Original request was to present a historical look at the labyrinth, so I will offer some thoughts on possible origin, and unique sacred geometry and energetic composition of the pattern. I thought it might also be useful to consider the origin of the word alchemy this morning.
Alchemy was born in ancient Egypt, where the word Khem was used in reference to the fertility of the flood plains around the Nile. Egyptian beliefs in life after death likely gave rise to interest in chemical knowledge and a goal of immortality.
After Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in the 4th century BC, Greek philosophers became interested in the Egyptian ways. Greek views of how matter is made up of the four elements of nature - Fire, Earth, Air and Water, were merged with Egyptian sacred sciences, such as bio-geometry… one of those strange traditions I have a certification in. The result was Khemia, the Greek word for Egypt.
When Egypt was occupied by the Arabs in the 7th Century, they added 'al-' to the word Khemia and al-Khemia meaning 'the Black Land' is now seen as a possible origin for the word alchemy.
Alchemy was also developed independently in China by Taoist monks. Like China and Egypt, India developed alchemy independently. They had beliefs similar to the Chinese, in that they used external and internal methods to purify the body and prolong life. I had the great fortune of studying with a number of alchemists in the Himalayas.
The labyrinth just completed on grounds here this week is what I call a “spiral Ankh” pattern, incorporating the spiral, one of the oldest sacred patterns, and the Egyptian Ankh, a symbol for immortality. This is an original design of mine I believe is more suited to current energetic composition of our daily lives and spiritual journeys, and I have been building this particular labyrinth for past several years around the world.
A spiral serves as a powerful tool to unfold what is sometimes hidden. Over time, the ankh has come to symbolize life, immortality, and the universe. Its key-like shape has also encouraged the belief it could unlock the gates of our unconscious. More about Jung and the unconscious later. Alchemists relied heavily upon their dreams, inspirations and visions for guidance in perfecting their art. Symbols like the ankh remain exceptionally potent for changing states of consciousness.
Our labyrinth here is 28 feet wide with 5 paths. The first turn is to the right, and this brings telluric energy to the field, drawing from earth energies of these sacred mountains. I am working with a group of people who have asked me to “wheel the country” as we refer to it. I have completed or am scheduled to complete this pattern in the coming year in Oklahoma, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Florida, North Carolina, New Mexico, Montana, California and Alaska. This will be a multi-year project going forward.
I have also been brought in to imbed holographic labyrinths in existing patterns to compensate for the increased vibration of our planet. Those of you who are familiar with the Scheumann resonance, the so-called “heartbeat of the planet” may sense that the vibration is increasing, and that is why everything seems to be moving so quickly. Our hectic lifestyles, cell phones and computers also make everything seem to move more quickly, and sometimes we may have trouble keeping up mentally and spiritually. Contemplative pursuits, like walking a labyrinth, are more critical now to our physical, mental and spiritual health.
This is the familiar seven path classical labyrinth pattern found on every continent roughly 4-5,000 years ago. A pattern you may not be familiar with is the meander. Interlocking meanders were found inscribed in ivory discovered in the Ukraine dating back some 15,000 years. If you expand the meander, at some point it essentially creates ½ of a classical labyrinth pattern.
Lord Buddha once said, “I have tried this way and that way to untie the knots. How would you loosen them, Ananda?”
Lord Ananda replied, “I would first study the knot and find out how it was tied, then it could easily be untied.”
Lord Buddha said, “Right you are Ananda, If you wish to untie a knot you must first know how it was tied.”
I work with a small group of alchemists around the world who have our own theory of how the labyrinth came to be. Once the meander is expanded to a certain point, a holographic meander pattern would manifest, and the two together form the pattern of a classical labyrinth. As Ananda says, find out how the knot was tied, then it can be easily untied. Alchemists would have used this configuration to work with a person to facilitate healing of mind, body and spirit on multiple levels.
