Labyrinth Walk

What is a Labyrinth?

A labyrinth is a spiral path that will lead you to the centre and then back out again. One of the oldest contemplative and transformative tools known to humankind, labyrinths have been used for centuries for prayer, ritual, and personal and spiritual growth. They pick up a “sacred geometry” that seems to be encoded in the universe in patterns of water flow, flowers, pine cones, and the winding code of DNA. In the middle ages, labyrinths came to be incorporated into churches as a place of pilgrimage for those who were unable to make longer pilgrimages.

In contrast to mazes, there are no tricks or dead ends in a labyrinth. Among the many varieties of labyrinths is the eleven-circuit labyrinth built into the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France in the thirteenth century. All Saints’ labyrinth is the most common, the classical or Cretan design with seven circuits and seven turns. Notice the cross and the circle in the centre.

A revival of this ancient tool of meditation has been recently recovered by Christians of all denominations. Coming as it does from the early Church, the practice of walking is being shared ecumenically and joyfully.