The Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool

Photograph by Reverend Steve Waites

The Hopi Indians of North America had a symbol for Mother Earth known today as the "Classical Seven-Path Labyrinth." It was this symbol of the Mother which identified the sacred in nature - that spiraling form found throughout nature. Labyrinths were woven into objects to personify man's connection to his source and were often placed at sacred places in nature to remind him of this union. When one walks the labyrinth it is in recreating this very ancient expression of thanks and remembrance of the divine in all things.   http://www.labyrinthina.com/path.htm.

The labyrinth is, so to speak, the counter-image of the primal yearning for the cave. It is the image of that other primal yearning for greater awareness, and it is always an expression of the possibility of advancing rather than returning into unconsciousness and timelessness. For if the cave is dark, then the labyrinth is dimly lit. If the cave is an expression of remoteness from consciousness, a symbol of unconsciousness, then the labyrinth is a way, if still a confused way, into awareness.

-- from "Cave and Labyrinth" by Jean Gebser, Parabola, Vol. XVII, Number 2, "Labyrinths," (May 1992).

Labyrinths have been known to the human race for over 3,500 years, conjuring up such  images as the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur. They have been used in many different religious ways by many peoples, and as solar and lunar calendars. In Arizona and the American Southwest the Hopi use a form of the labyrinth in their religious symbolism, and the Tohono O'odham "Man in the Maze" is actually a "seven-circuit" labyrinth and is part of an elaborate creation story..

The oldest existing Christian labyrinth is probably the one in the fourth-century basilica of Reparatus, Orleansville, Algeria. Christians used labyrinths on pre-Christian sites and modeled their own after ones used by earlier cultures. The development of the high medieval Christian seven circuit labyrinth was a breakthrough in design. Its path of seven circles was cruciform (shaped like the Cross) and thus incorporated the central Christian symbol. Use of these labyrinths flourished in Europe throughout the eleventh and twelfth centuries and beyond, especially in the French cathedrals of Chartres, Sens, Poitiers, Bayeaux, Amiens and Rheims and in the Italian cathedrals at Lucca and San Maria-di-Trastavera in Rome.

Medieval pilgrims, unable to fulfill their desire to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, went instead to many pilgrimage sites in Europe or Britain. In many cases the end of their journey was a labyrinth formed of stone and laid in the floor of the nave of one of these great Gothic cathedrals. The center of the labyrinths probably represented for many pilgrims the Holy City itself and thus became the substitute goal of the journey.

The Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth

The sacred geometry of the labyrinth involves the numbers four, seven and twelve, emerging out of the "paths" and "walls" themselves. The labyrinth is divided neatly into four quarters around a cross, standing in the medieval mind for the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and also for the four stages of the Mass (Evangelium, Offertory, Consecration, and Communion). Labyrinth meditation might be based on one of these or some other set of four, assigning each quarter section to one, and so forth.

Seven is the number of 180 turns there are in each quarter of the labyrinth. This relates to the seven Liberal Arts of medieval education, the chakras of the human body, or perhaps the seven paths of the classic medieval cruciform labyrinths.

Twelve is the total number of the labyrinth's paths and center, thus relating it to the twelve-month calendar. The "lunations" around the outside of the labyrinth are a lunar calendar and can be used to determine, among other things, the date of Easter, which falls on the Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox.

The six "petals" of the center of the labyrinth provide individual opportunities for symbolic representation and meditation. Moving clockwise from the entrance, they represent mineral, plant, animal, human, angelic and unnameable properties. In the very center of the Grace St. Paul's labyrinth, three consecrated hosts, representing the three persons of the Trinity, are embedded in the concrete inside a metal pix.

Walking the labyrinth models the classical three-fold spiritual path. Walking in: Purgation, emptying or letting go. Time in the center: Illumination, clarity, insight. Walking out: Union, initiative, integration, and action in the world. The sacred geometry of the labyrinth involves the numbers four, seven and twelve, emerging out of the "paths" and "walls" themselves. The labyrinth is divided neatly into four quarters around a cross, standing in the medieval mind for the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and also for the four stages of the Mass (Evangelium, Offertory, Consecration, and Communion). Labyrinth meditation might be based on one of these or some other set of four, assigning each quarter section to one, and so forth.

