Guide to the Labyrinth
A Pilgrim’s Journey
A labyrinth is an ancient tool for prayer and meditation, serving as a metaphor for our spiritual journey. The circular design became popular during the Middle Ages when Christians made vows to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to walk in the steps of Jesus. Since the Crusades made that trip to Jerusalem dangerous and expensive, cathedrals were designated as pilgrimage sites throughout Europe. Labyrinths were constructed at these cathedrals for pilgrims to use on their ‘spiritual journey’ to Jerusalem.
The circle symbolized the Circle of Life for these pilgrims. The twists and turns of the labyrinth mirrored the hardships of their daily lives. Labyrinths may consist of an eleven circuit path or a seven circuit path. Our labyrinth is a seven circuit path.
The concept of the labyrinth is an allegory of the Christian journey. There are three basic movements of the labyrinth path that connect the Scripture stories of the Exodus, Jesus passage into Jerusalem and the Disciples walk to Emmaus with the Catholic mystical tradition of the Three-Fold Mystical path.