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The first labyrinth that I remember seeing in this lifetime was called Melchizedek’s labyrinth. This was a seven-circuit classical labyrinth depicted on one of Angela McGerr’s Angel Cards. Melchizedek is the ruler of Sacred Seven.
Angela McGerr, in her Angel Almanac, believes that the Holy Grail is “the chalice of the heart, as held by Melchizedek, and containing a special key.” The key, according to McGerr, is the centre of Melchizedek’s seven-circuit labyrinth. This is where we can “find and open our higher heart, our spiritual Divine Self.” She goes on to say that “when we open the flower that is within the higher heart we can return to Oneness with all” (McGerr 2008).
The name “Melchizedek” has always held a fascination for me. I remember as a child going to Catholic mass and waiting to hear the name “Melchizedek” being mentioned. It was the highlight of the mass for me. There was something about the name that had an effect on me, resonated on a deep level, even though at the time I didn’t know or understand anything about the person or energy of Melchizedek.
Figure 12: Melchizedek labyrinth healing symbol
Melchizedek
It is central to this part of your labyrinth journey to have some knowledge about Melchizedek, as it helps to understand the transformative energies that you access through Melchizedek’s labyrinth. When you integrate your knowledge of Melchizedek and your experience of the labyrinth you create a fusion of mind and heart that raises you to a higher level of awareness and understanding.
We first hear of Melchizedek in the Old Testament, where he is mentioned a few times—Genesis 14 and Psalm 110—and in the New Testament in Hebrews. The name Melchizedek comes from the words melek (meaning king) and tsedek (meaning righteousness), coming together to mean king of righteousness. Melchizedek foreshadowed the ministry of Jesus Christ as both a priest and king. Jesus was a priest of God in the “order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5:6,10; 6:20; 7:11,17). The word “order” refers to the manner in which he received his priesthood. In Hebrews, Melchizedek is described as “without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually” (Hebrews 7:3). This means that he received his priestly status directly from God. At the time of Jesus, all priests in Israel belonged to the house of Levi and were known as Levites. As Jesus was from the tribe of Judah, he is said to have also received his priestly status from God and not from human descent.
In esoteric circles, the king aspect of a person is often taken to mean their masculine qualities, while the priestly qualities are their feminine aspect. Therefore, someone who is a king and a priest, or a queen and a priestess, is considered as having their masculine and feminine sides in balance and is considered complete. It can also be interpreted to mean that as a king he had dominion over the physical realm, and as priest he had dominion over the spiritual realm. When the Melchizedek energy and the labyrinth are combined they create an immensely powerful tool for integrating your masculine and feminine as well as your physical and spiritual aspects.
We also read in the book of Genesis that “Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine; and he was the priest of the highest God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy land. And he gave him tithes of all” (Genesis 14:18–20). This bringing forth of bread and wine is a forerunner to the actions of Jesus at the last supper. The act of eating bread and drinking wine in a ceremonially manner was introduced by Melchizedek after Abraham returned from battle. In ancient times victors in war might actually drink the blood of their vanquished and eat their flesh. Melchizedek made this a symbolic act and, in doing so, raised the consciousness of humanity to a higher level, in which they no longer ate the flesh of other humans. Jesus took this a stage further when at the last supper, he symbolically offered himself, in anticipation of the crucifixion, as the salvation for mankind. Man no longer needed to conquer others, or to conquer himself, as Jesus was showing the way and sharing his experience. “Do this in remembrance of me” was an invitation to all of humanity to rise above the physical body and to live consciously as soul and spirit.
When Melchizedek received tithes from Abraham it was also symbolic of the lower nature aspects being drawn up into the higher, and entering a new phase of development. Melach says that Melchizedek is a frequency that we need to “tune in to” if we are to experience the “high” frequency only accessible to those willing to jettison their weighty, illusory baggage.
