13
The Interconnectedness
of All of Existence
You are related to and connected with much more than you might first realise. You have already seen and experienced how the labyrinth is a symbol of you and that it contains your different aspects and elements. The labyrinth also embodies much of the world around you. The cross in the seed pattern represents the four directions: north, east, south, and west. It also illustrates time in the placing of the solstices on the vertical axis and the equinoxes on the horizontal axis; the Celtic cross quarter days are found at the dots in the seed pattern. When combined with its associations with the four elements, your chakras, and the planets, the labyrinth is a multi-dimensional instrument that has a matrix of layers and levels for you to access and interact with. We will now move on to explore the labyrinth’s appearance in crop circles, plans of cities, and epic tales that serve to further illustrate the connections between your outer and inner worlds; as without, so within.
Gaining a deep understanding of the labyrinth as a symbol of the interconnectedness of all of existence is a path through many stages from initial awakening to enlightenment. The stages of this journey are represented by the path through the circuits of the labyrinth as the initiate makes the journey to become a master. We are all masters; some of us just don’t realise it yet! Part of stepping into your masterhood is recognising and acknowledging that you are part of the wisdom, part of the knowing of the interconnectedness of all of existence.
Through the labyrinth you can see how things are connected by numbers, by form, by vibration, and by similarities in spiritual paths. As your knowledge and awareness expands you begin to realise that there are more similarities than differences in the physical and energetic world around you. The labyrinth is a central part of the network of connections. It not only reflects and illustrates many of the associations and links that you have explored up to now, it also plays an active part in unifying the different aspects into a coherent whole. As Richard Feather Anderson says about the labyrinth: “All of the patterns and all of the processes of all of the forces, archetypes and symbols of our universe are packed into that thing” (Montana, n.d.).
Oneness with Your Environment
In walking the labyrinth you are connecting on many levels. On a basic level, your feet are connected to the earth. Your mind is connected to the thoughts that you are receiving. Your energy field is connected to the energy field of the labyrinth. As you progress through the labyrinth of your life’s journey you develop a growing state of oneness with yourself, and your awareness of the world around you increases. Your understanding of your environment expands out to encompass a sense of caring for the places you work, rest, and play. You most likely begin to notice that you are altering your behaviour slightly so that you are more in communion with the earth. You become more conscious of littering, pollution, organic farming, and activities that honour or take from the earth.
You may also find your attitude and approach to the creatures on the earth is changing. There was a time when it didn’t bother me if I accidentally or deliberately killed small creatures such as flies, wasps, and others. Now, I find myself stepping over crawling ants so as not to harm them. Sometimes, I go to great efforts to set free insects trapped inside the windows of my house. You too may find yourself moving into a space where you respect all forms of life and can no longer consciously harm the creatures of the earth. You are becoming at one with nature and your environment.
The world around you is also sending you messages that you begin to receive and understand. The behaviour of animals, the shapes created by the earth, and images that appear in plants and in the clouds take on new meaning. There is a wealth of information being presented to you if you are aware enough to recognize it. One mysterious method that the consciousness of the earth uses to communicate with humanity is through crop circles.
Crop Circles
There are as many explanations for crop circles as there are unanswered questions. The mystery surrounding crop circles, and the manner in which they appear in complex formations in a relatively short periods of time, lead many to consider that there is a super-intelligent nonhuman energy involved in their creation. The increasingly intricate and detailed patterns, that are sometimes identified as having multifaceted associations, link crop circles with many other geometric, cosmic, and spiritual phenomena.
Crop circles are found worldwide, although Wiltshire in England is recognized as the centre of crop circle activity. While undoubtedly some crop circles are man-made, there are others whose creation can be attributed to nonhuman forces. These are characterized by the stalks of the grain not being broken when they are flattened to form the pattern, and continuing to grow after being flattened. Also, the nodes of the stalks in “energetic” crop circles become enlarged.
