5 Books About the Spiritual Aspect of Labyrinths

When you draw and make mazes and labyrinths daily you inevitably read about the history of each. I took some time to read about the spiritual aspect of Labyrinths and here are the 5 best books I read on the subject. I suggest starting with Walking a Sacred Path, the most well known book on the subject and the first book that I review below.

Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool by Dr. Lauren Artress 201 pages. AMZN

What I learned in this book:

• Walking a labyrinth is a very personal experience for anyone who does it. Often it is a meditative and spiritual journey that parallels the journey you take in life.

• Walking the labyrinth harkens back to the former days of pilgrimage in religious traditions.

• There are many ways to walk a labyrinth. Do what feels right to you. Chapter four includes a process you might find helpful to make the walk productive.

• The labyrinth is seen as a metaphor for many things: the union between heaven and earth, death and rebirth, faith and doubt, the brain, intestines or birth canal, and the journey to heaven.

• The labyrinth reinforces the use of rituals to connect us.

• A labyrinth is a walking meditation vs. the traditional still meditation.

What this book does best: The best book about the spiritual journey of walking labyrinths there is.

Labyrinth : Your Path to Self-Discovery by Tony Christie 312 pages. AMZN

What I learned in this book:

• This book casts a wide net on the structure of the labyrinth and how it may tie in to a multitude on religions and practices including: Mithraism, Alchemy, the planets and cosmos, the Alchemical process, the 4 elements, Tarot cards, the Kabbalah tree of life, the mythical hero’s journey, Melchizedek, our death and rebirth, chakras, major arcana, the Ursa Major constellation, and the magical square of the moon. I would be shocked if came away from this book and said you learned nothing and everything spoken about was familiar.

• There have been studies done about how people feel after walking a labyrinth and the results are 81% more centered and 87% more peaceful - John W Rhodes 2008 experiment

• While discussing walking the labyrinth and finding your life’s purpose the author writes - “Books you buy or are given as gifts can indicate where your [life’s] purpose lies”. I found that statement to be very true in my own life. Books are great gifts, especially when they are carefully selected.

• When walking a labyrinth you should have a threefold approach: knowledge, experience, and reflection.

What this book does best: This looks at the spiritual aspect of labyrinths from every angle and thru many lenses (see my first bullet point).

Exploring the Labyrinth: A Guide For Healing and Spiritual Growth by Melissa Gayle West 209 pages AMZN

What I learned in this book:

• Walk the labyrinth with purpose. Have something in mind to mediate on/think about while you walk. And most importantly be open minded as you walk.

• The labyrinth walk can help you deal with grief, fear and anger.

• The book does a nice job discussing how a labyrinth can be used. Use the labyrinth for:

  • Physical Healing and Curing

  • Relaxation and Guidance

  • Re-connection to Self and Spirit

  • Illness and Pain as a teacher

  • Ritual and Celebrations

• Has a nice guide or checklist to use when creating a labyrinth ritual for your celebration by answering a series of questions

• Suggests that the center of a labyrinth should have an altar of some kind like a bench, tree, flowers or a statue.

What this book does best: The entire 2nd Part of the book is dedicated to making your own labyrinth. And while it covers drawing a Cretan and making a finger labyrinth, the real value is in making physical labyrinths. Instructions are included to make a both a Cretan labyrinth and the Chartres labyrinth with tape, as well as how to make the Cretan labyrinth with rope.

Walking the Labyrinth: A Place to Pray and Seek God by Travis Scholl 240 pages AMZN

What I learned in this book:

• The meaning of the word Liminality - roughly the time between times, or the middle stage of a ritual.

• I had never heard the quote from the Danish Philosopher Soren Kiekegaard before '“Life can only be understood backwards, but must be lived forward”

What this book does best: This is a Christian book. The author walks a labyrinth each day during Lent with a daily Scripture from the book of Mark being used to meditate on during the walk. The book tells about the scripture and speaks to how the author feels in modern day walking the labyrinth.

Labyrinths from the Outside In: Walking to Spiritual Insight by Rev Dr Donna Schaper and Rev Dr Carole Ann Camp 187 pages AMZN

What I learned in this book:

• The meaning of the word Acedia - Being bored to death while being bombarded with stimulation

• The origin of the word labyrinth may have come from the word labyrs which was a double headed Ax used on the island of Crete.

