Idea Book - Labyrinth Enterprises

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Assembled by Robert Ferré for Labyrinth Enterprises
$15
1
Introduction
A Note from the Author
I receive many calls from folks who want
to make labyrinths at their school or
retreat center or church. Or in their own
backyard. Before they make a proposal to
their board of directors they want to have
an idea of what’s possible in the realm of
labyrinth building. In response to that
need for information, this booklet
provides an overview of some of the
techniques and materials used for
labyrinth building, ranging from very
inexpensive to costly. My hope is that it
will give you ideas of how to make your
own labyrinths
Robert Ferré
February, 1998 (Revised February, 2002)
Labyrinth Enterprises
In 1995, after returning from the first national labyrinth conference, several St. Louis residents founded The St.
Louis Labyrinth Project. In 2002 the name was changed to Labyrinth Enterprises. Our mission is to get
labyrinths out into the world. To this end, we provide technical expertise, printed materials, and labyrinth
products. We also practice what we preach. We make labyrinths of all kinds, a total of 650 to date.
This booklet was originally called “Constructing Labyrinths” and consisted of five sections:
Types of Labyrinths
Permanent Outdoor labyrinths
Permanent Indoor labyrinths
Temporary Labyrinths
Fabric Labyrinths
To this earlier format we added an addendum with yet more examples of labyrinths. This is an idea book, not
a technical manual. For step-by-step instructions on how to build labyrinths, see our product list or our web
page.
Labyrinth Enterprises
128 Slocum Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63119
Tel: (314) 968-5557 • (800) 873-9873
Fax: (314) 968-5539 • (888) 873-9873
Email: robert@labyrinth-enterprises.com
Web: www.labyrinth-enterprises.com
Copyright © 1999, 2002 by Robert Ferré
2
Labyrinth Patterns
Classic 7-Circuit
The oldest of the labyrinth patterns (with the exception of the spiral), this
pattern dates back thousands of years and is found in various forms
all over the world. It usually consists of seven circuits (a circuit is
a concentric path), although there are numerous examples in
Scandinavia of 11 or even 15 circuits. The design is based on the
orbit of the planet Mercury as seen from the earth. That would
explain its ubiquitous nature. People everywhere watched the
skies.
Medieval Labyrinth
The medieval design, also known as the Chartres pattern,
originated around the 8 th century. It made the leap from manuscript
pages to church floors in 12th-century Italy. In France, a number of
Gothic cathedrals had labyrinths, but most were removed. One of
the exceptions is in Chartres Cathedral. (Another cathedral, in
Amiens, later rebuilt its labyrinth, which has the same path pattern
as this but is octagonal.) As the largest and most elegant of the
medieval labyrinths, the Chartres labyrinth has become the one
most often copied and imitated. The current labyrinth revival
among churches in the UnitedStates usuallyinvolves some version
of the medieval labyrinth. It incorporates a great deal of
symbolism, often called sacred geometry.
Roman Labyrinth
Roman labyrinths were rectangular, composed of four labyrinths,
one in each quadrant of the rectangle, each walked in turn before
reaching the center. Some, like the one pictured, are repetitive
meanders. Others follow the path pattern of the classic 7-circuit
design. These were usually constructed as mosaics. The oldest
church labyrinth is a fourth-century Roman-style labyrinth in
Algeria, possible readapted from a previous Roman mosaic. It is
rare to see Roman labyrinths reproduced these days. There is a
good one in Denmark that I know about. The rectangular shape is
easier to make with square tiles than would be a round labyrinth.
The perimeter often suggests walls and towers. This particular
example has no entrance into the center.
3
Custom-Designed Labyrinths
Custom-designed patterns are usually created to conform to a particular site, or to express a desired theme.
Traditional patterns may be altered for a particular use, or new designs created. The design to the right, for
example, started out as a classic 7-circuit pattern and was modified to fit a triangular area.
Santa Rosa Labyrinth
This new design incorporates the “feel” of the Chartres pattern, borrowing much
of its sacred geometry. At the same time, being only seven circuits, it can fit into
smaller areas. This pattern is copyrighted by its originator, Dr. Lea GoodeHarris, and cannot be reproduced without permission. Labyrinth Enterprises
sells Santa Rosa portable labyrinths under a licensing agreement with Ms.
Goode-Harris. The alignment of the entry paths is especially elegant, including
the circular heart space suitable for holding an altar, a candle, or some symbolic
object.
The “Heart of Chartres”
Personal Labyrinth
This five-circuit labyrinth was designed by Robert Ferré for use in
private homes and small spaces. The standard size is 12-feet across.
The pattern is derived from the inner five circuits on the left side of
the Chartres labyrinth, which are then reflected on the right side as
well. This also makes an excellent children’s labyrinth.
Petite Chartres
The Petite Chartres was designed to look as much like the Chartres labyrinth
as possible, yet to have seven circuits. The standard size is two-thirds of the
full Chartres, making it ideal for more compact locations. Much of the same
type of symbolism in the full Chartres is repeated in the Petite Chartres.
4
Rainbow Labyrinth
The rainbow labyrinth is a round, 7-circuit design made from different
colors of fabric. There is no drawing or painting, just cutting and sewing.
It lends itself to rituals using the number seven, such as the individual
colors, the chakras, the days of the week, and more.
