How to Draw Large Circuit Circular Labyrinths

Today we look at how to digitally make a circular labyrinth with 9 or more circuits. This method is a draw and cut method, meaning you will be making edits that remove lines you have previously drawn as you move thru the steps. It is possible to use a drawing only method but I think it is much more complicated with many more steps. Let’s get started. Here is what you can expect:

PART 1 - CHOOSE YOUR NUMBER OF CIRCUITS

PART 2 - CHOOSE YOUR NUMBER OF SECTIONS

PART 3 - CHOOSE YOUR THICKNESS

PART 4 - STEPS ON HOW TO DRAW THE LARGE CIRCULAR LABYRINTH


PART 1 - CHOOSE YOUR NUMBER OF CIRCUITS

We are covering multiple sizes of labyrinths in this post, so your first task is to choose how many circuits you want your labyrinth to have. From my research project on labyrinths in the US, I found that 87% of labyrinths in the US have an odd number of circuits. This explains why most directions are for odd numbers.

 

PART 2 - CHOOSE YOUR NUMBER OF SECTIONS

Labyrinths can be broken into sections that typically correspond to the shape of the labyrinth. Triangular labyrinths naturally fit 3 sections, but octagonal labyrinths do not look good with 3 sections. The nice thing about circular labyrinths is that they can look good with any number of sections. Divide 360 by the number of sections you want. That tells you where to place the sections in a 360 degree circle. All of the below are 9 circuit labyrinths, but they have 1, 2, 3, 12, 6 and 4 sections respectively. You can also mix and match sections that are divisible…more on that later.

9 Circuit Circular Labyrinth Section Construction options
 

PART 3 - CHOOSE YOUR THICKNESS

This is just an aesthetic choice that can be adjusted at the end of the process if you are making a digital labyrinth. I prefer the thicker lines for drawing and the thinner lines for real world labyrinths that you walk.

 

PART 4 - STEPS ON HOW TO DRAW THE LARGE CIRCULAR LABYRINTH

Step 1: Draw # Concentric Circles

Draw 1 more concentric circle than the number of circuits you want. A 9 circuit labyrinth requires 10 circles. A 17 circuit labyrinth requires 18 circles. Each circle should be an equal distance between one another and centered around the middle circle. The middle circle will become the labyrinths goal. Here are 10 for example:

10 Concentric Circles

Step 2: Draw the Inner Walls that become the sections

First draw the final processional pathway to the goal. Use 2 lines to draw a pathway from the center to the bottom edge (notice neither are at 6 o’clock). The right line will stop one circle short of the outer circle. If you want a single section you are ready to move to step 3. Otherwise you need to draw your sections based off of 360/# sections. Here is a 9 circuit with 4 sections showing the “flow” of the labyrinth from goal to start in red. You go in one section (towards the center), then out (away from the center), then in, then out. I noted with blue arrows where the turns will be.

labyrinth drawing with sections shown

Now the good news, bad news. You can mix sections when creating a labyrinth. In the below step 2 the outer circuit rings are in 2 sections with the inner using 4. Personally, I prefer consistent sections, but they are not required.

10 Concentric Circles with lines to break it up

Step 3: Add Pathways Where Needed

Create the pathway to the goal by erasing the circle sections at 6 o’clock. Create an entrance to the labyrinth just to the left of 6 o’clock. The other pathways will depend on the number of sections you have. From the goal work backwards, opening turnback’s as needed. Here are what the above labyrinths look like when complete. The first version has 4 sections while the second version is mixed between 2 and 4.

9 Circuit Circular Labyrinth Construction options 4 section
9 Circuit Circular Labyrinth- mix of 2 and 4 sections

That completes the drawing of a 9 Circuit Circular Labyrinth.

In the real world there are not many labyrinths above 11 circuits, but that doesn’t mean we can’t draw them. Let’s do a quick gallery on how to make a 17 circuit circular labyrinth and a 25 circuit using what we just learned. Here is the 17 circuit. 18 concentric circles. 4 sections.

And here is a 25 circuit circular labyrinth. 26 concentric circles. Mixed sections of 2 and 4.

