A STUDY BY TORSTEN SCHWANKE
CHAPTER I
Labyrinths are symbols for the path of life. I just have to walk the path, entrust myself to it and not give up. Like the phases in life, it goes back and forth, forwards and backwards, inwards and outwards, until finally the mysterious centre lies before my feet. There I linger, I enjoy, I deepen myself, I draw strength before I turn around and take the long winding path out into everyday life under my feet again.
A meditative guide to understanding and walking the labyrinth.
AS IN THE LABYRINTH - SO IN LIFE
There is a beginning and an end
There is always a way
I want to walk the path until I reach the goal
I do not want to give up
I can always start again
That's how I reach my goal
Love is the thread of Ariadne
Love is the way and the goal
Jesus says:
I am the way,
the truth
and the life.
AS IN THE LABYRINTH - SO IN LIFE
2. Aids for walking the labyrinth
The labyrinth is an powerful space full of spiritual and mystical traditions.
The labyrinth reveals its spiritual power when walked.
The path leads to the centre and out again to new life.
The three stages of the path:
Entering: Cast off - let go of what weighs you down - come to rest - entrust yourself to the path - enter the centre - find the source.
To rest: to stay in the centre - to meditate - to pray - to receive - to draw new strength - to find yourself - to find God.
Going out: learning to understand the path - gaining clarity - drawing new strength - going out to meet life - being able to meet your neighbour - taking life in your hands.
3. Spiritual message of the labyrinth:
Labyrinths are:
Entrance that points to new stages of life
Helpers in the search for one's own centre
Places of self-encounter and self-discovery
A way to reach one's goal via detours
A school of slowness and patience
Places to turn and change
As energy centres they give energy
4. Personal guidance for walking
A labyrinth has to do with my inner path, which everyone seeks within themselves and everyone can find if they only walk it. When I walk the labyrinth, I make the experience:
AS IN THE LABYRINTH - SO IN LIFE
I set out on the path.
I consciously take my first steps into the labyrinth.
I take my life experience, my path experiences with me.
Of paths I have walked, of paths I have not walked.
Of paths that I no longer wanted to take.
Of crossroads where I didn't know which way to go.
An important distinction.
A labyrinth is not a maze - not a wrong way.
In a maze there are many possible paths, but not all of them lead to the destination.
The maze is a synonym for the trap.
I can get lost and go astray, come to dead ends and not know where to go.
In the maze, there is a constant need to turn around, to choose a new path and decide on a different direction.
The maze is thus a symbol for the possibility and necessity of decision, of either/or (Kiergegaard) and the grace of a new beginning in life.
I can also reach my destination in and through the maze.
Here too:
AS IN THE MAZE - SO IN LIFE
In the classical labyrinth - in the basic form of Chartres - there is always only one way.
A beginning - a centre - an end.
I only have to walk the path. I must not give up.
I may let myself be led by the path and entrust myself to the path.
It goes like a pendulum - back and forth - up and down.
It goes left - it goes right - again and again.
To the left is the death track - west into darkness - counter-sun - where the sun sets.
To the right is the life track - the love track - to the east - co-sun - to the light where the sun rises.
I turn to the left. I turn to the right.
To turn also means to change.
On the way the transformations happen - when I set out.
AS IN THE LABYRINTH - SO IN LIFE
I come to the centre on my way.
I think - finally I have reached my goal - the goal of my hopes and wishes. But what a disappointment!
I realise - I am getting away from the goal again. I am thrown back.
I have to start all over again.
I have to start all over again in life. I am allowed to start anew every day.
Only if I go on, I will reach my goal. Only if I go on living, I do stay alive.
I stand before the centre.
In the labyrinth, this is the place of confrontation.
I encounter myself - I encounter my shadow - my joy and my pain, my hope and my fear.
In the story of the labyrinth, the centre is always the place where the dark, the demonic, lurks for me.
In the Greek myth, it is the Minotaur that Theseus encounters.
The Minotaur - that is the demonic, the dark in my life.
That which frightens me - that which makes me sick. That which devours me - and wants to take my life.
It is death that wants to kill me.