At some point, the full labyrinth made its appearance in the world. For thousands of years, this was sufficient as a vehicle for spiritual transformation. But as the energetic composition of our world quickened, a third meander appeared in a holographic field to compensate for the increased vibration. We now have a fourth meander coming to bear on the pattern, so when I work on existing labyrinths, or build new ones, I need to configure the energy field with a quadruple meander to ensure that the field will fully support a person on the labyrinth’s path. Gee, and some think it is just a circle on the ground… who knew??
You will notice on this pattern, when you walk it… it folds over on itself and hastens your journey to the center through an intricate weaving process. The core of the labyrinth has been imprinted with sound from my singing bowl. The esoteric nature of this pattern can be demonstrated by examining the two organizing keys that are components of esoteric sciences… geometry and music, or sound.
Every wisdom tradition in the world has a particular resonance, a particular melody. And when you chant that specific melody it will draw forth the particular wisdom to which it is attached. So no matter your spiritual path, you should be supported in meditation while walking this labyrinth.
Composer and music theorist Dmitri Tymozko “has found a way to represent the universe of all possible musical chords in graphic form” He believes “that the cosmos of chords consists of weird, multidimensional spaces, known as orbifolds that turn back on themselves with a twist like Mobius strips… This is how meanders expand to become a labyrinth.
Similar to a twin particle system with zero spin, one starts with a specific energy pattern and then twists the boundary conditions in a manner that generates a still point. The Maya, for instance, could produce a field of energy that catapulted them to far reaches of our cosmos, while remaining on this plane to be transformed by information gathered at still point. Working with a shaman to imbed my holographic labyrinth in the energy field of Tikal in Guatamala, the holiest site of the Maya, was one of last year’s highlights.
Needless to say, working with labyrinths is a complicated, but also interesting and rewarding experience, and as I always remind people when I discuss my work… don’t try this at home.
And now moving on to Jung and transforming the psyche with the labyrinth. Our labyrinth here has an East entry, to welcome the new day. Light is extremely important in the alchemical process.
I arise, facing East,
I am asking toward the light,
I am asking that my day
shall be beautiful with light.
I am asking that the place
where my feet are shall be light,
that as far as I can see
I shall follow it alright.
I am asking for the courage
to go forward through the shadow,
I am asking toward the light… Mary Austin
A labyrinth is in many ways a "nemeton", a term some may be unfamiliar with. A nemeton is a place that human beings establish as the center of the world through intuition. Jean Markale describes it as a sanctuary that can be everywhere and nowhere, a place of sacred exchange between our human world and the world of gods. Many think of a labyrinth as merely a metaphor, a symbol, a "tool" for meditation, but labyrinths as nemetons are also an aspect of the spirit, whether or not anyone is walking the path.
Our awareness of these spiritual realms needs to be innate… we need to understand and believe that we are truly one voice in an interdependent web of existence. When I studied in the Himalayas, I was told that our soul speaks in “twilight language,” a language existing somewhere between the clear and distinct realities of our phenomenal world and the mysteries and darkness of a shadow world.
Jane Hope tells us that:
In ancient and tribal cultures, the soul’s special teachings were passed down by word of mouth from one generation to the next. The traditional literature often has many levels of meaning, reflected by complex accretions of commentary. In Europe, alchemy seems to concern the transmutation of base metals into gold; but for the initiate, alchemy describes the journey of the soul, transmuting the raw material of the psyche into the shining and incorruptible gold of spiritual fulfillment.
Studying with the masters of the East, one comes to the understanding that our physical bodies are not seen as distinct from the soul. Our “subtle” body contains energy channels which move spiritual energy around our core essence. There are many sacred patterns, which must be “tuned” to the right frequency through contemplative practices to enable a person to attain the elusive spiritual fulfillment. Walking a labyrinth offers a chance to awaken one’s spirit.
A labyrinth is basically a mandala pattern, a symbol arising deep from our unconscious. Carl Jung, one of the great students of alchemy, believed mandalas could serve as a key to enter the mysterious recesses of a person’s mind. Mandalas were a symbol of wholeness, and Jung understood them to be symbols of the self, informed by forces of our unconscious. He believed mandalas symbolically represented a path to the center. As Jung says, “I knew that in finding the mandala as an expression of the self I had attained what for me was the ultimate.”