The Baltic Wheel
While the classic 7-circuit and the Chartres labyrinths are by far the most popular
labyrinths in the United States, the same is not true in other countries. In
Switzerland, for example, the Baltic Wheel design, which comes from a labyrinth in
Hanover, Germany, has been used in a number of installations.
Saint Omar Labyrinth
Believe it or not, this pattern is actually based on the medieval pattern, like the one
at Chartres. Although no longer in existence, this pattern has been imitated several
times. Closer examination shows that the derivative designs lack the same
symbolism as the original.
Amiens Cathedral
The labyrinth in Amiens Cathedral, in France, was removed in 1825 and
then restored in 1897. Since the path and line have the same width (being
square tiles), it is not apparent to the beginner which is which (the path is
black, the line white). The path pattern is the same as the Chartres
labyrinth. There are other octagonal labyrinths in which the proportions
of line to path are more like those in the Chartres pattern.
Logo Labyrinth
This labyrinth incorporates the chalice symbol of the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ). There are many ways of incorporating certain logos,
symbols, or artwork into the labyrinth.
5
PERMANENT OUTDOOR LABYRINTHS
The advantage of being outdoors is that you can make the labyrinth any size you wish. However, if a labyrinth
is too large it may take too long to walk or be too costly in time or materials to make.
Turf Labyrinths
In England, turf labyrinths are quite well known. The pattern is
laid out onto the earth with equal widths for the path and the
mound. The paths are then dug out, using the dirt to make the
mounds. Frequently, extra dirt or stone must be brought in to
supplement the amount available from digging. Turf labyrinths
are a lot of work, but quite easy on the budget.
The one shown to the right was designed by Alex Champion (tel:
707-895-3375) and built at the Caroline Retreat and Conference
Center in St. Louis during the 1997 labyrinth conference. The
inside of the mounds contain stone, as do the paths. Alex tells me
that this magnifies the energyfield. Since the labyrinth is sunk into
the earth, it surrounds you as you walk “inside” of it. Very
grounding! The pattern of this labyrinth is a simple meander with
a “turnaround” at each end, allowing the walker to circle right
back in and walk again, and again, and again.
Thi
s mode of construction can also incorporate
features such as lining the paths with stone or
brick, or putting stone on the sides of the mounds,
as shown below. It takes a surprising amount of
material and labor, but the end result is very
attractive.
Alex Champion is the master of turf labyrinths. It is well
worth calling him to order his book, Earth Mazes. Here is
another example of his work. The mounds of the earthworks
can be landscaped in a variety of ways, or just kept simple
by planting grass.
6
Mounded Labyrinths
A mounded labyrinth looks like a turf labyrinth, but
doesn’t sink into the ground. The mounds are simply
put onto the earth. The wonderful photo to the right
shows a man in Michigan, whose name I have
misplaced, engaged in aprodigious project. Ifanyone
recognizes him, please call me and give me his name.
This is one of my favorite photos. Note the form he
uses for assuring that the mound shape is uniform.
He told me that the grass on the mounds grows to six
feet and higher, giving much the effect of being in a
hedge maze, without the risk of getting lost.
Our artist friend Gundala Thormaelhen Friedman put
a labyrinth at Disibodenberg, Germany, in the cloister
where Hildegard of Bingen was once abbess. The
labyrinth was made by pouring yellowish sand on the
dark-colored ground. Not exactly a mound, I’ll grant
you. More like a trail of sand. The only problem is, the
sand kept blowing away, so it had to be replenished
regularly. Eventually, however, the labyrinth became
worn into the ground, so now it is permanent, with no
more sand.
To the right is a very simple and affordable idea. This
is a backyard labyrinth made simply by piling mounds
of mulch to form the lines. In many cities mulch is
given away free by the park department. A call to any
tree service could result in a whole truckload. Even if
you purchase it by the bag, it is not expensive. Most
mulch will slowly degrade, turning into dirt, which
wouldn’t be harmful to the grass. By continually
replenishing it, slowly permanent dirt mounds will
build up.
The first labyrinths made by the newly formed St.
Louis Labyrinth Project were in 1995 for New Year’s
Eve as part of a city celebration called First Night. In
the photo to the left, we laid out the labyrinth using
individual stones. Then we all took five-gallon plastic
buckets and made mounds of gravel on the asphalt
parking lot. This worked very well. We noticed that if
people accidentally kicked stones out of place, they
usually repaired the damage.
7
Digging Out the Paths
At a retreat center in St. Louis, we cut the paths out with a
sod cutter. It was back-breaking work to roll up the sod and
cart it away.However, it left a beautiful, clearly defined path,
about three or four inches deep. We then contacted the local
highway department, which gave us a free load of asphalt that
had been removed from streets prior to re-paving. (You have
seen the grooved streets left by the machine that chips up the
asphalt and deposits it into a dump truck.) It was basically
gravel, but when tamped down and left in the sun, it became
a durable all-weather surface. We thought some of the larger
pieces would “melt” in the sun, which never happened. Some
time after this photo was taken, they were removed.
The mowers can drive right over the labyrinth, which makes
the labyrinth very low-maintenance. The only cost for this
labyrinth was for equipment rental (and food and beverages
for the volunteers). As can be seen from the preliminary
drawing, the grass (two feet wide) between
the paths (three feet wide) gives the
labyrinth a natural look. The labyrinth has a
larger center than the traditional 7-circuit
design, giving a total diameter for the
labyrinth of 76 feet.