Theseus fights against death - he fights for his life. He fights with the weapons that his beloved Ariadne has given him. A consecrated sword and a red thread - the red thread of love - are the weapons with which one can defeat evil and find one's way back to life.
In the Christian labyrinth, which was installed in many churches in the Middle Ages at the latest, Jesus Christ is the centre. The sign of the cross is the basic structure of the labyrinth.
Jesus Christ says of himself:
I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE!
Ego sum via, veritas et vita!“
I can't stay in the labyrinth, I want to get out again.
I want to go back to life. To the light.
A turn, a revolution is necessary.
The so-called life turn shows me the new direction:
always from death to life - from darkness to light - from inner chaos to inner harmony - from inner discord to peace of heart.
5. Labyrinths in literature
He who walks finds his way,
The road of life;
A path of everyday routine?
A shortcut to mediocre trivia?
Dead end of constant failure?
Labyrinth of ultimate hopelessness?
Being on the way, always on the way,
Looking for practicable ways, going new ways
And being able to turn back
If one has lost one's way.
Looking for companions,
People who will walk with you.
And know that God is at your side!
The course of man's life is like a wrong way,
A child errs through simplicity, a wise man through desire,
The error of man's years is a delusion false set,
The gleaming ore of avarice, the strange ornament of lechery.
All vice is absent, and falls from the remedy,
Seeks a way out to his own destruction,
Not the hundredth knows his way to the grave,
He may know the need, but not the way to die.
But he who goes astray through the building sensibly,
Will find his salvation's way, the truth's guide.
The labyrinth has a gate that is crooked and difficult to access: how far you have to run if you want to hurry from the outside to the inside, so far it leads you again through the narrow winding paths from the inside to the depth of the exit; with its paths to the outside it bewitches you day after day and mockingly plays its game with you with the twists and turns of vain hope like a dream with its empty visions, until the director Time melts away and the labyrinth is no more. The director Time melts away and, alas, dark death receives you and gives you no more possibility of reaching the exit.
Stop! Where are you running?
Heaven is within you!
If you look for God elsewhere,
You miss him forever!
If we knew that the world is a labyrinth, we would know that there is a centre. It doesn't matter whether something terrible like the Minotaur or something Divine dwells there. But there would be a centre. If, on the other hand, we assume that the world is chaos, then we would be truly lost.
It is the Minotaur that completely justifies the existence of the labyrinth.
The library is a labyrinth? The library is a great labyrinth, sign of the labyrinth of the world. If you enter, you do not know how to get out. One should not touch the pillars of Hercules.
The labyrinth is a deceitful maze, so the world is full of cunning and error. In the midst of the labyrinth was the cruel Minotaur, the child of sin; in the midst of the world is the enemy of God and man. The thread leads through the maze without deceit; through the world God's Word leads rightly. Woe to those who deviate from this guide! The labyrinth has passed away after Theseus chivalrously overthrew the monster and married the beautiful Ariadne... Thus the world must pass away with its lust and our unwillingness. Therefore we pray that this may soon happen, that God may powerfully deliver us from evil and all ills, lead us gently and joyfully into the heavenly wedding house and crown us there with the eternal crown of stars!
CHAPTER II
The Labyrinth as a Symbol in Christianity
Origin and meaning
In the Christian context, the symbol of the labyrinth can be interpreted as a path to contemplation on which man can reflect on his life. Those who want to experience themselves, the meaning of life and God, must also be prepared to tread this path with all its twists and turns and its unknown length. The many bends and turns can be understood as a mirror of one's own life twists and turns. In the Christian representation of the labyrinth, as expressed especially in the Gothic period, the cross is at the centre and runs through everything. Thus the path is touched and carried everywhere by the cross.
The one who makes it to the centre of the labyrinth must change his direction there. In this way, the labyrinth is an image of the basic hope of Christianity: The one who is ready and does not give up may turn around in his labyrinthine life, start anew and finally rise from the dead!
The symbol of the labyrinth is one of the oldest of mankind and can be found carved and engraved on stones, rock inscriptions and vessels that are thousands of years old. The symbol of the labyrinth also found its way into Christianity early on.
There are numerous depictions of labyrinths in old manuscripts and Christian architecture (especially in Gothic cathedrals) also bears witness to this. The most famous labyrinth is certainly the one in Chartres Cathedral.
