I’ve resumed my labyrinth practice for the month of October, though certainly not at the level of the 40 day devotional I did this past spring. It started mostly as a way to easy my passage through Mercury retrograde and to support me through the thinning of the veils.

I did a walk today, and I’ll be doing three more – on the 17th, the 24th, and the 31st (all at 2pm, should you want to join me).

Today is the first time anniversary of the death of my father. It’s also Yom Kippur. Mercury goes into retrograde tomorrow. We’re on the first quarter moon. In other words, there’s a lot going on.

In case you aren’t familiar with labyrinths, here’s a little background. A labyrinth is usually just a pattern on the ground and, unlike a maze, only has one pathway that winds through. The path is generally a symbol of life, and the experience of baking in the labyrinth can mirror where you are in yours. The practice of walking a labyrinth is a form of meditation with three phases: release, contemplation, and receiving.

Before entering the labyrinth, I like to prepare. I’m using the one up on top of the hill at the Glendale location of Forest Lawn, so it’s public-ish and in a place where people grieve and release (and sometimes resist the process). Because of that, I always clear the space. I have enough of my own goobers, I don’t need everyone else’s too.  I then called in some deities and angels with whom I work, because it helps hold the space. Finally, I set my intention – today’s walk was for clarity, healing, and peace (internal more than external, but I’ll gladly share it with the world).

As an aside, Los Angeles is in the midst of a huge, windy heatwave. Usually I’ll bring a scarf or a shawl to drape my head and help me maintain my focus right where I am. Today it was a giant floppy hat so I didn’t broil. A few times, the wind made it much more old-style wimple-like, which was a past life flash I hadn’t been conscious of before.

The pathway in is about releasing, and I had a lot to release; I’ve been feeling pretty cloggy this week. So, as I walked, I named everything I was releasing – all my fears, all my attachments, all my illusions, all my resentments and anger, all my resistance… There was a lot. It felt good to drop all that baggage. It always does, but I tend to forget when I’m not doing it.

Because this labyrinth is a replica of the one in Chartres, the contemplation at the center bring the practitioner through 6 different “kingdoms” – mineral, plant, animal, mankind, angelic, and the Unknown. I usually just connect with those archetypes; today I got to have a short chat with my dad, which was nice.

The pathway out is about receiving. I started with my receiving mantra: “I open myself to receive all of the gifts of the Universe, which come to me freely and easily, without struggle.” After a few repetitions, it shortened itself to “I open myself to receive,” which shortened itself to “I open myself,” which shortened itself to “I open,” which eventually became a chant and then a toning of the vowel “I”. I had some insights; mostly, though, I did my best to stay present. I was generally successful.

I’m not walking the labyrinth next week because I’ll be traveling to a wedding. I may do a quick walk in Malibu on Thursday instead, if I have the time.

Are you doing any new or supportive practices for yourself this fall?