrinth
ourselves, we are both aware of what a powerful, transformational
tool it can be, but even so, we were delighted, overwhelmed
and deeply moved by the reactions of many of those who helped
to co-create the labyrinth with us! A number of people came
back later, specifically to thank us for allowing them to
make massive shifts in their lives, moving on from painful
divorces, abuse and addictions, et al. We discovered the
following day that one of the crew who had chain-smoked
for over forty years had, rather cynically, agreed to walk
the labyrinth as we suggested. He told us, with some amazement,
that had he not smoked at all on Saturday evening while
in the pub with his friends, and furthermore, he had neither
smoked a cigarette, nor felt the least desire to do so by
lunchtime the following day. Barry subsequently discovered
on a return visit a month later that he had still not returned
to smoking at that point. But, there were also others who
walked the labyrinth, for the pure joy of it, or used it
as a meditation tool, as we had also suggested in our workshop.
We were astonished to find
that many people came back repeatedly over the course of
the day, to walk the labyrinth, or add more stones to it,
or just to keep a benevolent eye on its progress. We had
those who walked it in arm in arm, or hand in hand; we had
children run through it; we had babies take the labyrinthine
journey by buggy, and were especially delighted that a wheelchair
user was able to enjoy it. Throughout the day, I worked
closely with Colin Sheriffs, who had attended our morning
workshop. Watching Colin work with the stones, seeing how
he chose them, and positioned them, convinced us that we
had found a natural dowser. In fact, on follow-up visits
to Breemie and to the wider Aberdeenshire area, Barry had
the opportunity to introduce Colin, and some of our other
more eager participants, more formally to the art of dowsing,
and was pleased to discover that they took very easily and
successfully to dowsing the earth energies.
Early in the day, we were
delighted to welcome another dowsing visitor who has spent
many years looking at the earth energies in the north of
Aberdeenshire. Dave, too, is an intuitive, and largely self-trained,
earth energies dowser. We were pleased that his dowsing
analysis of the site at that stage largely correlated with
our own findings. He returned on a number of occasions over
the course of the day to monitor any energetic changes,
and quickly picked up on the migration of the line that
was gradually moving closer to the labyrinth mouth, i.e.
further to the Southwest, before exiting the space.
Another visitor who came
by on a number of occasions was Simon Harboard, one of a
number of professional photographers attending the festival.
Simon had his aerial photography kite kit in his bag and
it is to him that we are indebted for the first beautiful
overhead shot (including chakra flags) that you can see.
Despite the long summer
evening, dusk had settled before Colin, his wife, Toni,
and I finally laid the last of the stones that had been
set aside for us, walking the final stones in as our personal
contribution. We estimate that upwards of 1,000 people walked
the labyrinth at least once that day, and helped to contribute
to its growth, and hopefully felt its benefit. However,
given that more that 3,500 visitors came through the festival
gates on the day, and that the labyrinth was being walked
all day, and was still being walked at 12 am, 1 am, 2 am,
3 am, with the early birds up and walking again by 7 am,
we really have no idea of the true number.
Alan, on whose land the
labyrinth chose to be built, certainly seemed to feel delighted
and privileged to have it there. Furthermore, he truly felt
that he wanted to share the gift of the Breemie Labyrinth
with everyone else who was drawn to use it. Therefore, he
arranged to have a box of stones placed near the mouth,
so that anyone who might come to visit later would be able
to contribute to the on-going development of this sacred
space, and perhaps find their own particular healing there.
The Breemie Labyrinth is
open to all, with paths wide enough to accommodate buggy
and wheelchair access. It is situated behind B.A. Country
Store, Broomhill Farm, Lyne of Skene, Dunecht AB32
7DA,
OS:
NJ 769110. Parking spaces are available behind the store.
We would invite any dowsers
who happen to be in the area to pause and visit. (In addition
to other points of dowsing interest, you might like to locate
and examine the “Moody Coil”, a device for combating
geopathic stress, that may be found installed on the fence
of the bungalow opposite the field entrance). We would very
much welcome any updates in the energetic picture that your
dowsing or intuition may produce, or any stories of your
own experiences, and may be contacted via the contact form
on the Geomancy
Group web site . Barry has been back on a few occasions
with Colin to check on the energies, and found that while
there was some shift after the labyrinth was finished, the
picture seems to have stabilised somewhat. Grahame has also
had the opportunity to return to Breemie to do some dowsing,
and has detected a ley going through to Bennachie in the
West, as well as a second one linking up to the Breemie
Stone Circle, in addition to the other features previously
discovered.
A further selection of images
of the labyrinth, of Breemie Stone Circle, and of the Breemie
Mid-Summer Festival is available on Jason’s website
www.sacredway.co.uk.
The labyrinth may also be found by checking the Labyrinth
Society’s Worldwide Labyrinth Locator at www.labyrinthsociety.org.
We trust that you enjoy the Breemie Labyrinth as much as
we have thus far. We feel very honoured and privileged to
have been invited to share in this inspiring project, on
an ongoing basis.
We are thrilled to have
been invited back to Breemie for the second Breemie Stone
Circle Mid-Summer Festival on 17 June of this year (2006).
If you would like to come along and participate in the further
development of the labyrinth, and explore some of its uses,
we would love to meet you. Further information will be available
on Jason’s site www.sacredway.co.uk
shortly.
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