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The labyrinth is a symbol. It is a symbol of many things depending on how you look at it and how you approach it. It is a symbol of your journey in life with its twists and turns as you journey to your centre. If you are using it to seek an answer to a specific question or issue, then at that time the labyrinth symbolises all aspects of that issue. As a symbol of you, it enables you to journey into the labyrinth to explore who you are, where you are, and where you are going.
The labyrinth symbol can be viewed on several levels. It is a visible symbol, yet it holds a hidden meaning, particularly in the unseen and the intangible. At first glance, it looks like a design made from intersecting lines. Yet, on a deeper level, it represents a secret relationship between humanity, earth, and heaven. Just as the labyrinth symbolises that which is within you, it also symbolises that which is outside of you.
The labyrinth is usually circular in shape and consists of a series of interconnected lines that form a single path that you can walk or trace with your finger. The path leads from the outside to the centre and covers every part of the labyrinth. There are no dead ends and there are no choices to be made, apart from deciding that you are going to enter the labyrinth in the first place.
Something is prompting people all over the world to create this ancient symbol so they can interact with it. The appeal of and fascination with the labyrinth include the visual appeal of the symbol itself, and the wonderful experiences that people have on the labyrinth, the “deeper level” I just mentioned. Today, the labyrinth is primarily being used as a walking meditation where the user seeks peace of mind and a greater sense of centredness. Many people are also using the labyrinth to seek insights into their life issues. The deeper you delve into the labyrinth, the greater is the reward—the knowledge that you gain, and the experiences that uplift you. We will get into this later.
The most common way of walking the labyrinth is to walk the path to the centre, pause for a few moments in the centre, and then walk back out the same path that you walked in. There is much symbolism inherent in this approach of Release, Receive, Return, often referred to as the three Rs. The releasing happens on the way in as you let go of worries and what may be burdening you. At the centre you pause to receive guidance. The walk out is symbolic of returning to your everyday life with new insights.
Labyrinths vary in size from small ones engraved on jewellery, to large landscape designs that many people can walk at a time. Labyrinths are found in private gardens, public parks, hospitals, schools, holistic centres, churches, and in many more places. Portable labyrinths usually painted on sheets of canvas are being used in various locations where permanent labyrinths do not exist. Temporary labyrinths are being created for special events, festivals, and often just for short-term use on beaches and in parks.
Labyrinths can be made from almost any material that can be used to mark out a line on the ground. Cement, paving, paint, string, sticks, and stones are some of the more common materials used. Garden labyrinths are often made with flowers, hedging, and herbs. My current garden labyrinth is simply a path mown into the lawn with the lawnmower at a lower setting to create the path through the longer grass. Some quite creative labyrinths have been made using shoes, books, CDs, plastic spoons, and I have even seen a labyrinth in Ireland made from potatoes!
Types of Labyrinths
There are many types of labyrinths, and this book is about the labyrinth in all its active forms. There is a magic and mysticism about almost all labyrinths whether they are classical, medieval, Baltic, Roman, Chartres, or other form. Indeed, there are many similarities between the two main types of labyrinths: the classical and Chartres labyrinths. While less ancient, the Chartres labyrinth, which was created in 1201, holds the imprint of much of the same basic symbolism of the classical labyrinth: that of being on a journey, of getting to the centre, of releasing and receiving, and of having four distinct quadrants.
The classical labyrinth is the oldest known form of labyrinth and its most common form has seven circuits and a centre (see Figure 1). The path, beginning at the outside, passes through all seven circuits and ends at the centre. It has appeared in many different cultures around the world at various times. Its presence in such a variety of cultures over the millennia illustrates that the classical labyrinth holds a unique attraction and contains an almost indescribable “something” that has appealed to so many over such a long period of time.
The classical labyrinth has been called by many different names since it first appeared. These names include the Cretan labyrinth, the Celtic labyrinth, Melchizedek’s labyrinth, Luna’s labyrinth, Ariadne’s labyrinth. Each of these names illustrates a different aspect to the labyrinth and indicates some of the many ways that this labyrinth has influenced people since it first came into human consciousness.
The labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral in France has eleven circuits and a centre with six petals (see Figure 2). It measures approximately forty-two feet in diameter. Most of the turning points in the labyrinth happen at a labrys, the double-headed axe shape that cuts across the path. When viewed from above, the labryses help give the appearance of a cross and divide the labyrinth into four quadrants. This labyrinth is one of the most commonly reproduced labyrinth designs that people create in art and install, the other one being the classical labyrinth.
It is important to make a distinction at this point between labyrinths and mazes. In this book, the labyrinth that I am writing about is a unicursal labyrinth. It has one path leading from the outside to the centre. It is not a maze with choices and dead ends. This one path is symbolic of your journey; your journey to your own centre, your journey to self-discovery.
The Origin of the Labyrinth
People often ask about the origins of the labyrinth and the motives for creating it. Because the oldest known labyrinths are on rock carvings in Spain and Italy and are over four thousand years old, there is no recorded history of exactly where or how the labyrinth originated. We do not know if these ancient rock carving labyrinths in Galicia, Spain, and Valcamonica, Italy, were made by ordinary people, elders, or leading spiritual people of the time.
The large rock carving of a seven-circuit classical labyrinth almost half way around the world in Goa, India, also estimated to be over four thousand years old, adds further to the mystery. This labyrinth is nearly ten feet in diameter and is carved into a flat rock surface by a river along with hundreds of other rock carvings. In addition, it is the oldest known walkable labyrinth.
When you consider the labyrinth design or pattern, it is not a design that might happen by accident, or one that clearly appears in nature. In the words of Hermann Kern, “it is clear that the classical seven-circuit labyrinth is not the simplest of all conceivable configurations. It is neither a fluke nor an axiom. Instead, we have what was obviously a conscious choice from among numerous possibilities” (Kern 2000).
Yet, the fact that it was a conscious choice does not enlighten us as to why the labyrinth was first made or how it is found all over the world. Current academic thinking leans towards the origins of the labyrinth being in Northern Spain and Italy, from where it “travelled” around the world; being brought to India possibly by Alexander the Great and to the Americas by the Spanish. This thinking does not take any account of the phenomenon known in scientific circles as “multiple independent discovery,” where two or even three people come up with the same discovery or invention independently of each other, often at opposite ends of the world. This could be what happened with the labyrinth and its simultaneous emergence in Europe, India, and America.
We are still left pondering what was the stimulus for the creation of the labyrinth. Because of its connection between heaven and earth, and because of the effect that the design of the labyrinth has on people interacting with it, there is a strong case to be made that the classical labyrinth design came from a higher consciousness. The first people who drew a labyrinth were, knowingly or unknowingly, tapping into a higher level of consciousness than previously accessed. Once accessed, the labyrinth design was then part of consciousness, contributing to its spread and evolution of the labyrinth as it resonated with people in many different traditions and societies on a symbolic and spiritual level.
Since these early creations, labyrinth builders and makers have left their mark on 2,500-year-old Cretan coins, on the 1,500-year-old Hollywood Stone (a rock carving in Ireland), and on rock carvings and baskets in the Hopi and Tohono O’odham Indian reservations respectively. Labyrinths have been found on older wooden Moslem mosques in Pakistan, Hindu temples in India, in Batak manuscripts from Indonesia, walkable stone labyrinths around the Baltic coast, turf labyrinths in English village greens, medieval manuscripts, and Gothic cathedrals. The most famous of these cathedral labyrinths is the one in the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Chartres, France.
While the ancient rock-carving classical labyrinths are surrounded in mystery, the Chartres labyrinth also generates speculation surrounding its origins and purpose. The progression of medieval labyrinth patterns can be traced through manuscripts, leading to the culmination that is the labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral. Yet, there remains a mystery and hidden knowledge in relation to the final design and purpose of one of the largest symbols installed in Chartres and other Gothic Catholic cathedrals from the thirteenth century onwards.
None of the ancient documents at Chartres detailing the activities in the cathedral mention the labyrinth. However, records from both Sens and Auxerre, which are just over one hundred miles from Chartres, give accounts of rituals at Easter Sunday of games played on the cathedral labyrinths by the clergy involving a large ball and accompanying round dance. The ball was passed or thrown between the dancers while they chanted and danced around the labyrinth. The ball most likely symbolised the Easter sun and the resurrection of Jesus. This is considered to be a Christian adaptation of a pre-Christian Norman tradition. Hermann Kern relates that the ball game and its accompanying round dance was “forbidden by legal decree in June 1538, although it continued to be performed at Auxerre until 1690 when the labyrinth was destroyed” (Kern 2000).