 Walking the labyrinth models the classical three-fold spiritual path. Walking in: Purgation, emptying or letting go. Time in the center: Illumination, clarity, insight. Walking out: Union, initiative, integration, and action in the world.

http://www.findingstone.com/workshops/labyrinth/

As a part of my personal journey I have had the opportunity to walk several labyrinths; the Glastonbury labyrinth in England,  the Angel Valley labyrinth in Sedona, Arizona,  the Grace Cathedral labyrinth in San Francisco, California. Each time there were specific challenges in my life that needed light shed upon them and each labyrinth journey allowed me to move into a deeper meditation.  Within the depth of the meditation the challenges took a different appearance that unfolded a new perspective. If you have the opportunity to experience the spiritual energy of the labyrinth, I certainly encourage you to do so.

Reverend Angela DeBry, D.D. S.T.L

Vice President and Dean of Education

reverenddebry@sacredfoundations.net

www.sacredfoundations.net

Energy Shifts, Last Sunday Spiritual Gathering 8-12-18

Topic of our August 12, 2018 gathering was about the energetic shifts currently happening within ourselves and all around the world along with some tools to help us support and take care of ourselves in such times of transformation.

Gathering began with guided mediation to ground, clear, balance and protect…

Perception Is A Mirror

Excerpted from "Gifts from a Course in Miracles" & edited by Frances Vaughan and Roger Walsh

You respond to what you perceive, and as you perceive so shall you behave.

Every response you make to everything you perceive is up to you, because your mind determines your perception of it.

You cannot be aware without interpretation, for what you perceive is your interpretation.

Understand that you do not respond to anything directly, but to your interpretation of it.

Your interpretation thus becomes the justification for the response.

Perception selects, and makes the world you see.

It literally picks it out as the mind directs.

The laws of size and shape and brightness would hold, perhaps, if other things were equal.

They are not equal.

For what you look for you are far more likely to discover than what you would prefer to overlook.

The world can teach no images of you unless you want to learn them.

Reality needs no cooperation from you to be itself.

But your awareness of it needs your help.

Perception is a choice of what you want yourself to be; the world you want to live in, and the state in which you think your mind will be content and satisfied.

It chooses where you think your safety lies, at your decision.

It reveals yourself to you as you would have you be.

And always is it faithful to your purpose.

Let us be glad that you will see what you believe, and that it has been given you to change what you believe.

If you perceive truly you are canceling out misperceptions in yourself and in others simultaneously.

Because you see them as they are, you offer them your acceptance of their truth so they can accept it for themselves.

Let us not rest content until the world has joined our changed perception.

Let us not be satisfied until forgiveness has been made complete.

As I share the peace of the world with my brothers, I begin to understand that this peace comes from deep within myself.

Ministers Message
Reverend Felecia Mulvany D.D.

There are huge shifts in perception happening all around the world. These shifts are supported by the energy of our times but they begin within each of us, individually, in our minds, within our thoughts.

This energy is pushing us to be honest with ourselves, to take responsibility for our own thoughts and actions. Those who refuse are beginning to be held accountable; their misdeeds are being brought into the light for all to see. Our world views are shifting. We are becoming more aware of what has been happening in the shadows and how each of us may have contributed in even the smallest of ways. It is getting harder and harder to burry our heads in the sand, to ignore those things that are not being done from a place of loving kindness.   

As we change our own perceptions, beliefs, thoughts, and actions and begin to live in our hearts, from a point of love, for ourselves and others, our lives begin to transform. The world will be healed and transformed only when we are healed and transformed. The greater number of people who do this – the greater world transformation can occur.    