The oldest Christian labyrinth is the one in the Reparatus Basilica in Algeria, built in 324 AD. It is embedded in the floor as a floor mosaic.
CHAPTER III
The spiritual dimension and significance of the labyrinth in the present day.
In this day and age, when humanity is growing ever closer together, when means of communication and media enable people all over the world to be in contact with others at any time, in any place, and to be informed about events even in the furthest corners of the earth, in this age people are increasingly beginning to search for themselves, their centre, their own self.
Especially today, in a world where "everything seems doable", people are hungry for spiritual experiences. In a life that seems largely determined by the outside world, they long for rituals that bring them back into contact with themselves. And people of faith in particular feel that apart from the material, technically structured world, there is still a mystical realm that needs to be discovered and that can bring them into contact with the divine power within themselves: „The pious person of tomorrow will be a mystic, one who has experienced something, or he will no longer be.“ (Karl Rahner)
Like hardly anything else, walking through a labyrinth is suitable for letting people experience their own innermost core bodily and sensually and to discover within themselves the divine spark that we all carry within us since we were conceived.
„In your book all things were already recorded, my days were already formed when none of them were there.“ - People can experience this Psalm (Ps 139) in the flesh as they walk through the labyrinth: the path, my path is already there, the only task I have is to walk it, trusting that in the end, despite all the twists and turns and initially incomprehensible directions, I will reach the goal of my life.
The Second Vatican Council coined the phrase: „The People of God on the way“. The journey of the Church and of each individual Christian is a pilgrimage. It is on this journey that encounters with God take place. On this journey, Christians are called to be and to become witnesses of the Good News.
Nothing is more suitable for sensually feeling this pilgrimage than a labyrinth, which the faithful also experienced during the Middle Ages in the Gothic cathedrals.
The labyrinth does not ask the question:
Are you walking right?
The labyrinth asks the question:
Are you walking?
Experiences with the labyrinth
In the beginning, some participants needed repeated encouragement to set out and overcome the fear of losing their way. Reassurance that no prior knowledge is needed to walk is also important. Those who set out on the path discover with joy, emotion or amazement how much the labyrinth tells them about themselves and their relationships. It is particularly often mentioned that a great power emanates from the labyrinth. The labyrinth makes very old strings sound, it seems to me like an archetype. Especially the impressions and experiences on the body level, which are hardly if at all possible in normal church services, have a long lasting effect.
Spiritual dimension of the labyrinth
WALKING A SACRED PATH
We are not human beings on a spiritual path,
But spiritual beings on a human path.
I have often wondered how it is possible that a few intricately drawn lines can exert such a fascination. How magically people are attracted when they see a labyrinth. Even if there is sometimes a certain shyness about what one is getting into, many are surprised when they do get into the labyrinth. This surprise often has to do with the fact that the questions posed by the labyrinth are so exciting and can be very personally touching. Is there a centre in my life, a goal around which my paths revolve? Is this path really so long? What do the twists and turns mean? Can I really not get lost? When do I reach the centre, and what should be yours there? Do I have to go back again? The encounter with the labyrinth often triggers an intense confrontation with oneself and others. Symbols are fascinating because questions often coincide with answers. Experiencing a labyrinth can lead to insights that one did not expect so clearly. This can go so far that someone says, „Now I understand my life.“ The labyrinth seems to be an image that is within us, like a map for the journey to ourselves. If we look at this picture or walk it, it acts like a mirror. Suddenly we see the twists and turns and paths of our soul and our life. We look into this mirror and see how and why something happened this way or that way, what meaning it has and in what contexts it stands. I have met a surprising number of people who have said, „Never before has my whole life spread out before me like this.“ Symbols in general and the labyrinth in particular are like doors, doors between inside and outside, between the conscious and the unconscious. Of course, not every labyrinth involves a revelation. Sometimes it is nothing more than a fun game or just a diverting moment. But our inner being, our soul, the voice of the heart and also God himself have an infinite amount to say to us and often wish us to listen more closely. Every labyrinth is always an invitation to listen to these voices.
For many, the twists and turns and detours of the labyrinth may reflect the atmosphere of confusion and perplexity of the people in our communities. Thus, especially in these times, the labyrinth can be a sensual sign to trust in God's ways and to engage in them completely, to follow the twists and turns, as confusing as they may be, and to trust that the goal, the centre, will be reached in the end.
The path to the centre is never straight,
But always clear.
The path to the centre of the labyrinth is long. Even if it is only a small labyrinth, it always takes an unexpectedly long time to reach the centre. Everyone has this experience: something seems to be right in front of you, but reaching it takes a long time. You see the destination, but you don't see the twists and turns. The labyrinth puts a simple life lesson into our hearts about this. If you really want to reach the goal, don't let the twists and turns get in your way and don't give up too soon. Everything that is precious also takes time. Don't be frightened by the turns and don't freeze in them, because otherwise you won't get anywhere. Every turn is always a necessary part of the path that has to be walked around in order to stay on the continuous track. We all appreciate the straight path where everything remains as it was. But life is different, it turns and it converts us.
CHAPTER IV
Bettina von Arnim wrote: „Find yourself, be true to yourself, learn to understand yourself, follow your voice, only in this way can you reach the highest.“ Christian spirituality has always been the way into the inner man, where we also find God.
We invite you to trace the labyrinth within yourself through meditative dance, the meditation of the last farewell and the prayer of the Psalms.
Standing upright, feet fully connected to the earth beneath me. My hands open, stretching out to all sides or connected to the people in the circle. In this way I can feel deeply into my centre and find it to be a place of warmth, safety and strength. In the meditative, sacred dance we search for our centre through movement, let ourselves be touched in the common dance.
Meditating on my last farewell, picturing it in my mind's eye. This helps me to understand my present life. Who will be there, and how do I personally want this farewell to be shaped? An unusual meditation on death.
Praise and thanksgiving, lament and petition - the Psalms are prayers with which generations of people have brought life in all its diversity before God. Those who pray the Psalms also place themselves in the great community of believers.
God, teach me to be silent.
There is so much noise inside me.
My thoughts are so confused
From the restlessness of the day.
Images beset me,
News, opinions,
Arguments,
Experiences and desires.
They challenge me, they seize me,
They scatter my strength.
God, teach me to gain distance
From myself and from the things
That seem important to me.
God, give me strength to concentrate.
I close my eyes.
I breathe the silence
Into myself.
I go far away from myself.
In your silence
I find myself again.
There I am yours.
CHAPTER V
Labyrinths are ancient symbols that have accompanied people on their way through life since time immemorial. In many twists and turns, the path reliably leads to the centre and back again to the exit. Once trodden, the question inevitably arises as to what really is, the meaning and goal of life.
Understood in this way, this path is above all a spiritual one: what and how is my centre from which I live?
This is probably why we find floor labyrinths in many churches, especially those of the Middle Ages.
Especially at Easter time, the transformation of life, death, and resurrection was solemnly celebrated in them (one of the most famous examples is Chartre).
Today, churches in many places are taking up this tradition again. Thus, often planted or paved labyrinths in church squares or parish gardens invite people to pause in the midst of everyday life.
In the idyllic setting of a landscaped park, it can become a place of encounter that transcends boundaries. Here, people of all ages - regardless of cultural, ideological or social background - can have the opportunity for a deep spiritual experience:
On my way through life I can never get lost!
At this place, nature as God's creation can be experienced again and again in all its mutability of becoming, passing and new beginnings - at any time of the day and through all seasons.
This place invites us to celebrate life anew again and again.
CHAPTER VI
At every turn of time, the labyrinth recalls itself as if it wanted to offer itself for reorientation, for reflection on ancient laws of life, a sign of diversity and limitation.
The young people of the church used the famous labyrinth of Chartres Cathedral as a model, which they found in a replica during one of their visits to Münsterschwarzach. The labyrinth in the Christian sense - not to be confused with the maze of antiquity - knows only one path. It symbolises the path of life of the faithful, which ends in the centre at the cross - i.e. in the promise of salvation. However, the path there is not direct and straightforward, many twists and turns have to be negotiated, just as in real life. In the labyrinths of the Middle Ages, it was common practice to meditate and say prayers while walking through the labyrinth.