Mad Moon Arts

Another quick post for our little blog.  We have been so touched and tickled by the small splash our labyrinths have made in the labyrinth world.  In our 1st month of existence, we have sent 52 labyrinths to 20 states and 2 countries.  We have received some lovely e-mail and correspondence from friends old and new, and we know that our website has been visited by people from all across the US and from 18 different countries. (wow!)  : )

We are so blessed by and grateful for this journey, and we thank everyone who has bought a labyrinth, considered buying a labyrinth, or just visited us (and if you sent us a note to say 'hello', double thanks!).

Being busy people (most small business owners are!), we have lots of other non-labyrinth projects going, too, and with two sons in the background, we have a lot to keep us on our toes.  As Matt looks into developing more labyrinth designs and sizes, I will be trying to offer more information on labyrinths and maybe some meditations or practical ideas for using your hand labyrinth(s).

Our mission is to create products that help others explore their own spiritual path(s).  Our first steps have been a continuation of our own spiritual journey, and we are so pleased to be going in this direction.

Thanks so much for your help and support!  What a great start - and it's all because of you.

Remember, this bog will be used to post stories and information about labyrinths.  Please let us know if you have your own story, or one you think we might want to hear about.

Thanks again!

Mad Moon Arts

P.S.  If you're on facebook, please consider becoming a 'fan' of mad moon arts!

Days are hectic here in Madison.  Our children – like most around the country, of course – are preparing for school to start.  We are in flux, with too many things to do, too many interruptions, too many distractions tugging us this way and that…

“So what do you use it for?” asked a friend, who found the maple labyrinth beautiful, but was unclear as to its purpose.  She was also only vaguely familiar with foot labyrinths and had never walked one.

I told her about my own experiences with labyrinths, how much I love them, how deeply I appreciate their simple power, how profoundly I am affected by their physical and their metaphorical paths.

Of course a hand labyrinth is not a foot labyrinth and it provides a very different kind of experience.  There are many ways one can use it in their own spiritual life.  I know I use it different ways on different days, depending on my schedule and what I most need.

Here are a few ideas:

• Use your hand labyrinth to “book-end” other experiences — before and after journaling, meditation, prayer time, etc.  I often find that the simple practice of tracing the path inward at the beginning and outward at the end frames the ritual in a centering, sacred way that always enhances the experience for me.

• “Speed” trace the labyrinth — I find this technique particularly satisfying when I am feeling more frenetic than usual.  I move the stylus as quickly as possible through the path, in and out, in and out, in an almost non-stop motion, for as long as it takes, or until it feels right, to slow down.  For whatever reason, this works for me, when I feel moved to use the labyrinth in this way.  Perhaps it’s a metaphysical way of ‘letting off steam’ or maybe just the mindless repetition of the motion allows my jittery mind to take whatever time it needs to slow down on its own.  All I know is whenever I try this, usually after 3 – 5 trips, my hand moves more slowly and I feel more relaxed.

• Mindfulness/Mantra — Move through the labyrinth as slowly as possible repeating a specific thought, word or prayer as you go.  Out loud is best, but silently if necessary.  As with any mindfulness mediation, if you get distracted from your phrase or word, just allow yourself to move with ease back to the focusing thought. When you get to center, it may be helpful to lay down the stylus, close your eyes and repeat the prayer/phrase a few times before you begin the journey back out of the labyrinth.  When I do this, I like to keep my hands on the wood, as another centering tool.

• “Let Go and Let God” — When I am seeking guidance in a particular matter, I attempt to come to my labyrinth with an open, receptive heart.  Before beginning, I picture in my mind whatever it is for which I am asking help, and as I move through the path, I say to myself a short prayer that enhances my willingness to let go and listen.  “I let go and let God.”  Or, “I am open and receptive to divine guidance and love.”

Ultimately, your relationship to your labyrinth, and the ways you decide to use it to enhance your own spiritual path, be they traditional or trailblazing, must be your own.  A labyrinth is a tool to enhance your spirituality and strengthen your bonds of love, faith and peace to God, Universal Truth, Divine Mind, or however it is you choose to identify Spirit in your own life.

Welcome to Mad Moon Arts, and greetings to you on your own spiritual path…

If you’ve found us, it probably means that you are have discovered labyrinths in some form or other and are interested in expanding your own connection to Spirit through the Labyrinth.  We hope you have a footpath labyrinth close enough at hand that you can walk it on a regular basis. Looking for a labyrinth near you? Click here.

Mad Moon Arts started because we love labyrinths, and had a hard time finding affordable hand/desk-top models. So Matt made it his mission to create them.  As his wife, I am awed and amazed at how quickly and how well he made that happen.  (I am slightly biased, but even so – wow…).

We have found this project so rewarding and enlightening, and have been blessed by the journey in so many ways. We wanted to extend the experience even more by creating another space for Labyrinth fans to connect and explore.

We hope to interview people with ties to the Labyrinth movement, or share stories here of profound Labyrinth experiences.  So please contact us if you have ideas or suggestions for content, and let us know if you want to be a part of this new path on the journey!

Matt & Bobbi
Mad Moon Arts

"Wow guys, where have you been? Where are the blog entries?"

"No worries," as we say in Wisconsin. We're here and still cranking out the handmade labyrinths.

Thank you to all of our customers and fans. It's through your sales that we've been able to work on the next chapter of M.M.A.

So what's new? METAL! Yes, we have been developing metal labyrinth products. Matt has been developing a metal shop and perfecting his welding skills.

Now, we're not talking about the pressed metal items you see from our fellow labyrinth artisans. We're making kinetic sculptures. They're fascinating, but very complex. 

I'll leave the tease there. Stay tuned!