A Labyrinth is an ancient pattern that can be found in many cultures around the world, dating as far back as 5 thousand years. Labyrinths represent an archetype of wholeness along with circles, spirals and mandalas. Labyrinths have been discovered in Australia, Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. The Celtic people called it the Never-ending circle, and the Hopi refer to it as the Man-in-the-maze. The Labyrinth, as a symbol of the Divine Feminine, represents the Womb of the Goddess and the cycles of death and rebirth.
A Labyrinth is not a maze. Mazes are constructed to confuse the walker, with many different paths and dead ends. The walker must engage in left-brain thinking in order to reach a solution. A Labyrinth, on the other hand, is unicursal, that is, there is only one path in to the center, and the same path leading back out. There is no puzzle to solve, so the thinking mind can disengage, allowing space for the intuitive mind and creativity. One could say, people enter mazes in order to lose themselves, but they enter Labyrinths in order to find themselves.
The Labyrinth can be viewed as a metaphor for life. How we walk is often comparable to how we act in the world. Some people may become confused, doubting they are on the right path, others may retrace their steps or hesitate, afraid to make a wrong move. Still others may walk in to the center and immediately exit, leaving their work unfinished. The Labyrinth meets each person where they are at, and so, no two experiences are the same. The Labyrinth calls you to experience directly what is happening in your life. The paths, the turns, the center all have something to teach you.
From the entrance, we can see the center, our goal, but it is not a direct path. There are a lot of twists and turns along the way. We may come near the center, only to find ourselves moving away from our goal. This is true in life, just when we think we have reached the end, it can feel like everything is falling apart. At these times, it is important to remember that if we hold on a little longer, if we continue to take it one step at a time, we will eventually reach our destination.
There are two basic styles of Labyrinth, the Classical and the Chartres Labyrinth.
The Labyrinth at Knossos features prominently in the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. In the myth, Ariadne gives a ball of thread to Theseus, so that he can find his way back after slaying the monster.
The Chartres Labyrinth is divided into four quadrants, symbolic of the four directions and the four elements (with spirit at the center). The quadrants may also represent the four seasons, and it has been proposed that the Labyrinth may have been used as a Solar calendar. The meandering path makes 28 180 degree turns, which suggests a possible connection to the Lunar calendar as well. The builders of the Labyrinth incorporated Sacred Geometry into the design.
How to use a Labyrinth
The act of using a Labyrinth, whether you use your feet, a stylus, or finger, is referred to as walking. There are a variety of sizes, from the small, hand-held Labyrinths and lap Labyrinths to Labyrinths which are large enough to allow for many people to walk at the same time. Although there is no right way to walk a Labyrinth, there are some guidelines that can be followed which may enhance the experience and bring greater depth and meaning to the walk. One important thing to remember, according to Rev. Lauren Artress is to “experience your experience”.
Walking the Labyrinth is a practice, not a discipline, that is, it is flexible. The walker is guided by what she needs from the walk, whether she is aware of that need or not. When she enters the Labyrinth with an open heart, free of expectations, she may come to a place of deep learning or profound healing.
At the entrance, the walker may wish to set an intention, this may be for healing, a question, a celebration, a prayer, or she may have no intention at all. The path leads her to the center, where she may wish to spend as much time as she needs. The spiraling path creates a vortex of energy at the center and though it is a place of stillness, it is also a place of tremendous potential, with the walker as the spark to set things in motion. When she feels ready, the walker will take the same meandering path back out.
In order to create a meaningful walk, Artress recommends following the 3 R’s: Release, Receive, Return.
Release is the act of letting go and quieting the mind. As the walker spirals into the center, she can let go of blocks, expectations, excess energy. It is an opportunity to acknowledge and release in love, as each step takes the walker further and deeper into herself.
The center is the place to Receive. As the walker comes to a place of stillness, she is fully present in the moment. She is open and receptive, and may receive messages or images, insights or solutions to problems, or she may simply feel a sense of serenity and clarity.
The Return part of the journey provides the walker time to integrate her experiences and to ground prior to re-engaging with the mundane world.
#1 Download and print out the two Labyrinth images provided and practice with both styles. Note the differences between the Classical and Chartres styles. Try using your non-dominant hand and notice if there are any differences. Describe any insights, questions, or experiences that arose.
#2 Create a Timeline of your life. You will need this for the assignment in Lesson 2. Creating a Timeline allows a person to step back and look at her life from a broader, more objective perspective.
Tape several pieces of blank paper end to end, start with zero (birth) and extending 10 years past your current age. Mark the decades, as well as broader eras of your life (school, college, marriage, spiritually searching, walking the path etc…). Note important life events, major turning points, significant people, crises or other meaningful events.
The Timeline is for your personal use only, however, you are free to send in your insights on the assignment.
All other images are copyrighted and are the intellectual property of the author.
References:
Fortress, Lauren Walking a Sacred Path
Artress, Lauren The Sacred Path Companion