The relationship between the labyrinth and dance goes back much further to Greek mythology where there are accounts of Ariadne and Theseus performing dances related to the labyrinth, that we will explore further in the next section. The ancient Roman poet Virgil wrote in his account of the siege of Troy that after the fall of Troy Aeneas popularised a processional parade or dance that became known as the “Game of Troy.” This Game of Troy involved participants, some of whom were mounted on horseback, engaging in a processional dance consisting of a series of steps in the form of a labyrinth that were most likely adopted by the Romans from the Etruscans. The participants were young men and the game was considered as a rite of passage into manhood, with the labyrinth being the catalyst for the transition from one form of existence to another.
Many of the later uses of the labyrinth appear to stem from the early labyrinth dances and games of Troy. In both Scandinavia and in England there are accounts of young men engaging in competitions racing to be first to reach a young maiden at the centre of the labyrinth. These events hark back to the times of goddess-centred religions. The safe and nurturing goddess energy in the labyrinth continues to resonate today with many labyrinth walkers expressing these feelings when walking a labyrinth.
Despite these ancient accounts of labyrinth use, we still do not have any complete answers to the questions surrounding the origin and purpose of the labyrinth. We are left to contemplate the possible origins while appreciating the benefits that the labyrinth brings. Lauren Artress, author of Walking a Sacred Path, summed up the origins and uses of the labyrinth when she wrote, “The labyrinth was designed by an intelligence we cannot fully understand. But this much I do know. The labyrinth is truly a tool for transformation. It is a crucible for change, a blueprint for the sacred meeting of psyche and soul, a field of light, a cosmic dance. It is a centre for empowering ritual. It is a container where we can meet angels and recover the great-grandmother’s thread, the web of Mary, and the gracious, nurturing God” (Artress 1995).
Labyrinth Myths
We can gain further insights into the possible origin and meaning of the labyrinth through accounts related to the labyrinth that have appeared in mythology and stories from several cultures. The most well-known mythological story relating to the labyrinth is the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. While there are several versions of the myth, in general, the story goes as follows:
The Minotaur was a creature with the body of a man and the head of a bull that ate human flesh. It was the offspring of a liaison between Pasiphae, wife of King Minos of Crete, and a magnificent bull sent to Minos by Poseidon to be sacrificed. King Minos had prayed to Poseidon, the sea god, to send him a snow-white bull as a sign of support and Minos was to kill the bull in honour of Poseidon. But Minos decided to keep the bull and sacrificed one of his own instead. Poseidon was not pleased, and to punish Minos he had his wife Pasiphae fall in love with the bull. Pasiphae got the Greek inventor Daedalus to make a hollow wooden cow and climbed inside so that she could mate with the white bull. As the Minotaur grew, its desire for human flesh became a serious threat that had to be resolved. King Minos, after getting advice from the oracle at Delphi, had Daedalus build a labyrinth within which to keep the Minotaur.
As Minos had defeated the Athenians in a war some years earlier, the Greeks had to send seven young maidens and seven youths as sacrifice to the Minotaur every nine years. Having heard about the tribute to be made, Theseus, who was the son of Aegeus, king of Athens, volunteered to be one of the sacrificial victims.
Ariadne, daughter of Minos, fell in love with Theseus. She asked Daedalus for the secret to the labyrinth. He told her to have Theseus unwind a ball of thread as he entered the labyrinth so that he could find his way out safely. Theseus found the Minotaur, killed it, and used the thread to find his way out of the labyrinth.
The Cretan labyrinth is almost always depicted as a unicursal classical labyrinth. It is unlikely that the actual labyrinth was so easy to get out of, and the labyrinth that Daedalus built is most likely to have been a maze with many paths from which it was almost impossible to escape. The single path of the classical labyrinth represents the one true path through the more complicated maze-type labyrinth that held the Minotaur.