Jung was only interested in the internal nature of alchemy, and believed the external, chemical workings merely a scientific projection of psychological developments. He believed the alchemical process was to facilitate the development and emergence of a psychic center that he termed the self. The ultimate goal of this alchemic process was simple… bring tranquility to our mind.
While the divine Trinity illuminated three quarters of human consciousness, divided darkness covered the lower realm. Jung believed Alchemy represented a search for the divine spark of God's reflection in the darkness of this lower world, under the motto ascribed in antiquity to Hermes Trismegistus; ‘as Above, so Below.’
As the power of faith upheld by the Church weakened, it was left to psychology to uncover the source of spiritual awakening. If our spirit resides in our unconscious psyche, it could be freed only through an act of conscious intervention… walking a labyrinth for instance.
Jung took great pains to collect his evidence from first hand sources. There is hardly an alchemical treatise or manuscript he did not read during his years of research. It is one of Jung's greatest achievements, not yet fully recognized, that he rediscovered the religious myth of alchemy and showed where it originated and where it is still at work today: not in our physical world, but in our objective unconscious psyche .
Consider the role of meditation and of silence and prayer in achieving that elusive tranquility of mind. Far too often, we UUs see our religion as a continuation of our daily lives of reason and scientific materialism. But there is something sustaining in silence and contemplative pursuits. There is something powerful there. It can be a new beginning… it can lead to spiritual transformation. The labyrinth is a vehicle to experience earth’s spiritual energies. In the words of Basilius Valentinus:
“The Earth is not a dead body, but is inhabited by a spirit that is its life and soul. All created things, minerals included, draw their strength from the Earth spirit. This spirit is life, it is nourished by the stars, and it gives nourishment to all living things it shelters in its womb.”
Any spiritual journey must begin with the recognition that the whole universe is one symphony, and we are each responsible for a single note in the orchestra. All the seemingly different principles and beliefs of world wisdom traditions are merely voices from the hearts of people who attune themselves with the rhythm of our universe. It is all about religion, but it does not mean that one follows a religion, but that one is living a religion, and making one’s life a religion… that is the key to true happiness, and what enables us to engage in shared ministry with one another. If we are not ready to devote our time and energy to realize our UU 7 principles, then we are merely consumers in this sacred space, and could just as well have watched religion on television this morning. We need a path to true, fulfilling spiritual growth.
To become wise, spiritually adept, and personally empowered by our faith is not a long, difficult journey. One need only let go of the obstacles that prevent them from living truly in the present moment. There are some who believe other wisdom and faith traditions are foolish, somehow inferior, and not a viable path. We need to move past that thinking and begin to be open to learning from other traditions. If someone is on an authentic religious path, and they live lives of compassion and sacrifice based on teachings of their faith, we must learn from them, and acknowledge their inherent worth and dignity.
To believe we are somehow superior or more highly evolved in a religious sense than those of other faith traditions is to admit to the shallowness of our own religious journey and development. The radical demand of any religious faith is that we walk forward in the light.
When a Bodhisattva descends from heaven, there appears in this world an immeasurable, splendid light surpassing the glory of the most powerful glow. And whatever dark spaces lie beyond the world’s end will be illuminated by this light.
Digha Nikaya 14.1.17
Jesus spoke unto them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” John 8.12 We are challenged to risk our names, our titles, our degrees, our positions, our status, our homes, and yes, even our lives, for the vision of a world in which everyone recognizes the inherent worth and dignity of every person… and that justice, equity and compassion are at the heart of human relations. We each have a story… but remember that your story can’t just be told in the halls of this church on Sunday morning or during the good times… but also in times of darkness and alienation when you feel you cannot make a difference. At times we feel our one voice or our small actions may not make a difference, but that does not mean we don’t try. Marian Wright Edelman reminds us,
“We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make, which, over time, add up to the big differences we often cannot see.”
A labyrinth is continually present for all those who are wrestling with the powers and principalities of darkness. It will enable you, if need be, transform a wounded psyche through an alchemical process, and leave you better able to serve others and help transform our world. When one embraces these ancient paths, lives are changed, most importantly the life of a person walking the path. Our spirit is revitalized and we can move forward more focused. “I’ becomes “we” and there is hope.
