For those of Pagan faith, prayer can be an interesting conundrum. Many of us are spiritual refugees from oppressive and intolerant religious paths, which means that some of the religious structures we learned while in those faith traditions have too many bad memories attached to them to use them. This includes prayer forms – I know very few Pagans who kneel to pray or place palm to palm at their heart. As a result, many of us explore different styles of communion with the divine. One spiritual connection form many of us find resonant is labyrinth walking.
In modern labyrinth walking terminology, a labyrinth is a single path that winds back and forth from an entry point to the center of a pattern. Unlike a maze that includes dead ends and decision points, a labyrinth is just one route both to the center of the pattern and then back out of it. Labyrinths are not designed to confuse or mislead a walker. To make your way to the center of a labyrinth, simply walk on the path between the lines (often bricks, stones, or paint) and follow your feet.
Labyrinths are truly ancient – the oldest carvings and representations of them date back more than four thousand years. They have been found on every continent other than Antarctica and large, walkable labyrinths start appearing in the historical record in the 12th century. This shared pattern transcends faith path and culture, and seems to be one of the few examples of a spiritual tool that humans find helpful across the world and throughout time. Continue reading…
