Mount Oak Labyrinth
The Labyrinth at Mt Oak is a traditional 7 circuit Cretan Labyrinth. The labyrinth is a continuous path or meander, not a maze which is designed to confuse people. Each path is around 1m wide and the length of the path from entry to center is around 150m.
These stone labyrinths are an ancient part of European culture and were built all over Europe for at least 4,000 years. The ancient use of these structures is lost in pre-history but in modern times they are used as an aid to meditation and contemplation. One way to use the space is to focus on your problem/question as you walk into the center, then focus on the solutions/answers on your way back out.
There are other patterns of labyrinths on the floors of churches, most famously the one in Chartres Cathedral in France. These were used as a substitute for going on a pilgrimage or as a form of penance. There has recently been a big revival in the use of labyrinths in churches as a form of prayer/meditation and psychological healing.
The Labyrinth at Mt Oak was constructed to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the original Confest.
The aims were to
The site was carefully chosen for the following reasons: the area was heavily impacted by overgrazing, rabbits and the Confest. It was full of weeds with little existing native vegetation. It was close to the large erosion gully and would form a barrier to prevent any further damage or erosion from people growing crops or building structures on the site. It was close enough to the Community House to be used for group ceremonies during gatherings.
The Labyrinth was constructed by Ronni Martin with help from Jardo Delasey and Craig Taylor in 2003 and 2004. Many other people have been involved in tree planting around the site, including Ngarigo elders at the 25th Anniversary celebration. Others including Marg and Jardo have done weed control and maintained the area since then.
It was placed using geomantic principles – oriented with the entrance to magnetic North. South, East and West were marked with larger rocks. All the rocks in the labyrinth were collected from already disturbed ground, almost all from the road and tracks around the site. Each of the arms of the labyrinth is made of a different type of rock: red ’granite’, schist, gneiss and white quartz. The rocks were carefully selected to make sure they were not being used as habitat.
These stone labyrinths are an ancient part of European culture and were built all over Europe for at least 4,000 years. The ancient use of these structures is lost in pre-history but in modern times they are used as an aid to meditation and contemplation. One way to use the space is to focus on your problem/question as you walk into the center, then focus on the solutions/answers on your way back out.
There are other patterns of labyrinths on the floors of churches, most famously the one in Chartres Cathedral in France. These were used as a substitute for going on a pilgrimage or as a form of penance. There has recently been a big revival in the use of labyrinths in churches as a form of prayer/meditation and psychological healing.
The Labyrinth at Mt Oak was constructed to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the original Confest.
The aims were to
- Create a space for community celebrations and individual quiet contemplation
- Heal both the people who use it and the land around it.
- Create a refuge and seed bank for native grasses and wildflowers to eventually regenerate the land around it and the erosion gully.
- Provide a convenient record of the diversity of rocks on the site
- Create an enduring piece of land art to commemorate the efforts of all the people who have cared for the land.
The site was carefully chosen for the following reasons: the area was heavily impacted by overgrazing, rabbits and the Confest. It was full of weeds with little existing native vegetation. It was close to the large erosion gully and would form a barrier to prevent any further damage or erosion from people growing crops or building structures on the site. It was close enough to the Community House to be used for group ceremonies during gatherings.
The Labyrinth was constructed by Ronni Martin with help from Jardo Delasey and Craig Taylor in 2003 and 2004. Many other people have been involved in tree planting around the site, including Ngarigo elders at the 25th Anniversary celebration. Others including Marg and Jardo have done weed control and maintained the area since then.
It was placed using geomantic principles – oriented with the entrance to magnetic North. South, East and West were marked with larger rocks. All the rocks in the labyrinth were collected from already disturbed ground, almost all from the road and tracks around the site. Each of the arms of the labyrinth is made of a different type of rock: red ’granite’, schist, gneiss and white quartz. The rocks were carefully selected to make sure they were not being used as habitat.
