The Labyrinth
an ancient symbol, a metaphor, a path to the center  
by Louise J

Let me retell of my recent experience

I was invited to a woodland location to help establish a labyrinth that followed that very shape, the grounds had been cleared of trees and here we stood, 8 women, one a shaman looking at an clearing in the forest, tree stumps, and leaves all around. Hmmm not very romantic or promising.

Sometimes it seems like our lives are such, cleared away, empty and waiting...But waiting for what?

And so it was that we 8 ladies faced this land, a new beginning, remembering within how each of us had walked some pretty awesome labyrinths, some in churches laid in tile, some in fields, with stones to show us the circles of the path, some made of hedges and some even painted on canvas, the design much like what we�d planned for the land before us..

Phew, expectations....

Our group were mostly all unknown. That is the draw of the labyrinth. You read about it, try it for yourself, sometimes you hear that there is one in a town you are visiting, always quite by accident, the labyrinth draws you in. And so we came to celebrate one young woman's dream to build such on her land. To make a sacred space for other to come. The experience of a labyrinth is very personal, and sometimes changes from each time you walk...and so it was that we each came, our own individual expectations to build a labyrinth.

We had one goal, we had one love, and we each had our own spark of Light within that lead us there.

This particular experience, followed the guidance of a shaman and so it began with us breathing in the air and breathing out all of our thoughts from before. The stress of getting there, all the daily stuff that we deal with...breathing it all out and welcoming in a fresh breath of Mother Earth.

This is often what i feel when i face the entrance to a labyrinth, a space often to leave all my troubles at the entrance and slowly walk, slowly breath...into the path towards the center.

In the tradition of a shaman, she called to the East, and gave a gift of tobacco, and to the South, the West and the North...Beautiful words, spoken from her tradition, calling the elements of Mother earth, the wind, the water, the fire...calling the animals that walked, that flew, that swam and that crawled...Giving each an offering of love and of tobacco...

The stone people, the tree people, the sky people...all she called and gave a gift of love and tobacco.

This was a joyfilled time...and when we had given call to all the elements, the shaman rolled the tobacco and lit it...coming to each of us and blowing the smoke into our cupped hands...and blowing it into our hearts...a prayer given to the winds, and accepted if we willed within...

More than this is not my custom, so i will go no further to explain, only that it was done with reverence and i felt it within my heart.

As we faced the clearing, it was more than 50 feet across... the path was still in our minds, not on the ground. It is here that I came to remember other times, other walks and began to imagine this special place come alive, become a part of every other labyrinth ever walked.

Labyrinths have been walked by many cultures, Most often in silence, sometimes in song, by candlelight or sun. Sometimes people came with joy in their hearts, and sometimes with great sadness...so as i continue this tale, let me bring into the story some other times and places too, from my own experiences, if i might.

There are many who say that the Cretan labyrinth, the path of seven circuits or rings, represent the 7 chakras. Seven is an important number to many different religions too.

I think that is why this form of labyrinth is so well represented in history and culture, because of the sacredness of the number, and all the representations it holds.

I am sure you all have seen the colors of the chakras represented, and heard the tones that some do chant to make them come alive and spin...and so we began, much like follow the leader, to walk a visionary path following through the shape that described above...at each ring, the shaman reminded us of the purpose and the meanings of each chakra, the color and the sound...and following her, the next of our small group, the land owner sprinkling blue cornmeal as a trail to follow.

The labyrinth curves and curls around and around, sometimes weaving in and out, but never, never do you ever leave the path...it always leads to the center....Quietly we walked, sometimes humming a tone, or listening to the words of the shaman...sometimes just listening to our breath or catching up to the other before us...haha, again much like life...

A metaphor...sometimes we hurry to catch up, sometimes we lag behind, sometimes we are listening and paying attention, sometimes lost in dreams like the smoke rising from the tobacco...but always we are on a path.

And our journey takes us to the center.

How it was as each entered the center and we were all together, 8 women...all our own experiences forgotten, all of ONE goal...to stand in the center....to feel the center....!

Not a word was said for a moment as we each felt something very intimate, something that reminded us of our own centers....the place of the Divine, the place of our TRUTH...and then individually we gathered together, one hand reaching another till a whole was formed.

