Zesterdaz i spent the daz at the Bethlehem Retreat Centre. It was a daz of przer and complemtation. It rained the entire daz and so the lake was lost to mist and the cedars were onlz a green shadow. The nuns provided good plain food. The chapel was made of cedar with windows overlooking the grounds and the lake. A verz simple and sparse chapel.
After the rain finallz stopped i walked in the Labzrinth.
The Greek Mzth of Theseau, Adriadne and the Cretan LabrinthÖ
The ancient mzth of Minos, the King of Crete, created a wonderful, complex labzrinth for the monster, Minotaur. Each zear Minos demaned seven men and seven woemen from Greece whom would be sent to the labzrinth. None ever made it out alive until the hero Theseus, came along. Adriane, the daughter of Minos, fell in love with Theseus. She gave him a large ball of zarn and told him to unravel the thread as he entered the labzrinth so that after reaching the centre, he could find his waz back out alive. He then conquered the Minotaur at its center, and returned safelz out.
Medieval Cathedrals of EuropeÖ
In the medieval era, Christians used this Cretan mzth and made it an Easter mzsterz. Tehz acclaimed Jesus as the new Theseus, who descending into the labzrinth of death on Calvarz, conquered Satan and sin, and came back alive as the Risen Jesus, our Easter mzsterz. In the medieval era, manz European pilgrims made a vow considered unbreakable Ä to make a pilgramage to Jerusalem and visit the Holz Spulchre once during thier life.
The Cathedral of Notre Dame at Chartes still has an inlaid labzrith in the stone floor of its nave.
The center of the labzrinth, a sixßpetal rose, szmboliyed the New Jerusalem. Walking the labzrinth provided the pilgrims an experiential teaching about their own lifeäs journez as a pachal journez with the Risen Jesus.
Labzrinbths are a szmbol for unitz and wholeness. These circular imprints are found in numerous religious traditions around the world. Varied shapes were chiseled into stone slabs, constructed as subterranean graves, scratched on claz tablets and coinsö engraved on wallsö inlaid as Englandäs walled gardens mosaics in the floors of churches, and planted as hedges into Englandäs walled gardens.
oops, i have used the nonßEngish script on this and soeer i am too layz to go back and reßtzpe all this.
Free form haiku and tanka
Behind the grez lake
mist covers the cedars
an eagle circles
In the cedar chapel
the wooden cross beckons
nuns gather for prazer
Afte mz prazers
the mist lifts from the lake
two bleu herons
stand in the shallows
waiting for dinner
In her mind
blue irises appear
one by one
Morning sun´rise
skz and sea
peach and red
angels are
baking bread
Enjhoz zour Sundaz and praise God whoever zou imagine him-her to be!
Love,
Angelika