A Comparison of 5 different types of 11 Circuit Labyrinths

I have previously shown how to make a variety of digital labyrinth drawings. The ones I reviewed fell into one of 5 categories: classical labyrinths, square labyrinths, circular labyrinths, octagonal and hexagonal labyrinths. Today we are going to take a quick look at the five different structures and compare them. We will also discuss aesthetics, shapes, and the different symbolism associated with each labyrinth shape. Here is a guide to what will be included. Click on a section to move to it:

PART 1 - LABYRINTH SEEDS AND STARTING PATTERNS

PART 2 - LABYRINTH TURNBACKS AND SECTIONS

PART 3 - LABYRINTH AESTHETICS - THICKNESS / HANDEDNESS / ORIENTATION

PART 4 - FINAL LABYRINTH COMPARISON

PART 5 - ADDITIONAL LABYRINTH SHAPES TO CONSIDER

PART 6 - LABYRINTH SHAPES AND THEIR SYMBOLISM

PART 7 - REAL WORLD LABYRINTH EXAMPLES

PART 1 - LABYRINTH SEEDS AND STARTING PATTERNS

First let’s look at the seed patterns. For the classical and square labyrinths you can use the same seed pattern show below. None of the circular, octagonal, and hexagonal labyrinths have traditional starting seeds beyond their inherent shapes.

Labyrinth seed pattern

Next let’s look at the connections for the labyrinths that use this seed pattern. The difference between a square and classical labyrinth is simple, and that is the shape of the connections between the seed endings. Here is the first move for each, one square and one curved (each makes the destination of the labyrinth).

Making a Square Labyrinth - step 2
Making a Labyrinth - step 2

Both also use the following seed connections to finish the drawing of the labyrinth:

Seed pattern for 11 circuit labyrinth with connections

For a square labyrinth you also have a second option to create a larger square goal if you prefer (the seed is shown with a green background guide below). This is more likely to be found in a real world labyrinth to allow labyrinth walkers to have a large center to rest/meditate in. On the right you see the final version of this center goal variation.

Square center labyrinth variation
11 Circuit Square labyrinth with large center

What about the starting seeds for the other 3 types of labyrinths ? Well it seems they go their own way. While they also have 11 circuits, the making of them differs significantly from the classical and the square versions. They also have more variety in the way they are constructed, including allowing the creator to make some aesthetic choices along the way.

Let’s first look at the starting patterns:

Circular - 12 concentric circles

Octagonal - 12 concentric octagons

Hexagonal - 12 concentric hexagons

12 concentric circles
12 concentric octagons
12 concentric hexagons

We have consistency here, we just change the shape. If you did not already know, the # of concentric shapes needed is always 1 greater than the number of circuits you want. So, if you wanted to make a 7 circuit pentagonal labyrinth, you need to start with 8 concentric pentagons. If you go back to our seeding pattern for both the square/classical labyrinths you’ll notice that there are 12 seeded connections there also ! So this math is consistent across all constructions.

 

PART 2 - LABYRINTH TURNBACKS AND SECTIONS

The next step in drawing each of these labyrinths is determining how many turn-backs or sections you would like the labyrinth to have, and it really is your personal choice. There is no standard way to draw the walls and turn-backs like you find with the classical labyrinth. I typically make 4 sections for my step by step instructions, but I have made 1,2,4 and 8 sections for most shapes with one exception, the hexagonal looks best in 6 sections vs. 8 for obvious reasons. Similarly, a pentagon would look natural with 5 sections.

Shown are the 1,2,4, and 8 section octagonal labyrinths; the 1,2,4, and 6 section hexagonal labyrinths; the 1,2,4, and 8 section circular labyrinths; the 1,2,4, and 8 section square labyrinths.

Labyrinths built with different numbers of sections

While match will help you determine how many sections fit with each shape I want to mention that circular gives you the most flexibility. 3 sections in an octagon may look awkward, but in a circle it looks great.