Several labyrinthine patterns have appeared in crop circles. Intricate walkable paths such as the double spiral type designs found at Portsdown Hill, Hampshire, on June 10, 2004, and Windmill Hill on July 13, 2011, indicate that a crop circle of one of the ancient labyrinth types may emerge at some stage. The crop circle that appeared at Redlynch, Somerset, on June 22, 2015, is a circular labyrinth of Ottfrid design. At first it appears that it is a complete labyrinth, although on closer examination, the second circuit from the outside is not accessible. It is possible however to pass through the other six circuits on your way from the outside to the centre.
If you apply the seven-chakra association to this crop circle labyrinth, then the second chakra is blocked. This could be a message about the current state of humanity’s creativity and sexuality. We, as a human race, need to be more creative in how we address some of the issues facing us and the earth. We need to unblock our creativity. It could also be an indication that the suppression of our sexuality is still happening, and we need to embrace fully all aspects of our humanity and spirituality.
One other crop circle with labyrinth connections worth examining is a crop circle that was formed near Lewisham Castle near Aldbourne, in Wiltshire, on August 6, 2004. This circle is sometimes referred to as a “squares” pattern, although Andy Thomas of Swirled News writes that Geoff Stray is “pretty sure that the Lewisham Castle formation is a rendition of the magic square of the moon” (Thomas 2004).
Magical squares consist of numbers arranged in a square where the lines of numbers all add up to the same total: up, down, and diagonally. Known in many ancient cultures, magical squares were a way of expressing the order of the heavens in numerical values. Each magic square represents a planet or heavenly body, and the magic square’s size relates to the planet’s speed as it appears to move in the sky, from the slowest (Saturn) to the fastest (the moon). So, the magical square of Saturn is a 3x3 grid, and the magical square of the moon is a 9x9 grid of numbers.
The magic square of the moon has a total of 81 squares each containing a different number from 1 to 81. The numbers are arranged in the grid so that each horizontal, vertical, and diagonal line adds up to 369 (Figure 15).
Eighty-one is a significant number where the moon and the earth are concerned. The moon is moving through space at 81 times the speed of the earth; the moon at 2,268 miles per hour, the earth at 28 miles per hour. Also, the mass of the earth is 81 times that of the moon.
When you shade in all the uneven numbers in the 9x9 grid in Figure 15, you see a pattern identical to the seed pattern for drawing the classical labyrinth. The magical square of the moon holds the key to drawing the classical labyrinth, and is one of the reasons why the classical labyrinth is sometimes called Luna’s labyrinth; Luna is the Roman goddess of the moon.
Figure 15: Magical square of the moon
The crop circle at Lewisham Castle clearly shows a seed pattern for the classical labyrinth with an equal-armed cross, L-shaped brackets in each quadrant, and four dots. However, the cross of the seed pattern in this crop circle is drawn diagonally, as opposed to the usual way of vertical and horizontal lines. If a labyrinth were to be drawn from this seed pattern it would appear at an angle of 45 degrees. Also of interest is that there are thirteen different square patterns in the formation. Thirteen is a lunar number as the moon travels around the earth thirteen times in a solar year. There appears to be three squares missing from each corner of this crop circle, although these could also be three “flattened” squares. It is not clear what significance might be attributed to them. Yet, as there is almost always an importance and meaning to every aspect of a crop circle, I eagerly await a full interpretation of this formation.
Labyrinth Cities
In exploring the interconnectedness of all of existence through the labyrinth, the associations that the labyrinth has with certain cities often reveals hidden connections and messages for us. Over the years, the labyrinth has been associated with, and even used to depict, cities such as Troy, Jerusalem, Jericho, Constantinople, Scimangada in Nepal, and others. There are several explanations as to why these cities have been represented by a labyrinth symbol, and there are a number of levels on which you can view these labyrinth cities and the insights that they can provide into your life.
Most commonly, the labyrinth was used to represent the defences of the cities such as Troy, Jerusalem, Jericho, and the fortress of Lanka in the ancient Indian epic poem, the Ramayana. The city is representing something valuable, something worth protecting, something worth an effort to seek out. Jeff Saward writes that “The labyrinth has often been employed as a symbol for the omphalos, the sacred centre or city” (Saward 2009). John James, in writing about the alchemical text Ars Chemica says, “God lies within the bosom of the city” (James 1977). Seeing the labyrinth as representing the city, the centre serves as a sacred place wherein God dwells. When you see the labyrinth as both a symbol of the city and of you, then Spirit resides within you, and you have to travel the circuitous path of the labyrinth of life to access it.
