ON LABYRINTHS AND MAZES
There are several scenes in The Measure of Life where Nicole walks a labyrinth near a church on Vashon Island to help gain control of her life by looking backward at the events that shaped her, and then forward to plan a rewarding future with family and a meaningful career.
Labyrinths and mazes have been around since time immemorial in many cultures including ancient India and Russia. Sometimes the words are used interchangeably but I make a distinction between the two. I picture labyrinths as circular in design where one half of the path eventually leads to the center where the walker can pause and reflect before turning to the other half to place one foot then another to return to the beginning cleansed of burdens. Such slow-paced and contemplative steps are designed to bring peace and maybe closer to God.
One of the most famous of labyrinths is that in Chartres Cathedral in France. Developed in the Middle Ages, worshippers proceeded on their knees in what must have been a grueling and painful process.
To my mind, mazes are puzzles or challenges with many dead ends where finding the right path leads to an immediate reward or goal. Think of rats scurrying as they learn the correct route to get a morsel of food. But the most famous maze in myth is called a labyrinth. This is the story of Thesus and the Minotaur and Ariadne who gave him a string so he could find his way out of the dark tunnel after dispatching the monster Minotaur, a half man, half bull creature. Now mazes are typically scenes of fun and challenge to find one’s way out of paths bounded by high hedges. They were especially popular in the Renaissance where lords and ladies pursued each other in gardens. It is easy to imagine the prize!
If you would like to explore a labyrinth you can check the worldwide directory at https://labyrinthlocator.org where there is a list and description of 6593 labyrinths where one can quiet the mind, reflect, and gain perspective.
Photos: labyrinth on Orcas Island, WA
Chartres Cathedral, France from wikimedia – CC BY-SA3.0. https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=510275
Vashon Island WA
Seattle, WA
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