About the Labyrinth
The labyrinth is an ancient pattern found in many cultures around the world. Labyrinth designs have appeared on pottery, tablets, tiles, inlaid pavements and petroglyphs dating back at least 4000 years. Its geometries have often been inspired by spirals occurring in nature.
The labyrinth is famously associated with the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur and the Minoan civilization of Crete. It was an important symbol in the mythology of a number of early tribal groups in Northern Mexico, New Mexico and Arizona. Labyrinths have figured prominently in the Celtic and Scandinavian traditions, and appear in Indian manuscripts and Tantric texts from the 17th century onwards. The feature they all share is that they are unicursal: they have a single path that winds circuitously to the centre.
Labyrinths are currently being used worldwide as a means to quiet the mind, find balance, and to encourage meditation, insight and celebration. They are readily accessible as a nondenominational, cross-cultural tool for well being. They can be found in medical centres, churches, schools, prisons, parks and retreat centres, as well as in domestic spaces.
The labyrinth is not a maze. No misdirection is involved and there are no dead ends. In the walking, the path on the way in is retraced on the way out, the entrance becoming the exit. The entire path is in full view, fostering a sense of quietude and internal focus. Generally there are three stages to the walk: releasing upon entering, receiving in the centre, and upon returning bringing back into the world that which has been received. There is no right or wrong way to walk the labyrinth. It can be used in whatever way speaks to the whole person.
Pictured above: The labyrinth at St. Hilda's Church in Sechelt, BC, Canada
There are many ways to regard the labyrinth: 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 in challenging ways.
Building the Labyrinth Project at Harbourfront Centre, Toronto
This is a time-lapse clip by Robert DiVito of the installation of the Chartres labyrinth design at Harbourfront Centre in Toronto in August 2010. Barbara Brown and Vanessa Compton co-created the environment in the Brigantine Room and the outdoor luminaria (labyrinth of lights) that took place at night in the Harbourfront public space. The event was part of the What is Classical? festival and included the premiere of John Burke's Hieratikos by Ensemble Vivant, who commissioned the work. Their performance of Burke's Mysterium is heard on the soundtrack.
Links
Veriditas
The vision of Veriditas is to activate and facilitate the transformation of the human spirit. The work of Veriditas centres around the Labyrinth Experience as a personal practice for healing and growth, a tool for community building, an agent for global peace and a metaphor for life.
Labyrinth Society
Designed to serve those whose imaginations have been captured and sparked by the labyrinth symbol, the Society exists in order to support all who create, maintain, and enjoy labyrinths. They share their enthusiasm and resources, and provide education about the many aspects of the labyrinth's design and uses, and in so doing offer the global community unique opportunities for connection and transformation.
http://www.labyrinthos.net/
Labyrinths & Mazes Resource Centre, Photo Library & Archive.
World-Wide Labyrinth Locator
The World-wide Labyrinth Locator; an easy to use global database of labyrinths.
http://walkingcircles.wordpress.com/
The blog of Canadian Labyrinth Ventures in Ottawa, Canada.
http://www.sthilda.ca/labyrinthceremony.html
St. Hilda's By The Sea Anglican Church in Sechelt is a small gem of labyrinth awareness on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast.
The vision of Veriditas is to activate and facilitate the transformation of the human spirit. The work of Veriditas centres around the Labyrinth Experience as a personal practice for healing and growth, a tool for community building, an agent for global peace and a metaphor for life.
Labyrinth Society
Designed to serve those whose imaginations have been captured and sparked by the labyrinth symbol, the Society exists in order to support all who create, maintain, and enjoy labyrinths. They share their enthusiasm and resources, and provide education about the many aspects of the labyrinth's design and uses, and in so doing offer the global community unique opportunities for connection and transformation.
http://www.labyrinthos.net/
Labyrinths & Mazes Resource Centre, Photo Library & Archive.
World-Wide Labyrinth Locator
The World-wide Labyrinth Locator; an easy to use global database of labyrinths.
http://walkingcircles.wordpress.com/
The blog of Canadian Labyrinth Ventures in Ottawa, Canada.
http://www.sthilda.ca/labyrinthceremony.html
St. Hilda's By The Sea Anglican Church in Sechelt is a small gem of labyrinth awareness on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast.
This web site is maintained by friends of John Burke. Please consider making a small donation for its upkeep. Thank you.