We must find the courage to look deeply within, to be truly honest with ourselves, and to live in integrity. Even though this can be a painful process, there are great benefits when we do.  We will find ourselves in fewer situations that trigger us and when we are triggered it is easier to work through and heal the pain that created those triggers.

Our thoughts are energy and this thought energy manifests into our reality. How do we think of and talk to ourselves?  How do we think of and talk to others?  What are we creating?  Is it positive? Is it loving? If not, let us look within to find the cause of those negative thoughts and heal that.  Love that.     

A large part of our collective energy is so intensely negative right now it can be difficult to stay detached, to know what is ours on a mental, emotional, and energetic level, and what is not. It may be someone else’s energy we have picked up and are acting on. It’s our responsibility to know the difference, to disconnect from that which does not serve our well-being. We can support others but we must take care of ourselves first.

 Tools for self-care  

· We can start by being energetically grounded, clear, balanced and protected

· Make our personal health and wellbeing a priority

· Eat right and exercise

· Set boundaries to protecting ourselves from negativity and the projections of others

· Forgive and let go so we don’t hold that negative energy inside allowing it to fester

· Be the witness in order to gather facts and stay nonjudgmental

· Become informed – there are always several sides to a story   

· Stay heart centered and perceive things through the eyes of compassion, love, and understanding

· Be mindful – stay in the present moment

· Have pure intentions

· Be honest with yourself and others

· Focus on what is working instead of what isn’t

· Remove psychic/energetic connections between us and others

· Keep the energy within our homes, cars, offices, etc. clear

· Meditate

· Write – get our thoughts and feelings out on paper to gain clarity and reclaim our power

· Don’t play small and give our power away

· Surround ourselves with people who support us and our personal life path

· Divination tools

· Rituals to release the old and bring in the new

· Find ways to use your creativity

· Create some art  

· Find or create a community of likeminded people that support each other

· Schedule personal time in our calendars

· Play and have fun

Group discussion

Can you think of other ways we can take care of ourselves?  Are there items on this list you would like to discuss further?  

My variation on the Buddhist Metta Prayer

May I be filled with loving-kindness

May I be well

May I be peaceful and at ease

May I be happy

May I be free

May you be filled with loving-kindness

May you be well

May you be peaceful and at ease

May you be happy

May you be free

May we be filled with loving-kindness

May we be well

May we be peaceful and at ease

May we be happy

May we be free

May all beings everywhere, known and unknown, be filled with loving-kindness

May they be well

May they be peaceful and at ease

May they be happy

May they be free

Please join us as we gather to Celebrate the Spirit within each of us.

Spiritual Gatherings held the 2nd & 4th Sunday's of the month at 10:30 AM
At Laughing Giraffe Therapy Center
100 O'Connor Drive #14, San Jose CA 95128

Sacred Foundations, Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit church. We affirm the Divine in all its manifestations on earth. We honor all paths and embrace the wisdom of all the Sacred Text across the globe. We believe that only through dialog, education, and community sharing that humanity will find a way to live peacefully together in tolerance and diversity.  

Caring Neighbor August Asset of the Month

Young person experiences caring neighbors

Newsletter Content

This document is designed to help adults throughout Silicon Valley develop materials and activities to promote the asset of adult role models. Newsletter Content The following text may be used in organizational newsletters. Please include the attribution at the end of the article.

The Importance of a Caring Neighborhood

Research shows that youth who reside in caring neighborhoods have higher grades, better self-esteem, reduced crime, and less drug use. And, caring neighborhoods are safer: a study of 343 Chicago neighborhoods discovered that in a caring community, youth experience less acts of school absence, graffiti, and violence. Other benefits of a strong neighborhood include a greater sense of community and easier conflict resolution among neighbors. A caring neighborhood creates a better environment for everyone regardless of age.

Unfortunately, in Project Cornerstone’s 2011 survey, only 52% of 4th-6th graders and 37% of 7th - 12th graders reported that they feel that their neighborhood is caring. To help raise awareness of this important asset, August is Caring Neighborhood month in Silicon Valley. The following discussion topics can help you work with young people to become aware of the ways that their neighborhood is caring and identify possible opportunities for improvement.