During the construction, which took 15
people two long days, we didn’t want to ruin
the grass with the heavy gravel-filled wheel
barrows. So we laid plywood on the ground,
forming runways forthe wheel barrows. The
labyrinth now has benches and other
amenities.
It isn’t necessary to cut out the paths – they
can simply be worn down. Ian Stevenson is a
“horse whisperer” who trains horses and
riders for competitive dressage – using
labyrinths! I hear that he has a book coming
out soon about the subject. I wonder if the
horsereally understands that it isn’t supposed
to step on the grass, or if control is
completely up to the rider.
8
Digging Out the Lines
Rather than digging out the paths, it is less work
to dig out the lines. This picture is of a labyrinth
built by Helen Curry, founder of the Labyrinth
Project of Connecticut (tel: 203-966-5459).
Helen painted the pattern on the grass with spray
paint. Then, the sisters of the Dominican retreat
center in Saugerties, New York, where it is
located, used brick from a razed ice house to
make the lines. By hand, with garden trowels,
they dug out a small trench for each brink and
inlaid it into the ground. Here again, the mowers
can drive right over the labyrinth. After the 1996
labyrinth conference at Omega Institute, several
of us went to Saugerties and added brick “rays”
to this labyrinth, representing the little circles
(lunations) around the Chartres labyrinth.
Helen Curry was the first person to follow the lead of Dr. Lauren Artress and form an organization for the
purpose of promoting labyrinths. Also an interfaith minister, Helen has used small labyrinths for marriages and
other ceremonies. The Labyrinth Project of Connecticut has several labyrinths and sponsors a wide range of
events. Their web page is <www.CTlabyrinth.org>.
AtLabyrinth Enterprises we’ve been involved in anumber of brick labyrinths of this type. The followingphotos
show some of the details.
In this photo one can see that the lines have
been dug out and a volunteer is putting in
the bricks. One bucket has bricks, the other
is for adding or removing some dirt so that
the brick will lay level.
Below left: Replacing painted lines with bricks.
Below center: Completed brick lines.
Below right: A rather elaborate creation of an arc.
9
Pavement Labyrinths
Pavement labyrinthsare among the easiest to maintain, but the most expensive to build. Two beautiful examples
of such construction are located in New Harmony, Indiana, and San Francisco, California. The former was a
project of Mrs. Jane
O w e n , ge n e r ous
patron to the beautiful
and historic town of
New Harmony. The
labyrinth is made of
granite slabs. The
surface was first
polished, and then the
paths were heated in a
special process that
cracks the granite and
gives it a matt
surface. The lines
remain highly
polished, reflecting
light in such a way
they appear to be
water.On October 12,
1997, Chanoine
FrançoisLegaux, then
Rector of Chartres
Cathedral, came to New Harmony to dedicate this
extraordinary labyrinth. He is pictured at the podium, along
with his translator. Congratulations to architects Kent
Schuette and Rob Sovinski for a magnificent job. Note the
bench-like fountain (right) where people can wash their
feet after walking the labyrinth barefoot. The photo to the
right was taken in the spring of 1999, soon after the annual
plantings.
New Harmony is a highly interesting town to visit. There is
a hedge maze there as well, a copy of the original one built
in 1814 by the founding Harmonists (a religious group from
Germany). That’s my wife Ruth and I barely visible above
the maze’s boxwood bushes in the photo below. The maze
is owned by the State of Indiana. Unfortunately,
maintenance is
o f t e n l a c ki n g.
Since this photo was taken, the hedges were cut to about three feet in
height. People have broken through the bushes, leaving gaping holes.
Other notable sites in New Harmony are the Roofless Church, designed
by Philip Johnson, the Athenium by Richard Meier, the Paul Tillich
Memorial Grove, and many period buildings from the 19th century. New
Harmony is on the Wabash River in the far southwestern corner of
Indiana.
10
Another impressive labyrinth is the terrace labyrinth at
Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, made of terrazzo. It is
spectacular to walk this labyrinth with the city of San
Francisco spread out below and street cars clanging as
they climb California Street.
Aless expensive method forconstructing a pavement labyrinth
is to paint it onto the pavement. Someone told me of an
organization in Wisconsin that has templates which it uses to
paint labyrinths onchurch parking lots. What a great idea!Any
color can be used. Victoria Stone (tel: 415-826-0904) created
a labyrinth at California Pacific Medical Center in San
Francisco by using a special acrylic resin on cement (see
www.alldeck.com). We at Labyrinth Enterprises have made
several labyrinths with this material. It is labor intensive, but
very durable and presentable.
The first labyrinth of its kind at a medical center, there are now
dozens of hospitals and clinics that have labyrinths. What
better place for the calming and healthful effects of walking
the labyrinth.
As another example, this labyrinth is at
Johns Hopkins Medical Center. It is a
design trademarked and copyrighted by the
Labyrinth Company as the Round Classical.
Is it possible to copyright such a design?
This is a controversial area in the labyrinth
world. Certainly artwork can readily be
copyrighted. So you could make an example
of a classical labyrinth, or the Chartres
labyrinth. While you can’t copyright the
design, you can copyright your execution of
that design. No one could copy your artwork
without your permission. To protect the
design itself? That’s a lot bigger question.
