Labyrinths

What is a Labyrinth - The technical explanation:

A labyrinth is a set path that winds to a center and back out again. There is just one path that leads in and out, there is no way to become lost or trapped. Unfortunately, the term labyrinth is often used interchangeably with maze, but modern scholars use a stricter definition. A maze is a tour puzzle in the form of complex branching passages with choices of paths and directions; while a single-path (unicursal) labyrinth has only a single path to the center.

The other explanation:

Labyrinths are spiritual tools. It is not unusual for a person to emerge from the labyrinth inspired, encouraged, grateful and have clarity about spiritual direction. It may work well for some and not for others. There are many great things about walking a labyrinth.

Reasons to use/walk a Labyrinth:
Labyrinths are tools. Tools for the Holy Spirit to work on your inner being. They take us to the Holy, though they are not holy themselves. There are three main reasons labyrinths are so powerful; discipline, integration, and growth.

Discipline:
When people today say they want spirituality, they mean they want to practice the presence of God in their lives. They want rituals and culture, they want to find an identity other than the one consumerism tries to hand them. Walking a labyrinth is an ancient discipline that does exactly that. Silence and stillness are powerful in this culture, and are considered disciplines in the Christina faith, yet sitting still is hard for most people to master. The labyrinth allows the physical movement to help deepen the spiritual connection easily.

Growth:
One of the goals of Christian spirituality is to bring to light our brokenness and warped selves in order for God to restore and redeem us. Labyrinths help allow space and time for the Holy Spirit to bring those things to light at the same time as journeying through it and walking out the other side. This is one way to grow spiritually.

The immanent God is the God of the Mystics – the still small voice. This God is found within scriptures and is “written on our hearts” but not given much attention. By walking a labyrinth one is purposefully taking time to listen and give that voice attention. Of course, there are other ways to do this, but something about the physicality of the labyrinths allows for less distractions and more focus.

Integration:

In western culture, there has evolved a wide divide between the spiritual and the physical, the imagination and reasoning, and the mystical and the logical. This is a result of the Greek influence on our culture as well as responses to cultural events. There was a heresy in early Christianity that came out of Greek thinking called gnosticism and very basically it taught that spirituality is good and everything that is physical is bad. Even though the Great Fathers and Mothers of our past tried to stamp this heresy out, it still subtly crept its way into our every day thinking here in western culture. The result is that we tend to categorize our lives into the spiritual or the ordinary.

Also, as a result of western culture’s walk through the great enlightenment and the industrial age, the western world has lived under the assumption that the outer world is objective and the inner world subjective. By this definition, objective means reliable, concrete, and meaningful, while subjective means unreliable, hollow, and useless as a pathway of knowing. This scientific myth, helped along by Freud, has taught us to trust the outer world. The truth is that there is both subjective and objective in the outer world as well as in the inner world. In the western church we should allow mystery, stories, experience and dreams back into our tradition and trust that the Holy Spirit can use this just as well as systematic theology.

With the emergence of the New Age religions the church also grew fearful of anything that resembled the earthy spirituality and love of the metaphysical. In this way, the Christian church has chosen to throw the baby out with the bath water.

Labyrinths are one practice that can help repair the divides we have created.

Walking the labyrinth lets us practice a spirituality that brings our bodies with us. It allows us to learn something with their heart and soul and not just their head. When walking a labyrinth, people are more inclined to give themselves permission to follow the intuitions and desires that come. Since a labyrinth is an embodied prayer experience people often weep, skip, meander, kneel, run to the center, sit at the entrance, or whatever they need to do and it is part of the prayer! It allows space for people to experience the mystery of God, who longs to be in relationship with them.

People have revelatory and reflective experiences in a labyrinth, but many are uncomfortable with this. It is alright to trust ones experience in a labyrinth, or perhaps more specifically, the Holy Spirit.

Reasons people give to walk the Labyrinth:

Because I am lost and it gives direction.
Because the chaos outside is too much and I need the order and form.
Because it meets people where they are.
Because it is an ancient ritual available for modern use.
Because I need spiritual aids, pictures, tools and things to help me connect with God, just like communion.

Here are some of the books used in my research as well as some handy links:

Church Labyrinths by Robert Ferre
Excellent little book, I highly recommend. Questions and answers regarding the History, relevance, and use of Labyrinths in churches. Also has a bit on Sacred Geometry in it that was cool.

Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool by Dr. Lauren Artress
Artress’ interest focuses on the medieval 11-circuit design found at Chartres Cathedral in France. She explores the historical origins of labyrinths and shares the discoveries of modern-day seekers. She is considered by many the leading expert on Labyrinths in the US.

Christian Prayer and Labyrinths by Jill Geoffrion
Hartwell gives a great introduction as well as history of labyrinths.

Pondering the Labyrinth by Jill Geoffrion
This book contained ideas and uses for labyrinths. It is very handy for those who want to build their own.

Labyrinths From the Outside In by Carol Camp and Dona Schaper
The user-friendly, interfaith guide to making and using labyrinths-for meditation, prayer, and celebration. This book is especially good for people who need an introduction to labyrinths, looking at labyrinths from from multiple faiths and traditions.

Sacred Geometry: Philosophy and Practice by Robert Lawlor
This book explores sacred geometry using illustrations from science and art, such as Islamic tiles, atomic structure, architectural proportions and fine art. This book is very academic in nature and if one is not comfortable with math, it will be difficult reading indeed. I was able to glean some helpful insights, but I would not recommend it.

http://www.labyrinth.org.uk/
http://veriditas.org/
http://labyrinthsociety.org/

http://www.labyrinthcompany.com/ - For those who are not geometrically savvy, this site allows you to buy Labyrinths in their many shapes and forms.

http://wwll.veriditas.labyrinthsociety.org – To find a Labyrinth near you.

And last but not least, an online Lab of sorts that absolutely rocks!