Common Ground Labyrinth
My “Common Ground Labyrinth” design is derived from an
ancient symbol of harmony and unity called the Vesica Pisces.
The symbol is formed when two interlocking rings create an
eye-shaped oval where they intersect.
In his discussion of Sacred Geometry, Charles Gilchrist reveals
that “ALL form evolves from this shape.
The Vesica Pisces is literally the womb of the universe, the ever
unfolding mother of Sacred Geometry.”
The Vesica Pisces is viewed as a symbolic representation of
bringing opposites into balance. The central space formed by the
overlapping circles holds the potential for the birth of new
perspectives on dualities. It is a place of common
ground where two opposing forces can dwell harmoniously.
A meditative walk on this Labyrinth can assist us in embodying
the idea that dualities can achieve peaceful co-existence.
The
fact that the Vesica Pisces is an ancient universal symbol that can heal
separation and create wholeness closely links it to the Labyrinth.
The marriage of the two in this design is intended to provide a
sense of peace, harmony, and connection to those who walk it.
The
placement of the “Common Ground Labyrinth” at the Ground Zero
Memorial site would offer an effective way for people to process their
seemingly disparate and opposing feelings relating to the events of
September 11. Even before
that fateful day, when speaking to my workshop audiences, I likened such
confusion to riding on a pendulum that swings back and forth between
hope and despair, love and hate, fear and courage.
To be aware of the events going on around the world is to feel
the sense of being in a whirlwind of other such dualities. Perhaps walking this Labyrinth can help us remain
in balance in the center of the storm.
The
marble pathways that wind through both circles can be entered by turning
either right or left at the entrance.
Traditional Labyrinths that lead us to the right tend to present
us with a masculine viewpoint while a left turn entrance offers the
feminine perspective. Regardless of which choice one makes to enter,
both views will be experienced because the paths lead us through each of
the circles and out the other side.
Inside
the rings of the “Common Ground Labyrinth” the names of those who
died on September 11 will be displayed for honoring.
The interior space of the circles will be a flower-lined lawn.
The focal point will display a written dedication and can be
viewed at four different turns on the walk.
When
we reach the middle of the Labyrinth, we can feel the supportiveness of
the interwoven circles as well as the calming effect of the expansion of
time and space. On the
paths surrounding it, we have the opportunity to view the center from
the inner edges of each of the two circles.
We walk all the way around as water glides from two low fountains
across the steel surface of the Vesica Pisces shape and spills over the
edge creating the healing sound of a waterfall.
In
this new form Labyrinth, we do not retrace our steps as we leave.
Instead, we walk on to absorb the perspective that the second
circle offers. We then exit
through the opening opposite from our chosen entrance.
It is my hope that when people walk these joining rings, that the
new perspectives they gain will ripple out into the world to create the
elusive inner and outer peace that we humans yearn for.
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