• The book suggests breaking the walk of a labyrinth into the following parts, each with their own meaning and preparation: !.Preparation 2. Invocation (typically a prayer before the walk) 3. Walking in 4. Reaching the center 5. Walking out 6. Exit and Gratitude

• The book suggests using the labyrinth to commemorate/celebrate/heal with rites of passage rituals for key moments in life. Including births, deaths, puberty, menopause, birthdays, retirement and any negative events that require healing.

What this book does best: The book ends with multiple chapters on ideas for walking the labyrinth with gratitude to celebrate holidays, religious events, the changing of the seasons, the zodiac, large life events and much more, all with a nod to the spiritual aspect of the walk.

If you are interested in more spiritual labyrinth aspects I suggest the following:

1. Lauren Artress website - For coaching, workshops and classes.

2. Veriditas - The nonprofit labyrinth group founded by Lauren Artress

3. Worldwide Labyrinth Finder - Find a labyrinth to walk near you, or while on vacation

To find a labyrinth in the United States: I completed a year long project where I researched the best labyrinths from each state in the United States and wrote a blog post about them. You can find that archive, and much more labyrinth walking content in the US Labyrinths visit section of the website.

Area Maze Book Reviews

Today I bring you a slightly different book review. I have covered what an Area Maze is before in my post about the 44 different types of mazes and labyrinths, but today I will go over it again. Let’s get into the 2 books !

The Original Area Mazes (2017) AMZN ; The Original Area Mazes, Volume 2 (2018) AMZN

by Naoki Inaba, Ryoichi Murakami; from Workman Publishing, 228 Pages ; 201 Pages

Area Mazes - Called a maze, but actually a type of logic puzzle from Japan created by Naoki Inaba. Used to teach Japan children mathematics and logic. Solving requires calculating the area of a rectangle, often multiple times (Area = length × width). Also called Menseki Meiro. If you would like to try to solve some, online area mazes can be found here. They are available in 5 difficulty levels. Here is a second website with free downloadable pdf of 4 puzzles that includes answers.

What you need to know about Area Mazes: Each of the mazes is NOT drawn to scale. You cannot measure for an answer. You must use the formula Area = length × width and spatial reasoning to find the answer that you are being asked for. Each book starts with easier problems and gets more difficult as the book continues (Levels are ranked from 1-5). If you read this book digitally (as I did - it was available on Hoopla from my library) it includes links to see the solution as you move through the book !

Here is an example I made to show how to solve an Area Maze. You are trying to calculate the area of the grey box. Answer and reasoning below.

In the above example you would first solve the wall under the # 12. You solve the equation 4 * Y = 12. So Y = 3, meaning the bottom left side of the square has a length of 3. Now you can solve using the 3 and the 21 to calculate the length of the left side of the square above the 4. Solve 3 * Z = 21. The answer is 7. Continue this to solve the Area Maze. Top right wall = 4. Area and answer is thus 4x4=16. How did you do ?

Well, that was a level 1 for sure. Shapes and calculations get very interesting as you get to the later chapters !

If you like Sudoku and similar puzzles, you will love these puzzles ! As far the the books, my review is: Excellent 9/10 !

Here is another example that is a bit more difficult:

If you are interested in area mazes beyond the books check out this video about them which shows 2 different methods to solve the maze in the thumbnail. If you want try to solve it, then watch the video like I did !

One of the great things about area mazes is they can be made in many difficulty levels. I seem to like level 1 and level 2 !! If you likes math problems these might be for you !

Other blog posts you might like:

Maze books about the spirituality of mazes, or the history of physical mazes.

The 12 Best Maze and Labyrinth Movies Of All Time

How to make over 40 types of maze

Maze Comic Book Reviews - Jim Henson's Labyrinth Comics

I read and review maze books about the spirituality of mazes, or the history of physical mazes. I also delve into comic books that contain either mazes and labyrinths. You will not be surprised that today’s comics based on Jim Henson’s classic film from 1986 Labyrinth do just that. The movie has been in the news again as it made it’s way into theaters January 8-17, 2026 to celebrate it’s 40th Anniversary.

We have 5 different comic versions to look at.

