Introduction
Sacred Labyrinths
Written by Christine Breese, D.D., Ph.D.
Usually,
labyrinths are made of mosaic tile, or by laying bricks or stones in certain
patterns in the floor. Other labyrinths have been created outdoors, are
quite movable, and can be made with mounds of earth, walls of stone, and
even shrubbery. Labyrinths are typically used in a meditative fashion
in spiritual practices, and they are different than a maze, with a different
purpose. This will be discussed shortly.
A workshop facilitator named Dr. Lauren Artress says in her book Walking
A Sacred Path: Rediscovering The Labyrinth As A Spiritual Tool (1995),
“The labyrinth is not just a symbol for pilgrimage—we were
providing sacred space for anyone seeking transformation. We were providing
a destination for modern pilgrims… labyrinths spur divine imprint.
They are universal patterns most likely created in the realm of the collective
unconscious, birthed through the human psyche and passed down through
the ages. The labyrinths are mysterious because we do not know the origin
of their design, or exactly how they provide a space that allows clarity.”
Artress is a reverend at San Francisco's grace cathedral and is also the
founder of Quest: Grace Cathedral Center for Spiritual Wholeness. She
also created the Labyrinth Project. She leads labyrinth workshops nationwide.
She is also a licensed psychotherapist in San Francisco. Her book explores
the ancient labyrinth, a walking meditation that transcends the limits.
The labyrinth design, laid in the floor of the Chartres cathedral in the
12th century, is a prominent archetype in the consciousness of human beings.
The book explores the historical origins of this divine imprint and assures
stories of modern-day seekers who use the labyrinth to gain spiritual
growth. Artress goes on to say, “Long forgotten, sometimes feared,
it [the labyrinth] has been lying dormant in the archives of the Christian
mystical tradition under centuries of dust. The creative intelligence
which gave us the labyrinth understood the mystery behind human existence...”
Labyrinths can be found in almost every religious tradition around the
world. The Kabbalah, or Tree Of Life in the Jewish tradition, is an even,
elongated labyrinth based on the Number 11. The Hopi medicine wheel is
based on the Number 4. Tape and sand paintings are Mandalas, which are
a kind of labyrinth created for meditation. Labyrinths have been known
to the human race for more than 4000 years. The Cretan Labyrinth, or the
classical Seven-Circuit Labyrinth, is the oldest known labyrinth. The
oldest surviving labyrinth is found in Sardinia at Luzzanas, and dates
somewhere between 2500 - 2000 B.C.
Coins in Crete carry the symbol of a labyrinth. Pottery and other artifacts
in many ancient civilizations were imprinted with a labyrinth-like design.
The earliest surviving labyrinth design on a ceramic vessel was found
at Tell Rifa’at in Syria (circa 1300 B.C.). An inscribed clay tablet
was found at Pylos, Pelopnnisos, Greece (circa 1200 B.C.) A giant labyrinth
built at Fayum in Egypt by King Amenemhet III approximately 1800 B.C.,
might possibly be the first labyrinth ever constructed that could actually
be walked through. The person believed to have coined the term “labyrinth”
is Herodotus (484 B.C.).
There is conflict in literature showing that some believed that labyrinths
have never been used for more than decorations and others that say they
are integral to religious practices. There is no solid proof that labyrinths
were walked in medieval times in particular, but before and after that
they were. However, labyrinths are most definitely an early form of sacred
geometry. Dr. Lauren Artress says in her book Walking A Sacred Path: Rediscovering
The Labyrinth As A Spiritual Tool (1995), “Sacred geometry is based
on ancient, sacred knowledge that was articulated in architectural forms.
It is lost art that developed a balanced and serene climate for the human
psyche and soul... This leaves the mind open to other levels of awareness.
The Gothic cathedrals of Europe were all created according to methods
of applied sacred geometry... This geometry is now, for the most part,
a lost body of knowledge… Sacred geometry was once considered a
divine art, and master builders and masons were held in high esteem.”
Plato was a theorist on sacred geometry, and Pythagoras developed the
actual measurements and equations necessary, although Pythagorean geometry
is based on whole numbers and does not use a 0. Around the eighth century,
zero came into use but was rejected up until that point because it undermined
the idea of unity that the number 1 represented. Once zero was finally
accepted, the Pythagorean system was lost.
The labyrinth is a maze with a circular design pathway. The spiral circle
leads to a spiritual passageway to the center known as walking the sacred
path. This meditation walk is an ancient ritual that helps guide one to
transcend into awareness.