The Labyrinth at Glendale Shoals

I have visited Glendale Shoals on multiple occasions and seen the labyrinth there, but I have never really paid it any attention. Just some bricks and gravel in a circle. On a recent Sunday afternoon outing, for whatever reason, I felt drawn to it and strolled over to check it out. “Oh cool” I thought, “a maze”. As I stepped into the entrance and started walking, I realized that it wasn’t a maze, but more of a path. As I stopped and followed the path with my eyes to the center, I noticed the sign. Aha!

 

A quick Google search yielded a ton of history and information about labyrinths, but the sign sums it up nicely:

 

Background on the Labyrinth

 

 

 Labyrinths date back almost 5,000 years, long before Christianity. In 1201 one of the most notable labyrinths was built into the nave floor of the  Chartres Cathedral in France.

 During the last 20 years, the world has seen a revival of the labyrinth. It is a valuable spiritual tool for meditative walking. Labyrinths are now found in parks, hospitals, schools, prisons, churches, people’s back yards, and even beaches. Labyrinth designs are found on tiles, baskets, and tablets found around the world.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Blessing of the Labyrinth

“Enter into Labyrinth time,

Ponder on your life’s design,

Spiral down into the core,

Determine what your life is for.”

Janis Strope

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  This Labyrinth was built and sustained by the Philosophy in Action Living-Learning Community at Wofford College.

 

Guidelines for Walking the Labyrinth

 

• Begin your walk with a ritual: Bow, pause or deep breath. Do what feels right. Be present in the moment and the act of entering a sacred space.

 

• Simply walk at your own pace. Following the path, move towards the center. You may pass the person in front of you. This may be easiest at the turns. The path is a two-way street. If you meet another pilgrim coming towards you, step aside.

 

• If you feel that you have lost your way, do not be concerned. You will either end up at the center or at the entrance. Then you can continue the path.

 

• There is no right or wrong way to walk a labyrinth. People can run, skip, dance or walk. Children enjoy the labyrinth also. Parent supervision is recommended.

 

• Walk often. It may take several walks to feel comfortable with this spiritual tool. Journaling may be helpful afterwards.

 

• There are many ways to experience the labyrinth – as a metaphor for life, a walking meditation, a path of prayer, watering hole for the spirit, a mirror of the soul, a place of discernment, a catalyst for change, a garden space to find peace, a dance floor to celebrate, a confessional to find forgiveness and a thin place where space and time are suspended to form a new way of understanding.

So now the next time you are in Glendale (or anywhere) and see the labyrinth, you know what to do. Peace.