People often confuse Mazes and Labyrinths, but they are actually complete opposites.
A maze is designed to confuse you, trap you, and even kill you. A labyrinth, on the other hand, is designed to comfort you, lead you to your goal, and then set you free.
You may remember the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. In that story, a monster called a Minotaur is placed in a maze and eats young people who get lost in the maze’s intricacies. Theseus ties a string to the door of the maze, and unfurls the string as he seeks out and slays the Minotaur. He then uses the string to retrace his steps to the maze’s entrance.
You might be familiar with corn mazes or mazes made from hedges. You may remember Jack Nicholson and the maze in the film, The Shining. In every maze a key concept is that you can’t immediately see or find your way out.
A Labyrinth is very different. First it is usually installed at ground level so that you can always see exactly where you are and where your goal lies. And even though labyrinths come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, there is usually only one way in and one way out. The classic example is the labyrinth that was constructed in the floor at Chartres Cathedral in the early 1200’s. A quick glance seems to show a series of 11 concentric rings with an open area at the center. But that initial look is deceptive.
I remember the first time I walked a labyrinth. It was at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico. The labyrinth there resembled the one at Chartres but was constructed from dirt and small stones and sat at the base of a beautiful mesa.
I had read about labyrinths and had allotted myself about half an hour to walk the one at Ghost Ranch. As I entered it, my first steps around a ring took me to the edge of the labyrinth’s core. I thought, “This is nothing. I’ll be done walking in 5 minutes.”
As I continued walking, I suddenly found myself almost back at the entrance. My footsteps then led me back and forth, nearer my goal, then farther away. I laughed out loud as I had a sudden epiphany: walking the labyrinth perfectly mirrored life’s spiritual journey.
The twists and turns (finding yourself on the verge of the goal and a moment later back at the starting point) is much like the struggles and setbacks in our efforts to reach spiritual fulfillment. But if we trust the labyrinth we can be assured of reaching the goal. And because there is usually only one way to the center and one way out, the labyrinth reminds us that once we reach a point of spiritual accomplishment, there is nothing left but to retrace our steps to the beginning of our journey and help others reach THEIR spiritual goals.
Labyrinths can be found in many communities. There are perhaps a dozen or more in the Louisville area. But you can buy hand held labyrinths that can be “walked” with your finger or a stylus. It is possible-and even easy-to draw a simple labyrinth on a piece of paper.
For more information about labyrinths visithttp://www.veriditas.org/
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