Jim Henson's Labyrinth 2016 30th Anniversary Special (2016)

from BOOM! Studios, 40 pages

by Jonathan Case, Cory Godbey, Ted Naifeh, Adrianne Ambrose

The comic consists a collection of 7 stories featuring some of the movie characters (the wonderful Jim Henson puppets from the movie). It is actually a collection of previously released mini stories that were given out for free comic book day. The stories are quick, fun and are not interconnected. It is helpful to know a bit about the characters to enhance the relatability, but you will not be lost (maze reference?) if you pick this up with no prior knowledge.

The best story, and the reason for this review is story 4 titled “Rock Solid Friendship”, which features Ludo the monster in a predicament that has him entering the labyrinth to escape. But is entering the labyrinth really a good idea ? Now Ludo must find his way out !!

Ludo approaching the Labyrinth

Overall this is a comic great for fans of the movie, and worth a read if you are not but you do like 5 page fantasy stories.

Jim Henson's Labyrinth Tales (2016)

from BOOM! Studios, 46 pages

by Jim Henson, Cory Godbey

We come back with a second book based off of the same characters, from the same year, the same publishing company and the same illustrator. I think you will love the artwork you see in this volume from Cory Godbey and I suggest you check out his site/portfolio to discover even more.

And as far as a review. Really this book, despite having the same illustrator is more about the illustration than the first volume above. The book is almost completely full page illustrations that look like paintings. There are 3 short stories included in the book. Outstanding book. You will spend more time looking at the pictures than reading the dialogue.

Jim Henson's Labyrinth 2017 Special (2017)

from BOOM! Studios, 40 pages

by Jim Henson, Katie Cook, Delilah S. Dawson, Roger Langridge , illustrated by Jared Cullum and more

Our final review is from the 2017 Special volume that features 6 short stories. Of the three comics this one does feature a few stories with the Goblin King, but like the other volumes really focuses on the puppet characters from the film like Sir Didymus, Worm, The Four Guards, and Ludo.

Each of the stories are fun and we get a different look from our first 2 reviews. This is mostly because we have 5 different illustrators for the 6 stories. Although we do not see any illustrations of the labyrinth, we do get a call back to the famous MC Escher inspired room you probably remember from the movie.

Jim Henson's Labyrinth Artist Tribute (2016) AMZN

from Boom! Studios, 120 Pages

by various authors and illustrators (see list below)

First, let’s start with a photo of the page that lists all of the artists you will find in the edition. It is a large list and includes artists who use many different styles !

This comic is exactly what the title says it is. If you are a fan of Labyrinth, either the book, the movie, or the comics, this is the book for you. It has the feel of a coffee table book, because while there are snippets of writing, this is also about the artwork. The colorful characters created by Jim Henson that you saw as puppets in the movie make for great subjects for creative artists.

I did not want to include much artwork from book but this transition page did catch my eye.

And I did feel compelled to include this maze ! Because, well, this is a maze website and it features the characters from the Labyrinth world.

Overall, this is an artist tribute that I would love to see for many different franchises.

UPDATE: In anticipation of the 40th anniversary re-release of the movie Labyrinth into theaters, Boom Studios! released a new adaption of the movie in 8 issues:

Jim Henson's Labyrinth (2024)

8 issues, by Kyla Vanderklugt, illustrated by Giorgio Spalletta

This is an expanded novelization of the book by A.C.H. Smith. You can see a preview of the first issue here. All reviews which I agree with are focused on the wonderful artwork by Giorgio Spalletta.

While my favorite comic of the 4 was Jim Henson's Labyrinth Tales because of the illustrations, all books are nice, short, fun stories that anyone could enjoy. If you were a fan of the movie (or still are a fan), all 4 are worth a read/look. And if you want to get into longer stories I suggest you check out the longer comic series that have been published:

Jim Henson's Labyrinth (6 issues)

Jim Henson's Labyrinth: Coronation (12 issues)

Jim Hanson’s Labyrinth (2024) (8 issues)

Other blog posts you might like:

The 12 Best Maze and Labyrinth Movies Of All Time

How to make over 40 types of maze

A Review of 9 Maze-themed Books for 5-10 year olds

I wanted to pull together a collection of maze books that are perfect for kids aged 5-10 years old. None of these are traditional maze books but have mazes as part of the plot. We get Batman and Robin, Scooby-Doo, the boxcar Children, Once Upon a Tim, Buzz and Bingo, Thundertrucks and 2 Christian books. 2 corn mazes, 3 hedge mazes and 3 labyrinths.

