New Moon Labyrinth Walk

Jake said "why not a labyrinth" and maybe he has a point. For those unfamiliar with this surprisingly-ancient-and-surprisingly-universal cultural phenomenon (me; I was unfamiliar), the "cultural meanings" section of the Wikipedia page is a nice intro https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labyrinth#Cultural_meanings. And the linked essay from Antonia Malchik grounds it in a personal narrative. https://antonia.substack.com/p/the-gravity-of-a-labyrinth Jake knows a good labyrinth a short drive out of the city. It's on private property but visitors are welcome and we verified that there are no other events planned for it this day. RSVP to get the Google Maps link. It's one of those labyrinths that just has small stone "walls". For those who didn't join us last time, we did a v slow woods walk, aka "forest bathing." It was my first time trying such a thing in a group, and tbqh i prefer that experience when alone. I liked the parts best where i stopped trying to have a meaningful interior experience while surrounded by other humans, which always just felt like performing. Instead, a few times, I decided to just chit-chat with those other humans. I think maybe it would have worked better if we'd set it up to do it like that from the start; gone out in pairs. Talk quietly with your pair. Help each other notice things that the other wouldn't have seen alone. (I'd have missed a whole family of deer!) Maybe we'll try something similar for this? Looping past each other over and over, trying to maintain our interiority, seems hard. Or maybe we all just need to practice and figure it out? We can talk about it before we start. Then, nature poems to set the mood. Time. Unraveling. Dress warm! It'll be chilly. That's why we're doing up-on-our-feet kinds of activities instead of sit-meditate-watch-the-sunset kinds during the cold moons. Ashley's keen on sitting around a fire together at the end, but if we have >15 people, we won't fit around a fire very well. Please suggest ways to solve this problem because fire sounds awesome. Jake's notes: This event will be on a Christian church property; we will not be going inside, but if that could be a trigger for you, please consider what is best for your own well-being. Please park in the far back side of the parking lot, away from the entrance, and walk around the right side of the building to the labyrinth. Some people like to bring a small stone, glass bead, shell or other icon to hold a thought/energy you wish to leave behind in the labyrinth; this is fine and expected, so long as it's nothing that can become litter, like plastics. It is also acceptable to pick up things you find in the center and carry them out.