The
Labyrinth: Sacred Space Enhancing our Connection to
the Divine
Maria Hayden
Sacred spaces can take many forms and have been a part
of human life for thousands of years, recognising our
deep need to connect and communicate with the Divine
and the spiritual dimensions. Some are naturally occurring
phenomena, often related to natural features in the
landscape, whereas others are carefully constructed
to complex geometric proportions.
The labyrinth is an archetypal form of sacred space
that has been used in many different cultures around
the world for at least the past 2,000-3,000 years, although
its roots seem to date back much further. Primarily
used as ceremonial or ritual walkways, labyrinths were
also depicted in woven patterns and on pottery.
A labyrinth is a unicursal maze with one path leading
from the entrance or mouth, all the way through to the
goal at the centre. Generally, one follows the same
path back out to the mouth again, though occasionally
the path leads all the way though to another exit point.
Its power lies largely in the backwards and forwards
motion that seems to reflect the shape of the human
brain and perhaps encourages us to re-forge connections
between both the right and left sides of our brain.
Unlike a normal maze that is a left-brain puzzle, the
labyrinth is a right-brain tool that works in an intuitive
and creative way. It generally has very low walls, often
no more than a line marked out on the ground, so we
can always see where the goal lies. Even though we know
that we cannot physically get lost within the space,
we loose track of where we are, becoming disorientated
so that our confused brains temporarily get out of the
way, allowing us to find stillness and hence to delve
deeper within as we move beyond the mundane to a more
meditative, intuitive, or creative state of being.
Walking the labyrinth, which can be seen as a metaphor
for our Life’s Journey or our Spiritual Journey,
allows us to enhance our connection with Spirit, with
the Divine. It gives us the space and time to open up
to our intuition, to our awareness, to silence, to creativity,
to transformation, and to healing. It ultimately allows
us to meet with ourselves, presenting each of us with
the opportunity to confront and acknowledge our Self
/ Shadow, the Beast or Minotaur at our centre. Therefore,
the labyrinth is a space that can bring healing on many
levels, a benefit surely not overlooked in the decision
to site labyrinths at a number of large and influential
American teaching hospitals, for the use of patients,
relatives, friends and staff alike.
There
are a number of different types of labyrinth. The
Labyrinth Society, an international focus and resource
for all matters labyrinthine, has evolved a classification
system to simplify the discussion of labyrinths. The
main families are: Classical, Medieval and Other.
Two of the earliest datable examples of the Classical
labyrinth are a clay tablet from Pylos, Greece, dated
to 1200 BCE and a coin found at Knossos, Crete, dated
at 550 BCE. In style, the Classical labyrinth looks
somewhat like a cross-section of the human brain, weaving
back and forth from left to right. The most common form
has seven circuits, though three, eleven or even fifteen
have been used at one time or another. This design is
also one of the easiest to draw, beginning with a very
simple seed pattern. See the animation on the right,
or for more details check out Sig
Lonegren’s labyrinth pages.
Although generally acorn-shaped, the Classical style
labyrinth may also be square in form. The strongly classical
nature of their origin is reflected in the tradition
of calling them names akin to “Troy”, such
as “Troytown” or “Walls of Troy”.
Derivations of this type include the “Hecate”
(or chakra-vyuha) and the “Baltic” forms,
both of which incorporate a spiral to the goal. The
first known representations of the “Hecate”
date from 16th century India, but its existence seems
to have been referenced much earlier in the India epic,
The Maharabatha, where it was considered to be a magical
defensive dance for some of the great armies. The “Baltic”,
as suggested by its name, seemed to evolve in Scandinavia
and Germany, and features an elongated central region,
often Goddess-like in form, and frequently allowing
a tree to be planted in the goal. It is also unusual
in that it has two mouths.
Of the Medieval types, the best known is the Chartres
style labyrinth that takes its name from the great Gothic
Cathedral of Chartres in France, where the master masons
installed a black and white tiled labyrinth during a
re-construction process that ran from 1194 to 1260.
The Gothic period was a time of great flowering of interest
in the labyrinth, at a time when those in Western Europe
were turning their attention to the riches (on many
levels) of the Middle East, and specifically the sacred
lands around Jerusalem, in other words, the Crusades.
Much more complex in design, in their use of sacred
geometry, and in their ritual usage, these labyrinths
were often used as an analogy for pilgrimage, sometimes
being called “Jerusalem”, and serving as
a substitute for the many who could not make the full
journey to the Holy Land. Some of the more devout penitents
are even known to have followed this pilgrim’s
path on their knees.
