My Labyrinth Journey

I became aware of my relationship to the labyrinth over 25 years ago when I saw an image in a yoga magazine that made an impression on me, an impression which has never faded. This particular one wasn’t even that beautiful, being coarsely built and on uneven ground. But the power in its geometry and its innate elegance shone through. Deciding I would build one someday, I waited another five years for the land to appear.

The first opportunity came while playing in the beach sands of Maui with my young sons. I first walked out the design in the sand with my feet and liked what I saw.  Soon I had built a rake-like tool that I would use to scribe out a Chartres-style labyrinth in about an hour’s time. It didn’t occur to me until now to wonder if my kids thought it was normal that dad walked in circles. I was very pleased with these temporary works of art but, as I said, they were temporary. In the morning dogs and kids ran across them, people would lay down their towels, the winds would caress their peaks out of being, and it was all over until next time.

One day, while meditating on the shoreline near the present site of the Kapalua labyrinth (which I never named, by the way, others did the naming), I had been contemplating building another labyrinth. Heading home that day I walked across an unused and agreeably flat patch of ground and thought, “Wow, this could work.” I visited that site for the next three weeks while I listened and shared my vision with it. This might sound strange to someone from outside of Hawai’i. It is my view, however, that the land is a conscious living Being that gives Life to everything upon it. That includes me, which I have profound gratitude for, as well as the spirits dwelling there. With each successive visit I was able to tune my awareness to their presence. Powerful (and intimidating, to be honest) spirits watched me from a distance. On a few occasions I felt youthful and sweet spirits rush to encircle me. They had a childlike curiosity and excitement. Kind of like when you show up to a child’s party with cake or presents. In the first few weeks I shared my vision and did a lot of listening. I never got a clear affirmative, but I never got a ‘no’ either. I had already paced the site, measuring it and the future labyrinth. Then one day I put a tent stake in the ground where the center would be and carried the first of what would possibly be hundreds of buckets of coral to the site.

Then:

I listened some more.

This happened in 2005. For the next two and a half years I carried five gallon buckets filled with coral from my car to the site. The walk is only a quarter mile across a golf course, but it feels longer when you’re carrying something heavy. Walking a string attached to a stake in the ground makes a perfect circle. At first the pieces of coral were 3 feet apart. As I laid the pieces of coral, circles slowly began to appear, and it started to take on the look of a labyrinth. Turns were added. Then coral was added between the existing ones and the space between became 18 inches, then 9, then 4, then touching, then double width. This was a very long, slow process. I never really thought about finishing during this time, I just carried buckets. Buckets were my meditation.

While I was working, curious passersby would often stop to ask me questions, but there was one that was inevitable and foreseeable.

“What is the meaning?” they would ask.

“It doesn’t have meaning, it’s a tool,” I would say. “A tool to help you have an inner experience. It doesn’t have any more meaning than a spoon does.”

It’s quite unsatisfying to the mind when we’re looking for a quick bit of information and get told we need to have an inner experience to get it. There is no instant gratification, no one to give you the right or easy answer, here. I wanted to create a place where people would be mystified, maybe filled with a little wonder, and look inside themselves for the answer. I don’t provide answers. That would show a lack of respect for the Inner Wisdom within each of us. I don’t look into other people for my answers and I wouldn’t want them to look into me for theirs. This is why the labyrinth has no labels attached to it, no symbols and no teaching. It just lays there waiting for you.

For myself, on most days, I identify as a Solitary Pagan so my practice with the labyrinth is mine alone. I have nothing to teach, nor do I seek followers. Most times I use the labyrinth to help me focus on Universal Energies I’m either striving to Ingest, Digest or Express. Nowadays I make most trips there alone. It is a powerful piece of land which has been additionally charged by the intentions and prayers of what must be hundreds of thousands people. It is a gift to the community of Maui to be used for meditation and contemplation. I have lost count of the people who told me stories about insights and personal transformation they had here. It’s not mine, but I am a part of it. It’s certainly a part of me. There are those who call it their place and that makes me very happy. Over the last 15 years I have continued to do maintenance and clear out people’s garbage. Sometimes, when the weather permits, I will invite friends to join me on a full moon or new moon. Sometimes I’ll walk down there just to stand beside it, staring at the ocean in communion.

I am available, and happy, to assist you or your group in discovering your sacred journey and expressing it using this sacred site.

Are looking for a unique experience, one that you will carry with you long after your feet have left the Labyrinth? Are you interested in discovering and expressing your sacred journey, either for yourself or your group, in an unforgettable way?  Are you searching for something, seeking, or maybe yearning to indulge the deeper, mystical part of yourself? Allow me to assist you in facilitating this expression, in helping you create and discover the journey you are calling out for. This labyrinth, its creation, and the story it has been unfolding has gifted me with a unique constellation of history and skills to accompany you in creating the experience you are desiring.

This labyrinth is in a spectacular natural outdoor setting on sacred Hawaiian grounds. The most common use for a labyrinth, which I’ve also found very practical, is that of an outer journey (or walk) that represents an inner pilgrimage (towards an inner sacredness). Over the years I have created a variety of ceremonies using the labyrinth to meet specific needs. In no uncertain terms, this will not be the labyrinth walk you remember from church, friends. To tell you what to expect would do you a disservice. Come with an open mind, an open heart, and the curiosity that still lives inside you.

This experience is only for people who either live on Maui or will be visiting. Wind and weather conditions may affect scheduling.

Discover The Sacred Labyrinth