(One Person's) Labyrinth meaning
April 9, 2023 - Sunrise: 7:04am
Homily by Greg Sudmeier
Welcome to our Interfaith at Serenbe’e annual silent Easter Sunrise and Labyrinth Walk!
We thank everyone who helped make the silent Sunrise portion of the morning so wonderful, Lee Foster, and the members of the Ukeladies and the Serenbe Singers, and we are so glad you braved the early chill of the morning to join us today.
So you are aware, in the western culture the use of candles is most typically associated with a certain specific religious practice. However, people from all faith traditions can all be comfortable with the practice of using candles knowing that their use predates by many centuries the standard orthodox religious interpretations.
The use of candles and oil lamps for spiritual traditions began in the ancient Sumerian, Egyptian, Hebrew and Asian cultures. Here today candles have also been a staple of the Interfaith Easter Sunrise because of the essence of the esoteric meaning of the “light within,” our “divine spark” welcoming the Sun.
It is actually an ancient grand metaphorical tradition of the raising, or resurrection, of the internal holy energy in everyone, from our hidden root chakra to the great opening of the Crown chakra that brings the light of all wisdom. With our one small candle we honor the immenseness of our spiritual source.
Also, the candle tradition does not negate the inherent holiness of darkness, as, since the very beginning of the universe, the darkness has been blessed and honored because it brings forth, or births the light. This is also a very good reason to practice the tradition of using candlelight in a wide variety of spiritual celebrations in all faiths. It is truly a very meaningful Interfaith connection.
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For the second portion of this morning’s celebration, let’s all walk over to the Labyrinth for our Easter homily and Labyrinth walk.
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At the Labyrinth
Now comes our second portion of our annual Interfaith Easter celebration - the Labyrinth walk. I have prepared an homily to help illuminate the deep meaning of what a Labyrinth is and a way to use it that can increase the benefits of walking the path.
Historically, the use of a Labyrinth dates back to ancient times and cultures, and is different from a maze, which is meant to cause the walker to solve the external puzzle of direction. A maze also teaches its own important truths, but it is not a Labyrinth.
In contrast, a Labyrinth is a unicursal or singular path, also called a “meander,” which guides the walker along a single winding path of enlightenment.
Our Labyrinth is a direct replica of the one in the Cathedral at Chartre, France, the largest one in Europe, which was aided in design by the Knights Templar, who carried and protected the ancient philosophical-spiritual teachings of sacred Geometry that originated in Kemet (or Egypt) and still nourish the world today. They purposely included the Labyrinth floor in a cathedral rebuilding between 1194 and 1220 as a connection to the ancient truths about the spirit because the original cathedral in 876 was intentionally built on the site of a pagan Druidic shrine. The location there is one of the underground chakra energy lay-lines of the planet. But sharing that incredible history is for another time.
As we stand here at our (or any) Labyrinth, we are no longer out in the hustle and bustle of the world. We have intentionally come to this Labyrinth this morning for a reason; to discover and practice a very holy purpose. Some do not fully realize how very holy a labyrinth walk really is, but they sense something that pulls their spirit to this place, and they obey the call to come here regardless of their level of understanding. They can feel the gravity of this experience even if they cannot articulate the deeper meaning of the experience.
This Easter Sunday morning,…may we suggest an explanation that very well may open your eyes and spirits to why the Labyrinth experience has stood the test of time as a deeply spiritual influence throughout human history in many cultures?
First a caveat ~ This idea is shared humbly and without expectation. If it resonates with you, wonderful. If not, there is absolutely no judgment.
In the eternal spirit of Interfaith Fellowship we only try to encourage understanding, not elicit any agreement. In that spirit, you are free to use this idea if it is helpful to you. There is no wrong way to have a Labyrinth experience. Simply try to understand this concept and then walk the Labyrinth with the understanding you have.
Inner Meaning
Esoterically, the Labyrinth represents the spiritual cycle of birth, rest and rebirth that empowers the growth of the soul towards love, beauty, healing and true compassion for yourself and all others. A holy Labyrinth walk can inspire the deepest unity of the individual spirit as well as with the whole of universal creation. The walk can and will bring you closer to your own center and to the very heart of the loving center of the universe.
The Labyrinth exists as a material representation and mirror of the divine growth trajectory of the human soul, your soul, traveling here in our present form for a time. In the microcosm of this minute physical Labyrinth experience here on this tiny speck in the universe, we are about to mirror the expansive experience of the grand macrocosm.
Coming from our material existence of learning life’s character lessons out in the chaotic world, here now at the foot of the labyrinth’s entrance, we enter a process that represents the three-fold “Trinitarian”, or esoterically, “Tryptic” cycle of death, rest and rebirth. In simple material terms, we use this cycle every day with our clothing, dishes, utensils and many other items. They are used, we clean them, and we reuse them.
Death,…rest…and rebirth! It is the soul’s repeated journey in which we accumulate crucial growth in each cycle.