And the final book is actually non-fiction. So if you are looking for an educational book, skip to the end !

Scarecrow's Nightmare Maze (2016) AMZN

by J. E. Bright, Luciano Vecchio, 88 Pages. Ages 7-12 years old

If I’m being honest when I saw this book I thought it was a comic. But it is not a comic, it is a young adult book of 88 easy to read pages. I found digitally from my local library. Our antagonist is Scarecrow and his very effective fear gas. In this story we have Scarecrow using a maze to confuse and scare his victims when it is effectively combined with his fear gas. Batman and Robin are on his trail and are trying to catch him and return him to Arkham Asylum. There are only a few illustrations in the book, but I think the few that there are are very good (Check out Batman and Robin walking in the corn maze below!). The story is good and reads like a Batman comic although the vocabulary is targeted at a younger audience. Overall, If you are fan of Batman and mazes, you will like this book.

Batman and Robin in a corn maze !

If you are a fan of Batman, check out my review of a maze centric episode from Batman the Animated Series called If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich? from way back in 1992.

The Mystery of the Maze Monster (2014) AMZN

by John Sazaklis; 112 Pages, Ages 7-11 years

First I need to mention that this is different from “choose” books I have read in the past. To me this this has longer passages between decisions, so you get more story before making that decision. As you can tell from the cover there are 10 different endings ! Personally I did the book 4 different times and I never caught the villain ! This is a Scooby-Doo book. I thought I would catch them each time like on the cartoon ! It is not a bad thing, just surprising.

This book is fun and does take you in many different directions after the initial set-up. That set-up is what made me read and do a review of the book. A minotaur appears to have stolen some valuable items and has escape into a hedge maze. Can the gang catch it ? (As I said before I went 0 for 4).

There are some nice illustrations in the book that made me nostalgic for the tv show. I also found myself hearing the different characters voices in my head as I read. I enjoyed the book and think you would too !

One other thing of note - If you enjoy this book, there appear to be a total of 14 Scooby-Doo ‘You Choose’ books available !

The Clue in the Corn Maze: The Boxcar Children Mysteries, Book 101 AMZN

by Gertrude Chandler Warner; 144 Pages from Albert Whitman & Company, for Ages 7-10 years

I am really glad that I decided to read this book. Of course I picked it up because I knew the story included a corn maze, but I was pleasantly surprised by the story. Yes, this book is meant for children 7-10 years old and I am an adult. I still appreciated the simple way the story was told. I am currently learning how to speak a second language and would love this kind of book in that language.

The story takes place on a farm that has a festival for the town which features a corn maze. Someone is vandalizing the maze each night and leaving notes to not hold the festival. Along the way a variety of people are shown to have motivations that may mean they are the perpetrators. The feel of the story reminded me of a Scooby-Doo episode. The short chapters pace in story just right and this is a good read. I also noticed some words that were meant to expand the vocabulary of the young reader which I liked. I don’t give a score for books, but this book is recommended.

Molly's Maze Discovery (2021) AMZN

by Carmen Allen. Own Image 57 Print Pages. Ages 6-10. Part 2 of the Molly Greenwood Adventures series

I came across this book, Molly's Maze Discovery, while browsing for something to read from the library. You know I can’t pass up a maze book no matter what age it is intended for. This book is about Molly (Greenwood) and her friends as they are tempted to enter a hedge maze despite being told they are not old enough by the King. I should mention that Molly is a princess (see book 1, this is book 2 in the series), thus the King.

After finding a map of the maze with an X hidden inside the children give in to their temptations and enter the maze. What follows is an adventure that includes 2 men chasing the children to try to get them into an orphanage. We have secret trap doors and secret rooms and a nice adventure for the kids. Without giving away too much of the story, we get a nice message (and a hidden message). This is a Christian book and suitable for ages 7-12.

You can find information on the complete series at the author’s website.