11
The ultimate pavement labyrinth, of course, is the original after which all of the
above are patterned: The labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral, France. There were
labyrinths in other Gothic cathedrals, but the Chartres labyrinth was so elegant that
it became the standard. It is the only one with petals in the center and lunations
around the perimeter. According to the extensive research by Australian architect
John James, the labyrinth at Chartres was built by the same mason who laid out the
cathedral. Oh, to know more about that incredible artisan. After building the
labyrinth in 1201 he worked elsewhere, returning to Chartres fifteen years later to
make the famous western rose window.
Entrance to Chartres
labyrinth.
The labyrinth incorporates
many levels of symbolism
and proportion, known as
sacred geometry. Don’t
get me started on that
subject! I lead pilgrimages
to sacred sites in France,
including to Chartres,
where we gain access to
the cathedral after closing
hours, remove the chairs,
and walk the labyrinth.
This photo was taken on
one of those occasions
(summer solstice, June,
1995) when we
surrounded the labyrinth with 112 votive candles. If you want more information about mypilgrimages to France
(different from the ones organized by Veriditas and Grace Cathedral), call to request being placed on the One
Heart Tours mailing list (tel: 800-873-9873). Incidentally, the floor at Chartres is made of a local limestone
(porous but dense, almost like flint, with little or no grain), whereas the lines are a blue-black marble coming
from the north of France. The time exposure and candles made my photo rather yellow, so I have also included
a more representative example of the labyrinth pavement (above, right), showing the actual color.
Anotherway to make a pavement labyrinth
is to lay out the paths in flagstone or some
other flat material. Perhaps you could
make a mold and produce your own
cement stepping stones. Interlocking bricks
of various patterns are available
commercially. Clarice O’Bryan, in
Owensboro, Kentucky, used flagstone to
make the paths of her labyrinth. Called the
Sacred Oak Grove Labyrinth, it is open to
the public by appointment only (tel: 502771-4737). The photo of thislabyrinth was
scanned from a newspaper article, so the
quality is a bit grainy.
12
The Episcopal Church in St. Charles, Illinois, near Chicago,
(tel: 630-584-2596), constructed another kind of pavement
labyrinth, using small granite paving blocks. I would suggest
covering the ground first with a type of earth cloth that
restrains plant growth (but still breathes). By taping the earth
cloth together and using small wire hooks to pin it to the
ground (to keep it from blowing in the wind), you can then
paint the design for the labyrinth right onto the cloth. It will
be covered up, so if you make a mistake, no problem. Just
paint right over it. Then, lay out the granite blocks on your
pattern. Finally, fill in between the blocks to build upthe path
(in this case, they used sand). In the second photo, the center
remains to be completed. In the lower photo, it is done
With a stroke of good fortune, the then Rector of Chartres
Cathedral went from the dedication at New Harmony to
Chicago, where he helped to dedicate this labyrinth in St.
Charles. The Episcopal Church also has two fabric
labyrinths, as well. After a church has a canvas labyrinth for
a while, they discover what a tremendous asset it is, and
decide to build a permanent labyrinth. That’s what happened
in St. Charles.
At the 1997 labyrinth conference in St. Louis, I saw
photographs of a labyrinth made by Sue Anne Foster in
Carmichael, California (tel: 916-486-3745). She simply laid
red bricks on the ground to form a labyrinth, without filling
in the path. The bricks were turned on edge, if I remember
correctly. Such a method could qualify to be included later,
in the section on temporary labyrinths, since the labyrinth
could be disassembled by simply picking up the bricks again.
Exactly that was done with wooden blocks (rather than bricks) for an exhibit at a museum in Denmark. They are
be easier to carry than bricks. (See our own example later in this booklet on page 27.)
Stone Labyrinths
Laying stones on the ground is one of the oldest methods of
making labyrinths, especially in Scandinavia. And it is very
easy to do. The labyrinth pictured to the right is in Gotland,
Sweden, and has 11 circuits (paths). Note that the center is
simply the end of a path. I usually make the center larger.
Apparently in previous eras they didn’t have groups gather
in the middle of the labyrinth. These stones have been in
place for hundreds of years.
Stone labyrinths are very easy to make, once you learn a
few basic principles of geometry. At my previous residence
I had a small stone labyrinth in my backyard. Since the yard was rectangular, the labyrinth paths were wider in
the north-south axis and narrower in the east-west axis. Not being able to move the elm tree, I detoured the three
outer paths around it. The cat especially liked the labyrinth. She was our Minotaur (but a loving one). My wife
Ruth, a psychotherapist whose office was in our home, sent some of her clients out to walk the labyrinth. A photo
is at the top of the next page.
13
Left: Labyrinth at my
previous home (described
on page 12).
I helped to make a stone labyrinth at the first national
labyrinth conference in 1995. Dowser and labyrinth
maker John Wayne Blassingame, with two dozen
helpers, laid out a 48-foot labyrinth in an hour and a
half (picturedhere). It contained 659 stones. I have now
developed myown system for laying out labyrinths, but
JohnWayne got me started. He has made labyrinths out
ofmany kinds of materials, including an ingenious little
portable one you can carry in your pocket.
If stones work on the ground, why not on a parking
lot? For First Night St. Louis, a city-sponsored, familyoriented New Year’s Eve celebration, we made
labyrinths for four different years. The first year, 1995,
was our first public event after forming The
St. Louis Labyrinth Project. We installed
two 66-foot labyrinths side by side in a
parking lot. One labyrinth was right-handed,
the other left-handed (referring to the
direction of the first turn). We thought we
were getting large stones, but what was
delivered turned out to be small. We also got
eight tons when we only needed only two.