A labyrinth is a pathway into the subtle realms of meaning and spirit that we deem sacred. Out of the understanding of the sacred possibilities of an alchemic process, a wonderful tradition of wisdom took form. It was embraced by ancient architects, artists, designers and builders and used to bring balance and harmony to daily life.
These people understood that beauty and meaning come from the undeniable presence of a living spirit, a living spirit that comes to our creative consciousness from beyond, not from the inner machinations of some individual ego. Stan Grof, who I had the privilege of studying with at Wisdom U, explains:
While the traditional model of psychiatry and psychoanalysis is strictly personalistic and biographical, modern consciousness research has added new levels, realms, and dimensions and shows the human psyche as being essentially commensurate with the whole universe and all of existence.
And so the journey on a labyrinth winds back to the beginning and releases us to a new world where we grow, we learn, and we explore; and as UUs we must be committed to this path, for the sacred and divine is in this present moment, it is here we reach out and touch eternity. The path leads us to heaven, and earth, and home…
The labyrinth can serve as a pathway to enlightenment and spiritual fulfillment. There is a different order of reality on this sacred path, one of alchemy and mystical harmonics, and it demands our reverence and faith in an unseen order… and a willingness to commit to our journey.
Theoretical physicist Lisa Randall believes “we are all searching for the language of the universe.” So come with a question… and be willing to listen, the earth indeed has a message to share. In Job 12:8 we are told, “speak to the earth… and it will teach you”
When one enters the labyrinth, one takes a leap of faith, but what faith one might ask. One is alone on a path, alone with one’s consciousness, alone with spirit. Our soul is released to float in a womb of ancient alchemic energy… at last free… free to face and engage the mystery. This is Light Seed by Linda Stitt
Quickened by the course of evolution, now, in the dark time of gestation, within the fertile matrix of potential, we crave our birthright, our illumination, and think ourselves unworthy and unable. But endless ignorance is just a fabrication, a foolish fable. We are the seeds of freedom, embroyonic liberation. Burst the aril, crack the shell and shed the husk; extend a tentative, shimmering tendril to totality. That is what we were conceived to do. The light will gather you into its limitless acceptance. That which you are seeking seeks you…
Lately the labyrinth seems to enjoy a renaissance across the Earth, and, if properly designed, they include the same spiritual technology that is encoded in ancient sacred sites. Labyrinths, pyramids, cathedrals, standing stones and other pagan sacred sites, bring the same message heard by our ancestors…
If one is in tune with our cosmos, other levels of reality are but a whisper away, and we each have the ability to connect with them. So walk, with eyes unfocused, and see the energy dimensions. Move slowly, and experience higher frequencies. Be still… and hear silent voices sing. Know you are a part of this great chorus of oneness.
And remember these words of Einstein when you stand at the entrance of a labyrinth… and prepare to extend that “tentative shimmering tendril to totality.”
Logic will get you from A to B.
Imagination will take you everywhere…
Sounding of the Bowl
Denise Levertov
A certain day became a presence for me, there it was, confronting me, a sky, air light: a being. And before it started to descend from the height of noon, it leaned over and struck my shoulder as if with the flat of a sword, granting me honor and a task.
The day’s blow rang out, metallic—or it was I, a bell awakened, and what I heard was my whole self saying and thinking what it knew:
I can…
The Sphere: Infinity The sphere suggests that the design you have drawn leads out endlessly in all directions, like a map with edges that border on the unknown. The possibilities that are open to you right now are limitless, for all practical purposes, although it’s worth remembering that the longest journey around the surface of a sphere is the one that eventually leads you home again. In divination, the sphere means that the possibilities before you are greater than you have any way of imagining. This is often an extremely positive sign in divination, although it can mean that you’re getting into something much bigger than you think. The Sphere leads out into limitless realities that have already taken shape, and only wait for your arrival.
Opening Words Jeff Saward
Chalice Lighting poem “The Union” Hafiz
Closing Poem of Hafiz