Labyrinths have been attested to in ancient myths and modern people use them in their own magical practices. Learn the mythic roots of labyrinths and how to create your own for meditation and protection.
Since ancient times, mysterious mazelike structures beneath buildings, or carved into the floor have been used by people around the world. Beautiful and hypnotic, these mazes, called labyrinths, are more than just to delight the eye. They have been used for protection, and for spirituality for centuries. Today's people also use them too, but not necessarily for the same reasons that ancient people did. Join SpiritualBlossom to learn about ancient labyrinths and how you can use them in your own spiritual practice. You might not be able to find a labyrinth to walk, but you can create your own. Read on to discover the magic and spirituality of ancient and modern labyrinths.
What’s a Labyrinth?
A labyrinth is a mazelike structure. Some of them are built into floors that you can walk on, and others are mazes. Some are large and some are small. To our knowledge, the first labyrinths appeared in southern Europe about 4,000 years ago. Some of the earliest labyrinths have survived on old walls, pottery, and rock surfaces. One of the most famous ones is the Labyrinth of Daedalus which may or may not have existed. Some were used as spirit traps, and another very famous one is the Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth.
Labyrinth of Daedalus
A special labyrinth had to be constructed in ancient Greece to contain a monster, the Minotaur, who had the head of a bull and the body of a man. He was the son of the Pasiphae, queen of Crete, and a divine bull. This birth was a punishment for her husband, the king who had angered the god Poseidon by denying him the bull sacrifice he requested. When the Minotaur was born, it devoured human beings, and had to be trapped in a maze, so Daedalus was tasked with creating the labyrinth to hold him. Every so often, the king would send young men and women in as sacrifices to the Minotaur. The brave hero, Theseus slew the Minotaur in time. The actual palace at Knossos may be the site that inspired the story, since it is a mazelike structure with over 1,300 rooms! Read about a Greek goddess, Hekate, here: Hecate, Moon Goddess of Magic and the Night
Spirit Traps
Evil spirits have been trapped within images of labyrinths as well. A labyrinth spirit trap amulet is a seven circuit maze symbol that can be worn to confuse evil or negativity and ward it off from the wearer. These can be found at many shops around the world. Evil spirits can be caught in spirit traps, but you might not need one to ward them off. Read about wicked spirits here: What’s a Demon? The Truth About Wicked Spirits
Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth
In the 13th century, construction was made of a labyrinth in the floor at the Chartres Cathedral in France. It was built for pilgrims who could not make the trip to the holy city of Jerusalem, so they could spiritually contemplate their soul’s journey. From Lent until All Saint’s Day, from 10:30 A.M. until 5 P.M., chairs are cleared from the floor, and visitors may walk the labyrinth. They meditatively focus on prayer, spirituality, and their connection to their higher power. Meditation can be hypnotic. Learn about the power of hypnosis here: The Power of Being Hypnotized
The Meaning of Labyrinths
Labyrinths have many meanings including protecting us from something by holding it inside, helping us with mindfulness, and keeping things safe from the outside world.
Protection
Like the Labyrinth of Daedalus, and the spirit trap amulets, labyrinths symbolize protection. They are designed to keep something inside and keep others out, separating those to be protected from harm. Anything good or bad can be contained in a labyrinth for protection. The Minotaur was kept inside the labyrinth, finding it impossible to get out. Sacred things like feelings, treasures, or even secrets can be kept in a labyrinth to keep it from harm or the prying eyes of those who are not meant to know about it. Read about protective magic here: Magic for Self-Defense
Mindfulness
As with the labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral, personal spiritual mindfulness is symbolized in labyrinths. Labyrinths are sacred spaces set aside for quiet contemplation, and communication with a higher power or your own spiritual self. A labyrinth creates a world that is separated from the world of humans. Some people need time away from everything in a sacred space where they can lay aside the worries of life and focus on spirituality. These are different from sanctuary spaces because they are specifically designed to be walked. Walking a sacred space can help put you in a trancelike state where you can more powerfully feel the presence of spirits, a higher power, or your own inner self speaking to you. Mindfulness labyrinth walks are sometimes hosted by places of worship, although you can create your very own mindfulness labyrinth to walk. Self-awareness is a form of mindfulness and you can read about it here: Unlocking the Power of Personal-Awareness
Safekeeping
Not everything labyrinths hold are scary or dangerous, like the Minotaur. Some things are kept in labyrinths to protect them from other influences or people. Some people create garden sanctuaries in the center of labyrinths where the chaos of the world is shut out. Others hide treasures, parts of themselves, or even experiences in the center of layers of protectiveness. Labyrinths are designed to be difficult to reach the center of, and that makes it hard for people to take things out of them. Anything you have that you want preserved, or kept away from others can be placed safely in the center of a labyrinth. Spirit guides help keep you spiritually safe. Read about them here: Working with Your Spirit Guide
Creating Your Own Labyrinth
None of us will need to hold a Minotaur in a labyrinth, but we may need one for other purposes. Although labyrinths were originally created to keep some things in and other things out, some people find them useful for personal reasons. Some people find great peace in walking labyrinths, and others use labyrinths for protection, exactly the way ancient people intended them to.
Labyrinths for Meditation
Some people find walking the labyrinth meditative. It allows time for peace, quiet, and contemplation. You may have no access to a fitting labyrinth, but you can create your own. Two simple ways to do this are to create your own garden labyrinth, or to build a candle labyrinth that you walk.