Oops. We used five-gallon buckets to
distribute the stone in little mounds, forming
the labyrinth. (Brief postscript: The next
day, New Year’s Day, 1996, we faced the
prospect of removing eight tons of gravel.
When we got up in the morning, we
discovered that it was snowing. In fact, it
snowed several inches. Not wanting to use up money-making parking spaces for piles of snow, the parking lot
company hired a bucket loader and dump truck to clear the parking lot. Our stones went right along with the snow.
Problem solved.)
14
Neal C. Harris, a therapist in the Chicago area who
uses the labyrinth to reduce stress (tel: 847-842-1752),
combined the ancient technique of stone construction
with the Chartres pattern, creating the Earth Wisdom
Labyrinth. After first building it in his backyard, he
had to pick up the stones (all 27 tons of them) and
move the labyrinth to the Unitarian Church in Elgin,
Illinois.Rather than filling the paths with sand, he used
a special kind of playground mulch that doesn’t give
slivers.
River rock is worn smooth and round by the action of
the moving water. Quarried rock is cut and crushed,
giving it sharp, angular edges. A load of rock is less
expensive than you might think. Delivery is likely to cost as much as the rock itself. I once filled the trunk and
back floor of my car with river rock that I collected from the Black River in Missouri. The weight was rather
excessive for a passenger vehicle. I recommend using a truck.
Even purchasing rock isn’t expensive. In
building the large stone labyrinth at the
Mercy Center in St. Louis, the earth cloth
was the largest expenditure. A truck full of
stone, delivered to the site, was less than a
hundred dollars. This is a very lovingly used
labyrinth. Planting a tree in the center is a
very optimistic sign. Recently, the mulch
was replaced because it was composing and
forming dirt, which supported the growth of
weeds. The whole idea of the earth cloth was
to prevent growth. The new mulch is made
from recycled tires. It is a dramatic dark
brown color, soft to walk on, and will never
turn to compost.
Pamela Ramadei found a solution to the heavy nature of rocks: Paint ’em. She made a nylon labyrinth with a rock
labyrinth depicted on it. The entire labyrinth weighed hardly more than one good-sized rock.
15
Permanent Indoor Labyrinths
I included pavement labyrinths in the outdoor category, but, of course, they were originally indoors. The Chartres
labyrinth is a good example. Besides pavement, there are other types of indoor labyrinths, as you will see.
W e h a ve a l r e a d y
mentioned that the
Romans made mosaic
labyrinths. Tile is a very
convenient medium for
maki ng labyrint hs .
P er haps t he mos t
impressive example is
Amiens Cathedral, in
France. The floor
throughout the entire
cathedral contains a
variety of motifs, of
which the labyrinth is
one (a replica of the original one). The paths and lines are of equal width. The path of the labyrinth is the black
tile. If you walk the white tile, you have a maze!
Once again, I have a photo (below) of a labyrinth that I cannot identify, built on a patio. Someone once asked me
to make a design for their patio, so I simply made a rectangular version of a 7-circuit labyrinth (right). Pouring
a concrete slab for a painted or mosaic labyrinth can be done by most patio contractors. (I’ve always wanted to
draw a labyrinth right into the wet cement, but haven’t had a chance to do it yet.)
I once received an email message
from a craftsman who had been
asked to make a labyrinth in a
floor using wood marquetry
techniques. In other words,
inlaying the labyrinth in wood.
Wow, that would be a lot of work.
I understand there is such a
labyrinth in Texas and another in
the Pacific Northwest. I have an
idea for a way to construct
labyrinths out of squares of vinyl
floor tile. This might work for an
airport waiting room, for example.
Make a copy of the labyrinth design on a computer that can print out a
full-scale version in one-foot-square increments. Choose two different colors of vinyl tile, one for the path and
one for the line. Then, attaching the computer printout onto the vinyl tile, cut two thicknesses of vinyl at the same
time on a scroll saw – one of each of the two colors. Then, you will be able to use the path portion from the tile
of that color and the line portion of the other piece of tile. Having been cut at the same time, the pieces should fit
together perfectly.
Then there is the possibility of painting your own ceramic tile, although that would be expensive. Or you could
make a mosaic labyrinth. Indoor labyrinths can be painted on many different surfaces. Grace Cathedral, in San
Francisco, has a custom-made wool carpet labyrinth, cut by computerized lasers but assembled by hand. We also
have the capability of sculpting a labyrinth design into a carpet which has sufficient pile. The possibilities are
endless. You can even paint or dye carpets.
16
Temporary Labyrinths
Labyrinths as Art
Youcan put anything on the ground to make labyrinths. I have seen themdone
with metal disks, Post-Its®, luminaries, and more. One of my all-time
favorites is a labyrinth installation by dowser/artist Marty Cain (tel: 603-8637343) made of white turkey feathers. Thousands of them, stuck into the
ground. Marty is one of the few other full-time labyrinth makers out there,
besides myself. She uses her dowsing skills to ask the earth itself as to the
size, location, and orientation of the proposed labyrinth. She feels that all
labyrinth makers should be trained in dowsing. It certainly makes sense.