Troy
Labyrinths are sometimes known by names connected with Troy. The association between Troy and the labyrinth dates back as far as 600 BC when the Etruscan inscription “Truia” (Troy) was written within the paths of the labyrinth on a ceramic wine jar found at Tragliatella, Italy. The names “Troytown,” “Trojeborg” in Swedish, and “Caerdroia” in Welsh are often used to describe labyrinths. Other Troy-related names that labyrinths have been called are “City of Troy” and “Walls of Troy.”
Legend has it that the walls of Troy were impregnable, and so the labyrinth symbol may have been used to illustrate the complex and confusing construction of the walls and the difficulty in impregnating these walls. When you consider the most famous tales about Troy concerning Helen of Troy, both Helen and the labyrinth take on significant symbolism in the context of your own personal journey. Helen, who was stunningly beautiful, is symbolic of the beauty that is within you. The task of seeing this beauty in yourself is akin to breaching the labyrinth of Troy’s impregnable walls. And that is what you do on your journey to wholeness when you seek, unveil, and accept the beauty that lies within.
Scimangada
The ancient city of Scimangada, in the Himalayan foothills in Nepal, had defensive walls that have been represented by a classical labyrinth. The walls enclosing the city were entered at one place. The way to the city passed four fortresses, placed at the ends of the two lines making up the classical labyrinth.
Despite the strength of these defensive walls, they were breached by treachery. The story relates how an aggrieved minister plotted to overthrow the king of Scimangada. He pointed out the weakest spot in the defensive walls to the army of the rival Muslim emperor. This spot was where the two lines making up the labyrinth cross each other. This is the spirit point in the seed pattern. If you cross the lines at this point you will be almost at the centre, illustrating to you that this story carries a message: directly seeking Spirit in your life can significantly shorten your quest for enlightenment.
Jerusalem
The associations of the labyrinth with Jerusalem appear to have originated in medieval times. Some cathedral labyrinths in northern France are called “Chemin de Jérusalem,” or “Road to Jerusalem.” The name most likely came from the practice of substituting a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with a pilgrimage to a cathedral city such as Chartres or Amiens, due to the dangerous nature of such a pilgrimage to the Holy Land at the time. Jerusalem is also renowned for its defensive walls, and the labyrinth formation may here also have been another representation of the city and its defences.
There is a belief that Jerusalem is the place on earth where God will reveal himself. When you see Jerusalem represented by the labyrinth, and the labyrinth as a symbol of you, then God will reveal himself in you. Jerusalem is used symbolically in Revelations 21:2 to describe man’s redeemed state: “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” By having breached or destroyed the walls of the physical illusion represented by the walls of Jerusalem, you reach the true centre, the centre of knowing, the centre of understanding of all of existence, the centre of you.
Jericho
Jericho’s association with the labyrinth stems from the story of Joshua and the Israelites’ arrival at Jericho and the subsequent conquering of the city. As in many biblical stories, there can be several interpretations and layers of meaning. The story of Joshua and Jericho relates that after Moses died, Joshua was entrusted to lead the children of Israel into the Land of Canaan: the Promised Land. The city of Jericho was the first city they met, and a major obstacle in their way. The walls of Jericho were so high and broad that they were considered impregnable. The Israelites gave siege to Jericho.
In Joshua, chapter 6, we read that the Lord instructed Joshua as follows: “See, I have given you control of Jericho, including its king and soldiers. Have all the men of the camp walk around the city. Circle the city one time. Do this for six days. Seven priests will carry seven ram’s horn trumpets before the ark. On the seventh day, you will circle the city seven times, and the priests will blow the trumpets. When the ram’s horn sounds, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, let the people shout loudly. Then the wall of the city will fall down, and each person can go straight in” (Joshua 6:1–5).
