the labyrinth at the end of the world, said Princess Haiku

I recently wandered into the Land's End labyrinth that sits below a hillside along the Sutro Park Trail in San Francisco and faces the Golden Gate Bridge. The beauty of this labyrinth and landscape enchants the mind. I had heard about Land's End Labyrinth years ago but had long given up finding it. I was delighted to see vibrant and happy people walking the labyrinth.

I live in the San Francisco East Bay and the walking trails of SF are unknown to me. This particular day had begun with a visit to Sutro Park to see the statue of the Goddess Diana (a replica of the original in the Louvre) that sits in a small grove of trees. I noticed small notes and candles tucked into the base of the Statue. Suffice it to say that a Dianic Cult is alive and flourishing in this park.

Nearby are the ruins of the Sutro Bathhouse and I wandered along a path through it and ended up on a trail alongside the bay providing spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

I lost myself in the fluttering of white sailboats, moving in and out of fog and sunlight.

 the Land's End Labyrinth was created by Eduardo Aguilera and follow this link to the official website of the Labyrinth.


Perched on a small plateau off the main Coastal Trail, the labyrinth in San Francisco's Lands End is an inviting outdoor creation: a simple strolling circuit with unmatched views of the Marin Headlands and the Golden Gate Bridge. Created by Eduardo Aguilera in 2004, the labyrinth feels like it has been part of the landscape for centuries. It's the perfect setting for a solstice stroll. And in the winter, the waves crashing against the cliffs give the place a dramatic mystique. The labyrinth was intended to be a site for meditation and relaxation, but it's also just a lot of fun to walk on a whim. On our last visit—between big rainstorms—there wasn't a soul on the trail. Park at Lands End parking lot behind the Cliff House at Point Lobos Ave and 48th Ave. (map). Walk east on the Coastal Trail and take the offshoot trail to Mile Rock Beach. Descend the stairs. When the staircase turns a sharp left, continue on a trail going straight. The labyrinth comes into view. 

The Goddess Diana is alive, said Princess Haiku

I took a trip across the Bay yesterday to search for a statue of the Goddess Diana, that I heard was located in Sutro Park. This is the first image I captured of the statue after discovering it near the entrance. That very moment sunlight broke through morning fog and she appeared to be reaching for an arrow of light.

This is an excerpt of an interesting article about the Diana Statue and if you follow the link you can read the whole thing and see some other photos. I particularly enjoyed the one of the Morris Dancers, dancing in the park in front of the statue.  It sits on a pedestal over five feet high.


http://www.sfcityguides.org/public_guidelines.html?article=470&submitted=TRUE&srch_text=&submitted2=&topic=Early%20San%20Francisco

Diana the Huntress…Artemis. If you have been on our Lands End: Sutro Highs and Lows tour, you have seen this statue at Sutro Heights, the park located in the northwest corner of San Francisco near Ocean Beach. It was once the home of Adolph Sutro, Comstock Silver Baron, San Francisco mayor, land developer, and builder of Sutro Baths and the second, most grandiose Cliff House. Sutro loved statues, and at one time had 200 surrounding the grounds and niches on the cliffs above Ocean Beach. Only two original statues remain--the Stag and Diana the Huntress. In addition, gracing the entrance gates are copies of the original Lions that were replaced after they deteriorated.

Sutro collected these statues after traveling to Europe. He did not buy and ship home works of art from other countries, like many other wealthy people such as William Randolph Hearst. When he saw something he liked, he would have a statue maker in Antwerp, Belgium make copies. The Lions are copies of those in London’s Trafalgar Square—making the two currently at the gate copies of copies. The original of Diana at the Louvre in Paris is also a copy—the Louvre’s huntress is believed to be a Roman copy of a Greek statue created circa 330 BC.

This is the statue of the Goddess Diana that stands in the Louvre.  As beautiful as it is, it does not have the power of the living statue that belongs to the people as does the Goddess Diana of Sutro Park. The statue standing in her grove of trees is a Goddess site in the USA.