labyrinth

Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company
The Boston Globe
November 7, 2004, Sunday THIRD EDITION
SECTION: CITY WEEKLY; Pg. 9

LENGTH: 592 words

HEADLINE: TO SEE THEIR WAY CLEAR, THEY ENTER AN URBAN LABYRINTH

BYLINE: By Lesley Bannatyne, Globe correspondent

BODY:
It's a perfect night chilly, clear, with the light of a fat October moon raking across the terraced gardens of the Somerville Community Growing Center. Perfect for this month's full-moon labyrinth walk.

Winter Hill resident Lynn Liccardo, who's led the walks for the past three years, unlocks the gate to the Growing Center and rummages in a shed looking for candles. Tonight there are only six walkers (the warmer weather brings out closer to 30), three newcomers and three veterans. They're all eager to take their turn in the labyrinth, a pattern of flat, grass paths outlined with brick that circle inward, similar to a target. Unlike a maze, where the object is to confuse with false endings, a labyrinth has a single mouth (or entrance) and circuits (or paths) that lead only one way: to the center.

"I had no idea this was here," one of the first-time walkers says.

Not that the labyrinth is hidden, or even tucked away in a quiet corner of the center's gardens. Liccardo laughs: "This isn't exactly a sacred space. It's the front yard of the Somerville Growing Center, and we have children's classes here, and movies and dance and music." The city-owned center is used for performances, art and gardening classes, and special events.

Yet, as the walkers take their places, it does look sacred. Silhouetted against street lamps, they look like Japanese monks tracing, single file, an ancient pattern through the fallen leaves. A hush surrounds the walkers despite the cacophony of the city outside the gates: a car door slams, a commuter train chugs in the distance, electrical wires hum overhead.

That Somerville even has a labyrinth there are only four in Greater Boston is due to the vision of the city's Arts Council and Somerville Pride Working Committee, which contracted artist Marty Cain to build one 10 years ago.

Cain modeled her Somerville labyrinth on those she found in Cornwall, England: "It's a classical, seven-circuit pattern that can be found around the globe, in nearly every culture. . . . It's thought to be at least 5,000 years old," she says.

The purpose of any labyrinth is both simple and profound: Each is built using geometric patterns found in nature, and the act of walking its paths is meant to bring mental or spiritual benefits.

"It's a metaphor for going inward," says Eve Goldfarb in a phone interview. Goldfarb is a regular Growing Center labyrinth-walker and Somerville psychotherapist. "I often use it to consider a question."

For her, walking the labyrinth ties into ongoing meditation work. "Most meditation training in the West includes walking meditation, a way to keep focus while moving through the world. And there's something about doing it in a community, with everyone treading the same path."

For Liccardo, the labyrinth is a vital part of living in Somerville: "It's about community as much as any spiritual transcendence from the labyrinth. For me the labyrinth is what keeps me connected to the Growing Center, which is what keeps me connected to Somerville.

"Some people may be inclined towards certain spiritual traditions or meditative practice, but we don't talk much about it. . . . We're very low key. People ask me, 'What do you do in the labyrinth?' and I say, 'It's simple. We walk in, and we walk out.' "

Growing Center labyrinth walks are held every month, barring bad weather or heavy snow. The next walk is November 26 at 8 p.m. Info: www.thegrowingcenter.org.

NOTES:
CITY WEEKLY / SOMERVILLE