The Chartres labyrinth has recently been given a new
lease of life, largely due to its re-discovery by the
Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress, formerly Dean of Grace Cathedral
in San Francisco. Lauren, a qualified psychotherapist,
quickly perceived the advantages of the labyrinth and
endeavoured to bring it into use in her ministry at
Grace, eventually establishing two labyrinths, one indoor,
one outdoor and creating the Veriditas
labyrinth programme. In form, the Chartres style labyrinth
normally has eleven circuits, broken down into four
different quadrants, with a flower-shaped goal.
There are a number of other variations on the labyrinth
design, some ancient, others currently being created.
Nazca, a unique site in the Pampas is the extraordinary
legacy of the Nazca people - numerous large-scale line
drawings of animal forms and other designs whose origin
or meaning we can only guess, as well as designs strongly
reminiscent of the Classical style labyrinth. Some of
the most famous of all are a huge long-tailed monkey
and a giant spider. These are remarkable in that one
walks the entire pattern on a single line but also in
that they also depict very distinct species that were
not found in the immediate area.
The patterns are believed to have been ceremonial walkways,
possibly allowing the participants to connect to the
spirit of the power animal or totem represented on the
plain. Amazingly, these designs are that they are so
large in scale that they cannot be seen properly from
the ground; they were only re-discovered in all their
glory with the advent of aerial photography. So, how
did the Nazca people manage to put these sacred spaces
out there?
Labyrinths are experiential sacred spaces so why not
create one for yourself, or visit one of those already
established in your own country. You may find these
by using the Worldwide
Labyrinth Locator. See the Google Earth placemark
link on this page to find labyrinths in the UK and Ireland.
Even if you do not have the physical space for a permanent
labyrinth in your home or garden, you can still derive
benefit from this transformational tool by drawing a
labyrinth on paper and walking it with your finger.
(Try swapping between your left and right hands (at
the end of a walk) and see if this makes a difference
to your experience). Another idea is to make a portable
labyrinth, perhaps on fabric; you can lay it down when
you wish to use it and then put it away again afterwards.
Or the next time you go to the beach, take a copy of
the seed-pattern with you and draw one on the sand or
lay it out in pebbles for you and others to enjoy.
As
with all sacred spaces, labyrinths can be fine-tuned
for different purposes depending on where and how
they are located, and the intention in the heart of
whoever is creating them. If you would like any advice
regarding the installation of a labyrinth or other
sacred space, we would invite you to contact
us through The Geomancy Group.
Labyrinth
Uses
The
labyrinth has myriad uses and each of us will find or
own way of walking it and using it. If fact, those who
chose to walk the labyrinth frequently will probably
find that you use it in a number of different ways.
Here
are some of the common uses that you might like to explore:
-
Walking meditation
-
Dealing with grief, bereavement or loss
-
Healing and balance
-
Calming
-
Purification
-
Releasing what no longer serves in our lives
-
Pilgrimage or quest
-
Confronting and dealing with Self/Shadow
-
Celebration, Commemoration or Giving Thanks
-
Enhancing creativity for writers, painters etc
-
Focussing intent (wish making etc)
-
Communicating more effectively with Spirit
-
Problem solving
-
Enhancing feeling of well-being
-
Trust building
-
Community and group building
-
Ceremony and ritual
-
Marriage and hand fasting ceremonies
-
Naming ceremonies
-
Rights of passage
-
Acknowledging divorce or separation
-
(Labyrinths can also be used to balance landscapes)
Walking the labyrinth can bring up many different emotions.
Some people feel completely elated; others are overcome
with a need to weep. Whatever your response may be,
please do not “judge” whatever the labyrinth
brings up for you; just go with it rather than trying
to fight it. Each of us needs, and finds, our own particular
path to healing.
If you would like to use a labyrinth as a problem-solving
tool, please look at the instructions on Sig
Lonegren’s Labyrinth “Cheat Sheet”,
designed for use with a standard Classical 7 Circuit
Labyrinth (thanks to Sig for permission to use this).
While there is a considerable amount of information
to retain as you walk through the labyrinth, you will
find that it is well worth the effort. You can print
off your own copy at Mid-Atlantic
Geomancy to use on future occasions.
©
Maria Hayden 2008
www.westerngeomancy.org
|
Labyrinth
articles:
Breemie:
A Labyrinth in Waiting
The Stronachie
Labyrinth |
