Walking the Labyrinth

Labyrinths are ancient patterns which can be found all over the world.  Some people make a distinction between labyrinths and mazes, some don’t.  What’s the difference?  A labyrinth always takes one to the “end” or, usually, the center and then back to the beginning. There are no off shoots that are dead ends.  A maze, while similar, does have paths that are dead ends.  A maze usually has one beginning and one ending.

Labyrinths are old.  They have been found in Hopi culture and the Tohono O’odham Nation near Tucson, AZ.  The Tohono O’odham design includes a person at the entrance who is traveling through life, making many changes in direction, always changing, growing stronger and wiser, but always approaching death in the center.  They’ve also seen in ancient India petroglyphs and southern European rock carvings to name a few.

 We are most likely familiar with the older, 7 circuit and the Chartres labyrinths. In the Middle Ages, walking a labyrinth was to replace a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, a far more difficult and dangerous undertaking.  Some would walk the labyrinth on their knees. Labyrinths have been popular at various times in recent history.  The 1800’s saw high hedge garden shaped in both labyrinths and mazes.  They required a lot of upkeep and went out of fashion after WWI and WWII.

Where will you find a labyrinth? Some that I have walked include Immanuel Lutheran Church in Escanaba, MI.  It is right by the 4-lane highway, yet people walk it daily.  Another is in the gardens at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, also in Michigan.  Once, during our annual youth winter retreat in the Diocese of Northern Michigan, I walked out a simple 7 circuit labyrinth in the snow and then about 8-10 junior and senior high youth piled snow mounds to make it a labyrinth everyone there could walk.  People in the neighborhood continued to walk it for about 8 weeks, until the snow melted.

If there isn’t a labyrinth near you, you can download an app on both I-phone and android, including one that is the Chartres labyrinth complete with meditative music by searching labyrinth journey in your phone’s store. Your finger will walk the labyrinth. You can also go to the Labyrinth Locator at https://labyrinthlocator.com

Why walk a labyrinth?  Perhaps to centre oneself, to meditate, to be in the moment, to relax, if allowed, do yoga, calm anxiety, enhance creativity, and spiritual connection, to name just a few. 

This September Holy Wisdom Monastery in Middleton, Wisconsin held an Oblate retreat on Walking the Labyrinth. It also had a Zoom link. While those at the Monastery walked a labyrinth I walked a rather circutulous route about my backyard. I hope you enjoy this webpage.