Reflection on the Stone Labyrinth in Stone County, Arkansas Patty Kohler-Evans

I thought of a labyrinth of labyrinths, of one sinuous spreading labyrinth that would encompass the past and the future... I felt myself to be, for an unknown period of time, an abstract perceiver of the world. Jorge Luis Borges

For the world’s ancient archetypal labyrinths, little is known about the builders and their stories. Even the great cathedral labyrinths lack attribution to specific individuals, which in so many ways adds to the magic and mystery surrounding them. As a relative newcomer to the enchantment of the labyrinth, I find myself wondering about those whose minds designed and whose hands constructed the circular paths that provide such indescribable places for wonder.

In my own search, I find myself drawn to the human beings whose visions resulted in contemporary labyrinths, especially when they are inspired by patterns thousands of years old. I wonder who they are and what inspired them. It is as if time and space stand still for just a bit on these liminal thresholds. Perhaps the most compelling story I have encountered is the one I heard from a soft spoken man living a few hours from my home in Central Arkansas.

John Chiaromonte’s name is as unique as he is himself. For most of his life, this intriguing and thoughtful man has been seeking the alternate path, entering doors not generally opened and poking into the spaces others leave alone. He seems to be one who looks for opportunities to cross thresholds into spellbinding liminal places. I recently met John on my third trip to walk the large stone Medieval 11 circuit labyrinth built by him and his wife a decade ago in the middle of a field in the middle of the rural Arkansas countryside, close to the heart of Mountain View, Arkansas. In this unique hamlet, located in Stone County, John makes his home.

Mountain View serves as the county seat for Stone County, Arkansas. This small town is dedicated to its folk and gospel music, local crafts, and a dulcimer shop that has produced tens of thousands of dulcimers since 1962. Founded in 1873, much of the city’s economy is based on tourism, especially related to folk music. Annually, Mountain View hosts the Arkansas Folk Festival, and on most weekends, a variety of musicians and spectators gather around the courthouse steps to pick and sing. Near Mountain View, other points of interest include the White River, noted for its brown and rainbow trout fishing, and Blanchard Springs Caverns, which offers a threelevel cave system, two of which are open for guided tours. The state's largest craft cooperative, the Arkansas Craft Guild, is also headquartered in the historic downtown area and has a gallery there. However, there is no mention of the labyrinth in any of the information I read about Mountain View’s attractions and history although I believe this to be one of the most compelling sites in the entire area.

10 April 2023

It is impossible to separate the beautiful stone labyrinth which spans 100 feet in diameter from John’s personal story. Although I had traveled twice before to walk this labyrinth, I never noticed any signs of life until the third trip. My husband, Randy, and I spent a few days in Mountain View to celebrate Valentine’s Day, 2022. In the nearby forest, we rented an old school bus converted into a cabin, of sorts, aptly named Skoolie. The bus sat at the top of a ridge in the Ozark Mountains with a fire pit and outdoor chairs available for viewing the winter sunset through the landscape of barren leafless branches. Inside was a cozy nest complete with everything needed for a unique getaway in the woods.

Eager to show Randy the labyrinth, we drove to the site where the labyrinth is located. Behind the labyrinth sits a small white building, which appears to be a cabin. As we approached, we noticed someone emerging from this small structure and I moved toward him, wondering if he might be the person whose name was affiliated with the labyrinth. As I got closer, he greeted me warmly and indicated that he was indeed John Chiaromonte, the person who was listed as the contact for the labyrinth on the World Wide Labyrinth Locator website (World-wide labyrinth, 2022). John invited us both to sit for a while and offered to share his story.

Little did I know I was in for one of the most fascinating conversations I would ever be privy to. John began with a bit about his background and childhood, and soon offered his spiritual and more personal journey as a fellow seeker of life’s spiritual realms. What began as a chance encounter moved quickly into a two hour conversation that pulled me into his beautiful story. In the retelling, my wish is to convey some of its magic, knowing that the best I can hope for is a bit of shared wonder. I offer apologies in advance for any failure to compel the reader as I was compelled while listening to John’s unveiling story.

Originally from California, John grew up in a military home with a Southern Baptist mother and a Roman Catholic father. This atypical mix of beliefs formed the foundation for John’s fascinating path. In 1968, he joined the Navy and was stationed in Japan, where he began collecting record albums. As he recalls that part of his life, he really loved the Doors’ first album, simply titled The Doors and released on January 4, 1967. Since its release, the record has been often regarded as one of the greatest debut albums of all time, by both music critics and publishers. For Jim Morrison and the Doors fans, this album features the long version of the breakthrough single "Light My Fire".

