Labyrinths

What are Labyrinths ?

A labyrinth is an archetype (from the Latin: archetype, meaning an original pattern) with which we can have a direct experience. It is an ancient symbol that relates to wholeness, combining the imagery of the circle and the spiral, into a purposeful path

Why walk the Labyrinth ?

Walking the Labyrinth has long been used as a Meditational & Prayer Tool. It is a metaphor of life's journey, a pattern that creates a symbolic space. Concentrating on the path is an 'action-meditation' allowing us to focus on the moment. At the center one reaches a place for reflection. It is also a mandala - a schematized representation of the cosmos characterized by a concentric organization of geometric shapes

Differences between Labyrinths & Mazes

*Labyrinths*

A labyrinth is a Right Brain Task. It involves intuition, creativity, and imagery

Labyrinths are different from mazes. They are unicursal. They have one well-defined path that leads us into the center and back out again. There are no tricks to it, no dead ends or cul-de-sacs, no intersecting paths

With a labyrinth there is only one choice to be made. The choice is to enter or not. A more passive, receptive mindset is needed. The choice is whether or not to walk a spiritual path. At its most basic level, the labyrinth is a metaphor for the journey to the center of your "deepest self" and back out into the world with a broadened understanding of who you are When you walk a labyrinth, you meander back and forth , turning 180 degrees each time you enter a different circuit. As you shift your direction you also shift your awareness from right brain to left brain.This is one of the reasons the labyrinth can induce Altered States of Consciousness. It has long been used as a Meditational and Prayer Tool. Ecah time you walk t he labyrinth may be for a different reason. You may be seeking -

connection to your higher self
balance
centering
opening awareness
balancing your chakras
experiencing the energies

Once you reach the center of the labyrinth you can:

relax
meditate
seek answers to questions

*Mazes*

It is a Left Brain task that requires Logical, Sequential, Analytical activity to find the correct path into the maze and out

Mazes, on the other hand, are multicursal. They offer a choice of paths, some with many entrances and exits. Dead ends and cul-de-sacs present riddles to be solved. Mazes challenge the choice-making part of ourselves. With a maze many choices must be made and an active mind is needed to solve the problem of finding the center. Labyrinths and mazes have often been confused. A maze is like a puzzle to be solved. It has twists, turns, and blind alleys

Common features in most mazes are trick corners and blind alleys. Maze building is an old European occupation. The English branched out from constructing hedge mazes and also built some of turf. Puzzle fans are familiar with two-dimensional paper mazes. In all mazes - the object is to find your way through the elaborately twisted paths to reach a specific goal

Create your own Labyrinth

Labyrinths come in all shapes and size. You can make one almost anywhere you like

Where to make it and What to use ?

1. In Your garden, On Lawns, In nature, In Fields

Temporary : sticks, sawdust, flour or water-based paint
seasonal: tennis-court paint, lawn fertilizer
Permanent : stones, earth, bricks, paving, dug-out path and bark chippings

 

 

You can also use a sticks-and-string approach to creating temporary labyrinths in fields, since it is a quick method that copes well with rough, long grass and leaves no trace afterwards, apart from a mysteriously trampled path!

 

2. Beaches

Temporary : stones, driftwood, sea shells, seaweed or sand

3. Tarmac or concrete

Temporary: chalk or water-based paint
Permanent: spray paint, outdoor paint

4. Indoors

Temporary: masking tape, rope, cloth
Permanent: paint onto a roll of carpet or canvas

 

 

 

 

Cretan Labyrinth

 

(Classical - 7 Ring)