If you feel an attraction or resonance with the name Melchizedek, you are being drawn to the achievement of what Frater Melach calls “the fully self-realised individual” in you. In his essay on Melchizedek, Frater Melach writes, “Interpreted microcosmically, Melchizedek is the fully awakened nature of man from which the ‘gifts’ of regenerative power (bread), realised oneness, wisdom and spiritual intuitiveness (wine), insight (blessing) and spirit-like ministration born of compassion for all sentient beings (tithes), flow or ‘descend’ into the purified mind and body of advanced man. Together these symbolise both the new powers welling up within the inner self from the essence (Melchizedek) and the fruits of initiation” (Melach, n.d.).
In Melchizedek’s labyrinth, when you walk the three outer circuits you are moving through the physical body’s energy centres, grounding yourself, and letting go of baggage and anything that is no longer in alignment with who you now are. You are preparing yourself, just as in the path of alchemy when you worked on spiritualizing the body for the descent of the Spirit. The Melchizedek labyrinth is both a representation of this progress of your soul becoming united with Spirit and a tool for achieving it. There is a passage in the Nag Hammadi gospels that recognized Melchizedek as a great teacher: “All the tribes of the earth will learn truth from you, Melchizedek, Great High Priest, teacher of Abraham, the prophet, about his promise for a perfect, fulfilled life” (Jacobs 2005). Melchizedek as the Hierophant is the great teacher, and one of his ways of teaching is through Melchizedek’s labyrinth.
Melchizedek’s labyrinth is offering you an opportunity to access greater and higher states of consciousness. Those who have achieved these higher states of consciousness are identified by their great inner light that shines from them. In the Pistis Sophia, an ancient Gnostic text discovered in 1773 and believed to have been written in the third and fourth centuries CE, Melchizedek is referred to by different titles, including “The Receiver of the Light,” “The Great Receiver of the Light,” and “The Light Purifier.” In Pistis Sophia, Book 4, Melchizedek plays a key role in the purification of souls for entry into the “Treasury of Light,” by transporting them from the domain of the Archons, or earthly rulers, into the heavenly kingdom. The more you work with Melchizedek’s labyrinth, the clearer and more purified you become, and the brighter you shine.
Melchizedek’s labyrinth is also a vessel for accessing Christ consciousness, the state of being in which you are in perfect alignment with all of existence. Glenn Sanderfur in his book Edgar Cayce’s Past Lives of Jesus writes that, according to Cayce, the Master soul, or the Christ soul incarnated as Melchizedek “to teach and lead “ (Sanderfur 1988). When working with the Melchizedek energy and labyrinth you awaken the transformative power of the Christ consciousness within you and begin to act in accordance with higher principles living more in awareness of your soul’s purpose.
There is a beautiful carved statue of Melchizedek on the north porch of Chartres Cathedral. This doorway is known as the Porch of the Initiates, and contains many secret teachings. Alongside Melchizedek is Abraham with Isaac, then Moses, Samuel, and David. Melchizedek is shown holding a chalice, in which most observers say is bread, as the ceremony of bread and wine was first performed in the Bible by Melchizedek. The contents of the cup that Melchizedek is holding can be interpreted in another way. Rather than bread, it can be seen as a stone: the stone of consciousness, or the philosopher’s stone of the alchemists. So, Melchizedek is portrayed holding in his left hand the holy grail (the chalice) within which is contained the consciousness of humanity (the stone). This cup is also symbolic of filling one’s physical and energy bodies with the light of expanded consciousness. The censer held in his right hand is a symbol of the heart, with the incense smoke representing the true essence rising to heaven.
Another association between Melchizedek, the cup, and the labyrinth is found in Drunvalo Melchizedek’s book The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life. In it he mentions that Richard Feather Anderson associated the seven circuits of the classical labyrinth with the seven chakras, numbering the outermost circuit number one, the next outermost number two, all the way in to circuit number seven by the centre, depicted in Figure 13. In walking the labyrinth, the walker passes through these circuits in the following numerical order: 3-2-1-4-7-6-5. When these numbered circuits are indicated by short lines equal to the circuit number, and the circuits are placed one on top of the other, an image of a cup or chalice emerges (Figure 14) (Melchizedek 1999).
