The increasing public thirst for a deeper connection with the soul has found an answer in the renaissance of an ancient image. The mysterious labyrinth is a symbol of wholeness, combining the circle and the spiral into a meandering yet purposeful pathway. It invites you to walk in peace on its beautiful path, offering tranquility to the mind, relaxation to the body, and serenity to the spirit. For millennia, the path of the labyrinth has led the way toward uplifting moments beyond the constraints of time and space.
Not to be confused with mazes -which have multiple paths requiring choices, and often have walls or hedges-labyrinth have only one path. There are no tricks or dead ends in a labyrinth, and because there is no reason to obscure the path, they are usually fairly flat. Therefore, while walking the path of a labyrinth, the mind is not occupied with decision-making or competition, and can relax and unwind.
What's behind the growing attraction of the mysterious labyrinth, and why is it suddenly being revived in popular culture? According to the Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress, author of Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool, "Walking the labyrinth has re-emerged today as a metaphor for the spiritual journey and a powerful tool for transformation. This 'walking' meditation is an archetype, a mystical ritual found in all religious traditions. It quiets the mind and opens the soul, evoking a feeling of wholeness. People have emerged from their walks with a tremendous sense of peace and possibility."
Walking the labyrinth serves as a source of revelation and healing. After receiving the surprising answer to a question that had troubled him since his youth, one man emerged from the labyrinth in tears of forgiveness. ..
Found in cultures all over the world, labyrinth designs fall into several basic patterns. The Cretan or classical labyrinth, one of the earliest forms, is over 4,000 years old, and has been found imprinted on ancient coins and pottery. The "Man in the Maze," a popular Hopi Indian design, is actually a labyrinth. Full-sized labyrinths suitable for walking can be made of turf, stones, sand, or brick, or even shoveled in the snow.
Today, the most famous labyrinth in the world is found in the stone floor of Chartres Cathedral in France. Created in the thirteenth century, it was known as the "Journey to Jerusalem." Believers walked it in lieu of an actual pilgrimage to the Holy Land, which was a dangerous trek during the time of the Crusades. Graced by the circular stained glass window above, the Chartres labyrinth is still walked by spiritual seekers today.
The labyrinth journey engages the body and spirit, connecting earth and heaven, and can be a way to realign with the Divine in a kind of moving meditation. In times of stressful world events or personal crisis, the labyrinth experience allows us to truly appreciate the magnitude of Olive Wendell Holmes' words, "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
The pace of the labyrinth journey can range from an unhurried stroll enveloped in the meditative melodies of a harp, to a joyful dance amidst drumbeats and didgeridoos. Moving through the labyrinth seems to aid in mental integration, as if the traveler had stepped into a macroscosmic map of her own brain. Indeed, the image of the labyrinth bears an uncanny resemblance to the configuration of our own gray matter. From a holographic perspective, the act of crossing the midline of the labyrinth may enhance the activity of the corpus callosum, the bundle of nerves that connects the right and left hemispheres of the brain.
The labyrinth is a strong and enigmatic force. It has been called a resonant phi structure, which is a structure within which cells are able to replicate in wholeness. It has been walked by enthusiasts to augment creative problem solving, to move through writer's block, and to enhance interspecies communication. Students who walk the labyrinth have improved their grades. .. Most participants emerge from the labyrinthine journey with an extraordinary sense of well-being, and they are drawn to walk it again and again. No wonder labyrinths are popping up everywhere. In recent years, they have been featured on the front page of the New York Times, and in the television series Touched By An Angel and Oz. They have been built on the grounds of schools, in medical facilities such as John Hopkins Hospital, and at San Francisco Grace Cathedral. (You can find out if there is one near you using the Labyrinth Locator listed at www.scienceofmind.com).
It is not necessary to have access to a full-size labyrinth in order to receive the benefits of the labyrinth experience. You can even photocopy the labyrinth images in a larger size, and trace the path with your finger or a pointer such as the eraser end of a pencil.
THE PROCESS
Walking a labyrinth is a free-form process, but there are some generally accepted guidelines:
After walking the labyrinth, you may want to reflect on your journey.
The labyrinth offers each of us an opportunity to enhance our communication with the Divine in a multi-sensory experience. Re-emerging from the shadows of the past, it provides an exciting and timely invitation to the divine dance on the sacred path of life."
Excerpts from Meryl Ann Butler's article in Science of Mind, September 2003.
Her website is :
www.creativespirit.net/MabArt
By wearing this symbol, you re-activate the energies which it carries and allows others to remember them. It is not just pretty, it is meaningful!