We walk labyrinths for many reasons. Reflection, prayer, grief, healing, self discovery, and meditation are some of the most common, but they can be used for many more reasons. As I have researched the types of labyrinths available to walk around the world I wanted to focus on one aspect in particular, reconciliation. I think a new labyrinth design could facilitate this situation better and I wanted to create some ideas and get them down on paper. Below are rough drafts of the ideas I came up with.
Reconciliation Labyrinth Idea #1 - 2 enter, 1 exit
A simple concept to symbolize what you want to the result to be of any reconciliation, 2 separate people enter, but in the end after reconciling they leave together. I think this circular labyrinth does that.
Reconciliation Labyrinth Idea #2 - 2 entrances meet in the middle
Similar to above, but with no expectation to leave together (though ideal). Here people enter on oppositive sides of the labyrinth and meet in the middle. Do they walk back the way they came ? In the others original direction ? Out of the labyrinth together across the pathways ?
I played around and of course this concept can be expanded to a different number of entrances, here is 4 for example:
And these ideas led me to another thought - what about the ultimate 2 become 1 situation ? A wedding. What would a wedding labyrinth look like to symbolize the marriage and joining of 2 people/families. It would be a heart with 2 entrances and 1 exit.
Wedding Labyrinth Idea
I imagine this heart is done is red brick surrounded by a different color material so the heart stands out. I made a large center to account for a ceremony, and a wide exit where 2 people can exit side by side. Maybe the families follow them through the labyrinth after the ceremony.
The labyrinth that got me thinking about this is the Square version of the Hopi Tapu'at Labyrinth which I can teach you how to draw. The labyrinth features 2 separate pathways, where 1 surrounds the other and it is also called the mother and child labyrinth. I set-up the gallery below to show the labyrinth, then a colored in version to illustrate the 2 sections that create the mother and child !
After I wrote this post I was researching another post and came upon The Labyrinth Company website. The Labyrinth Company is one of the leading builders of labyrinths around the world. They have many different styles to choose from including 3 “Ceremonial” labyrinths with 2 entrances and 1 exit. Here is a link to their 4 circuit version (they also have a 6 and 8 circuit version) !
Interested in hiring a labyrinth building company ?
The Ultimate Directory of Maze and Labyrinth Builders: The top 13 Builders in the World
Have a design for a symbolic labyrinth you’ve been thinking of ? Jot it down. Send me a note. Some other posts you may enjoy:
5 BOOKS TO READ ABOUT LABYRINTH WALKING
I wrote a blog post reviewing the following 5 books, each that deals with walking labyrinths. You can check them out yourself at the Amazon links below or read this blog post: 5 Books about the Spiritual Aspect of Labyrinths to learn a little about what each book teaches.
Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool by Dr. Lauren Artress 201 pages. AMZN
Labyrinth : Your Path to Self-Discovery by Tony Christie 312 pages. AMZN
Exploring the Labyrinth: A Guide For Healing and Spiritual Growth by Melissa Gayle West 209 pages AMZN
Walking the Labyrinth: A Place to Pray and Seek God by Travis Scholl 240 pages AMZN
Labyrinths from the Outside In: Walking to Spiritual Insight by Rev Dr Donna Schaper and Rev Dr Carole Ann Camp 187 pages AMZN
If you are interested in more spiritual labyrinth aspects I suggest the following websites:
Lauren Artress website - For coaching, workshops and classes.
Veriditas - The nonprofit labyrinth group founded by Lauren Artress
Worldwide Labyrinth Finder - Find a labyrinth to walk near you, or while on vacation