Theseus escaped with Ariadne and the other youths and maidens and landed on the island of Delos, where according to Plutarch “he danced with his youths a dance which they say is still performed by the Delians, being an imitation of the circling passages in the labyrinth, and consisting of certain rhythmic involutions and evolutions” (Plutarch, n.d.). This dance is known as the geranos, or crane dance. The crane is known for its mesmeric and spectacular dances. As a totem animal it is frequently considered to be a messenger of the gods, with the ability to bring light into the darkness and take people to a higher level of spiritual awareness. The crane was a sacred bird to the ancient people of the eastern Mediterranean. On one of the ancient labyrinth rock carvings from the Valcamonica valley, there is a carving of a crane beside the labyrinth. The crane and Ariadne are in many respects synonymous with each other, both showing the one true way.
In many traditions and cultures, dancing is used as a means of raising the energy of a location and the people present. Dancing in the pattern of a labyrinth has a double effect of drawing on both the labyrinth and dancing energies to raise the vibration and spiritual energy of the participants, creating a state of heightened awareness.
The goddess aspect of the labyrinth is also to be found in the story of Eurynome, who was one of the most important goddesses of the Pelasgians, people that arrived in Greece from the area of Palestine around 5,500 years ago. Eurynome was the creator, the Mother goddess born from chaos, who separated the waters from the sky. She was impregnated by the snake Ophion who wrapped himself around her seven times and created an egg.
According to Gardiner, the snake wrapping itself around Eurynome seven times indicated the “chakra points of the Hindu kundalini or coiled serpent” (Gardiner, 2007c). Gardiner goes on to write that this is the "creative force energised by the serpent fire. It is control, balance and power of the individual to bring about the new you.” It also echoes the seven circuits of the classical labyrinth.
In a further labyrinth and snake connection, Gardiner writes that “In ancient Egypt, the labyrinth was synonymous with what was called the Amenti—the snakelike path taken by the dead to journey from death to resurrection. It was Isis, the serpent queen of heaven, who was to guide the souls through the twists of the Amenti. The path towards the centre leads towards treasure.” A rock carving from Valcamonica can clearly be interpreted to be a combination of the goddess and snake forms in what is a possible precursor to the complete classical labyrinth. In it there is an intermingling of the human and serpentine forms from which a labyrinth-type pattern can be seen to emerge.
Using the Labyrinth
The essence of using the labyrinth is to develop a personal relationship with yourself and with the Divine. This is reminiscent of Gnosticism, which in the words of Kathleen McGowan involves “allowing the wisdom to come through you personally as a result of that relationship” (McGowan 2010).
The wisdom and insights therefore that come to you when you are working with the labyrinth are you accessing your inner wisdom. While the wisdom is always there, what is important to recognize is that wisdom and insights can come to you more easily when you are working with the labyrinth. These insights show you where you are in relation to certain events in your life. These insights bring clarity from confusion, love from fear, and hope from despair. What you receive on the labyrinth is exactly what you need at that time in your life. It may not always necessarily be what you think that you want, but it is beneficial and wonderful nevertheless.
You can benefit from the labyrinth without being fully aware of the many layers and dimensions that are inherent in it. The labyrinth is an active symbol that is continually working away quietly in the background. Yet, when you become consciously aware of the levels and dimensions on which the labyrinth is operating, you further empower yourself to tap into your inner wisdom through the labyrinth as a tool for the transformation of consciousness.
The labyrinth journey usually begins with physically walking the path, and progressing to the mental and emotional stages you pass through. When you start your labyrinth walk you are focused on the act of walking. During your labyrinth walk, your mind begins to quieten as you become familiar with walking the path. As your mind quietens, you become more aware of your thoughts and emotions, experiencing them on a deeper level because of the meditative effect of walking the labyrinth.
On your labyrinth walk, you are also moving on a journey concerning not only yourself, but also all others in your life; and then not only in your present life, but in past lives; and, not only in past lives, but future lives. Your journey moves you through your physical existence and progresses you on your spiritual journey. And you are not only moving on this earth, you are also moving on a universal, cosmic, and multiversal level; on as many dimensions as you are able to exist, and to comprehend. The labyrinth, as well as this book, is therefore about a journey, or journeys; your inner journey reflecting your outer journey, reflecting your spiritual journey.
