Thursday, August 17, 2006

Walk a Labyrinth

Grace Chapel and Veriditas online Labyrinth

But you can also go here for the online Cathedral labyrinth experience. It is very different than Grace Chapel's labyrinth.

The Labyrinth is a pre-constructed path established using sacred geometry. People walk from the outer edge (the periphery) to the center, and then back to the outer edge. Unlike a maze, a labyrinth has no blind alleys or dead ends. It will not frustrate, because it is not a puzzle to be solved. You cannot get "lost" or make a mistake because there are no choices to be made once you have made the decision to start walking. By following the path you always end up either in the center of the labyrinth or back at the entrance.
There are three stages in a labyrinth walk. The first is purgation. During this stage the walker releases the worries of everyday life by winding on a set path toward the center. The second stage is illumination. This begins once the walker reaches the center. The center of the labyrinth is a place for meditation and prayer. The Third stage is union. It occurs during the walk out from the center. During this stage the walker reflects on what they've experienced. They also prepare to enter the outside world.
There are many variations which individuals will make to suit their spiritual needs as they walk the Labyrinth. For example, some will pause before walking to prepare their hearts and minds for the experience. Others will bring journals or Bibles to reflect upon once they reach the center.

"The profound experience it gives to the ones who walk in search ofhealing and nourishment. It may be called the power of grace, or simply thepsychological human experience which relieves anxiety and stress, butsomething happens when the heart of the one walking opens to the invisibleOne who walks next to him/her, as Jesus on the way to Emmaus"
Chanoine Francois Legaux, Rector, Chartres Cathedral, France

"The labyrinth allows us to offer up to God the reality of our lives, trusting in Godâs immense love and grace... The very life of Christian faith is a labyrinth -- full of unexpected turns and twists, requiring us to step forward in faith, confident that Christ -- our Way, our Truth, and our Life -- is at the center of the very universe and at the heart of our life in God." Marilyn Campbell

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I got that one in my email box a year or so ago. I wonder how we could recreate the experience of the original installation.(PS thanks for being so supportive over at my place)

see-through faith said...

loved this :) would like to hear of real experiences from people who have set up labrythinths and who have walked them do you have any links or suggestions?