We held hands here together, like a symbol of ONE that we are....and we passed a smile and a squeeze of love around and around.

And then the wind came, a soft breeze first, and then more and soon the whole circle was being blown with vigor and the trees swayed, and the wind whispered...and the world was just that moment...just that NOW.

And we thanked the earth, the sky...placed our offerings upon the center and simply loved...for there was no more place for anything else in our hearts...(at least so it seemed to me) that we were filled with this sacred moment, filled with love...and in that moment released it to the world.

Much like all our travels, we started our return, tracing the steps upon the cornmeal, tracing the path to the exit...and much like travels we�ve experienced before, we could not wait to return and tell about our trip.

Our feet fairly flew through the path, hoping for a quick and steady exit.

Upon our exit, we gave another thanks to all that watched, all that we felt close to and drew a closing to our walk...

Here we had a new labyrinth connected by spirit to all the other labyrinths of the world.

I feel the truth of it, felt a connection to all the events of others, of myself...times when i have walked the path in other places, times when i traced the form with my fingertips on the screen...connecting to all who shared a moment to open to the magic of the labyrinth.

There is still a lot of work to be done in this particular place, we each brought a stone from our own homes or surroundings...we eight women now tied in spirit to this land and to all who might walk in future.

This site is for you too now, having brought you to this place in spirit...if you wish to come to a quiet place and simply trace the path to the center...Sometimes, when the day has been really filled with crazyness, come here and simply follow the path...and breath out all that has built up within you, breath it out into the center and come away refreshed and ready to face the world.

To remind you of this time, below please find references for a finger labyrinth that you might print or trace upon your screen, once again bringing you to the sacred space of the labyrinth we shared tonight.

http://www.lessons4living.com/finger_labyrinth.htm

And if you need a little love... a joyfilled site with poems, prayers and labyrinth for all.

http://labyrinth.kumu.org/Makaha2.htm



SOME QUESTIONS AFTER THE PROCESS:


Some of you may ask what is the difference between a labyrinth and a maze?

A labyrinth always has only one way into the center, if you follow it, it may be windy and rough, just like life...but you do find your way to the center...to your truth and you cannot get lost, for you follow it back the very same way...*S* Just like we cannot really get lost from our center, just sometimes we think we are lost...

A maze has an entrance and many paths, some dead end and we must retrace and find another way...lots of paths, sometimes getting us lost in the twist and turns...often more than one way in or out...Made to confuse or amuse but never designed to focus on the center, the wonderous glowing center.

What are the various forms?

You can find the symbols in ancient history, in Greece and Rome, a spiral to the center...you can find it in our own ancient lands, the Hopi and the Pima indians, in their art...look around you, see the symbol, remember the purpose is for you to discover...no one way to walk or run or dance through a labyrinth, just as individual and diverse as we are.

In the native tradition they have a lybryth...it goes to the void...inside...the place where all creation begins....each layer of their labrynth is a layer in time...out ward to the number thirteen.

How does one experience the labyrinth?

Rituals....we all have experienced some form of ritual....this can be a sacred space...a coming to the Divine. It can be simply a tool, to focus all of our confusion and release it in the center.

Some come to dance, joyfully filling the path with their energy, while some come to say goodbye, in a special reverential way to a loved one who has passed...Think about it...watch for it...make the experience yours.

>> ~: I see a wonderous walk i did... a joy walk in Canada...some of us taking bells and tamborines and making a joyous noise while others walked and some filled the circle with bubbles they were blowing. As one completed the walk, they took their place making bubbles or music or song.

Size and shape?

Labyrinths can be as small as a finger labyrinth, one you trace to some as large as a field.

The materials can be brick or stone to outline the path, i have made one with flour sprinkled along the lines...some are very old, in Cathedrals in Europe and in caves and on stones...England has many that are outlined in hedges, or mounds of earth...even our own USA has some ancient ones found in the designs of the mound builders of Ohio and in the art work of the Hopi and Pima Indians.

So there you have it. A trip in history, an experience shared�Please let it be just the beginning of your love of - The Labyrinth.

http://www.paxworks.com/lablocators.html if you wish to find one near you to walk..

Much love

Louise J (aka froggy)


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