Our Labyrinth

You are invited to walk the labyrinth at St. Thomas. The labyrinth we are using is a model of the one at Chartres Cathedral in Paris, which is the oldest intact labyrinth still in use, having been constructed in the 13^th century.

The labyrinth is an archetype, a divine imprint, found in all religious traditions in various forms around the world. By walking a replica of the Chartres Cathedral around 1220, we are rediscovering a long-forgotten mystical tradition that is insisting to be reborn.

This labyrinth has only one path, so there are no tricks to it and no dead ends. The path winds throughout and becomes a mirror for where we are in our lives; it touches our sorrows and releases our joys. Walk it with an open mind and an open heart.

There are three stages of the walk:

Purgation: a releasing, a letting go, of the details of your life. This is an act of shedding thoughts and emotions. It quiets and empties the mind.

Illumination: is when you reach the center. Stay there as long as you like. It is a place of meditation and prayer. Receive what is there for you to receive.

Union: which is joining God, your Higher Power, or healing forces at work in the world. Each time you walk the labyrinth, you become more empowered to find and do the work for which you feel your soul reaching.

Guidelines for the walk:

Clear your mind, and become aware of your breath. Allow yourself to find the pace your body wants to go. You may “pass” people, or let others step around you, whichever is easiest at the turns. The path is two ways. Those going in will meet those coming out. Do what feels natural.

With thanks to Veriditas Labyrinth Project at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco www.gracecathedral.org/labyrinth/

From Walking a Sacred Path by the Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress