What Do Labyrinths and Life Coaching Have In Common?
October 27, 2009 by Sharon Wilson
Filed under 30-Day Empowered Spiritualpreneur Challenge
- What do Labyrinth’s and Life Coaching Have in Common?
The attentive audience gathered around for the short orientation to the labyrinth. I explain, “Labyrinths are amazing and versatile tools. People who walk them often experience an almost magical meshing of their analytical or rational mind with their intuitive and spiritual consciousnesses. From this altered state of consciousness, we can amplify our intuition, clarify complex questions, create incredible possibilities, and connect deeply to Spirit.”
As always, upon completing the orientation, I ask, “Do you have any questions?” Inevitably someone voices this question: “How does a labyrinth work?” A rich question that I never tire of fielding! Addressing it takes us into the depths of Nature’s Mysteries.
Early peoples lived in vivid realization of the Great Mystery through their intimate relationship with the four directions, the seasons, the sun, the moon, the stars and planets, and other natural forces. By tapping into energy dynamics that today are inaccessible to us, they created sacred spaces like the great pyramids, the Mayan temples, Stonehenge, and labyrinths.
We don’t know how labyrinths came to into being with the technology known at the time, nor do we know how they appeared in distant areas on the earth at about the same time. Furthermore, we don’t know what purpose they served in the ancients’ lives. By walking a labyrinth, however, we can intuit and even experience the energy those early inventors harnessed.
In an almost universal response, adult modern labyrinth walkers perceive the labyrinth as sacred space.The purpose of sacred space is to amplify the connection to Spirit, the Sacred. Pythagoras (580 – 500 BC) claimed, “Number is the within of all things.” From Neolithic times up to the Protestant Reformation, sacred spaces around the world were constructed using the principles of Pythagorean or Sacred Geometry, a system of ratios and numbers in relation to the number one (the One). Labyrinths, too, were constructed of Sacred Geometry proportions.
Prehistoric labyrinths were predominantly circular. When the ancient builders embedded Sacred Geometry ratios in the circle, they created a resonance field, the vibrations of which could be physically perceived by stepping into it. They also aligned the placement of the labyrinth with the sun, moon, or planets, and typically located them at power centers, beams of charged Earth energy lines.
Circles abound in Nature. As the “mother” of four cats, I note that each of them makes a clockwise circular nest before laying down. Like the circular homes of birds and other creatures, it is their place for rest, recuperation, and safety. Likewise, in almost every human culture present or past, the circle has represented not only the home but the sacred, the One.
Observe the structure of the ancient seven-path labyrinth. Notice that it contains a semi-circular center, surrounded by seven paths contained within the boundaries of a larger circle. Ancient peoples were astonishingly knowledgeable about astronomy. It is believed that they experienced the Earth as the center of the Universe with the seven planets known to them orbiting around it. I marvel at the synchronicity with the seven paths leading from the labyrinth’s center.
Since recorded history, the number seven has been associated with mysticism, magic, the sacred Sabbath. Seven is considered the virgin number because it cannot be divided by any number except itself and one. Ancient peoples believed that the world was ordered and harmonious. They had discovered the seven-note scale and used musical vibrations to calm and heal. Their life was ordered around the moon cycles of 28 – comprised, of course, of four weeks of seven days.
Walking the labyrinth connects us to these energies at a subconscious, kinesthetic level. Even more astonishing and, to me, more intriguing, is the idea of geomancer and labyrinth builder Richard Feather Anderson. The labyrinth, he says, contains the eight patterns intrinsic to every living system in Nature. Each pattern is Nature’s way of doing something in the most efficient way.
What are these eight patterns? • Sphere – the shape of the labyrinth. The sphere or circle is Nature’s means of efficiently enclosing the largest space. Our heads, eyes, and fists are our bodies’ examples of spheres.
• Explosion/radial – imagine the ripples radiating from a drop of water. Using photographs, Anderson demonstrates that a drop of water falling into a larger drop of water breaks into 7 radiating ripples! In the labyrinth, the radial occurs in the concentric pattern of the seven paths. Kinesthetically we experience it in the tight turns.
• Meander – the next time you fly, look down at the river patterns and you will see vivid examples of meanders. Nature forms the meander to curb erosion by controlling the speed and amount of water flowing in the river. The meander in the labyrinth is the pattern of the path walked.
• Spiral - think of the unfolding of a fern or the shape of a tornado. The spiral demonstrates Nature’s way of efficiently utilizing energy to grow. It is the archetypal energy pattern of Creation from planetary to electron movement. Ancient peoples’ symbol for eternity was the spiral. Follow one of the four end points of the labyrinth path and you will see the spiral.
• Double helix vortex – think of the movement of a canoe paddle in water. It forms double helix vortex eddies.The double helix spiral, appearing in every culture, signifies organic growth, death, and rebirth. Anderson pulls apart the two spiral threads of the labyrinth to make a three-dimensional form, a double helix – the same formation as human DNA!
• Close packing – think of your brain or your intestines. Close packing is Nature’s way of attaining the greatest efficiency of mass in the smallest amount of space. The paths of the labyrinth demonstrate close packing. The labyrinth path forces you to traverse every available space within it before you reach the center.
• Alternation – remember waves hitting the shore, alternating left to right, in and out. Alternation is Nature’s way of revitalizing and cleansing water. Proprioceptively we experience alternation following the labyrinth’s path which alternates from left to right, top to bottom, in and out.
• Branching – like leaves on a tree, grapes on a vine or the lungs in our body, branching is Nature’s way of optimizing her life-giving qualities by maximizing the surfaces of exchange. Somewhat harder to discern in the labyrinth, branching is found by cutting a diagonal through the cross where the paths intersect.
Like the ancients before us, we hunger to participate in the dynamic energy of life. Walking the labyrinth is a whole body experience of these fundamental building block patterns and numbers that form all life. By traversing the archetypal energy patterns in the labyrinth, we re-create Nature’s Wisdom within us. We walk a Nature’s healing path to wholeness, and connection to the Creator of the Universe.
“Does this answer your question?” I ask.
The 30 Day Empowered Spiritualpreneur Challenge is similar to the resonance field created long ago. You can recieve the vibrations of which could be physically perceived by stepping into the challenge. For more information click on the link above!
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I’ll be honest, this article really spoke to me. Especially the discussion of the 8 patterns. It’s easy to ignore things as “new agey”, but when you can provide actual, physical phenomenon to relate to, it opens the mind to deeper thought. Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with us! I’ll be pondering the 8 patterns and how they apply to our own labrynths!
very nice article, truly touching one, i agree with Joey. Sometimes it is really difficult to relate physical and mental things, as they always go opposite. But every-times it comes up with new way and solutions.
very nice article, truly touching one, i agree with Joey. Sometimes it is really difficult to relate physical and mental things, as they always go opposite. But every-times it comes up with new way and solutions.
I didn’t got what is it mean to walk in Labyrinths, i have heard that it was used in ancient age in German and Greek, today also we can see their architects in museum, but i never got what does it signifies ?
ohh…good thing… i have to follow…nice post..
ohh, i have heard this for the first time that The labyrinth, contains the eight patterns intrinsic to every living system in Nature and ach pattern is Nature’s way of doing something in the most efficient way, wow, its so exciting to know about such Para-external things.
I never heard such things do effect too in our life, but what could be effect of Labyrinths in our mind, i mean walking inside it and analyzing it, what difference can it make in our life ?
Number is the within of all things…This is a curious way of thinking…
I’m being honest when I say that I became a little bit confused during this post, but that is more to do with me and my lack of brain power.
Labyrinth teaches us how to live a life even when the things don’t go in accordance with you, at that time only self-confidence and strength will work for you
I had looked around for several blogs that would show me what your blog ultimately have. Your blog was by far the best blog for the information because of its simplicity and easy to comprehend. Thank you for sharing!
I always liked the story of labyrinth especially the ones from the Greek mythology. But I never knew how they are constructed! Your article opened my eyes and now I see them in a very new light.
Nice article……I was searching these kind of information ,Thank you so much….
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Like an empathic divorce coach, Marcy Jones conveys authentic care for her readers, after all, she knows intimately of their suffering.
It goes from Ancient Greece. Just one remark: in labyrinth you find the exit, but what it means to find the exit in life, maybe it’s death.
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Don’t agree with Darrell the exit in life it can be the exit from difficult situation. Indeed our life consists from the web of difficult situations.
Particular me have a “rest of a mind” when walk in labyrinth. It’s something like going in life circles.
Hey, great article, thank you! Thank you for this remarkable insight. I’ve always liked Greek mythology a lot. Especially the labyrinths. I never knew how they got instructed, but thanks to you, I do now!
Really I found this post very informative.
Exactly, what is the circle in labyrinth and in life. We don’t know where we going in life and we don’t know where we are in labyrinth.
What can be worse than go in a circle, but in labyrinth we don’t consider it bad. It’s amazing!
In Feng Shui and Chinese Geomancy, the Bagua (8-sided octagonal template or map) is used to stabilize, protect, adjust or restore balance in ones life by analysing or structuring any given space. Each section of the structured space is believed to relate to various aspects of life and is divided into categories such as family, career etc. I find it interesting how the idea of the labyrinth and the number 8 has evolved in different cultures.
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The labyrinth offers you lessons as you walk the path and can assist you in addressing challenges, meditate, pray and find peace and serenity.
Labyrinth can assist the process of acknowledging the reality of our inevitable dying, to befriend and even embrace it. In doing so it will enable each of us to live our lives even more richly.
A labyrinth is an archetype with which we can have a direct experience. We can walk it. It is a metaphor for life’s journey. It is a symbol that creates a sacred space and place and takes us out of our ego to “That Which Is Within.”
But if you didn’t manage to escape from labyrinth, how it shows your personal features or simply better to not notice this?
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Don’t know if we should take it serious, it’s only a game – who’s faster can escape the labyrinth. Life coaching is much more difficult thing than simply walk around.
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Agree with Roger, what can be similar between complicated life and simple circles in labyrinth?
Seems to me, that it’s just a game that help you to relax and nothing more.
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Very interesting, Ive never heard of labyrinth very interested now, is there any good places to start.
I do agree that it has much in common with life coaching. While you are there you can make make very interesting decisions.
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But my opinion is that it’s just an entertainment and compare it with life coaching is a bull shit.
I think everybody knows that while you are searching the exit in labyrinth you are training your feeling for survive and solve the problems.
Particular me, when I want to calm down imagine the labyrinth right in my head and how I go in it. While I escape it my negative emotions flow away.
If ancient people knew the power of labyrinth then we do must use this knowledge for life coaching.
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Hi, thanks for sharing your thought about this topic. I’m amaze on how you are able to relate ancient things to this contemporary time. I have come to realize that what happened in the past has a connection that has transpired in this modern time.
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