Labyrinths: To Confound…Or Clarify

There are examples of labyrinths from all eras, spread across the entire world. Whether built in Ancient Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, Russia, Palestine, France, Germany, the U.K., or by Native Americans of the Sonoran Desert, in their various forms, these convoluted pathways have all exemplified spiritual journeys.

If you’ve a flat expanse of ground in your own garden, creating a turf maze there can be delightful. First decide if you wish to shape your labyrinth from a branching, or a single path. Multiple routes will add uncertainty and excitement; single routes will instead enhance contemplation. Be sure to then emphasize the presence of your labyrinth in the landscape with at least one vertical decorative element…something that’ll attract the eye, from a distance.

Whatever meaning you ascribe to your labyrinth---be it spiritual, mythological, or ornamental---know that, by
forming this type of circuitous pathway you’ll be participating in one of humankind’s most ancient, artistic customs.