Drawing a classical labyrinth can be easy and fun once you learn the starting pattern and the rules of building the pathways. Follow the simple 9 step process below and draw your own 7 circuit classical labyrinth. Or, if you are more visual you can skip to the bottom and watch a quick 2 minute video of the labyrinth being made !
Step 1: Draw the starting seed pattern.
It can be seen by some people as originating from a 4x4, 16 box grid. There is a plus sign centered and dots in each of the four corners, with 4 “L” shapes between the + and the corners. See below how the starting pattern (in red) relates to the 16 grid 4x4 box. Here is that visually:
And how the seeding pattern looks without any guidelines:
Classical 7 Circuit Labyrinth Seed Pattern
Pro tip: Do not center the initial pattern on the page or in the space you are using to build your classic labyrinth. Start it 1/3rd of the way from the bottom as the majority of the building will take place above the initial pattern. If you care about left/right centering also move slightly to the left on the page. Centering will come with practice so consider yourself lucky if you get it right the first time !! Below is a labyrinth showing the center of the initial seed pattern compared to the center of the final labyrinth.
Step 2: Create the goal of the labyrinth
Connect the top of the plus sign to the first point directly to the right using an arching pattern. This first connection will create the goal of the labyrinth. Notice that the goal of this classical labyrinth is small compared to other constructions. If you were creating this pattern for a physical labyrinth this would mean a small central gathering place.
Arching connection - creating the goal
Classical 7 Circuit Labyrinth - Step 2 - Create the Goal
Step 3: Connect the first pathway arch
Moving to the next point to the left, the top of the backwards “L” in this case, connect it to the next point to the right, or the dot in the far right corner, again using an arching pattern. The peak of this line will align with the peak from the goal you drew in Step 2. It also should create a pathway the same width as your seed pattern. Notice that we have moved one spot to the left and connected it to the next spot on the right. This pattern will continue for this labyrinth and most that you create ! Each new arch you draw will peak above the previous peak at the top of the labyrinth.
Drawing Arch #2
Let’s fast forward a bit to further explain the arches with more detail. Each side of the labyrinth has different alignments that create the peak arch point for each pathway. All northern pathways (shown below in red) align above the midpoint of the goal. All eastern pathways (shown in blue) align with the original top right dot in the seeding pattern. Western pathways (shown in green) align to the top left seeding pattern dot. The southern part of the labyrinth also aligns to the corner dots, one for each side (shown as purple and orange).
Peak points for each drawn pathway by side
Steps 4 - 9: Connect the next arch, moving from the left
For each step continue to move to the next point left, connecting each subsequent point to the next point on the right in an arching pattern. Step 9 will connect the final points and complete your classical labyrinth ! As you connect each point ensure you create pathways that are equal sizes (or alternatively create walls an equal distance apart from the previous wall).
Steps 4 - 9
And that does it. You’ve drawn a classic 7 circuit labyrinth ! You get better each time you make one ! Hopefully this helped make this drawing easy and fun !!
The Left Handed 7 Circuit labyrinth
Now we have just made a right handed version of a classic labyrinth (Did you know it was right handed ?) . What you might not know is there is a left handed version of the same labyrinth. Take everything you just learned in the steps above and reverse them as if you are looking into a mirror. The seeding pattern stays the same but the first arch moves to the left followed by arches drawn to the left in each additional step.
Left handed 7 circuit labyrinth
If you are more visual here is a quick video review of what we did from my YouTube channel (where I show how to make mazes/labyrinths and also show the making of maze art):
About the 7 circuit labyrinth:
The 7 circuit classic labyrinth is said to represent the journey of life. The path is the journey that we all take, and the center is the goal that we are all trying to reach. The 7 circuits represent the 7 stages of life: birth, childhood, youth, adulthood, middle age, old age, and death. When found in the real world (as opposed to drawn on paper), the labyrinth can be used as a tool for meditation by walking the path slowly and mindfully. As you walk, you can focus on your breath and your thoughts. You can also use the labyrinth to reflect on your life and to set goals for the future.
Additional posts you might like:
Interested in learning how to make or draw other digital labyrinths ? You can find many different step by step instructions HERE.
I have step by step instructions on how to make over 40 different maze types HERE.
