Written by Ruth Starr
Posted in Spirituality

    Labyrinths usually cover a large circular area or a square. Many are made with rocks on each side of the path where you walk. To construct a labyrinth, an area of ground that measures about 45 feet by 45 feet is needed for paths that are approximately 36 inches wide. The amount of actual space required depends upon how wide you want the paths to be. The paths need to be wide enough to allow people going in opposite directions on the path to pass each other but not so wide as to avoid each other.
    The labyrinth uses a 12th-century ritual for our modern time. Its path takes you on a symbolic journey, creating space to unwind and think. Many people use it to contemplate our relationships with one another, our planet, a higher power and ourselves. There is only one correct path, so once you begin you will be led to the center without any problem. The path in a labyrinth is unicursal; the way in is the way out. It leads you on a circuitous path to the center and out again. The Labyrinth has often been confused with a maze, but it is not. A maze may have twists and turns and lead you to places that are dead ends. Labyrinths are believed to have served as traps for evil spirits or as paths for ritual dances. It may have symbolized a path to God in medieval times.
    A labyrinth is a place for spiritual journeys. It's for anyone who would like to go beyond the surface in life and contemplate something deeper. It is designed for young and old alike and can provide a mixture of rituals and visuals. There may be words, symbols, and music to help guide the spiritual traveler. At its most basic level the labyrinth is a metaphor for the journey to the center of your deepest self and back out into the world with a broadened understanding of who you are.    
    A more contemporary version could include music, meditation, art, media, and symbolic activities at intervals along the path. People could walk the Labyrinth with a CD player and headphones, in their own way and at their own pace. The different tracks on the CD might contain meditations, instructions, and music that would relate to a certain part of the labyrinth.
    There are three stages to the path in the Labyrinth: the 'inward' journey, the center, and the 'outward' journey. The 'inward' journey is letting go of things that are blocking wholeness in a person’s life. When someone reaches the center of the Labyrinth, the space and time could be used for meditative prayer and peace. The 'outward' journey can be looked at as a relationship with ourselves and with others. This Labyrinth journey can be thought of as symbolic forms of pilgrimage for people who cannot afford to travel to holy sites and lands. In time, the religious significance of labyrinths gradually dimmed, and people walked them for entertainment; however, recently their spiritual aspect has seen resurgence.
    Churches and parks have many newly made labyrinths. They are used a lot by present day seekers to help achieve a contemplative state. While people walk among the paths, they can lose track of direction and of the outside world and the mind becomes quiet. Labyrinths were a feature of many medieval cathedrals; one of the best remaining examples is found in Chartres Cathedral in northern France. The Labyrinth Society provides a locator for modern labyrinths all over the world.
    Some of the labyrinths in this area are:
    St. Paul's Episcopal Church 2700 Eton Road Cambria
    Across the street from Sycamore Mineral Springs in Avila
    St Mark's Church - Los Olivos
There is an on-line labyrinth if you would like to try it: www.labyrinth.org.uk.
Ruth Starr Ruth Starr has lived in SLO since 1995. She has written many stories that have been published, is an eclectic artist and volunteers for the SLO Animal Shelter from which she adopted her two dogs.