Once you have chosen the number of turn-backs, you can also make 3 more design aesthetics:

 

PART 3 - LABYRINTH AESTHETICS - THICKNESS / HANDEDNESS / ORIENTATION

Wall or Line Thickness:

For my examples, the hexagonal and octagonal labyrinths each used standard equal constructions (the wall and pathway thicknesses were the same). I like the way they look. All of my other examples used a regular construction. Here is what a circular labyrinth would look like in standard equal construction. All labyrinths can be made in either construction. Which do you prefer ?

11 Circuit Circular Labyrinth thin walls
11 Circuit Circular Labyrinth thick walls

Left-handed vs. Right-handed Labyrinths:

All 5 versions of these labyrinths can be created as either right handed or left handed. Every example in this discussion so far has been right handed. The left handed versions is the mirror image of what I have shown. What determines this ? The direction of your first turn after you enter the labyrinth ! This is difficult to notice for most people except for the classical labyrinth where it is apparent as shown below (although you would notice the handedness of any labyrinth that you were walking I imagine):

11 Circuit classical labyrinth left handed

Left handed labyrinth

11 Circuit classical labyrinth right handed

Right handed labyrinth

Labyrinth Orientation

The last variation applies to only the octagonal and hexagonal labyrinths construction (or any other shape you decide to use). For geometric shapes you may start the initial pathway centered on a wall, as all the above examples have done, or you may start the labyrinth on a corner. Here is the 4 sectioned hexagon labyrinth with each orientation. Notice that the section lines are placed in the same place for each version.

11 circuit Hexagonal labyrinth
11 circuit Hexagonal labyrinth start in corner

So that concludes our discussion and comparison of the 5 main types of labyrinths. I hope I have inspired you to create your own !

 

PART 4 - FINAL LABYRINTH COMPARISON

Here is the final comparison of the 5 main labyrinths. Which do you prefer ?

11 circuit labyrinths in 5 different shapes
 

PART 5 - ADDITIONAL LABYRINTH SHAPES TO CONSIDER

Following the basic steps I have outlined you can create additional shaped labyrinths. I think once you get to a decagon (10 sided) and dodecagon (12 sided) regular shaped polygons you are close enough to a circle that that would be the preferred construction. Irregular polygonal shaped labyrinths are possible but typically not drawn, just used in the real world because a rock/tree/other is in the way of the path.

The Triangle Labyrinth. I used this opportunity to divide the labyrinth into 3 sections based on the above discussion.

11 Circuit Triangular Labyrinth

The Spiral Labyrinth. When you think of spirals you think of a circular shape, but they can also be square shaped spirals. Double spiral labyrinths are also made in the real world so 2 people may walk at the same time. However I am unsure how you count the circuits correctly !!

The Diamond Labyrinth. You may create these at any angle. I did 90 degrees which looked like a rotated square and a second at a sharper angle.

 

PART 6 - LABYRINTH SHAPES AND THEIR SYMBOLISM

The symbolism of labyrinths is complex and varied. Some people see them as symbols of the journey of life, while others see them as representations of the universe or the mind. Labyrinths can also be seen as metaphors for the challenges that we face in life and the rewards that we can reap if we persevere. Here is a look at some of the symbolism found in the most common shapes:

Most Classical labyrinths have 7 circuits. The 7 circuits represent the 7 stages of life: birth, childhood, youth, adulthood, middle age, old age, and death.

Square labyrinths are often seen as representing the four elements (earth, air, fire, and water),

Circular labyrinths are often seen as representing the cycle of life.

Hexagonal Labyrinths may have been made for a variety of reasons. One theory is that the number 6 has symbolic significance in many cultures. It is often associated with creation, completion, and balance. For example, in the Bible, God created the world in six days, and the Star of David has six points. It is possible that the builders of labyrinths used the number 6 because they believed that it had special powers or meaning.


PART 7 - REAL WORLD LABYRINTH EXAMPLES

I did extensive labyrinth research and was able to pull together some examples of different shapes you can find in the real world, each featuring 11 circuits. Here are some examples you could visit:

Square Labyrinth. The St. Benedict Church Labyrinth in Hollister, CA is an 11 circuit version made of brick pavers.

Classical Labyrinth. The Church of the Good Shepherd in Yukon, OK is an 11 circuit labyrinth made from pavers placed in the grass.