 • Which adults “keep an eye” on neighborhood kids when they’re playing outside to help keep them safe?

• Which adults and families in the neighborhood can you turn to for help in case of an emergency? Help your family identify a “safe house” on every nearby block where they can go if they need help.

• Which adults and families should you get to know better? How might you approach them?

• Are there any neighbors who might benefit from assistance such as a senior citizen who may need help with their yard work, carrying groceries, or taking their trash and recycling to the curb?

This article was provided courtesy of Project Cornerstone’s Asset-a-Month program. For more information, visit www.projectcornerstone.org.

Activities 

The activities below are a starting point to help create caring neighborhoods. 

For families 

• Make an effort to get to know your neighbors, and help your children understand the importance of strong neighborhood bonds. Encourage your children to share toys or activities with other kids on the block.

• Invite another family to go with you when you walk your dog, or ask if you can join a family when they walk theirs.

• With your children, make a map of your street and write down names and a few facts about each neighbor.

• Volunteer to house- and pet-sit when your neighbors go out of town.

• Throw a neighborhood party! Invite everyone on the block for food, fun, games, and the opportunity to get to know each other better. Be sure to plan activities for youth of all ages.

For all adults

• Learn the names and interests of the kids in your neighborhood, and find areas that you have in common. Offer to teach a new skill or ask the young person to teach you.

• Let families know that your home represents a “safe house” where their children can come if they need help.

• “Check in” with children and youth who are playing outside, and help them stay safe.

• Establish an emergency contact list for neighbors so that everyone can be reached in case of an urgent matter.

• Volunteer to pick up a neighbor’s children from school or programs.

• Treat neighbors of all ages with courtesy and respect.

• Attend a game, play, or event in which a neighborhood youth is participating.

• Be aware of graduations and other major events in children’s lives.

• Create an email list or online group for neighbors. This is an easy way to share announcements, invitations, plans, and concerns.

• Support local youth in their fundraisers. Even if you don’t care for cookies, candy, wrapping paper, or the other items that the children are selling, your support of their activities shows that you value their goals and efforts.

At school or in youth programs 

• Schools, religious organizations, and youth programs can help create a sense of community in the neighborhood. Visit with your immediate neighbors to help them understand your programs and enlist their help in keeping children and youth safe.

• Hold events for the neighborhood, such as a Halloween carnival or ‘open house’ with children’s activities. Neighbors can learn about your programs and visit with each other.

• Develop a service project where youth in your programs volunteer in the nearby neighborhood, such as picking up litter or assisting the elderly with chores.

• Discuss ways that youth can create a caring community in their own neighborhoods.

Resources

• National Night Out is an annual event involving citizens, law enforcement agencies, civic groups, businesses, neighborhood organizations and local officials from thousands of communities in the United States and Canada. For more information, visit http://www.nationaltownwatch.org/nno.

• The National Neighborhood Watch Program pairs neighborhood groups and law enforcement to work together to create safe communities. For more information, visit http://www.usaonwatch.org/ 

• Ian Chamandy of Portland, Oregon has created a detailed manual titled “How To Throw A Great Street/Block Party And Transform Your Neighborhood Into A Tight-Knit Community,” which covers a range of activities before, during, and after the party that ensure a successful event. To view the manual, visit http://www.streetparty.net/ and click the link to download the manual.

About the Asset-a-Month Program

The goals of the Silicon Valley Asset-a-Month program are to help align adults throughout our diverse community in their efforts to promote positive youth development by fostering developmental assets. For more information about the Asset-a-Month program, contact Project Cornerstone at (408) 351-6482 or info@projectcornerstone.org.

Reverend Felecia Mulvany, D.D.

President, Sacred Foundations, Inc.

revmulvany@sacredfoundations.net

www.sacredfoundations.net

877-877-4275