A path that winds back on itself, that seems to approach the centre and then moves away from it, that forces you to turn back several times before arriving. The labyrinth is one of humanity's oldest and most fascinating symbols. It is found carved on rocks, struck on coins, drawn on cathedral floors. In every age it has represented the same experience: the difficult, winding journey that leads to the centre, and from there back out again.
Labyrinth and maze: an important distinction
In everyday language the words "labyrinth" and "maze" are used as synonyms, but from a symbolic point of view it is worth distinguishing them:
| Unicursal labyrinth | Maze (multicursal labyrinth) | |
|---|---|---|
| Path | a single one, no branches | many paths, with dead ends |
| Possibility of getting lost | none | high |
| Experience | patience, trust, repetition | choice, error, search |
| Symbolic meaning | inner journey, pilgrimage | trial, bewilderment, intelligence |
The classical labyrinth, that of Cretan coins and of cathedrals, is unicursal: it follows a single path which, however winding, inevitably leads to the centre. You cannot take a wrong turn; you can only choose to continue or to stop.
The myth of Crete
The most famous story connected with the labyrinth comes from Greek mythology. King Minos of Crete had the architect Daedalus build a labyrinth to imprison the Minotaur, a creature half man and half bull. Every year Athens had to send young people as a sacrifice. The hero Theseus entered the labyrinth, killed the Minotaur and found his way out thanks to the thread given to him by Ariadne, daughter of Minos.
This myth contains many of the labyrinth's symbolic meanings:
- the centre is the place of encounter with what you fear, the monster, the shadow;
- the thread is what lets you find your way back: memory, love, the bond with your origin;
- the exit is as much part of the path as the entrance: whoever reaches the centre must know how to return.
Coins from the city of Knossos bear the design of a labyrinth, a sign of how closely the myth was tied to the identity of the place.
The labyrinth in cathedrals
In the Christian Middle Ages the labyrinth entered churches. The most famous is the one laid into the nave floor of Chartres cathedral in France, a large circular unicursal labyrinth with eleven rings. Floor labyrinths are also found in Italy, for example in the basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna, and a small labyrinth is carved on the façade of Lucca cathedral.
The Christian meaning of the labyrinth was the journey of the soul toward God: the winding path of earthly life which, through trials and returns, leads to the centre, the heavenly Jerusalem. According to a widespread tradition, walking the labyrinth on foot or on one's knees could be lived as a symbolic pilgrimage by those unable to make the real one.
The forms of the labyrinth
The oldest and most widespread labyrinth is the so-called classical labyrinth with seven circuits, which can be drawn starting from a simple pattern of a cross, four angles and four dots. It has been found carved on rocks, pottery and tablets in many parts of the world.
The medieval labyrinth, like the one at Chartres, is more complex, with eleven circuits and a structure divided into four quadrants that recalls the cross.
What the labyrinth teaches
The unicursal labyrinth has a surprising feature: just when you think you are close to the centre, the path takes you far away; and when you feel very far, you are a few steps from arrival. It is a very realistic image of any path of growth, in which progress is never linear.
From the perspective of Studio Esoterico Cornelio the labyrinth teaches three virtues:
- patience, because the path cannot be shortened;
- trust, because even detours are part of the way;
- presence, because what matters is the step you are taking now.
An exercise with the labyrinth
You do not need a cathedral to work with this symbol. You can draw a classical labyrinth on a sheet of paper and trace it slowly with your finger, or lay it out with stones or rope in a garden and walk it.
- At the entrance, frame a question or an intention.
- Along the way, let your thoughts go and concentrate on each step.
- At the centre, pause for a few moments in silence.
- On the way back, carry with you what has emerged.
In short
- The unicursal labyrinth has a single path; the maze has branches and dead ends.
- The myth of Theseus, the Minotaur and Ariadne's thread sums up its main meanings.
- In the Middle Ages the labyrinth entered cathedrals, as at Chartres, as a symbol of the journey toward God.
- Its structure teaches that inner progress is never linear.
- Walking a labyrinth is a practice of patience, trust and presence.