Breemie:
A Labyrinth in Waiting page 2
We found two ideal candidates by carefully dowsing the
large stones that marked the festival boundary, and
arranged with some of the site crew to have them brought
over by tractor – perhaps not the most elegant
or gentle way of working with stone, but the best we
could manage in the timeframe. The two node stones were
negotiated into place first, with the centre stone finally
settling into place over some offerings that we had
prepared.
While we had been setting the intention for the space
– that it would clear, balance and harmonise the
energies, both in the landscape around it and from any
people who might need to discard their psychic or emotional
junk there, we had been very aware of frog energy, as
well as the Venus energy previously mentioned. With
one of those synchronicities that become almost commonplace
in the creation of sacred space, we realised that the
centre stone actually had a strong frog-like resemblance,
giving rise to its name, The Frog Stone. (If anyone
is curious about a Venus stone, well, we were equally
curious. However, we looked in vain at the two nodal
stones. There is, nonetheless, a much smaller, red stone,
some 10-12 inches in height, with a strong imprint of
goddess-like features, in the triangular space below
the spiral. To us, this is the Venus Stone.)
Our final task for the evening was to position a set
of chakra flags, similar to a series placed above the
stage. It seemed most appropriate to us that these form
a bowl supporting the labyrinth site, towards the bottom
of the hillside, balancing those at the top of the hill.
We had wanted to draw down the North (Star) that night,
to link the celestial and earthly energies, but unfortunately
the Aberdeenshire skies proved too cloudy for us to
get a visual fix, so it was left to Barry to return
and do this on another occasion.
I had an early start the following morning (Saturday),
to get visual confirmation of the Summer Solstice Sunrise
alignment, which was due to be marked by an outlying
stone. (Although this was only the 18th June, the sun
moves so slowly as it approaches Solstice that I expected
the sighting would prove quite accurate). The site has
an elevated horizon to the North-East, having a high
tree-line, but I saw the first rays at 4.06am, with
the sunbeams lighting up the Frog Stone, through the
billowing heart chakra flag, some six minutes later
(4.12am). Given the South-Westerly position of the recumbent,
this too was ablaze – a wonderful moment in the
quiet and stillness of the morning, further enriched
by a flight of six swans flying overhead.
In terms of the labyrinth’s orientation, when
standing at the Frog Stone in the goal and looking out
in a straight line along the right hand wall, the eye
is taken directly through the energetic gateway, across
the stone ring, to the recumbent behind it, and further
on to Barmekin Hill on the South-Western horizon, effectively
keying the viewer straight into the landscape. (As with
many recumbents, its profile mimics the shape of Barmekin).
Looking over to the West, or to the right as one faces
the mouth from the goal, the eye is immediately arrested
by the sight of Mither Tap of Bennachie. This peak’s
interesting shape is reflected within the labyrinth
by the small cairn in the triangle below the spiral.
Some hours later, having led the opening workshop of
the festival, Barry and I made our way along to the
site. As Barry had strained his back during the previous
day’s layout, I set to work laying the stones
in the walls, ceremonially walking the first stone in
to the beginning/end of the spiral in the goal, while
Barry encouraged newly-arriving visitors to come and
participate in the creation of a new sacred space.
We suggested that anyone who wanted to release something
in their lives might like to place their intention in
whatever stone they were drawn to, and place this at
an appropriate place in the labyrinth wall on the walk
into the goal, finally walking back out again feeling
renewed and free. We were delighted that many people
seemed to experience very significant shifts as a result
of this process, moving on from painful divorces, abuse,
physical pain and addictions (including a crew member
who felt no interest whatsoever in smoking, having been
a chain smoker for some forty years). But there were
also others who walked the labyrinth, for the pure joy
of it, or used it as a meditation tool, as we had also
suggested in our workshop.
We had those who walked the path in arm in arm, or hand
in hand; we had children run through it; we had babies
take the labyrinthine journey by buggy, and were especially
delighted that a wheelchair user was able to enjoy it.
Some made the journey just once; others came back anything
up to seven or eight times. Throughout the day, I worked
closely with Colin Sherriffs, who had attended our morning
workshop, and who seemed to be a natural dowser and
energy worker. Despite the long summer evening, dusk
had settled before Colin, his wife, Toni, and I finally
laid the last of the stones that had been set aside
for us.
Alan seemed delighted and privileged to have the labyrinth
on his land, and truly felt that he wanted to share
the gift of the Breemie Labyrinth with everyone else
who was drawn to use it. Therefore, he has arranged
to have a box of stones placed near the mouth, so that
anyone visiting the site may be able to contribute to
the on-going development of this sacred space, and perhaps
find their own particular healing there.
download
Maria's 'cheat sheet' for the Breemie labyrinth (PDF)
The Breemie Labyrinth is open to all, with paths wide
enough to accommodate buggy and wheelchair access. It
is situated behind B.A. Country Store, Broomhill Farm,
Lyne of Skene, Dunecht AB32 7DA.
OS Grid Ref: NJ
769110. Parking spaces are available behind the
store.
The labyrinth is listed on The
Worldwide Labyrinth Locator.
We would very much welcome any stories of your own experiences
of the labyrinth or any updates in the energetic picture
that your dowsing or intuition may produce, and may
be contacted via our contact
form.
Barry has been back on a few occasions with Colin to
check on the energies, and found that while there was
some shift after the labyrinth was finished, the picture
seems to have stabilised somewhat. Our colleague, Grahame
Gardner, has also had the opportunity to return to Breemie
for a spot of dowsing, and has detected an energy ley
going through to Bennachie in the West, as well as a
second one linking up to the Breemie Stone Circle, in
addition to the other features previously discovered.
We
give special thanks to Alan Brownie, the landowner,
who has been so open to the labyrinth and its possibilities,
and has been so generous in welcoming all to visit
and use this site, to Jason Schroeder who invited
us to come and play at Breemie, and especially to
Spirit for guiding us throughout this process.
We are indebted to Simon Harboard for the beautiful
overhead shot of the emerging labyrinth, with the
chakra flags, taken on Saturday afternoon, and to
Jason, for the aerial site shot taken at Winter Solstice,
2005.
We
are delighted to have been invited back for Breemie
Stone Circle Summer Solstice Festival, 2006, on Saturday
17 June. Further details of will be available on www.sacredway.co.uk
and
on our events page.
Please
contact us if you would
like to discuss a labyrinth project.
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