Book Review - Labyrinth A-Ω by Clive Johnson 106 pages. AMZN.
Sometimes the author tells you about the book right there on the cover. This is the case with this book. The subtitle is “An Introduction to the How, What, and Why of Labyrinths and Labyrinth Walking”, and that is a perfect way to describe just what you will learn in this book !
What I learned in this book:
Despite reading many books on labyrinths in the past, I was still introduced to a few new ones I had never heard of. I found myself switching to a new tab and doing visual searches to see them.
The first chapter does a nice job speaking about labyrinths throughout history while the second speaks about why the labyrinth has so much appeal.
When I think of labyrinth legends I think of Theseus and the Minotaur. But I learned about a Hindu story that is about a labyrinth, from the Mahabharata that the warrior Abhimanyu where he is shown how to defeat his enemies but not how to return from the battlefield.
The word ‘maze’ did not appear until the 14th century, possibly coined by Geoffrey Chaucer. Before that labyrinth was used to describe what today we call mazes and labyrinths.
There have been health studies that verify the health benefits of walking labyrinths, including reduced blood pressure and reduced stress and reduced anxiety.
The organization Veriditas offers Facilitator Training for those that want to guide others through the labyrinth effectively.
What this book does best: Overall a good book. I really appreciated learning about many new and interesting labyrinths. There is also a nice directory of labyrinth resources that can be explored further.