It is significant that the number seven is found so prominently in this account. The Bible often uses the symbolism of the number seven to describe the human body and brain/mind. Interpreting this story on a spiritual level, the city of Jericho represents the mind, and the wall circling the city represents the division between your physical and spiritual self, a division that you are working to eliminate so as to integrate your physical and spiritual bodies.
The number seven also symbolises the seven main energy centres, or chakras, located along your spine. To progress on your spiritual path, your energy centres must be aligned and imbued with consciousness so that you recognize yourself beyond your physical presence or illusion. Seven was also important as it symbolised completion, in this case the completion of spiritual enlightenment. In raising consciousness through the seven gates (chakras) you experience true Christ consciousness, removing the veil of separation between the physical and spiritual aspects of your being. The walk around the city walls on the first six days represents moving through your lower six chakras. Walking helps integrate the physical and spiritual bodies, and walking the labyrinth expands your consciousness. By repeatedly walking in silence as in the labyrinth, your attention turns within. The power of meditative walking is in turning the focus inwards where you are preparing yourself for an experience of the Divine.
The Holy Land of Israel, or Canaan, can represent for you a spiritual life to be attained. As Jericho was the first city that the Israelites met after crossing the Jordan, Jericho can be seen as a symbolic barrier to your spiritual development and growth, an obstacle on the road to enlightenment. The warning to the Israelites not to rebuild Jericho is relevant advice for you also, as this would only lead to a return to the old ways and re-erect obstacles to your attainment of greater self-knowledge and understandings. A further spiritual lesson to be taken from the Jericho story is that by trusting in a power greater than yourself, impregnable walls can crumble and the “promised land” can be reached.
The culmination of the fall of Jericho involves a sound (trumpets and shouting) that ultimately brings down the walls, which only worked once the seven priests had walked around the city seven times. This is the climax of the story. You have moved your consciousness through your seven energy centres, and as the veils of separation are removed your physical and spiritual bodies are integrated. With one great sonic effort from every cell in your body, your mind is conquered/awakened, and you achieve enlightenment. When you walk the path of the classical labyrinth, the last circuit that you walk before entering the centre is the fifth, associated with your throat chakra. It is only when you have purified all your other centres that you can speak your truth and your words carry real power.
On a practical level, this story gives added meaning to doing something seven times, or seven times on the seventh day! Sometimes, things can take more than one attempt to succeed. It certainly illustrates that the number seven carries a certain power and energy. A further connection between the seven-circuit, or Luna’s, labyrinth is that the name “Jericho” means “Moon City.”
There are similarities between the stories of the fall of Troy, Jericho, Scimangada, and Jerusalem. While we can view these stories as purely factual, many myths and stories carry hidden meaning not immediately visible. As detailed above, these cities are representations of the true self. The defeat of the city and the breaching of the walls is not necessarily to be seen as a negative occurrence. But, it is as a breaking down of the protective barriers that you have erected around yourself in the past. The accounts of trickery or treachery to breach the walls is a metaphor for the way to access the true you at the centre of your being. To overcome the dominant mind, you sometimes need to “trick” it by some unexpected action or approach.
Other cities associated with the labyrinth, such as Constantinople, Nineveh, and Babylon, have given their names to labyrinths in different locations. Such associations are generally related to the walled nature of these cities, especially those that at one time or another were held to be holy cities at the centre of the world. The analogy with your own divine centre is recognisable to those who can see.
Ancient Indian Epics: Mahabharata and Ramayana
The labyrinth features in the ancient Indian epic the Mahabharata that originated over five thousand years ago. The Mahabharata is an account of the Kurukshetra war and the fates of the Kaurava and Pandava princes. The Kaurava princes had Drona the magician devise a troop formation to help ensure victory. This formation was known as chakra vyuha, a labyrinth with a spiral at the centre drawn from a “Y” seed pattern. Chakra means “wheel” in Sanskrit, and Vyuha is a battle formation. Abhimanyu, son of the Pandava prince Arjuna, knew the plan of the chakra vyuha and fought his way to the centre. However, he had not learned the way out of the formation and was killed by arrows fired from all sides.