A Garden Labyrinth
Creating your own garden labyrinth can take time. All four seasons, and multiple years are about how long it will take. You can build a garden maze of shrubbery for people to walk peacefully through. Not everyone has the time, patience, or space for such a thing though. You can do layers upon layers of different plants and different sections of your garden. Some people manage to build a labyrinth around their entire house, almost like a secret forest hideout that their home is disguised within. They surround themselves with trees, shrubs, fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Your choice of plants will evolve as your labyrinth evolves over the years. Garden art, fountains, and little hideaways where you can sit peacefully surrounded by nature can be placed in every corner of your garden labyrinth. Get started today and years from now you can have the most magnificent labyrinth anyone has ever seen.
Some people will walk among the plants of their labyrinth, quietly listening to the sounds of nature, and watching for any living creatures. A garden is an ecosystem, not a sterile arrangement of flowers. Insects, birds, small creatures like rabbits and mice, and even larger creatures like raccoon and deer we'll find a place of sanctuary and support and the ecosystem you build in your garden labyrinth. Sit or walk quietly among all the flora and fauna that enjoy your garden labyrinth, peacefully coexisting with them. You might not experience epiphanies in your garden, but you will find peace in your own garden labyrinth. Read about the magic that can be found in flowers here: All About the Magic of Flowers
A Candle Labyrinth
A candle labyrinth is different from a garden labyrinth. Instead of sitting peacefully, you will walk this labyrinth. Make sure not to wear any flowing, loose fitting clothing so that you don't run the risk of catching fire to your clothes. Make sure the ground you set your candles in is even so that the candles don't fall over, and it’s free of stones, debris, loose grasses, or anything that might make you fall or ignite. You can structure your labyrinth of candles in the shape of a perfect spiral, triangle, or even a square. It just needs to be structured so the beginning takes you into a center maze and back. You can have one way in and one way out or multiple ways in and out.
Once your candle labyrinth is set up, quietly light the candles, and from the outside step into the labyrinth. You can still your mind and wait for whatever visions or psychic impressions come to you. You can also chant, focus on prayers, or recite scripture as you walk your labyrinth. The purpose of this type of labyrinth is for meditation. It is a chance to step outside of the mundane world and into the peaceful world of quiet, magic, and the light of spirit. Once you get to the center of your labyrinth, you can walk out, or stay inside and meditate quietly. Candles can be used in powerful magic. Learn about magic here; Using Practical Magic in Everyday Life
Labyrinths for Protection
Protective labyrinthian items don't have to be labyrinths that you walk. They can be things that you have with you, ways that you protect things, or even protective layers of trust. You can hide things in plain sight in a variety of ways to make it impossible for people to see where they are. You can also wrap things in many different layers of protection that it would be difficult for people to access. This can be done by building trust with things like your secrets and feelings, and even your own home.
Hiding in Plain Sight
A labyrinth for protection doesn't necessarily need to be a maze. It can be something that is easy to get to but difficult to see. Hiding something in plain sight is the way to do this. Would you like an emergency key in your garden somewhere in case you get locked out? Don't put it under the door mat, because too many people do this. Instead, hide it in a bird feeder. Bury it inside a potted plant. Hide it in the bottom of a bucket in your potting shed. Hide it any place that's easy to access but is someplace that nobody would think of.
Protective amulets can be used in this way also. Instead of hiding them, put them where people can see them, but use protective amulets that are unconventional that people can't identify. Plant protective things in your garden instead of using charms. Eat food that's considered protective, like salt. Put a drop of holy water and your hand sanitizer, which will sanctify the hand sanitizer, and use it often for protection. Bless things that you use or wear every day and don't tell anybody. For example, bless your car keys, your wallet, your eyeglasses, or even your favorite ink pen and use them often so that you have protective amulets and talismans with you at all times. Read more about talismans and amulets here: How to Make Your Own Amulets and Talismans
Wrapped Within Wrapping
Things can be wrapped, but so can you. Your feelings, secrets, and emotions can be placed deep within a “labyrinth” within yourself that few, if any, can access. Your innermost secret feelings can be kept hidden in this way, accessible only to the most trusted people in your life. These secrets can lay beneath different levels of trust. For example, allowing someone access to a small secret, and seeing how they react to it and whether they share it or not can build trust. Over time, the more things people do to convince you that you can trust them, the closer they will get to accessing your hidden feelings and secrets.
Some people will never make it to the inner level of trust. Not everybody deserves access to all of you, and some people don’t deserve any access at all. Things you own that are precious to you, should likewise, remain hidden. Not everybody deserves to be invited to your home. Even the people who you invite might not all be welcome to certain areas of your home. Who would you be comfortable allowing to sleep over if they had an emergency? Layers of personal protectiveness like these we have around ourselves are things people reach after levels of trust are unlocked from magical labyrinths we have in our lives. Read about keeping secrets here: Is Keeping Secrets Bad?
From ancient Greece to more modern cathedrals far away from there, people have built, used and revered labyrinths for many generations. Labyrinths are used to keep things in or people out protectively, for safekeeping of some things, and to help with mindfulness. You can create your own labyrinths if you can't find one that you like to walk. Create a garden labyrinth, or a candle labyrinth anytime. You can also hide things in plain sight as a form of labyrinth, or disguise your emotions, secrets, or things and different layers of emotional protection. Maybe labyrinths emerged in ancient times, but they are a very modern way that people use to make magic. May the magic of your labyrinth be strong for protection, mindfulness, and for the keeping of secrets. So be it.
Would you like to know if someone is a safe person to share your secrets with? Get a reading started to find out today.
About the Author: Lady Saoirse has studied magic and lore for most of her life but started walking her own Magical Path after being spiritually reborn in the desert. Today she is a High Priestess for The Temple of the Goddess, she is a psychic advisor and spiritual counselor, she shares her gifts as a Psychic and Content Writer for Mysticsense and SpiritualBlossom, and she writes for PaganPages.Org emag and Green Egg Magazine.
