For those of us within reach of Edinburgh’s city centre, the grounds at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral have truly brightened up the rather dull summer we have had this year. The wildflower labyrinth has been brimming with beautiful flowers, bees and butterflies. A place of peace and reflection, it encourages us to slow down, ‘letting go of the stresses and strains of life’.
After finding stillness at the centre of the labyrinth, we are encouraged to follow the path back again, contemplating the following: ‘How do I sense God or my conscience calling me? It is a time of walking into the world feeling renewed and refreshed for the onward journey’. As we face the complex challenges of the world around us, taking time for reflection and renewal is so important.
Members of St Mary’s congregation, and the Ring Out youth project, have now planted an orchard of native Scottish apple trees in addition to the labyrinth. And there are plans for developing a community garden in conjunction with the A+E (art and ecology) project. The plans will also collaborate with additional tenants of the Cathedral buildings (including Early Days Nurseries and Edinburgh Cyrenians), targeted community groups supporting Edinburgh-based asylum seekers and refugees, and local residents. More information on previous and upcoming plans in the cathedral garden can be found here.
A recent article from Creative Carbon Scotland has been published as part of their series developed for the Scottish Government’s Climate Week 2024. This article tells the story of the A+E project, which is curated by artist Jonathan Baxter at St Mary’s Cathedral. In the article Jonathan describes how he became the embedded artist at St Mary’s Cathedral, and Rev’d John Conway (Provost of St Mary’s) outlines the importance of artists in climate change projects, and why this is significant within the setting of a Cathedral. The article can be read here.
Bethany Nelson, Empowerment Coordinator