Besides a number of spectacular public labyrinth art installations, Marty has
also built dozens of permanent labyrinths for private residences.
Paint Labyrinths
Remember how they used to lay out football fields? They used lime, or
powdered marble. I bought one of those rolling hoppers (see right) and tried
a number of materials, including cornmeal. During one event, the wind was
blowing away the cornmeal faster than I could replace it. Soon, people
couldn’t see the turns anymore andgot completely lost. It turned our labyrinth
into a hopeless maze. I believe this technique is out-dated; I don’t recommend
it.
Now days, they use paint to lay out football fields. It lasts longer, is cleaner,
and doesn’t blow away. So, naturally, I went out and bought a new little line painting device. It only cost $50 and
works like a charm. The grass keeps growing and then gets cut, eliminating the labyrinth unless it is re-painted.
Rather than using the lawn
mower to destroy a labyrinth,
you can use it to make one.
Simply mow the paths and not
the lines. Voila, a grass
labyrinth.
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Temporary Labyrinths
The most ideal of temporary labyrinths
is the rope labyrinth. Rope is a line, so
you simply “draw” the labyrinth with
the rope. Use wire hooks to pin the rope
to the ground so it won’t move. I can set
up a 48-foot labyrinth by myself in one
hour. In fact, that’s a topic I sometimes
present at labyrinth conferences,
entitled, “How to Make a Labyrinth in
One Hour.” What’s nice about the rope
labyrinth is that it can be used over and
over again, so there is no additional
cost. You can go to a designated
location, set up the labyrinth, walk it,
take it back down again, and go home –
allin one evening. Such events might be
a way to develop interest in labyrinths
in your area, or as a method of raising
funds for a permanent labyrinth.
You can see in the photos (right) of a
rope labyrinth at Earth Day in St. Louis
(1996), that the ground was worn down
in the pattern of the labyrinth. After we
pulled up the rope, it was still possible
to walk the labyrinth. Since you can’t
see a rope labyrinth from a distance, we
always put up signs and banners that
say “Walk the Labyrinth,” just so
people can know we are there. That’s
my wife Ruth in the photo, pushing her
mother in a wheelchair around the labyrinth.
If you can walk a labyrinth, why not ride a
bicycle? The next year, 1997, for National
Trails Day, we made a rope labyrinth with
paths four feet wide and called it a bicycle
labyrinth.
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Masking Tape Labyrinths
I have used miles of masking tape making labyrinths. I
wouldn’t suggest doing them on wooden floors, but concrete
or commercial carpet or some kinds of tile work well. The first
photo here is in the undercroft of St. James Episcopal
Cathedralin Chicago. In May of 1997 Dr. Lauren Artress gave
a program there, which called for several labyrinths. So I
supervised the construction of a masking tape labyrinth on the
concrete floor of the undercroft. There were pillars to deal
with, which called for a little creativity. It was meant to be
temporary, but they left it on the floor all summer. Then they
painted the floor. Upon removing the masking tape, they had
a permanent painted labyrinth design. Clever. Now, however,
the space has been renovated and covered with carpet.
Someday someone will remove the carpet and find a surprise!
The maskingtape labyrinths we made for First Night St. Louis
on New Year’s Eve (1995-1998) were some 100 feet in
diameter. This one took 13 of us less than two hours from start
to finish. I have included a close-up so you can see it really is
just strips of masking tape. We used 1200 yards of three-inch
masking tape (trimmed with a razor knife). That’s 20 rolls at
$4 each, for a cost of $80. Labyrinth Enterprises has a $5
pamphlet specifically showing how to make masking tape
labyrinths. In the labyrinth below, detours were made in order
to go around the pillars. Masking tape is very flexible in that
regard.
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Fabric Labyrinths
We specialize in canvas labyrinths here at Labyrinth Enterprises. We
sell them in various stages of completion, from blank canvas to fully
drawn, painted, and ready to go. Sizes vary from 12 to 40 feet and
prices from $700 to $3,300.
We are fortunate to have very diligent sewing contractors. That table is
the size of a living room! We have also developed specialized tools,
since we repeat the same procedures over and over. That’s Karen Weiss
(below, right), one of my former assistants, using a pattern to draw the
lunations. She devised a clever way for them to come out exactly right,
every time (not just in number, but also in location).
We draw our labyrinths in a wonderful Art
Deco gymnasium (left). Some of the painting is
done in the gym and some in our studio at the
painting bench (below).
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Besides drawing on fabric, we also sew together different colors of fabric. In our rainbow labyrinth(below, right),
the colors are separated by strips of black braiding, which helps to set them off from each other. We got the
rainbow idea from Dr. Jan Bradley, who sewed her own rainbow labyrinth (below, left), although from a much
lighter-weight grade of nylon.
People make labyrinths on other types of fabric besides canvas, including billboard vinyl, muslin bed sheets,
painting tarps, and more. We ourselves use nylon, acrylic canvas, and even carpet. But I’ll have to say, I still favor
the feel of natural, untreated, 100% cotton duck canvas. However, it is not suitable for use outdoors, so there are
times when nylon and acrylic are more appropriate. I like the feel of cotton plus it is the least expensive of the
materials mentioned (except muslin).
As my final remark, let me say
how impressed I am with the
labyrinth program at the
Unitarian Church in Arlington,
Virginia. The wonderful photo
below captures the Sunday they
dedicated the labyrinth – draping
it for the entire congregation to
see. For more information on
their excellent activities, call
Darlene Mickey (tel: 703-9207838).
