After taking off your shoes, you are invited to walk the pathway, enjoying a quiet mood or contemplating the Beatitudes written around the pathway. Pause in the centre and smell the essence of rose - a symbol of divine presence.

Sahar's musical composition Voices in the Wind, from her album Joan of Arc, accompanies this painting. That album is available from the music page.

In the collection of the Anglican Church, Plimmerton Diocese.

The overall form of The Rose Labyrinth is a four-petal or quatrefoil rose. It also contains a cross and a four-pointed star. The rose, as a symbol of the divine feminine, has a centre in the soft hues of the peace rose.

Traditionally, there are several forms of labyrinth and this is closer to the Celtic ones, where, instead of walking back out the way you came in, the pathway flows entirely one way from entry through exit.

This work is inspired by the labyrinths in some of the great cathedrals, which were used as prayer pathways in order that many monks or nuns could move in contemplation in a comparatively small area. In recent years there has been an upsurge of interest in labyrinths and mazes and, around the world, many have been created outdoors in patterns of stone, since space allows a much larger labyrinth - (an excellent outdoor labyrinth is at Fredrick Wallace House in Lower Hutt). Thank you to Rev. Graeme Ogilvy for blessing the Rose Labyrinth at the inaugural opening of the exhibition.

I have written the Beatitudes - (Jesus' teachings on the mount of Beatitudes in Galilee), in very small text around the pathway. My wording, in inclusive language, is as follows:

Blessed are those who have spiritual humility, for heaven is theirs
Blessed are those who grieve for they will be comforted
Blessed are those who are gentle for they will inherit the earth
Blessed are those who hunger & thirst for righteousness for they will be satisfied
Blessed are those who show mercy for mercy will be shown to them
Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see Divinity
Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called people of Spirit
Blessed are those who are persecuted for doing good for heaven is theirs
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil things about you because of your beliefs. Great people who lived before you were also persecuted in those ways. So rejoice and be glad, for you will have great reward in heaven!
Matthew 5