Tag Archives: labyrinth

Labyrinth walks, like other walks, can have special themes or specific questions that one asks.  During this walk, I focused on the question “what is the next step for my life?”  I walked the labyrinth with a group of people as part of a training session with Lauren Artress.  This was an 11-circuit Chartres design labyrinth; in the center is a six petal “rose” pattern which symbolizes the six stages of planetary evolution (from left to right as you enter the center – mineral, vegetable, animal, human, angelic, unknown).  For this walk, each petal had a chair to sit in and at the very center of the rose was a water fountain.  Everything that happens while walking has significance.

Waiting in line to start the labyrinth, I was two people behind a man with a t-shirt with writing on the back (COME → PASSION, COME → UNITY, COMPASSION COMMUNITY) and feeling anxious that I would have this visual distraction throughout my walk.  Before entering, I saw that the lunar circles that envelop the labyrinth were small circular dedications – more visual distraction!  I saw one plaque – Tyler Owen Johnston 4/3/06 – 4/3/06 – and realized that his life had been only a few short moments – he had not really lived.  And I thought – that’s it, I have not lived yet! – and this enveloped me in sadness.  I thought of people who die with their music still in them – music that had never been played for the world, for others.

I wanted to walk in bare feet, but the weather was borderline chilly so I decided not to (but thought of my most recent High Priestess tarot card and how she was so very naked).  The labyrinth was a bumpy paver stone surface (not as smooth as I would have wanted to go barefoot).  I chuckled at “paver” as in paving the way.  Moss covered many of the stones, and I thought how moss grows on objects that are stagnant, in the shade.  I started walking and asked my question.

As I encountered people I faced towards them in passing - I thought it was because of a conscious choice, then realized it was  most comfortable for me.  When passing people and on turns I found my legs walking in side-step as if on ice skates and elegantly gliding around objects or corners – it felt smooth and natural and right.

Halfway in I wondered if I had lost my path - stepping off the path for people headed out to pass and not picking up where I had left off – but that didn’t happen.  I was excited to see this when I reached the center.  A few steps before the center I thought, I want to sit in the “universal energy” (unknown) chair but my thoughts fired back “there will only be one chair open, and you need to sit in it.”

At the center only the first chair on the left (mineral – the simplest form of the six leaves) was open.  I chuckled - I wanted the highest/best and got the lowest/worst which said a lot for my ego’s frequent “being better than others” thinking.  Sitting there I thought of all of the visual distractions (t-shirt, plaques) and aural distractions (water fountain, music, leaf blower, siren, car alarm) and knew that this was it – getting people to shut these out of their lives for a period of time.  Halfway into the labyrinth, I was no longer conscious of these.  Sitting in the “stupid” chair I realized that to do what I needed in the world I had to keep it simple, stupid (KISS).  I remembered times I heard this from my staff.  In this context, stupid was okay – it meant simple.  My eyes filled with tears; my nose was running (just like my very first labyrinth walk).  I am not “clogged” on the labyrinth, in the presence of spirit.

On the way out, I realized if I tried to stay on the path by focusing on who was ahead of me that I would get tangled – they were constantly stepping off the path or cutting corners.  I saw one person walking barefoot – one step closer to communing with nature!  Two women wore long sweater coats with wonderful artsy designs – what wonderful style!  Several women wore clogs - my kind of comfortable, easy-going people!

I dont’ recall any physical discomforts while walking except on the way in my hands were cold so I had them in my sweatshirt pockets.  On the way out they were warm so I had them relaxed at my side.  About a third of the way out I realized my reading glasses were on my head (thinking!) and uncomfortable, so I took them off, chuckled, and put them in my pocket.  After leaving the labyrinth it was important for me to sit and journal where I could see the labyrinth while sitting fully in the sun.

Meditation walks are always rich with metaphors!