Here is the three-fold idea:
1-Beginning
Many assume that the beginning of a Labyrinth is an entrance, but, may I suggest something very different? Think of it, rather, as…an exit. Think of it as passing out of the material into the spiritual. As we begin this exit we traverse away from the material body, and our current earthly education in this particular life.
The initial Labyrinth path twists and turns in reflection of our many experiences, thoughts, actions, failures and successes, problems and accomplishments, happinesses and sorrows.
We use this first leg of the journey to assess what we have just experienced in this particular life.On this part of the soul’s cyclical journey we take stock of the lessons we have encountered and how we have grown from them, or how we need to grow more. Each turn mirrors the great variety of emotional occurrences we have encountered in this life, and we use this portion of the walk to bring us closer to the center of our inner experience.
2-Center
After following the initial twisting exit path of thought and reflection, and with no prepared ceremony, we simply arrive at the calmness in the center of the labyrinth; the eye of the circular storm. We arrive in…Heaven, where we see places to rest, either sitting or standing. This place is constructed with 5 resting stones and/or 6 conjoining half circles; the number 5 representing the divine Pentagram of spiritual human reality - Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit, and the number 6 representing the divine composite masculine/feminine Star Triangles that represent the great universal Source of all, called the Seal of Sol-o-mon, Sun and Moon, the balance of light and dark, the Yin-Yang of Taoism.
In this center of rest and refreshment we can experience the healing consciousness of who we truly are as divine eternal souls growing in love and compassion through our human trials and tribulations. While we exist at the Labyrinth’s center, with no timeline or expectation, we allow the thoughts and feelings we experienced on the first part of the winding journey inward to simply be. There is no judgement or reprimand. There is only reflection as we sit quietly in the place of loving acceptance of all of our collective experiences, good or bad. We allow the deep “knowing” of the divine in us to shine its light on all our errors and our growth.
This divine and loving light helps illuminate our inner motives in relation to the experiences we carry with us. Sitting or standing in this place of loving non-judgement in silent prayer we begin to remember how to see our experiences from our divinity. This holy process brings forgiveness, for ourselves ~ and for others, and an incredible sense of peace washes over us like a gentle waterfall.
There is a shift.
In this place of peaceful rest we assess our past mistakes, we also delight in the love we have learned to share and we remember how to accept all our past experiences as necessary lessons for the good of our spiritual maturation, and, we see all the various players in our lives as necessary influences for the growth of ourselves as well as the entire spiritual universe.
3-Re-entrance
It is then that we sense an urge to begin the third part of the Labyrinth’s trajectory; the winding path back to the material plane. When our spirits are ready we then obey the urge to conclude our reflective, restful and prayerful meditation and stand on the “entrance stone” poised at the edge of the center, which is like a diving board that projects our soul back into our next life. We thank the universe for this time of loving rest and nourishing, healing meditation and then instinctively take the first step back on the path.
Now, however, the inherent twists and turns of the path of re-entry, or resurrection, are filled with hope.
This third leg of the triune journey is our time to emotionally and spiritually visualize how we will apply our healing and wisdom gained at the Labyrinth’s center to what we will face when we re-enter the school of life. There is no rush to re-enter. As we prepare to meet the world again we take our own pace and thoroughly consider how we will carry the peace of our divine center into our new material experiences. This re-centered balance will greatly enhance our life and the lives of everyone we come into contact with.
The planned unicursal path of spiritual reflection, rest and preparation finally concludes and we peacefully re-enter the material plane, but we are now filled with the light and love we need for the good of all. We are ready for the emotionally chaotic travels of our new material existence that will in turn help us to grow to be even more compassionate and mature.
So there it is, the three-part journey. It is the inner meaning of the well known parable of the loaves and fishes.
The physical Labyrinth, the ancient method of experiencing on the finite material plane (or, the bread/the left rational male brain in us all), the great eternal truth of the hero’s journey on the spiritual plane (the fishes/or, the right intuitivefemale brain in us all) - through successive lives that help us eventually grow to complete the process of realizing our full divine maturity…one life, and one step at a time.
Those who walk it enough, materially and spiritually, will eventually learn their own lessons and balance their body (loaves) and their soul (fishes) well enough to help others learn theirs. Then, there will come a time when this grand cycle is no longer needed and the death, rest, resurrection or rebirth progress of the soul will lead us beyond this earth school into the greater universal mysteries of love and light.
Until then, may we learn to walk well.
Conclusion
We are ever grateful that you are here this morning. If absorbing this new three-fold concept has been helpful to you, may it aid the effectiveness of this morning’s Labyrinth walk, and all future walks.
However you choose to walk, though, and with whatever concepts bring you the most inner wisdom and healing, we invite you to stand at the “exit” and begin your walk whenever your spirit directs you, being mindful of the interval between each person who walks ahead of you.
When your three-fold walk, rest, and re-entry is concluded, please gather together one by one and wait quietly in the outer area adjacent to the Labyrinth here for a brief concluding time of sharing and closure on this beautiful Easter resurrection morning.
May your holy Easter walk this morning bring wisdom and peace, and may it deeply inspire the unity of your material mind and eternal spirit.
Let’s walk!