Previously, this was the end of the booklet. Then we expanded it, and now, in February, 2002, revised it once
more, updating the text and adding more photos. There are additional photos on our website, including a
scrapbook section, at www.labyrinth-enterprises.com.
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MORE LABYRINTHS
Painted and Dug Labyrinth
This labyrinth is at the home of my
friend Jill Kimberly Hartwell
Geoffrion. It was the most accurate
painted labyrinth that I have ever
made. Knowing it was going to
become permanent, I spent nine hours
making it, holding the spray can right
next to the grass. Due to the breeze
andneed for precision, I didn’t use the
normal mechanical painting devices.
As a result, my right index finger was
numb for about three weeks from
pushing the button on the spray can.
Then Jill dug out the painted lines and put bricks there, transforming the labyrinth
from a temporary to a permanent one. Brick lines need to be trimmed with a weed
eater periodically, as the grass will try to grow over the bricks.
The labyrinth is 50 feet across and took some 2000 bricks, not counting the
lunations or petals (perimeter and center decorations). It took a day to paint the
labyrinth, but several weeks for the bricks to be added.
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There is another way to make brick labyrinths. Rather than
digging out the brick, place the bricks on the ground and
then add the grass later. In the photos on this page, the
grass was removed by using the bucket-loader end of a
backhoe. That took about 40 minutes. Then the bricks
were laid into the appropriate pattern, and grass turf
replaced between the bricks. This labyrinth is at a private
home in Florida.
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Speaking of brick, here’s Marty
Kermeen’s brick paver labyrinth in
Naperville, Illinois. Shaping and grinding
each paver individually into this beautiful
labyrinth was a huge task, requiring some
23 long days of hard work. It is part of the
Riverwalk Park. You can reach Marty at
artpaver@aol.com or (630) 552-3408.
Diggingout the lines took on a whole new
meaning at the Museum of International
Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico. There,
they made a hard surface out of
“manufactured fines,” which is a kind of rock dust that
rolls down to a hard surface. Directed by Len Meserve,
they then used a board with pegs sticking out to mark the
lines. Once dug out, the lines and labryses, petals and
lunations were filled with a black concrete mixture (made
by mixing in soot) that was embellished with obsidian
stones. The end result was very earthy, like a sand-cast
candle. The labyrinth no longer exists, as it fell victim to a
rebuilding program. Now, in its place is a beautiful new
paver labyrinth made by Marty Kermeen.
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AllDeck: Labyrinths on Concrete
For wheelchair access and year-round use, hard surface
labyrinths are desirable. I made a public labyrinth at St. James
Episcopal Cathedral in Chicago’s near north side. The surface
material is a multi-step process known as AllDeck (for details
see www.alldeck.com). Although very labor intensive, it gives
a beautiful surface.
The photo to the right shows an intermediate step. The base had
already been built up and detailed. Here, I laid down fiberglass
mat, covering it with water-based acrylic resin, followed by a
textured topcoat. The surface ultimately had seven layers of
materials, although the final product is only one-eighth of an
inch thick.
Below is the finished labyrinth, which took 229 work-hours spread over 17 work days. This labyrinth is a “pure”
Chartres design, thirty feet in diameter. On a terrace between the church office building and the church itself, the
labyrinth is open 24 hours a day. The address is 65 E. Huron Street, between Rush and Wabash Streets a block
from the “Miracle Mile.” The site is scheduled for a new building, so the labyrinth’s days are numbered.
I know of five AllDeck
labyrinths currently in
existence. One is at California
Pacific Medical Center (see
page 10), this one is now in
Chicago, another can be found
at West Clinic in Memphis,
Tennessee, and two are in
Tuscon, Arizona – a “man in
the maze” at Morris Udall
State Park and a Chartres
labyrinth at Grace St. Paul’s
Episcopal Church (shown
below).
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Mow a Labyrinth
People ask me how much it costs to make a
labyrinth. The answer is anywhere from
zero to a quarter of a million dollars. Often
labor can be a trade off for expensive
materials. Digging a turf labyrinth is an
example. Another is mowing a labyrinth
into the grass. Following are two labyrinths
done by Stu Bartholomaus (865-9279946), once the “mad mower from
Minnesota” and now the “crazed cutter
from Kentucky.” The first (right) is at St.
Catherine’s College in St. Paul (that’s Jill
Kimberly Hartwell Geoffrion walking it) and on the next a mowed labyrinth at a church in Eden Prairie, near
Minneapolis (below).
The long grass can be neatly trimmed, as above, or left to grow long. The
latter is the case for the labyrinth at a retreat center in Waycross, Indiana,
built by John Ridder (right). I’m not sure where the one below is located.
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Flagstone Labyrinth
Previously (page 11), we had a somewhat obscure
photo of a flagstone labyrinth built by Clarice
O’Bryan. Here’s another one, in St. Paul,
Minnesota. In this case, construction was more
than meets the eye, as an old tennis court was first
removed, and then a base of sand spread out and
leveled. The irregularity comes not from the
terrain, but the shape of the stones themselves,
some of which needed several people to carry.
The previous example was a Chartres-style,
whereas this is a classical seven-circuit labyrinth.