Chartres Labyrinth. Ideally you would just visit the original in France, but to keep with my theme, the Unity Spiritual Center Labyrinth is a nice version in Sun City, AZ.

Roman Style Labyrinth. The S.O.U.L. Center Labyrinth in Granby, CT has a large 84 foot diameter and is made with rocks.

Spiral Labyrinth. The Goldwell Open Air Museum Labyrinth in Beatty, NV is made from rocks.

Octagonal Labyrinth. The Oasis at Calvary Labyrinth in Ruskin, FL is a beautiful brick paver version. The most famous octagonal version is from Amiens, France.

Medieval Labyrinth. The Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery Labyrinth in Bismarck, ND is made from rocks placed in the grass.


Step by step instructions on how to draw over 20 digital labyrinths.

How to Make Octagonal Labyrinths

Sometimes you need to talk about failure. Today I will do just that. I have done almost a dozen different step by step instructions on How to Draw a Labyrinth. And I set out to add some additional content by adding an octagonal version to add to the classical, square and circular versions.

My first step was making the labyrinth myself. I sat down and did it….slowly and with many starts and stops. Do you know how to draw an octagon with equal sides ? I looked into it. Once I drew the first labyrinth I knew the second would be easier, and it was…a little bit. Then I drew another, and another. And finally I figured out how to easily give you step by step instructions on how to make the octagonal labyrinth ! Except for me it has still not become easy. Maybe a few more designs and I’ll figure it out completely.

So why are we here ? Well I’m going to show you what I learned to help you make your own. Here is everything included in this post (with links to skip ahead if you choose)

PART 1 - HOW TO DRAW AN OCTAGON - METHOD 1

PART 2 - HOW TO DRAW AN OCTAGON - METHOD 2

PART 3 - HOW TO DRAW A 5 CIRCUIT OCTAGONAL LABYRINTH - METHOD 1

PART 4 - HOW TO DRAW A 5 CIRCUIT OCTAGONAL LABYRINTH - METHOD 2

PART 5 - HOW TO DRAW AN 11 CIRCUIT OCTAGONAL LABYRINTH - METHOD 1 &2

PART 6 - DISCUSSION OF TURNBACKS AND LABYRINTH ORIENTATION

PART 7 - REAL WORLD OCTAGONAL LABYRINTH EXAMPLES

PART 1 - HOW TO DRAW AN OCTAGON - METHOD 1

If you want to draw an octagon with equal lengths here is the method I would use.

Step 1 Draw a straight line

Step 2 Rotate the line 45 degrees

Obviously this is a digital method where you can copy and paste then rotate, but it also works if you are hand drawing. Use a pencil and protractor/ruler and ensure you use the same length line.

Step 3/4 Rotate the line twice more at 45 degrees

This will create what looks like an asterisk. Or a cut pizza that has no crust (maybe I’m hungry?)

vertical line

Step 1 Draw a line

vertical line with line at 45 degrees

Step 2 Rotate 45 degrees

4 lines forming an asterix

Step 3 & 4 Rotate 45 degrees again

Step 5 Connect the ends of the lines

This will create outer walls of the octagon that are the same length.

how to make an octagon using lines

Connect the ends of the lines

Step 6 Delete the original lines & (optional) rotate

After deleting the guidelines, rotate the octagon 22.5 degrees so you have the bottom side flat on the page. I will mention that if you are drawing an octagonal labyrinth you may want to keep the lines to help guide you drawing that (explanation later in the post).

octagon made from aqua lines
 

PART 2 - HOW TO DRAW AN OCTAGON - METHOD 2

Alternatively you can also use a grid to draw an octagon that is “eyeballed” and has sides that are not quite equal. I will help you some with the math of that and show you how to get your sides very close. We start with the Isosceles Right Angle Triangle. On the left we have the formulas to calculate the length of the long side of the triangle, or if you remember from your school days the hypotenuse (the square root of 2 multiplied times the length). On the example on the right if the length of the sides are 8 this means the hypotenuse of the triangle is 11.3 units in length.

Wait, why are we talking about this ? Because if you use a grid to make an octagon the distance between the diagonals should not be equal to the length of the sides.

