The Labyrinth: Symbol for Stability and Renewal

With spring, the theme of rebirth and renewal come into play. People want to get out into a warmer environment, and mingle with others. Although the coronavirus makes us stay at home and inside, the theme still possesses meaning. Opportunities do not always present themselves in ways we want or look for. We must look for new ways (renewal) of looking at things.

The labyrinth is a perfect symbol to examine. It is a combination of a spiral and the circle, and represents the whole. Unlike a maze, the labyrinth contains only one way in, and one way out. For those of you who are looking for stability in these dire times, the labyrinth is one of those symbols. In the labyrinth, there is no result that ends in getting lost or trap.

It is a symbol that crosses many different cultures, religions, and spiritual beliefs. The Hopi Native Americans view the labyrinth as a symbol to get closer to the Earth Goddess. Christians contain a similar view as a way to get closer to god. The Triple Goddess (maiden, mother, crone, or life, death, and rebirth) Hecate or Hekate uses the labyrinth as a method of moving through the darkness into the light. Spiritual people use the labyrinth as a way to gather a better understanding of them, and with their new found knowledge, emerge as a better person. We can walk the labyrinth during meditation physically or not at all as we visualize our journey in and out. No matter what your culture, religion, or spiritual beliefs, the meaning is the same – spiritual, stability, and emergence.

The labyrinth is a journey one takes to for many spiritual reasons and purposes. The journey I recommend is to get to know oneself, maintain your spiritual foundation or stability, and emerge as the person better suited for your soul’s path. Inquire and discover what is holding you back. Decide is there anything you can do to change it? If yes, then make the necessary changes to obtain that new soul journey goal. If not, then accept that you cannot control everything. In the words of Art Williams, “All you can do is all you can do.”

Labyrinths are symbols of emergence, and are connected to the Equinoxes as it represents spiritual rebirth from one world to the next. In our life, we go through a variety of phases so we can continue to learn, grow, and mature. Like the snake, the labyrinth is a symbol of us going through our journey, making new discoveries, revelations, and shredding the unnecessary components that hold us back from being the true spiritual beings we are and are meant to be.

When one becomes scared, the person retreats into oneself. While she or he is inside, the person learns more about her or his inner nature. Once it is safe, the person comes out a better and wiser person then she or he was at the beginning of the journey. The coronavirus scares people, and rightfully so. It is ok to admit that you are scared because it is a necessary step needed for courage to emerge. You cannot be courageous without fear. Fear is nothing more than the unknown. Every day we venture into the unknown, and we do so willing. The coronavirus presents us with a threat that is unknown and foreign to us. The difference is that we know more information every day. Information is the key (courage) to conquering fear. We take the necessary precautions, keep faith and root in our spirituality, and we will revive and survive. That is the point of the Spring Equinox.

Many people who celebrate the Spring Equinox celebrate Persephone’s return to the Earth. Persephone, Goddess of the Spring, is the daughter to the Greek God Zeus, God of Lightning and All the Gods, and Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest and fertility of the Earth. Zeus’ brother Hades, God of the Underworld, fell in love with Persephone. When Persephone rejected him, Hades kidnapped her, and took her to his domain. Demeter searched for her daughter, and was unable to find her. In her grieve, the Earth’s seasons stopped resulting in everything dying. Demeter met Hecate, and she told Demeter that Persephone was calling for Helios; the God of the Sun. Helios told Demeter Persephone was in the underworld being held by Hades. Zeus dispatched Apollo, the Messenger of the Gods, to Hades for Persephone’s safe return. Hades made one demand. Since Persephone ate a pomegranate seed (a fruit of the underworld), she must return once a year to the underworld, and emerge from the underworld in the spring. Zeus agreed. Every year, Persephone enters the underworld in the winter, and comes up for “fresh air” in the spring.

Meditation into the Labyrinth

Let me guide you in a meditation of the labyrinth. Look up as you close your eyes. This action causes you to connect easily with your higher self. Visualize a nice, cool, spring day. You are in front of a cave. A person appears to you. Depending on your spirituality, this person can be your Goddess, God, Divine Spirit, or a person you consider enlightened. This person tells you that she, he, or it is your guide into the labyrinth. You follow your guide into the mouth of the cave, as the cave become darker, your guide lights a lantern shining its way down the spiral path. As you walk, you begin to feel uncomfortable. Your guide tells you not to be afraid. “It’s OK to be uncomfortable. We need to be uncomfortable so we can go beyond our borders, discover, and learn what we need to grow and stay on our spiritual path.”

Around the corner, a theater appears, and the room lights up. It is a theater of your inner most thoughts, deeds, and spiritual lessons. You ask your guide, “Please show me what I must know.” A play, along with song and dance, begins. In a series of acts, your guide tells you what holds you back. Why you spirituality is a method to hold you stable in this time of crisis. What you need to do continue to grow. Why it is ok and necessary to be in a constant state of being uncomfortable.

When the answers are granted, the theater disappears leaving only you and your guide. Your guide shows you back through your labyrinth. You see the opening mouth of the cave. You emerge from the cave feeling more open and enlighten. You turn to thank your guide, and the guide disappears. You open your eyes.

What did you learn from your labyrinth? How was your emerges? The great thing about the labyrinth is it contains many more lessons, and what you just completed was only the tip of a very large iceberg. Feel free to reenter it when necessary for stability and renewal.

Have a wonderful Spring Equinox! Keep making a difference in your life and the lives of others!