Labyrinth

 

The labyrinth is a circular patter with one path that winds its way in a circular fashion into the center. Unlike the maze, which is designed to confuse the walker, the labyrinth provides a clear path that focuses and quiets the mind while opening the heart.

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Labyrinths date back to at least four to five thousand years. In the Middle Ages, many of the pilgrimage cathedrals had labyrinths. It is believed that once the crusades made it dangerous to travel, labyrinths became a symbolic way to enact the journey to Jerusalem.

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Today the labyrinth is used as a spiritually transformational tool. A frequently used method includes three stages to walk: 

1. Releasing on the way in

2. Receiving in the center and returning

3. Taking back out into the world that which you have received

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Some have experienced the labyrinth as a path of prayer, a walking meditation, a crucible of change, a watering hole for the spirit, or a mirror of the soul.