While in Japan, John was introduced to Zen meditation. Also known as Zazen, Zen is a meditation technique rooted in Buddhist psychology. The goal of Zen meditation is to regulate attention. It’s sometimes referred to as a practice that involves “thinking about not thinking.” In this ancient set of practices, John found peace in life giving breath. Upon returning to the United States, he embraced the “Jesus Movement'' of the 1970’s and became a very charismatic follower. Sharing his meditation practice with others resulted in being told that this practice was inconsistent with Christianity, so John spent time in a San Franciscan Zen Center where he discovered the work of Thomas Merton, a mystic contemplative and social activist Trappist monk.

Merton is perhaps the most influential American Catholic author of the twentieth century. He wrote hundreds of poems and articles and over sixty books on topics spanning from monastic spirituality to civil rights, nonviolence, and the nuclear arms race. Merton referred to the nonviolent civil rights movement as "certainly the greatest example of Christian faith in action in the social history of the United States." (Thomas Merton Center, n. d.).

Merton endured severe criticism for his social activism, from Catholics and non-Catholics alike, who boldly attacked his political writings as unbecoming of a monk. During his last years, he became deeply interested in Asian religions, particularly Zen Buddhism, and in promoting East-West dialogue.The Dalai Lama praised Merton as having a more profound understanding of Buddhism than any other Christian he had known. In Merton, John found the interweaving of both Zazen and his own more traditional Christian roots.

John’s practices soon included the incorporation of both meditation and the labyrinth. As his life evolved, so did his work with the labyrinth. John left the charismatic movement and became a member of the Anglican Church. According to the website, the Anglican Church is rooted in tradition, yet contemporary in practice. It is united in substance, yet diverse in expression. In John’s words, this was the first time he believed that communion was really communion. John also found expression through visual and performing arts and wove artistry into his work with the labyrinth and ritual.

Receiving a Master’s in Fine Arts from Memphis State University, John developed and presented a series of performances that incorporated ritual, performance, and the labyrinth. He became well known for his 72 hours long shows and was featured in numerous publications regarding his unique work. Corey Dugan wrote about John’s performances in 1991, stating that “Chiaromonte has deeply mined the source of Christianity for symbols and ritual”. John soon realized that the incorporation of ritual, symbolism, and the labyrinth had an amazing healing effect on others. Women profoundly affected by trauma, children wounded by abusive homes, and others who were grieving all informed John that his performances had significant healing effects on them. John began to understand more deeply that the performances and the labyrinth could be healing places for others.

As his evolution continued, John encountered a small group of followers of the Celtic faith and became an ordained deacon and priest in this church. According to the blog site about this tradition and identified on WWLL with John’s contact information, the Reformed Celtic Church flourished in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and other countries in the first eleven centuries of the Christian era. The church holds several commonly held principles which are visibly reflected in the labyrinth that was built by John and his wife in Mountain View. These principles include a belief that God and spiritual awareness are achieved by every person, and that no faith can claim to have a monopoly of the truth. Each person must find his/her own path, and each can benefit from the search of others.

At the entrance to the Mountain View labyrinth, one can find a winged gargoyle, a Celtic cross, a statue of St. Francis as well as the Buddha. Each of these icons represent the varied and collective principles of the Reformed Celtic Church.

John is also a devoted partner to his wife of many years. At some point in his fantastic journey, John’s wife wanted to return to family land in Arkansas, and it is on this land that John and his wife constructed the labyrinth that is at the center of this story. The beautiful and somewhat haunting labyrinth was constructed in Mountain View on the land John and his wife occupy, and on the WWLL site, one can find a link to the Celtic Church and its earlier stated principles. Knowing a bit about the man whose hands constructed the native stone labyrinth and the numerous evolutions of faith and ideals that have served as foundational pillars for his spiritual practices, it is no small coincidence that the labyrinth holds such magic and creates such wonder.

Since the building of the labyrinth, John’s story has continued. Over the last few years, John worked at a nearby College in the Upward Bound program, started the White River Dharma Center, taught martial arts, led tours at nearly Blanchard Caverns, created a series of three dimensional symbolic art pieces, dug deeply into the work of Bede Griffiths, monk, mystic, and yogi, and became a storyteller with Dungeons and Dragons. He communicates with his friends and supporters through the internet, especially important in these pandemic-laden days. After my visit with John, we exchanged contact information, and I asked permission to share his story. He kindly granted it and mailed me a beautiful handwoven St Brigid’s cross that he made. Although I live in a rural state in the rural South, I will finish this by suggesting that any reader looking for a unique labyrinth experience, invest the time to see and walk this beautiful stone labyrinth in Stone County, Arkansas.