Baby's Labyrinth (2022) AMZN

by Bobby Holley, from Christian Faith Publishing, 44 Pages For ages 3 months to 10 years

The book is a bedtime story for kids about a book of bedtime stories that is lost. It is a quick read of 44 pages ( although that may depend on just how sleepy your children are!). The story is composed of 8 chapters and follows a group of five babies and their mother.

After the initial set-up we get into the main part of the story, and the part we are most interested in in Chapter 2, titled Into the Labyrinth. The kids have found their way into a colorful labyrinth (details are saved for the book). This starts our quest to find the book, and we meet a variety of characters along the way. It is in Chapter 4, titled Magic of the Maze where we learn that the children won’t be able to fall asleep without their book (oh no !). The quest continues and we eventually reach our conclusion (spoiler….any guess?). The book has a few illustrations, but is really a story to be read ( versus a bedtime story book that uses pictures and reading together). I would have liked more illustrations, but overall, a nice story.

The Labyrinth of Doom (2022) AMZN

by Stuart Gibbs, illustrated by Stacy Curtis; 157 Pages, for ages 7-10

The Labyrinth of Doom by Stuart Gibbs and Stacy Curtis, which is the second book in the "Once Upon a Tim" series. The story follows Tim, a knight-in-training, and his best friend Belinda, as they embark on a quest to save Princess Grace. The princess needs rescuing again (also in book 1 of the series), and Tim and Belinda must face a series of challenges as they traverse a labyrinth, including menacing beasts like the minotaur and treacherous obstacles like chasms filled with cave sharks. Yes, cave sharks. I enjoyed the writing style a lot (maybe I like kids books ?) and found the story to be engaging. The illustrations are also fun by Stacy Curtis.

This is a great book for kids, that I definitely would recommend.

Buzz and Bingo in the Monster Maze (2005) AMZN

by Alan Durant and Sholto Walker; 40 pages, for ages 6-7

I was able to borrow this book, Buzz and Bingo in the Monster Maze, online from my library. That meant I spent a portion of my time using the read along feature (fun, but a bit slow for me). The book follows the duo Buzz and Bingo as they take a walk through the forest on the night of a full moon. They find a sign for a monster party but they must arrive by solving a hedge maze. The story follows them as they encounter monsters lost in the maze ! I really enjoy the many illustrations. This is a fast read and would be a good bedtime read !

Monster Maze ! A Monster Truck Myth (2019) AMZN

by Blake Hoena (Author), Fern Cano (Illustrator) 50 pages, for ages 5-7

This is a really fun story to read…IF you already know the story of Theseus and the Minotaur. This is basically a version of that story but with monster trucks as all of the characters. You can read the book without that background and still enjoy it, but think of this as a movie sequel without seeing the original movie - you just miss a lot of creativity and nuance. I like the creativity used for this book and it is a quick, fun read.

OUR NON-FICTION BOOK:

The Book of Labyrinths and Mazes (2021) AMZN.

by Silke Vry (Author), Finn Dean (Illustrator), - 96 pages, recommended for Grade Levels 2-5, Ages 7-10 years

What you can expect in this book:

• The book begins by defining the difference between mazes and labyrinths. Mazes are typically made up of a complex network of paths that can lead to dead ends or the center of the maze. Labyrinths, on the other hand, have a single path that leads to the center and back out again.

• The book then goes on to explore the history of mazes and labyrinths. The earliest known mazes were found in ancient Egypt and Crete. These mazes were often associated with religious rituals and were seen as a way to represent the journey of life.

• In the Middle Ages, mazes and labyrinths became popular as a form of entertainment. They were often found in gardens and courtyards, and people would enjoy walking through them for fun.

• The book also discusses the symbolism of mazes and labyrinths. They are often seen as a symbol of the journey of life, with the center representing the goal or destination. They can also be seen as a symbol of the subconscious mind, with the twists and turns representing the different thoughts and emotions that we experience.

• The book concludes by providing instructions on how to create your own maze or labyrinth. It also includes a number of puzzles and games that you can play with mazes.

What this book does best: Great overview of mazes for young readers that reviews many aspects of mazes and labyrinths.

Other blog posts you might like:

The 12 Best Maze and Labyrinth Movies Of All Time

Watchmojo's Best Maze Movie Scenes

How to make over 40 types of mazes