Isosceles Right Triangle
Octagonal Right Angle calculated

Check out this overlay of our blue original equal side octagon with the red drawn using a grid that uses 4 grid blocks to draw the sides. Each diagonal is too long. The length of 4 grids used is 4 DIAGONAL grids which are different than 4 vertical / horizontal grid lengths (because of the math). So you need to calculate the estimated length of the diagonal.

Octagonal shape eyeball example

I did the math for you to calculate what grid lengths work best. The chart is on the left. With walls of 5 unit length, the Isosceles Right Angle Triangle hypotenuse length is calculated as 7.07 units (close enough that I would use this to draw an octagon). I highlighted the 4 that would work best in yellow.

On the right I show how these calculations translate into drawing on a grid. You reverse the lengths from the chart to draw your sides. So a 7 unit grid length is paired with a 5 grid diagonal (which is actually a length of 7.07). Similarly a 10 unit length paired with a 7 grid diagonal (actually length 9.9) also works. So using this math you can draw your own octagonal using grids and 45 degree angles.

Octagonal length calculation chart
Octagonal length measurement

I had planned on showing a second example comparing an octagon draw using the first method with one drawn using the second and the 5/7 grid calculation. When I aligned them they were virtually exact overlaps. So it works. Now we have our basic shape.

So everything is smooth sailing from here then ? Right ? No. Aligning the internal pathways correctly can best be described as trial and error. Why ? Because once you have your octagon drawn the internal walls might not line up the way you want with the grid you are working on.

I wanted to draw an octagonal labyrinth with the walls and pathways of equal width at an equal width apart (similar to a standard equal maze if you are familiar with that construction). I think it looks best visually. If you are not concerned with that aesthetic you should be able to eyeball your labyrinth together much easier. Here is a standard equal labyrinth that I made that has 4 sections (4 internal turn-backs).

5 circuit octagonal labyrinth

If you are eyeballing the drawing of this type of labyrinth, I suggest you start with the center goal portion and work your way out in layers. Could you design in the opposite direction, from the outside in ? Of course you can ! BUT, you may run out of room for your center goal ! If you go inside out, you only run out of room if you are using a piece of paper that is too small (and digitally you would never run out of room) !!

Also I want you to notice where the walls of the labyrinth make their turns. I have highlighted them below in red - If you made your Octagon using Method 1 above you will notice that the walls turn at the exact point it touches the line used to draw the octagon !! Keep this in mind as you draw your labyrinth ! You may also want to keep the original guides with this in mind.

5 circuit octagonal labyrinth showing how it is constructed

Normally, when I give step by step instructions I give specific advice and directions that work to draw an object (relatively) easily. Today, I give you instructions that will work, but will take some trial and error on your part !

 

PART 3 - HOW TO DRAW A 5 CIRCUIT OCTAGONAL LABYRINTH - METHOD 1

This method can de done digitally or with a writing utensil. If you are drawing digitally and can “erase” I suggest you start with method 2.

Step 1 Draw a Center Octagon (The Goal)

Now that you know how to draw a good octagon let’s get started drawing our labyrinth with one that will create our goal. There is only 1 alteration that you need to make. In the bottom side of the labyrinth, leave a gap in the center for the final pathway. In my example that gap is equal to the width of the line I used to make my octagon.

Octagon with small break

Step 1 - Draw an octagon (with a gap)

IMPORTANT: From now on the examples will be formed in the following way: Black - previously drawn sections. Blue - current section you are creating. Red - future sections.

Step 2 Draw the first layer from the goal

This layer, shown in blue below consists of what look like brackets on each side of the center. Mine are an equal distance from the initial octagon. However you’ll notice that there are gaps at the top and bottom of the brackets. How do you know where these should start and stop ? For the top of the octagon, draw a centered line equal to 3X width of your walls. The brackets will end 1X width length away from that line (this creates your turnaround point). For the bottom section draw 2 lines down from the entrance to the goal also 3X width of the walls. Again your brackets will end 1X width away from them.

Making an octagonal labyrinth step 2

Step 3 Draw the second layer from the goal

This set of brackets is on a north south orientation. To determine where these end, draw a line centered on the right/left side of the previous bracket that measures 2X width. End brackets 1X width away from the these lines. Also, because of the pathway to the goal you will also need to leave a gap in the center of the bottom bracket !