Figure 13: The chakras in Melchizedek’s labyrinths
This cup is a representation of how the labyrinth aligns your energy centres to create an energetic cup of light that you become when you walk the labyrinth. When you move through the labyrinth, you connect yourself to both earth and heaven and become filled with divine light. You are the Holy Grail: the cup-shaped container within which is held the light of all knowing, all loving, and all presence. This is enlightenment, and one of the main purposes of all of us in this lifetime is to become a vessel for the light, to hold the light, and to shine the light.
Figure 14: Melchizedek labyrinth chalice
Melchizedek Labyrinth Healing
Several years ago, I began doing a Melchizedek labyrinth meditation during my labyrinth workshops and evenings. The result of these meditations on those present was to bring everyone in each group to a higher state of consciousness. Many times groups have entered a state of peace and oneness where no thought existed, and where there was only light and love. All of us present wanted to stay in this state for as long as possible. In this state there was never a desire for anyone to speak. The energy was so high and so beautiful that nothing else was needed, and the feeling and understanding of our interconnectedness was palpable.
I began to experience the Melchizedek energy growing stronger, particularly during my morning meditations. I received insights into a form of healing based on the Melchizedek labyrinth. This healing modality, which I call “Melchizedek Labyrinth Healing,” first rebalances the energy centres and energy bodies of the recipient. It is then followed by the accumulation and directing of the Melchizedek energy into the recipients’ physical, etheric, emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies in this specific order. The combined effect is to ground you, and then raise the vibration of your energy bodies to assist in any healing required and in your soul’s journey.
The Melchizedek Labyrinth Healing rebalances your seven major chakras as well as your seven major energy bodies: etheric, emotional, mental, causal, astral, soul, and spiritual. The rebalancing of your chakras and energy fields occurs as you move through the Melchizedek finger labyrinth, pausing when so instructed so that the rebalancing can take place. I use a divining rod to indicate where and when you need to pause as you move your finger through the finger labyrinth. I tune in to these pauses to indicate to you where the rebalancing is taking place and to give you insights into what aspects of your life and energy field are being rebalanced. These rebalancing stops can take seconds or minutes depending on what is required at the time.
During the sessions when I instruct the person to stop moving their finger on the finger labyrinth, some find that their finger is almost stuck to the labyrinth and they cannot move it. I have asked some people to try move their finger and they can’t. They usually have a deep knowing themselves that they are not meant to move their finger until further rebalancing and healing has taken place. The healing energy of the labyrinth is working in an obvious way rebalancing the persons energy related to that particular point on the labyrinth. Some participants also say that they can feel their finger tingling or a pulsing sensation in their finger. Others can sometimes feel different sensations in their bodies around a particular chakra area directly related to the circuit of the labyrinth that they are on.
For the second part of the healing therapy, you lie on a therapy bed face up, while I accumulate and direct the Melchizedek healing energy into your chakras and energy fields. The healing is mainly hands-off, although I will sometimes gently place my hands on your solar plexus and on your feet during the treatment. Where required, the Melchizedek energy clears any blocks to the flow of the energy. The treatment also includes connecting you with your cosmic power source, and finishes with energetically placing the Melchizedek stone of consciousness in your energy field to provide you with a greater understanding of your life’s purpose.
It is one thing to read about the Melchizedek energy; it is another thing to experience it. The following exercise is designed to bring you into contact with this high vibrational energy and help you advance on your soul’s journey.
Exercise: Melchizedek Labyrinth Meditation
This exercise is a meditation in which you move virtually through your chakras in the order in which you pass through the circuits of the seven-circuit classical labyrinth. In this meditation, you will focus on your chakras one at a time, seeing each one filled with a particular coloured light and with a brilliant white light at the centre. The order in which you move through your chakras is the order you pass through the labyrinth’s circuits: 3-2-1-4-7-6-5.
Before you begin the meditation, read these instructions from start to finish. It will help to memorize this order before you begin, as opening your eyes to read instructions during the meditation can be distracting. You could also record the instructions for the meditation by reading them out loud, and then listen back to them as a guided meditation. If doing this, be sure to read slowly and consciously, and allow times of silence for when you wish to be in silence in your meditation. Also, if recording this meditation for later use, be sure to include this statement: “You should not listen to this meditation while driving.” Please note that this exercise is copyrighted, so the recording that you make is for your personal use only.