It is said that Abhimanyu learned about the chakra vyuha when he was in his mother’s womb, but he did not learn how to escape from the formation. In the womb, the soul remains in contact with the spirit world and has ongoing direct access to knowledge and guides as support. While most incarnations result in loss of memory when passing through the veil of forgetfulness, this was not the case with Abhimanyu. Having made his way to the centre of the chakra vyuha labyrinth, he had become at one with himself, and did not need to return. The account of being killed by arrows from all sides is a symbolic representation of letting go of everything related to the physical existence, and moving fully into an understanding of yourself as a spiritual being.
In the Indian epic the Ramayana, Sita, the wife of Rama was abducted by Ramana, the demon, and imprisoned in the castle at Lanka. Rama attacked the castle with his army of apes (and in some versions, is accompanied by the god Hanuman), then killed Ramana and saved his wife. After successfully storming the castle, Rama circles the ramparts seven times in Ramana’s stolen chariot.
This account of a female character at the centre of a city represented by a labyrinth is similar to accounts found in other cultures. The woman at the centre of these city stories is representative of the feminine aspects of yourself. The walls and defensive systems show how difficult it can be to access the feminine and unite it with the masculine. The practice of circling seven times are symbolic of aligning and balancing your seven main energy centres. To fully integrate your masculine and feminine aspects you must also be master of your seven chakras. The seven-circuit classical labyrinth is a symbolic representation of both the stories and the practice of becoming at one with yourself.
Exercise: Demolish Your Walls Walk
This labyrinth exercise is based on the labyrinth as a series of walls that represent barriers to realization of the true you. Similar to going seven times around the walls of Jericho, each circuit of the classical labyrinth, or part of a circuit on the Chartres labyrinth, represents one of your defensive walls that you are symbolically demolishing as you walk the labyrinth. And it is not only a walk that breaks down the barriers for you to access your centre, it also demolishes the walls that separate you from the world, the universe, and all of existence.
Prepare for this walk by focusing on the unknown and unseen barriers that you are carrying with you. Hold the intention of them about to be demolished as you walk the labyrinth. Start your labyrinth walk, and with each step feel the wall that you are currently walking around begin to weaken. As you reach the turn on the labyrinth, visualize the energetic wall that you have allowed to build up around you crumbling to dust at your feet. Pause to allow this to happen and sink into your consciousness.
Move on to the next circuit and repeat the same process. Be aware of every thought and sensation that you are experiencing. Tune in and see if you can sense your walls beginning to crumble. As your walls begin to disintegrate on your walk you may begin to feel expanded and liberated.
On the other hand, you may begin to feel somewhat exposed. This feeling of being uncovered is because you no longer have the walls that separated you from the world. See these feelings and thoughts as revealing the real you to yourself and the world. Feel your connection to everything growing and expanding, merging into a feeling of oneness with all of existence. This is the feeling that you are aiming for, even if at first it may feel alien and unnatural to you. Focus on the positive and enlightening aspects of this unveiling, and allow yourself to feel the freedom of shedding your layers. If you feel uncomfortable at any stage, and not fully ready to lower all your walls, you can decide to stop knocking down your walls and continue on the walk, keeping some of your walls standing. You can always come back at another time and do this exercise again if you wish.
When you reach the centre, all your walls have been demolished. There is nothing, only you. You have revealed your true self to yourself. Focus on this connection with yourself and experience what it is like to connect with yourself. You can carry this feeling with you wherever you go, and you can access this feeling whenever you choose. When you are ready, begin your walk out of the labyrinth. You are now walking on a journey where the walls are still demolished. You are walking in heightened awareness. You are walking into a world where your awareness of yourself and your connections with all of existence are enhanced. As you leave the labyrinth give thanks for what you have received.
Reflection
Immediately after this walk take some time to remain in the feeling of having all your walls demolished. Write down what you now feel, and how it felt to bring down your walls during the labyrinth walk. When you are finished writing, pause, and consider how you are now feeling. Do you feel liberated or exposed? If you feel uneasy and not yet ready to let go of all your walls, you can consider if you wish to temporarily re-erect some walls around you before you fully re-enter your everyday life. Over time, and especially the more you practise this exercise, you will find less and less need to have any walls around you.