And finally, remember that you are not alone. Just as Ariadne helped Theseus to negotiate his way in and out of the labyrinth, so too there is help available to you. As you become aware of your interconnectedness, and particularly when you are not aware of it, remind yourself that others are travelling the path with you. Remember that you have guides and helpers to support and prompt you; remember that you have this book to use as a guide. The essence of this book, and the labyrinth, is that you are always connected; you are always at one. You just need to tap into it, you just need to live it, you just need to be it.
Exercise: How to Draw
and Make Your Own Labyrinth
When you know how to draw and make a labyrinth, you can always have one at hand. Whenever you wish to use a labyrinth, you can sketch one quickly on a piece of paper to trace with your finger, or if you have some basic labyrinth-making materials, you can mark one out in your garden, on the beach, or some other suitable place.
The basic way of drawing the labyrinth is to use what is known as the “seed pattern” (see Figure 3). This is a square shaped pattern with an equal-armed cross in the centre, dots on each corner, and L-shaped brackets in each of the four quadrants.
First draw the seed pattern on a page. As more of the labyrinth is created above the seed pattern than below it, start by making an equal-armed cross about one third of the way up from the bottom of the page. Then place a dot on the each of the four corners of the imaginary square that contains the cross. Finally draw an L-shaped bracket with the lines running parallel to the arms of the cross in each of the four quadrants. Your seed pattern should look like the one in Figure 3.
Figure 3: How to draw a classical labyrinth
To create the centre of the labyrinth, place your pen at the top of the vertical arm of the cross. Draw a semi-circle up from this point and around to the right to finish at the top of the L-bracket on the right. Next place your pen at the top of the bracket in the top left quadrant. To create the innermost circuit of the labyrinth, draw a semi-circle up and around to the right to finish at the dot in the top right quadrant.
The next circuit of the labyrinth is created by drawing a semi-circular line from the dot in the top left quadrant up and around the previous line to finish at the bottom of the L-bracket in the top right quadrant. The next line starts at the lower part of the L-bracket in the top left quadrant, goes up and around the top of the previous lines, and finishes at the end of the line at the right side of the arm of the cross. Notice at this stage that the method of creating the circuits consists of starting on the left side of the seed pattern and finishing at the right side of the seed pattern.
The next line starts at the left end of the arm of the cross, goes up and around the previously drawn lines, and finishes at the upper part of the bracket in the bottom right part of the seed pattern. You will need to draw this line out a little from the seed pattern to keep it equidistant from the previously drawn circuit lines.
Come back around to the bottom left of the seed pattern and place your pen at the top of the bracket. Draw a line out, up and around the previously drawn lines to finish at the dot in the bottom right of the seed pattern.
You will need to take care with the next line that you draw, as it is one of the most common mistakes made when drawing the labyrinth. First check that you have four points left to connect in the seed pattern: one dot in the bottom left and three lines made up of the bottom of the vertical arm of the cross and the bottom of the two brackets in the right and left quadrants. Place your pen on the dot in the bottom left of the seed pattern and draw a curved line out, up and around the top of the labyrinth to finish at the bottom part of the bracket in the bottom right quadrant. The most common mistake that the first-time drawer of a labyrinth makes is incorrectly attaching the line for the second-to-last circuit to the bottom of the vertical line of the cross rather than to the end of the bracket.
You should now have just two lines remaining to connect. Place your pen at the bottom part of the bracket in the bottom left quadrant of the seed pattern. Draw a line down and out, up and around the labyrinth to finish at the bottom of the vertical arm of the cross. Your labyrinth is now complete.
Making a Walkable Labyrinth
You can use the same method to make a walkable labyrinth, except the path width will need to accommodate a person walking it. If you are using raised material such as stones to mark the lines you will need to have the paths wide enough to comfortably accommodate the walkers without them tripping over the stones. If you are using a line that the walker can step on, then the path width can be relatively narrow.
Before making a permanent labyrinth, it is a good idea to practise with some temporary ones first. The easiest place to practise this is on a beach of wet sand where you use a stick to mark out the lines. That way, if you make a mistake, you can just rub it out and start again.
If you are making a labyrinth on grass or hard ground, you will need something to mark out the lines. Paint, chalk, cornmeal, flour, or string are commonly used. After you have made a labyrinth, always walk it to make sure that you have gotten it right.