Cedar Hill Grounds

“We are hungry for symbols and hungry for the direct experience of the divine. Everybody is walking the path of life. What we’re carrying – grief, sadness, joy – somehow gets released in the labyrinth.”
Dr. Lauren Artress
Founder, Veriditas

The Labyrinth

There is no right or wrong way to walk our labyrinth. You need only enter and follow the path before you. Most people find it helpful to focus on an intention as they enter to walk. We encourage you to notice the stones in the labyrinth, their shapes and colors; the trees and grass; the sky. As you exit the labyrinth, turn and face the entrance, offering an acknowledgment of the path. You may choose a prayerful bow or nod, a thank you, Amen, Namaste or an intention of your own. Your acknowledgement, just as your walk, is as individual as you.

Labyrinths have been traced to the cradle of Western civilization in the Mediterranean. The famous seven-circuit cretan labyrinth of which this one at Cedar Hill is a replica, has been found on coins from Knossos, Crete, three centuries before the birth of Christ. The labyrinth is a spiritual tool meant to awaken us to the deep rhythm that unites us to ourselves and to the Light that calls from within. Labyrinths have long been used as meditation and prayer tools. An ancient symbol that relates to wholeness, it combines the imagery of the circle and the spiral into a meandering but purposeful path. We invite you to walk our labyrinth and to join us for special walks that celebrate the solstices and lunar events, such as full moons. The more the labyrinth is walked, the more powerful it becomes as a symbol of transformation. 

Cedar Hill extends a standing invitation to newcomers and longtime participants alike to come walk our labyrinth and to visit our grounds. We ask that you call ahead on 770.887.0051 to let us know you're coming and sign in at the office when you arrive. We look forward to sharing the kinesthetic experience of being in the energy and space of Cedar Hill with you.

Native Plant Walking Tour

“Adapt the pace of nature; her secret is patience.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

We invite you to enjoy this self-guided tour through the beauty and grace of the woodlands which are so much a part of Cedar Hill. As you explore the various trees and plants that are native to this region, our hope is you will understand the importance of protecting and preserving these precious wild plants as they slowly lose their natural habitats. 

It is almost impossible to identify all the plants in the woodlands and more will be added as we continue working with the Georgia Native Plant Society’s rescue efforts. Let the plants reveal themselves to you as you walk the path - whether it is the playful Trout Lily dancing along the paths in the spring, the graceful beauty of the elusive Pink Ladyslipper or the quiet strength of the large trees that have stood tall for many years.

Almost all native plants are important to native animals. Native animals are important to the plants  because  they  aid  in fertilization and distribution of seed, they  divide roots when they dig up bulbs to  eat or churn up muddy soil with their hooves. Generally, the most common plants are the ones used by the greatest number of species, or by species that are present in very large numbers. Because songbirds, hummingbirds  and  butterflies are declining in numbers, it is important to build habitats and gardens to attract them.

Organizations such as the National Wildlife Federation, Georgia Wildlife Federation and the Georgia Native Plant Society are instrumental in continually educating the public, making all of us aware of the delicate balance between humans and nature. So many of our native plants are becoming rare, endangered or threatened, some perilously close to becoming extinct... and once a species is extinct we cannot bring it back.  

Please be aware that the ground is uneven in places on the path and if you choose to explore plants you see off the path, there is poison ivy (“leaves of three, leave them be!”).   

Medicine Wheel

As we walk along the path of life, we begin to recognize certain qualities from the directions that help us refine and clarify our consciousness.

From the North we see the purity of clear mind; the Buffalo maiden and her wisdom, her offerings of good relations comes to all of us.  The North clearly mirrors the wisdom of things as they are.

As we move around the Medicine Wheel, in the East the sun arises, even from the empty space of dark night the sun arises, illuminating the beauty and the opportunity of life.

In the South sprout the seeds of regeneration. In the South we understand what it is to plant seeds of good cause, to make clear and powerful relationships.

And in the West, we learn from the Dancing Bear how we may cast our doubt and fear, that we may truly be a friend for all our relations.

Saint Francis Meditation Garden

This gentle saint of the 12th century demonstrates an all-consuming love of God as revealed in nature. St. Francis appreciated every creature as a gift of the Divine. Nature and experiencing the Creator in nature are important parts of our lives.

Ganesha Meditation Garden

A stone image of the Hindu God Ganesha graces our woodland garden. A gift from Bali, hand carved from limestone, Ganesha brings the essence of Eastern religion into balance from Western beliefs. He appears in the world during times of devastation and destruction. Ganesha offers the gift of New Beginnings. He is known as the “Remover of Obstacles”. This energy of Ganesha is certainly needed in our world today.

Ganesha dwells eternally in the womb of the Divine Mother. He is her firstborn, emerging before any of the functioning forces of the universe emerge.  He establishes law and order of chaos. Although the firstborn, his birthing is never completed, he is ever being born, thus he brings the gifts of New Beginnings. A reverent Hindu goes to Ganesha before beginning anything. They begin each day and each activity with Ganesha. Rays of light emanate from Ganesha enabling us to comprehend our deeply rooted impressions and discover how to obtain freedom from the binding forces of our mind.

Buddha Garden

Buddha was born Gautama Siddhartha around 2500 years ago. He was born into a wealthy warrior caste and raised in the protected environment of a palace. In his teens, he discovered that old age and illness are a natural part of life and realized that his present life of luxury could not protect him from the frailties of the human. One day he came across an ascetic merchant who introduced him to contemplation and fasting. After some time with the community of mendicant ascetics, Buddha discovered that contemplation is produced when the mind, self-possessed, is at rest. And through contemplation that supremely calm, undecaying state is eventually gained which is so difficult to attain.

The Buddha’s superior powers of intellect and yogic control enabled him to overcome the temptations of illusion and evil when tempted by the evil one.

Finally, at age 35, on the night of a full moon, he attained enlightenment. As he was alone with no one to witness this momentous event, he called the earth itself to be his witness by touching the ground with his right hand. At the age of 80, after 45 years of teaching, the Buddha entered into a deep trance and died peacefully.

The Cosmic Walk

The Cosmic Walk is a ritual created by Sister Miriam Therese MacGillis of Genesis Farm in Caldwell, New Jersey. It has subsequently been modified and facilitated by many people around the world. The Cosmic Walk is a way of bringing our knowledge of the 14-billion-year-old Universe from our heads to our hearts. The Cosmic Walk at Cedar Hill winds through the woodlands, with each instance of "emergence" in the cosmic timeline noted on a slate marker at a proportionate distance along the path.  A booklet is available in the office to use in conjunction with the walk.

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