Making an octagonal labyrinth step 3

Step 4 Draw the next layer

We return to the side brackets. We extend our north and south lines by 2X width. We extend and connect our left and right centered lines.

Making an octagonal labyrinth step 4

Step 5 Draw the next layer

North and south brackets. Extend the left and right centered lines.

Making an octagonal labyrinth step 5

Step 6 Draw the final outer edge

This final step has some changes to note. In the bottom section of the labyrinth, the the final pathway leading to the goal finally turns into the labyrinth. The only gap is the entrance, directly to the right of the final pathway goal wall. Also note that there is no extension of the wall at due north. This completes the drawing of the octagonal labyrinth.

Making an octagonal labyrinth step 6

Here is the final version with all lines in black.

5 circuit octagonal labyrinth

A note about size. You can add additional steps if you would like, just continually adding internal sections until you are ready to finish the labyrinth by adding a final edge with an entrance.

 

PART 4 - HOW TO DRAW A 5 CIRCUIT OCTAGONAL LABYRINTH - METHOD 2

The following method works for digital constructions. It uses a draw and cut construction. It is entirely written for brevity.

Step 1 - Draw 6 concentric octagons

6 concentric octagons

Step 2 - Add turnback sections

Once you select how many turn-backs you will have ( my above example has 4 ), draw them, which will typically need one additional line than the # you choose to account for the centered bottom pathway that leads to the goal. The exception is a 1 section labyrinth which needs only 1 turnback.

For a 4 section these will be drawn at 3, 6 , 9 and 12 o’clock. With the extra line occurring at 6 where you create a centered final pathway to the goal. Ensure the lines at 3 and 9 have the innermost pathway open, while 12 has the top pathway open.

Making an octagonal labyrinth step 2

Step 3 - Open pathways

At the location of the turn-backs you will need to create the appropriate pathways, along with the entrance and goal pathways. This will create the final labyrinth.

5 circuit octagonal labyrinth
 

PART 5 - HOW TO DRAW AN 11 CIRCUIT OCTAGONAL LABYRINTH - METHOD 1 & 2

Every thing you just learned can be applied to larger circuit labyrinths. Just add more circuits until you reach the desired number. I have shown a few steps of each method to draw an 11 circuit version (shown in the gallery). Use the next controls to see the steps. I did not complete the steps as it is basically, draw the next layer…again and again until you are complete.

 

PART 6 - DISCUSSION OF TURNBACKS AND LABYRINTH ORIENTATION
A note about turn-backs. My example above has 4 sections. But you can also draw the same labyrinth with more or less turn-backs (sections). Below I have a 1 section, 2 section, 4 section (the one we just made) and 8 section version. If you imagine walking these, the more sections, or turn-backs, the more back and forth walking you will do.

5 circuit octagonal labyrinths with 4 different sections

A note on labyrinth orientation. You also do not need to rotate the octagon you have made, and instead make the labyrinth entrance on a corner. Here is the 1 section version, which of course it could be done like the above in 2, 4, and 8 section versions. This is the 1 circuit with a corner entrance.

 

PART 7 - REAL WORLD OCTAGONAL LABYRINTH EXAMPLES
There are many octagonal labyrinths to choose form if you would like to visit them. Here are 4 in the US:

And the famous international versions:

A also wanted to give you some information on the most famous octagonal labyrinth in the world, the Amiens Labyrinth in the cathedral in Amiens, France. You can find some great pictures and information about the labyrinth from Atlas Obscura. It has been around since 1288 !

And it has a cousin, as far as labyrinths have cousins I guess, an octagonal labyrinth located in the parish church of the Basilica of Saint-Quentin, in St Quentin, France. It was made sometime around 1495 which makes it both very old, and yet 200 years younger then Amiens !

Additional posts you might like:

10 of the Most Frequently asked Questions about Labyrinths, with Answers

The 8 best books about mazes, labyrinths and their history

If you prefer making labyrinths, you can find step by step labyrinth making instructions for over 20 different versions.