When you drive over the Op de Tradouw pass on the R62 from Montagu and see the beautiful valley lying before you between the mountain ranges you just know this place is special. Even more so if you drive from Ladismith; coming down the long steep hill seeing how farmlands stretch through this small Klein Karoo town of Barrydale. Magical.
And magic begets magic.
The first labyrinth to be built near Barrydale was indeed a magical affair. Homeopath Dr Peter Frazer, who lived on a smallholding in Lemoenshoek outside Barrydale with his wife Nola, had two serious heart attacks in March 1998. Forced to bed rest (unthinkable for this active man) he started to read Walking a Sacred Path by Dr Lauren Artress, a leading force in the modern labyrinth movement. It so inspired him that he started to clear a piece of land on their farm, The Manger, by phoning people from his bed!
It took him just over six months to build his labyrinth, exactly the time it took to heal himself. Nola remembers: “For Peter, laying each brick brought great peace and was very therapeutic.”
The labyrinth at The Manger was one of the first 11-circuit Medieval labyrinths to be built in South Africa. It is the same pattern like the embedded one in Chartres Cathedral in France, which was built in 1201 and can still be walked today! Sadly Peter’s labyrinth does not exist anymore. But, it sure set a trend in Barrydale. Today, there are eight labyrinths in and around town!
What is a labyrinth you might ask. It is one of the oldest contemplative tools known to mankind that is used for personal and spiritual growth. Like Saint Augustine said: “Solvitur ambulando.” It is solved by walking.
A labyrinth is not a maze. One cannot get lost in a labyrinth as the way in is the way out. A labyrinth offers a neutral meeting ground for people of diverse backgrounds and beliefs. It is a spiritual tool that helps one to quieten and clear your mind and listen to the guidance of your soul. It is a sacred space, open to anyone on any religious path, and helps one to deepen your connection with Source.
The next labyrinth, also an 11-circuit Medieval, was built in 2000 for Liz Brom. This was a community effort with Peter Frazer helping with the sacred geometry and design, Hannette Cooke, Hildegarde Crous, Danny Brownlow and brothers Tiekie and Julian Jansen all helping to make it the special sacred space it still is today. It has a beautiful moon gate and is filled with rose quartz crystals which adds a peaceful, healing energy. Today this labyrinth is part of Kamala Karoo Sanctuary.
In 2004 when Shane Petzer and Scott Hart moved to Barrydale they got the pattern of the 7-circuit Celtic labyrinth from their architect and together with Sean Daniel and Richard Panaino they started to build the labyrinth as a way of problem solving. “It was a nice exercise, and the idea that the labyrinth can be used as a tool of negotiation resonated deeply with Shane,” recollects Scott.
In February 2018 Kali Widd manifested her dream to build a labyrinth for Santa Fe Soul Sanctuary to create a powerful, magical energetic field for the progressive, ongoing healing and restoration of the lands and of the people of what she calls the golden triangle of Swellendam, Suurbraak and Barrydale. She calls her labyrinth The Living Labyrinth as it is set in and part of the natural surroundings and forever in flux and change.
That same year over the weekend of 29 July, Graham Abbott and Terry de Vries both built labyrinths on their properties with the help of friends to celebrate their birthdays. Graham chose the classical 7-circuit and built it with natural stone and material found on his property. Terry built a goddess labyrinth and used rose quartz stones.
In 2021 John Walsch had the steeply sloping site across the road from their home levelled to build a 7-circuit Medieval labyrinth. Entering this labyrinth of white stone, peach pips and indigenous plants, one faces east towards the picturesque vistas of the Langeberg mountains and valleys. This natural beauty immediately puts the labyrinth walker in quiet awe and wonder of nature, and the Klein Karoo.
Last year Roxy Mitchell of Alchemy Retreat (on the Sanbona road) had a 5-circuit Medieval labyrinth built on their farm for her birthday. Sadly she passed away since then but the stone labyrinth is still there as a tribute to her and her life.
All these labyrinths will be open to walk during the Barrydale in Bloom weekend. Find them on the Barrydale in Bloom Map.
