Revitalizing UU Women's Groups

Encountering the Chartres Labyrinth

by Barbara Kellett

Labyrinth is a word whose meaning is often misunderstood. A profound meditation tool, the labyrinth is circular and spiral, though not a maze. It has no false pathways or dead ends to confuse those who walk its winding course.

References to the labyrinth are common in historical records. Labyrinth patterns have been found in ancient cultures from all over the world, dating back 5,000 years. Labyrinths, or their remnants, have been identified in Peru, Arizona, Iceland, Crete, Egypt, India, Sweden, England, and France, among others. Why is there such interest in labyrinths now?

In the past, labyrinths were used for ceremonies and walking meditations. Medieval cathedrals often constructed labyrinths that were used as a form of pilgrimage. The center may have represented the end of the journey to Jerusalem for early labyrinth pilgrims. Many modern-day labyrinths are replicas of the complex labyrinth embedded in stone, in the floor of the Chartres Cathedral in France.

The Chartres Labyrinth is a grand forty-two feet across. There is evidence that it was first installed between 1194 and 1220. From the 5th to the 12th centuries, there was a school of philosophy at the cathedral. No one knows for sure, but some speculate that the pattern used for the Chartres labyrinth came from this school.

One way to walk a labyrinth is to enter it as myth or a “high story”—a metaphor for the twists and turns of one’s life journey. Some lives spiral uninterrupted toward the center. Others progress with many complexities of choice and consequence. Our goals may be clear and we may feel close to reaching them when something interferes and causes us to veer away. If we simply continue on, we will find our way.

For some, the twists and turns help to break up old patterns and habits in the body, mind, and spirit. The turns may suggest to our unconscious mind that it let go of its linear, analytical thinking, if only for awhile. It may suggest letting go of “clock” time and the adoption of “mythic” time. When we walk the labyrinth, we invite the brain into the world of creativity, insight, and possibly, the spiritual. We are in the midst of “high play.” To prepare us for this high play, it is sometimes helpful to experiment with draping fabrics, putting on costumes and masks, or playing instruments from around the world.

The labyrinth experience and its meaning have been shaped by metaphors. There are metaphors representing the elements: fire, earth, air, and water. The seven chakras may be represented by the seven turns in each quadrant. For some, labyrinths represent the point where the earth and the cosmos meet, as the place where inner and outer realities come together. For many, the labyrinth, as a walking meditation, is one way to quiet the mind and stop its internal chatter.

There are three classic stages to a walk through the labyrinth: the walk inward, the arrival at the center, and the walk out. Many people have described the walk inward as feeling very “heavy.” The inward walk may involve a deep purging, cleansing, releasing, and letting go. For example, one may empty out grief or resentment. In order to receive, you can not be too full.

The arrival at the center may be felt as an anchor, a touchstone, or a transition into something new. Sometimes a point of clarity or illumination is perceived. There may be a sense of having received something.

The walk out of the labyrinth may be a time for integrating or bringing together what has just been received. People often describe feeling lightness during the outward walk. The labyrinth pattern invites the death of the old so that something new can be born. You might say, “I know now what my next step will be.” We are reminded of T.S. Elliot’s words, “There is only the dance.”

The labyrinth is an apt spiritual tool for Unitarian Universalists. Because there are no images, we are free to create our own unique internal responses. It does not matter if you believe in a sacred dimension or not. Either way, you may benefit from walking the labyrinth.

Walking the labyrinth is a unique experience for each individual. Any experiences or reactions you have in relation to the labyrinth are valid. If you are skeptical, give yourself permission to have “nothing happen” when you walk the labyrinth. “Something” does not have to happen. However, you may want to walk the path with intention. Consider these possibilities:

You may want to enter the labyrinth with a question of discernment. What are your present struggles in life? How are you feeling stuck? Are you going around and around, following your own shadow? Are you feeling deep boredom? Or, are you overstimulated?
Perhaps you want to walk the labyrinth path as a form of prayer. You may think about what you need while asking for guidance or courage.
Or, you might want to enter the labyrinth in the spirit of co-creation with the sacred. Ask yourself these questions: “What am I here for? What is the meaning of my life? Is there a celebration waiting for me?”
Perhaps you need healing and you’re well aware that walking the labyrinth may stimulate painful images or memories. If they occur, go ahead and explore them in your imagination. If you wish, “re-do” the memories as you walk. Consider how you might have preferred the experiences to go.
Of course, you may decide not to think about anything in particular as you walk the labyrinth. Maybe this is the ultimate form of openness to the experience of walking the labyrinth. Let go of all efforts to control the experience and simply wait to see what happens or emerges.

It is not unusual for tears—of sadness, gratefulness, or the overflow of some other emotion—to come while walking the path. Nor is it unusual to be seized by a phrase or chant that may become a mantra. Dreams may emerge following a walk on the labyrinth. Whatever comes, embrace the mystery.

You may choose to walk, dance, or run through the labyrinth. Whatever you do, move at your own internal pace while remembering that you are in competition with no one. The goal is not to race to the center. There is no right or wrong way to move through the labyrinth.

If you lose your path along the labyrinth, do not worry. The labyrinth mirrors life in this way. Just hop back on anywhere and you will simply return to the center or the beginning. There may be a tendency for shame to rise up if you should get lost or disoriented on the labyrinth. Notice the feeling, then let it go!

As you reach the center, enter to the left. Keep moving to the left so that you can experience each direction and make room for newcomers. When you are in the center, try to open yourself to insight, love, and illumination. Notice who is there with you and, if possible, connect with them in some way.

There is significance to the fact that the path leading out of the labyrinth is the same path leading in to the center of the labyrinth. However, most walkers feel differently walking out than they felt walking in. You may meet others on your path; gently shift out of each other’s way. Observe your reaction to others on the path.

When you emerge from the labyrinth, you may want to draw or write about your journey. You may wish to play a musical instrument, continue walking, or to simply sit and reflect. Some walk on the curved lunations that encircle the edge of the labyrinth.

Presently, there is a labyrinth renaissance inspiring many to use this powerful spiritual tool that engages the body, mind, and spirit through its twists and turns. May you find your essence of source and center as you walk your journey using the labyrinth.

Barbara Kellett, M.Div., is a candidate for Unitarian Universalist ministry and a certified spiritual director. She offers workshops and retreats on a variety of topics. Since 1992, Barbara has guided thousands of people through their labyrinth journeys. She received labyrinth facilitator training from Reverend Dr. Lauren Artress, founder of Veriditas: The Worldwide Labyrinth Project at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.