About the Labyrinth
The path winds around and doubles back on itself, becoming a mirror for where we are in our lives; it touches our sorrows and releases our joys. The pathway in and the pathway out are the same; only the pilgrim has changed in the process.
One way of understanding the labyrinth is as an image of the Three-Fold Mystical Path--Purgation, Illumination, and Union.
Purgation, the first stage, is the journey into the center. As we begin the journey, we try to let go of our anger, self-pity, judgmentalism--those things that cut us off from the Divine.
Illumination, the second stage, occurs when we reach the center. There, empty and cleansed, we wait with an open heart and an open mind to receive whatever the Spirit has for us. It may be a sudden insight, or simply a feeling of quiet peacefulness.
Union, the third stage, is the journey outward, following the same path by which we entered. Now we integrate our experience and move out into the world with renewed energy and strength to do the work to which we have been called.
Walking the labyrinth is a kind of body prayer that quiets the chattering of the mind so that the spirit can be more receptive.
Click here for a picture of the Labyrinth
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