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Time after
Would anyone care to share something they experienced or a thought that occurred during their walk this morning? Thank you for sharing.
We hope you return to this Labyrinth often to aid your spiritual growth and help you balance life’s chaotic twists and turns. It is right here, free 24/7, any time of the day or night for your pleasure and repeated use.
Thank you very much for joining us this morning, and, may you and yours have a very, very beautiful Vernal Spring Equinox, and an equally Happy Easter!
Closing Song: “Go now in peace”…
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Further Reading:
Geometric layout of Chartre Cathedral in relation to the Labyrinth
Although our ancestors stopped building temples according to the original recipe over two thousand years ago, one building in particular sought to rekindle interest in ancient spiritual traditions.
After the founding Knights Templar and Cistercians (two interrelated Orders) gleaned the secrets of sacred architecture from the Arab world, they introduced the Gothic cathedrals to Europe. Gothic comes from goetia (‘to elevate by magical force’), whose extension is goeteuein (‘to bewitch’), and alludes to a science that generates an altered state of awareness. Indeed, under certain conditions, brainwaves inside these buildings are ‘raised’ 400% above normal waking state.
Part of the formula is hardwired in the details. For example, initiates of the Chartres Mysteries School would be taken to the nearby cathedral where the knowledge would be revealed, such as the mathematics of the music scale; 32.72º (the angle of repose/gravity); 19.47º (the angle of energy upwelling on planets); and 23.3º (the mean axial tilt of the Earth).
A sermon in stone? Absolutely.
Excerpt from "Chartres: The Missing or Heretic Guide"
http://invisibletemple.com/book-chartres-cathedral-guide-by-freddy-silva.html
Commentary: Liminality Beyond Rest
Separation--Transition--Reincorporation is the most universal ritual structure of rites of passage. Transition—moving from one phase to another—is known as liminality. Greg discovered that the entrance to the labyrinth is an exit, a separation from prior structure, but found mostly rest in the liminal stage before reincorporation. So technicians of the sacred at Interfaith have more to offer. More often, the liminal phase is a time of anti-structure, transition and transformation, a period of deep learning and preparation for what is to come.
In the Celtic tradition, liminal spaces, where two worlds overlap, are powerful points of transformation. These could be physical places like the seashore, which exists between land and sea, or symbolic moments like dusk and dawn, balanced between day and night.
The Native American vision quest, a rite of passage marking the transition to adulthood, utilizes liminality by isolating individuals in the wilderness, a liminal space, bringing them closer to the spiritual world and their own inner self.
In Hinduism, the practice of yatra, or pilgrimage, often involves a journey through liminal spaces, both physical and spiritual, to reach a holy site. The journey itself is a transformative experience, the liminality serving as a conduit for personal growth and spiritual awakening.
In these cases liminality is not a passive stage of rest; it is a dynamic period of intense change and growth. It is a space where we shed our old selves and embrace our new identities. It’s a period of disorientation and reorientation, one that allows us to see the world and ourselves from a new perspective.
In our journey through the labyrinth, each step and the middle were liminal -- thresholds that we crossed, a lesson that we learned, an old belief that we let go, a new understanding that we embraced.
Every moment of confusion, every period of uncertainty, every challenge we face is a threshold, a liminal space that we can step through to grow and to transform. Embrace these periods, not as times of chaos and confusion, but as opportunities for change and growth.
Arnold van Gennep (1873–1957) and Victor Turner (1920–1983) are two anthropologists whose work significantly influenced the understanding and development of the concept of liminality.
Van Gennep is the one who first introduced the concept in his book "Les rites de passage" (The Rites of Passage) published in 1909. He developed a framework for rites of passage in human societies, categorizing them into three main phases: pre-liminal rites (rites of separation), liminal rites (rites of transition), and post-liminal rites (rites of incorporation). The liminal phase, according to van Gennep, is a period of ambiguity, where the individual has left one state or status but has not yet entered or joined the next.
Victor Turner further expanded on the concept of liminality in his work during the mid-20th century. He was particularly interested in exploring how societies behave during these liminal periods. Turner described the state of liminality as "anti-structure", characterized by a sense of homogeneity, equality, and unity among participants. He noted that in this phase, individuals are stripped of their previous identities and their place in the social hierarchy.
Turner's concept of 'communitas' also emerged from his studies on liminality. Communitas refers to an unstructured or minimally structured community of equal individuals, often observed during liminal periods of rites of passage. According to Turner, this spirit of communitas serves as a contrast to the rigid structure of normal societal roles and can be seen as a form of social anti-structure in society, a space where human relations are at their simplest and most human.
Both van Gennep and Turner saw liminality as a transformative period. For van Gennep, it was about the individual passing through stages of life, while for Turner, it became a broader social and cultural phenomenon, a realm of pure possibility whence novel configurations of ideas and relations may arise.
These theories have gone on to influence many fields beyond anthropology, including psychology, sociology, religious studies, and even literary theory. Liminality as a concept has been used to understand and describe periods of crisis, change, and transition in a wide variety of contexts.