Landscaped Labyrinths
While mazes are often tall, made of hedges and the like,
most labyrinths are two dimensional. Turf and
landscaped labyrinths lie somewhere in between. The
one to the right is in Innsbruck, Austria. A version of a
landscape labyrinth is a garden labyrinth. One of the
best examples is a public garden labyrinth (below)
located in Zurich, Switzerland, which is maintained by
neighborhood volunteers. The design won first place
(out of 147 entries) in a contest of what to do with the
land made available by the closing of a military
installation, just ten minutes from the main train
station.
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Not long ago I visited earthworks builder Alex Champion in
Mendocino County, California. Since 1989 he has been
making mazes and labyrinths, both traditional and of his own
design. Here I am in one that he built for a neighbor, on the
side of a hill. Note how deep the paths are. It feels good to
have earth up around you. There are some great photos of this
labyrinth in the spring, nice and green, with daffodils growing
in it. When I was there, it was winter, and everything was
brown.
Object Labyrinths
Labyrinths can be made from any kind of object, if you have
enough of them. How about making a Post-It® labyrinth at
your office? Here is one made from wooden blocks,
connected togther by string and laid out on a parking lot. The
blocks pack up into two small boxes.
Other possible objects for labyrinths include candles or
luminaries, engineer’s flags, plastic dinner forks, white turkey
feathers, or even canned goods. Below are a few examples.
Here is a votive candle labyrinth made by Gernot
Candolini in Austria.
I helped a ninth-grade class at a private
school in St. Louis make a labyrinth in one
class period (40 minutes), using canned
goods collected for a local food pantry.
(Bad weather prevented us from going
outside to make a labyrinth.) For the
straight lines we used boxes of pancake
mix and breakfast cereal. I call this my
first-ever Spaghettio labyrinth.
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Spontaneous Labyrinths
Draw labyrinths in sand at the beach and then watch the tide come up and reclaim the beach. I have heard
about one person who has a long board with pegs sticking out of it, much like the one shown in the photos of
the Santa Fe labyrinth. Swinging the board in a circle smooths the sand while the pegs draw the lines.
Simplicity. In the wonderful pictures below, Annette Reynolds makes an early morning labyrinth for herself to
walk, using a broomstick to draw it in the sand. Her photographer daughter snapped the photos, unbeknownst
to Annette.
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Stone Labyrinths
Stone is a traditional material for making labyrinths. The following photo was sent to me, along with a letter
explaining it: “About a year ago, with the masking tape
instruction booklet in hand . . . I built this labyrinth all by
myself in our back yard – with stones my husband and I
collected on a Cape Cod Bay beach near our home. . . .
For some unknown reason, for well over a year I didn’t
think I could build the labyrinth, although I knew I wanted
one in that spot in our backyard. So when I finished it –
after two days of measuring and laying the stones – I had
a wonderful feeling of accomplishment, peace, and
wholeness.”
Ice and Snow Labyrinths
Pamela Ramadei made a labyrinth on frozen Evergreen Lake, Colorado, which lasted until the spring thaw.
She especially enjoyed watching the macho members of the local high school hockey team gracefully skating
through the labyrinth, like ballerinas, and then
going back to smashing each other.
At our residence we have a large backyard. So
when it snowed six inches (somewhat rare in St.
Louis) I decided to make a snow labyrinth. The
trick is that one must walk out the path, not the
lines. The labyrinth lasted almost two
weeks before it melted away. In the last
stages the line was snow and the paths
grass.
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Concrete Labyrinths
The labyrinth that we made at Ursuline College near Cleveland, Ohio, shows the steps in putting a pattern
onto the surface of a concrete area. First the pattern
is drawn with indelible Sharpie® felt markers. Then
the acrylic resin is painted on (here, helped by a
volunteer). This is one of the least expensive ways to
make a durable, all-weather, wheelchair-accessible
labyrinth.
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A rather unusual painting project took place in Nashville, Tennessee, not long ago. The concrete terrace
destined for a labyrinth had a very rough surface, with a number of gouges that would have made lines look
very irregular. So, we painted faux pebbles. In four days, with a number of volunteers, we painted thousands
of faux pebbles in the pattern of a labyrinth. The weather
was in the 90's. Each painter had a palate with several colors
of gray and several stiff stencil-type brushes.
Masking Tape Labyrinths
Masking tape labyrinths take a toll on the knees and the back, crawling around to
lay out the labyrinth and to apply the tape to the lines. There are, in fact, several
machines available on the market which allow one to stand up while apply the
masking tape. Generally, they cost in the $105 to $125 range. I own three
such machines. Since the machines are big and heavy, they aren’t very
portable. So, I developed a way to make a similar machine by converting a
standard tape applicator made for sealing boxes. Instructions for making your
own such device are available from Labyrinth Enterprises. Essentially,
certain parts are removed, the location of the application roller is changed,
and a handle is added. The photos show two of the devices, operating side by
side.
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So, I hope that you are getting the gist of this booklet, that labyrinths can be made almost anywhere, with
almost any material. Let’s end the Addendum as we did the first part, with a labyrinth dedication. In this case,
it is for one of my canvas labyrinths that went to John Ranello in Plano, Texas. The blessing was for both the
labyrinth and John’s work with the labyrinth. He has since moved to Asheville, North Carolina.
Perhaps these examples will inspire you to make your own labyrinths. Don’t forget to send me some photos.
Robert Ferré
Labyrinth Maker
February, 2002