Labyrinth Building
Building and Walking A Labyrinth
An ancient tradition for reflection.
What is a Labyrinth?
A labyrinth is a complex, often beautifully designed path that leads from the outside of the design to the inside. There are two kinds of labyrinth, either with one single, undivided path that requires the walker to make no choices (called a Meander) or with many divergent paths, some of which lead to dead ends (called a Maze).
Labyrinths have appeared in many forms across many cultures, traditions, and religions as a tool for meditation, mindfulness, spiritual reflection, and consecration of sacred spaces. From the palace at Knossos on the island of Crete in Ancient Greece (the alleged home of the legend of the Minotaur), to Celtic maze patterns built in stone by early druidic shamans, to the labyrinth in the Basilica of Reparatus in Algeria, and most famously—the labyrinth of the Chartres Cathedral in France, the symbolism of mazes is one that is spread far and wide throughout ancient history. (Though not explicitly a maze or path, spiritual similarities can also be found between labyrinths and Native American medicine wheels.)
A celtic triskele or triskelion labyrinth pattern
In modern use, they are typically a site of meditation, reflection, and spiritual practice. The walker aims to quiet the mind or focus on a particular prayer or intention as they complete the journey from outside to inside and back out again. The archetype of a labyrinth can be understood as a symbol for the human psyche or life journey.
The way of the labyrinth is the way of life. There are no wrong turns, though the path may twist and turn and bring you closer and further away from the center. To meet a dead end in a maze is not a failure, rather an ineluctable metaphor about the journey to discover our true selves. The path of the labyrinth takes you inwards, and then outwards again, as in invitation to take the meditations of the self out into the world beyond the self.
Materials Needed:
A space to build a labyrinth: flat and ideally in a quiet and natural space. A temporary labyrinth could also be drawn in chalk on the pavement.
Stones, rope, sidewalk chalk, or other materials to create the labyrinth. A more involved labyrinth could be built using plants or shrubs.
Optional: measuring tape to make sure concentric rings evenly spaced.
Optional: a compass to find four cardinal directions. OR mark the directions based on sunrise/sunset at the time of the equinox in late March and September.
Building a Labyrinth
1) Select your space.
If building a permanent labyrinth consider the space you are building on. What people have used this space in the past, and for what? If you like, say a prayer or set an intention for the construction of the labyrinth. How do you hope it will be used?
2) Mark the spokes
When you have selected your space, identify the center and four “spokes” that lead away from it. (often aligned with sunrise and sunset or the cardinal directions). Mark these spokes with rope or stones.
3) Measure the rings
From the center, mark evenly spaced rings that are wide enough for at least one person to walk through. 7 and 11 are common numbers for labyrinth rings.
4) Complete the path
Fill in your labyrinth path, using a drawing or photo to guide you.
Walking your labyrinth:
Approach your labyrinth as you would any sacred space, with respect and sincerity.
Set an intention for your walk, whether to meditate by concentrating on the sensations of your body, or to hold an intention or question in mind as you walk.
Walk silently from the outside of your labyrinth to the center, and back out again. Do not cut across layers in impatience to be “done” on the way out.
Questions for walking meditation:
Where do I find myself in the journey of life?
What dead ends have I stumbled upon? Did I face them with grace, frustration, hopelessness, urgency to be ‘done’ or to reach the next phase…?
What is my metaphoric “center”? How can I return to it?
What wisdom from my center can I bring outwards to the world beyond my self?
How can I connect with the energies of those who have walked this way before me? What can I share with those who will walk it after me? What common Spirit do we walk in service toward?
An important note about cultural appropriation
Image by Marten Kuilman. 1. Val Camonica, Northern-Italy; 2. Labyrinth in southern India; 3. Reconstruction of the crane-dance in the Trojaburg (stonelabyrinth); 4. Scandinavian stone labyrinth (according to O. Rudbeck, 1695).
Labyrinths have been used in many traditions around the world, and different cultures had different shapes and stories associated with their form of labyrinths. If you build your labyrinth in a specific pattern, be sure to do proper research on the meaning of that shape. If it was a shape traditional to your ancestors this can be a beautiful way to connect with ancestral heritage and ancient ways of knowing. If it was not a shape traditional to your ancestors, take extra care with your intentions and impact in building such a labyrinth.
For example, it would be tactless and harmful to build a labyrinth as decoration on your property in the shape of the Man in the Maze from the Tohono O'Odham, Hopi, & Pima (Native American) traditions, as a person of primarily European ancestry, incorrectly call it a medicine wheel, not give credit to its origin, and post photos of it on Instagram with the hashtag #bohovibes. Worse still, at a North American retreat center or place where you may profit from the use of land that was stolen.
Still not sure if this ritual is for you or how to do it in an appropriate and respectful way? Check out these 5 questions to help you avoid unintentional cultural appropriation from Ethnic Studies professor Kim Tran.