Seven Fountains

THE LABYRINTH

An Ancient Way of Prayer

The labyrinth goes back 5,000 years or more. Beginning in the Middle Ages, Christianity adopted the labyrinth as a symbol, changing the design to imbue it with specifically Christian meaning. For almost a thousand years there has been an identifiable Christian labyrinth tradition. This movement reached its peak at Chartres Cathedral, in France, with the installation of an elegant labyrinth into the nave floor in 1201 during the construction of the magnificent new Gothic structure.

The labyrinth incorporates many levels of symbolism within its sacred geometry, with its circularity and concentric circles.

In our modern world we have lost touch with our origins, our roots, even our true identity. The labyrinth is the bridge that connects us to these things, to a long-forgotten part of ourselves. That is why it touches people very deeply, often in a way they cannot verbalize, as the context itself is ancient.

One way of describing the journey of the labyrinth is to borrow the three steps of the spiritual life that was frequently used in the early Middle Ages:

1. Purgation :

Releasing and shedding as we walk towards the center

2. Illumination :

Resting in the center to receive inspiration

3. Union :

Returning to our lives with a new awareness

The labyrinth provides the sacred space where the inner and outer worlds can commune, where the thinking mind and imaginative heart can flow together. It can provide a space to listen to our inner voice of wisdom.

Pilgrimage is an outer journey with an inner purpose. It takes us away from the routine of daily life to sacred places where the veil seems thinner and spirituality more approachable. The labyrinth does this. It organizes our experience and engages us in spiritual travel.