PERSONAL NOTES

Please share your thoughts and/or personal labyrinth
experiences in my Guestbook.
(started 1/12/2000)




View My Guestbook

Sign My Guestbook


I have a personal canvass labyrinth that is loanable to local groups and churches (metro Atlanta).  For a rendering of this labyrinth and its demensions, please click here.


While in Costa Rica I came across the following scene.  Upon investigating the connection of the labyrinth image with this establishment, I was told that it is the aztec symbol for mother earth and thus has a natural connection to the work of the wildlife refuge.




I had a chance to visit the labyrinths at Chartres and Amiens, France,  in February, 1999, and was disappointed to find the labyrinth at Chartres covered with chairs and inaccessible to the public.  But, my disappointment was changed to joy when I found the labyrinth at Amiens open to the public.  So I walked it twice during my one day visit.  If you find yourself visiting Paris, I strongly recommend the one-hour train ride to Amiens to visit this Cathedral.  It is absolutely beautiful and the largest of the Gothic cathedrals. 

NOTE: during the summer of 2001, the labyrinth at Chartres was uncovered and available to the public on Fridays only.  I don't know if this is still true today.

The labyrinth at Amiens is the same pattern as the one at Chartres.  The main differences are: (1) the layout is octagonal instead of circular (in numerology the number eight represents transformation and rebirth), (2) the path walked is dark instead of light (the black path leads to the center), and (3) the center does not have a mystical connotation like the rose pedals at Chartres.

The image below was cropped from a postcard I bought in Amiens so it should not be copied for commercial purposes.



IMHO: (In My Humble Opinion)

Thought 1:

There are so many spiritual paths one can walk to discover the beauty and love of the Divine Spirit.  Each path can provide the viewer with a glimpse of the Creator's face, but the perspective will usually be limited to the direction from which one had arrived.

It's much like walking up to your best friend and looking at his/her face.  You'll observe only that side of the face from where you stand.  Does that one side give you the complete picture of your friend's facial features?  Of course not.  You have to walk around your friend and study the facial features from many or all sides before getting a complete picture of what your friend looks like.

For me, the same holds true for obtaining a greater comprehension of God's magnificence.  

I may have to be open-minded and walk (or at least understand) a number spiritual paths in order to discover the many features of our Creator's face and His gifts to this creation.  Even though the labyrinth is not a spiritual path in itself, walking it can help open one's heart to a universe of discovery.


Thought 2:

Where does the labyrinth fit into one's spiritual awareness?  Some people find the presence of the Divine Spirit in the sanctuaries of churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques.  Others may be able to commune with God while meandering in a grotto of trees or while gazing at nature from a sandy beach.  For me, I can experience God's healing graces while walking the winding paths of the labyrinth.


Thought 3:    

When walking in a forest, do you ever take the time to explore other paths branching off from the one you're walking?   Do you ever investigate the flowers and trees that are just beyond your view or do you keep your eyes and feet firmly on the one path you've chosen fearing the unknown?  

IMHO, God created all the spiritual paths in the forest of life and each of these paths have their own flowers and trees for us to discover God's magnificence whether we want to take the time to explore them or not...whether we want to investigate them or not...whether we want to acknowledge them or not.


Thought 4:    

I don't believe that the labyrinth in itself is a "sacred" symbol as the cross is in Christianity.  It is more like a spiritual "tool" than a symbol. The labyrinth helps one commune with the Divine Spirit in the same way stained glass windows or mallah beads or meditative prayers do.  

Much like a church building, the labyrinth becomes a sacred place through intention. For instance, if one's intention is to just get out of the rain, then a church becomes just a shelter.  Or, if one's intention is to keep from getting grass stains while picnicing, then a canvas labyrinth can become just a ground cloth.

IMHO what makes the church building and the labyrinth sacred is one's intention to create an environment that provides a safe harbor for communing with the Divine Spirit.