What
is a Labyrinth?
The Labyrinth is an archetype found in many religious traditions in one form or another. A labyrinth is an
ancient symbol of wholeness that combines the imagery of the circle and
the spiral into a meandering but purposeful path. Representing a journey
to our own center and back out into the world, labyrinths have long been
used as meditation and prayer tools.
A labyrinth is an archetype with
which we can have a direct experience. We can walk this metaphor for
life's journey. It is a symbol that creates a sacred space and place and
takes us out of our ego to "That Which Is Within."
A labyrinth is a single path that has several 180 degree turns. This path leads the person walking it into the center and then back out again. A labyrinth is not a maze with dead ends, tricks or false turns. It is not an intellectual problem to solve.
'A
labyrinth is a pattern with a single winding path
that leads from the entrance to the centre. All
labyrinths are unicursal, that is, they have only
one path. Mazes are multicursal and their many paths
present a puzzle which the walker must solve in
order to reach the centre.'
Ancient Wisdom -
Labyrinths
An Introduction to the Medieval Labyrinth
The Classical Graphic Motif of the Labyrinth
At first sight, a labyrinth is a relatively decorative assembly of
lines, a relatively symmetrical and complex geometric design. But the
essence of the labyrinth is in its path, not in its design. A labyrinth
is made to be traveled.
Even a small-scale model can be traveled, either visually or with
the finger or a pointed instrument. Kinesthetic sensations will be
aroused by even the simple visual traveling, and will bring the rythm
of the labyrinth to be felt. Using the finger is still easier.
Ancient Wisdom -
Labyrinths
The Sacred Labyrinth
an ancient meditation tool
"Let the beauty you love be what you do.
There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the earth." -Rumi
Sacred Geometry buffs and friends, welcome! I would like to share with
you the basic history and information on building your own labyrinth.
Labyrinths have been around for over 4000 years and are found in just
about every
major religious tradition in the world. They have been an integral part
of many cultures such as Native American, Greek, Celtic and Mayan. The
Hopi called the labyrinth the symbol for "mother earth" and equated it
with the Kiva. Like Stonehenge and the pyramids, they are magical
geometric forms that define sacred space.
