A Meditation On The Labyrinth
Walking Blind (Haiku) following the way isn’t so hard in the light darkness requires trust from Longing for Water (longingforwater.wordpress.com) Used by permission of the author
A labyrinth is a closed path that leads inward to a central destination without ever crossing itself. A well-known labyrinth is the one embedded in the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France.
Since ancient times, the labyrinth has been a symbol of pilgrimage. Unlike a maze, a labyrinth has no dead ends. It is not a puzzle to solve; it is a path to walk. You may not know where you are, but you are never lost.
The labyrinth journey is not a direct route to the inner circle or even a simple progressive spiral. The path will approach the centre and it will recede. It will take us to the farthest reaches of the outer circle and yet, the path is always right. If we are walking with someone else, sometimes we will be near to one another, sometimes far away. Eventually we reach the centre. We express our gratitude, then take our leave, retracing our steps, bearing the gifts we found along the way.
Labyrinths are found worldwide, but it is not always possible to walk one physically. You can bring the experience home on a smaller scale by using a version of the labyrinth that you can print out or draw yourself and trace with a finger, pen, or stylus. You can also “walk” the labyrinth in an 11-minute animated video at the end of this post.
A Meditative Journey Through the Labyrinth
In his blog, Erwin Reißmann, refers to the “dramaturgy” of the labyrinth – how the structure of the labyrinth contributes to our experience of the story of pilgrimage. He only mentions two parts of the path – the entrance to the labyrinth and the arrival at the centre. This has inspired me to reflect further on these and other parts of the labyrinth journey.
I have divided an image of the Chartres labyrinth into five different sections, each representing a part of the journey inward. Each section is marked with a blue highlight. The entry to and exit from each section are shown with yellow arrows.
At the beginning of each section, pause to completely enter your body – your physical self. Take several deep breaths, noticing the position of your body and any physical sensations you have. Accept them as they are and breath into them. Notice any feelings that arise or thoughts that present themselves. Ask what your sensations, feelings, and thoughts are telling you. Don’t dwell on these things. Just ask what they are saying. If you listen carefully, you will know when it is time to move into this new section of the labyrinth.
When you reach the end of the section, pause again and breathe deeply, paying attention to sensations, feelings, and thoughts. Again, notice what arises and ask what these things are telling you.
I invite you to enter into this meditation with me, create your own experience, and add your own observations.
The Beginning
We enter the labyrinth with a sense of anticipation. We walk a few steps in, make a sudden left, then loop back. A few steps more and we are nearly at the centre. Surely the rewards of this practice will come quickly. This, of course, is the first illusion to shed.
Surrounding the Centre
After the first approach, we encircle the centre, alternately moving farther away and approaching closer. We walk more than three times the distance that we did in the first section. We completely surround the centre, but never arrive.
Departure
In this part of the path, we are in the long middle of our journey, called to persistence, faithfulness, and endurance. The beginning is well behind us; the final goal is nowhere in sight. In fact, the goal seems to be receding. Every turn takes us out to a place yet more distant from the centre, ending up at the farthest outpost on our path.
Wandering in the Wilderness
This section of the path meanders on the margins of the labyrinth and yet it takes us right back to where it begins. The beginning and end of this section are only separated by a barrier at the top of the labyrinth. To cross that barrier, we must wander back and forth, going a quarter or halfway around some of the largest circles between turns. Sometimes the path will bring us closer to the centre, sometimes farther away. We have been on the road so long, we wonder whether we will ever arrive.
Return to the Centre
Suddenly, we are on the outside track, one last long traverse to the central path of the labyrinth. We move up this path, detour briefly to the right and find ourselves on the threshold of the central circle. We have arrived at the goal of our pilgrimage. After some time in the centre to honour our journey and that which has brought us here, we must return the way we came, carrying whatever gifts the journey has given us.
Walking the Labyrinth — An Animated Video Pilgrimage
The music accompanying the animations in this video is by the Norwegian women’s choir, Cantus. Used by permission of the composer and the choir.
Music for the inward path: Njoktje (“The Swan”)
Music for the outward path: Kyrie (Kyrie Eleison = “Lord Have Mercy”)