To begin, find a comfortable position, preferably sitting upright in a chair with your two feet flat on the floor, or sitting on the floor with your spine in an upright position. Close your eyes. Take three deep breaths and exhale strongly to relieve your body of any stresses and tightness.
Bring your attention to your chakras in the following order, associating the chakras with their colours and qualities. Spend as long as you like in each chakra, but spend at least two minutes focusing on each.
Third chakra, located in your solar plexus area. This chakra is the colour yellow. See a ball of bright yellow light in the centre of your body in the area of your solar plexus. See a spark of brilliant white light at the centre of this ball of yellow light. See this white light expand. This chakra is associated with your power and your will. You are a powerful person with the will to manifest whatever you focus on. Now move your attention down to your second chakra.
Second chakra, located in your lower abdomen area. See a ball of bright orange light in the centre of your body in the area of your lower abdomen. See a spark of brilliant white light at the centre of this ball of orange light. See this white light expand. This chakra is associated with your creativity, your sexuality, and your emotions. You are a creative person; draw on your creativity to create whatever you want in your life. You are also a sexual person; be open and aware of your sexuality while honouring yourself and others. Your emotions are your teachers. Work with them, and learn from them. Now, move your attention down to your first chakra.
First chakra, located at the base of your spine, at the perineum. See a ball of bright red light at the base of your spine. See a spark of brilliant white light at the centre of this ball of red light. See this white light expand. The energy from this chakra spirals downwards into the earth. This chakra is also called your base chakra, or root chakra. It is your connection to the earth. It is associated with safety, security, and your right to be here on earth. You have a right to be here. You came to earth to fulfil your purpose, and you must connect yourself solidly to the earth to do this. Feel yourself connected to the earth through your base chakra. See a root coming from the base of your spine and penetrating deep into the earth until it anchors into the crystal centre of the earth. You are fixed to the earth through this root. See similar roots coming from the soles of your feet and anchoring your feet all the way to the centre of the earth. You are now fixed solidly to the earth. You have brought your energy from your solar plexus down through your second chakra through your root chakra and have anchored yourself into the earth. You have created a base with the lower part of your body that anchors and fixes you to the earth. You are solid and immovable: nothing can unsettle you.
With this feeling of being solidly anchored into the earth, bring your focus to your fourth chakra, the area at the centre of your chest: your heart chakra. See a ball of bright green light in the centre of your chest. See a spark of brilliant white light at the centre of this ball of green light. See this white light expand. This chakra is associated with love: human love and divine love. Love is about giving and receiving. Feel the love in your heart for the earth beneath your feet, and feel the love in your heart for all that is beyond the earth. Allow your heart to expand with love for everything around you, and allow yourself to receive love from everyone who is sending it to you. Feel the love flowing from you and to you. Find what it is that fills your heart with love, what makes your heart sing. If you haven’t yet found it, then keep looking for it, and treat everything you do and see on your search as if it will bring ultimate joy to you. Now bring your attention to the top of your head, to your crown chakra.
Seventh chakra, located in the fontanel the top of your head. This chakra is the colour purple. See a ball of bright purple light in the centre of the top of your head. See a spark of brilliant white light at the centre of this ball of purple light. See this white light expand. This chakra is your connection to all that is beyond the earth: the cosmos, divine energy. Allow yourself to feel this connection. See a stream of brilliant bright white light flowing into the top of your head, slowly filling the top of your head with light. Slowly bring your attention down to the centre of your head directly behind the middle of your forehead.
Sixth chakra, located in the centre of your head behind the centre of your forehead. This is your brow chakra, sometimes called the “third eye.” See a ball of bright indigo light, a deep rich blue colour, in the centre of your head. See a spark of brilliant white light at the centre of this ball of indigo light. See this white light expand. This chakra is associated with your intuition. You are an intuitive person. You know when things feel right for you, and when you need to do something for yourself. Develop this intuition, and learn to trust your intuition. See the brilliant white light flowing in the top of your head, slowly moving down into the centre of your head. This light is now filling your whole head, and the flow of light in the top of your head is swelling into a torrent. It is like a waterfall of light flowing into you. There is so much light in your head that it starts to spread down your neck.
