A Labyrinth Experience
Walking to Heal What Aches
Reflections on The Labyrinth
Private thoughts guide me as I gather sage for clearing negative energy, a red stone as a reminder that the power is within me, and the blue-and-white beaded rosary from Our Lady of Fatima. My heart is filled with anticipation. Today, I am allured; something draws me to walk with the complexity of my inner questions, thoughts, and emotions of loss and the desire for clarity.
I drive to the labyrinth, currently a place that brings me sadness. I am here to grieve, seeking to make peace with my inner self. My focused intentions are two simple questions: “If and where?” I vow to pay attention to all signs and ask for eyes to see and ears to hear. As I thoughtfully arrive, I notice the word release floating through my mind. I park, lock the car, and walk toward the labyrinth. I stop at the entrance and read the invitation in stone: “The Labyrinth is a watering hole for the soul,” by Lauren Artress.
I pull the sage from my pocket. It is not my property, and there is a breeze. I purposely chose a bundle that had been partially burned. I walk clockwise around the labyrinth, including the Native American Wheel, the French Cross, and the Storytelling Labyrinth. I left petals of sage, like breadcrumbs of protection, as I walked. I put the string that held the bundle in my pocket. I pulled out Our Lady of Fatima’s rosary and began to walk. Soon, I found my rhythm and walked to the words, “I am here. I release.”
This Labyrinth has ancestral rocks and large lava stones along its paths. They always speak to me. I stopped by the one directly across from the entrance, and the sun’s light was bouncing off it. I stop, reach into my pocket again, and place the stone in a lava hole where the sun immediately shines on it. I keep walking, and finally, the center comes into view. I stop and then step on the six stones around the large square peace column, filled with blue cut glass in the middle. I stop on the 3rd side of the peace pole and pull the string that bundles the sage from my pocket. I tie it mindfully to the pole, and tie three knots in the string, reflecting on how three is such a sacred number. I look down and realize the stone I am standing on represents the angelic realm. Symbols are speaking to me, but I’m not sure how to interpret them. However, I acknowledge that I am picking up signals.
It is time to return from the center. I start my journey back to the entrance, which is now the exit. I receive the gifts that I need. They are wrapped, and I do not know what is inside them. I’ll know soon enough. At the exit, I turn and bow in gratitude.
I return to the car and drive home in silence. I write. “It is released.”
Note to the Reader: I share this journey not as a map, but as an invitation. In the labyrinth, there is no right or wrong turn; the path itself is the teacher. It bypasses the analytical mind and the need for words, meeting you exactly where you are. Because every walk is a unique conversation between the soul and the stone, it cannot be taught—it must be felt. I invite you to bring your own questions to the path. Find a labyrinth near you at www.labyrinthlocator.com and see what unfolds in the silence.
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