The Santa Rosa Labyrinth
APRIL 4, 2018
The Santa Rosa design is but one in the lineage of the many labyrinths created over the past three to five thousand years in all parts of the world.
It was the first of a wave of neo-medieval designs, created since the mid-nineties in the United States by diverse labyrinthers for different needs and styles. These contemporary designs meld together the seven circuits of the classical labyrinth and the quarter and half turns of the ancient medieval labyrinths.
Santa Rosa Labyrinth
Santa Rosa Labyrinths have now been built throughout the United States and around the world. From left to right: The Santa Rosa Labyrinth on the Green Roof of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC; The Santa Rosa Labyrinth on a bluff in Australia; The Santa Rosa Labyrinth at Standing Bear Park, Ponca City, Oklahoma, installation by Marty & Debi Kermeen of [Labyrinths In Stone](http://labyrinthsinstone.com/oklahoma/#poncacity); Santa Rosa Labyrinth in South Africa.
Of all the diverse labyrinths there are two designs from antiquity that are the most recognized: 1) the Classical Labyrinth; 2) the Chartres Labyrinth from Chartres, France.
Since the mid-1990’s there has been numerous contemporary designs created that are not found in the historical record. The first to emerge of these new designs was the Santa Rosa Labyrinth, created and copyrighted by Lea Goode-Harris in 1997. This seven-circuit labyrinth has quarter and half turns, as the medieval labyrinths, with the addition of a "heart-space" on the fourth path that is approached from all four directions.
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Labyrinths provide us with a path to practice change. Some labyrinths have withstood the passage of time for thousands of years. Others are here for just an afternoon, drawn in the sand at the edge of the ocean. Many modern labyrinths were meant to last for years, but because of unforeseen circumstances their time is shorter than intended. And they once again help us to practice letting go and giving thanks for the time they are with us. The Labyrinth of Life at the Sebastopol, California Teen Center reached such place of letting go and is at the end of one chapter and the beginning of another chapter that is yet unknown.

Sometimes... a labyrinth can take years to become a physical reality. In 2018 I met with my friend Deb, to discuss her desire to have a labyrinth on the beautiful land she lives on. Despite our plans and several meetings, listening to the land and finding the right spot, the labyrinth did not come to fruition. Fast-forward five years and in the blink of an eye... it happened!