Fifth chakra, located in the throat. See a ball of bright blue light in the centre of your throat, with a spark of brilliant white light at the centre. See this white light expand. This chakra is associated with communication and, in particular, with your speech. It is through this chakra that you speak your truth, so speak your truth with love, honesty, openness, respect, and dignity for others. This is not about saying what you think others need to hear, this is about saying what you have to say because it is right for you to say it at this time. See the brilliant white light flow down into your throat area filling your whole neck and throat with white light.
You have now created a cup of yourself, with the base of your three lower chakras anchoring you firmly to the earth, a bowl created with your three upper chakras, and your heart in the middle. This cup is filled with brilliant white light. As the light flows into you from above, it fills the cup of your head and upper body and overflows so that it moves down to reach your heart. See the light fill your heart. Your heart is the bridge between heaven and earth. You are now also connected to and aware of your divine heart. It is the centre of love, the love that unites heaven and earth in us. Feel the love in your heart, and as the light flows into you from above, and touches your heart, allow the love and light out from your heart.
Send the light and love out in all directions. If you are with others, let the light touch the person nearest you. Feel the love in your heart for the person nearest to you. Now feel the light coming from your heart touch the space around you, the four walls of the room. As the light flows powerfully into you, the light now also flows powerfully out from you. See the light flowing out beyond the building or space where you are. See it spreading over the whole community where you are. Allow the light to continuously flow into you and out through your heart so that it spreads over the whole region and over the whole country.
See the light moving beyond the borders of your country, so that it spreads across the continent and the seas, moving in all directions, so that now the whole world is encircled in light that you are sending out from your heart, the light that is flowing into you. See the world like a small globe in front of you encircled in light flowing from your heart. And, as the light is still pouring into you, it flows out from you beyond the earth out into space. See it flowing out into our solar system, past the moon and the planets, so that it encompasses the sun. See the light moving further out into the galaxy, so that all the stars and constellations are bathed in brilliant white light flowing from your heart. And the light is still now flowing into you and from you. The light from you is flowing out into the farthest reaches of space, into the cosmos.
You become aware of a presence that your light is going towards. It appears first as a dim light in the distance, and as your light expands, it becomes stronger and brighter. Your light is now moving towards a greater white light that is encompassing all of existence. As the light continues to flow from you it now merges with this all-encompassing brilliant white light. You experience a sensation of immense love and joy. The light flowing into you and from you is part of a continuous flow of light that has no beginning and no end. You are in the flow of infinite light and love. This love-light is flowing in a never-ending stream to you and from you, touching all of existence, and looping back on itself and yourself. Stay in this space of the flow of love and light for a few minutes. Allow the light to flow in a never-ending circuit of which you are the centre.
When you have realised that you are both the source and destination of this light, hold this thought and knowing. Then, while retaining the experience of being in this flow of love and light, in your own time slowly begin to bring your attention back from the extremities of space. Bring your attention back through the cosmos … back through the galaxies … back through the stars and constellations … back through the planets, past the moon, so that you can now see the earth bathed in this brilliant white light. Bring your attention back from around the earth, from over the continent, from over your country, from over your region and neighbourhood, so that you are now becoming aware of your presence in the space or room where you are. Feel your feet on the floor; feel yourself sitting on the seat; feel your body; wiggle your toes; flex your fingers; move your body slowly; stretch your arms, your legs, so that you are fully aware and present in your body. Stay in this state of awareness of your body while also remembering your experience.
Reflection
Spend some time in contemplation of the experience of this meditation. Do not rush into thinking or writing: allow yourself time to dwell in the Melchizedek healing energy.
When you are ready, come out of the silence and write about how the experience was for you. How easy was it for you to expand yourself? What thoughts, positive and negative, came to you during this meditation? Write down the most significant experience for you from this exercise.