ABOUT THE LABYRINTH
The labyrinth is an ancient pattern found in many cultures around the world. Labyrinth designs were found on pottery, tablets and tiles date as far back as 4000 years. Many patterns are based on spirals from nature. In Native American culture it is called the Medicine Wheel and Man in the Maze. The Celts described it as the Never Ending Circle. It is also called the Kabbalah in mystical Judaism. One feature they all share is that they have one path that winds in a circuitous way to the centre.
Labyrinths are currently being used worldwide as a way to quiet the mind, find balance, and encourage meditation, insight and celebration. They are open to all people as a non-denominational, cross-cultural tool of wellbeing. They can be found in medical centers, parks, churches, schools, prisons, memorial parks and retreat centers as well as in people's backyards.
The labyrinth is not a maze. There are no tricks to it and no dead ends. It has a single circuitous path that winds into the center. The person walking it uses the same path to return and the entrance then becomes the exit. The path is in full view, which allows a person to be quiet and focus internally. Generally there are three stages to the walk: releasing on the way in, receiving in the center, and returning-- that is, taking back out into the world that which you have received. There is no right way or wrong way to walk a labyrinth. Use the laby- rinth in any way that meets your needs.
There are many ways to describe the labyrinth. It is a path of prayer, a walking meditation, a crucible of change, a watering hole for the spirit and a mirror of the soul. May you be nourished.
This text from Verditas labyrinth site.
Further reading: Clement Jewitt, Labyrinth: Myth, Meaning, & Symbol
