Ceremony 1: The Labyrinth Run

Three things I may have learned in the past six years:
We are always in transition.
Obstacles are opportunities.
Trust the path.

The last is the lesson of the labyrinth, the sacred walk.  This past week I found myself again telling the story of Ariadne (also found in this essay), remembering again the journey, the power of story, of form, to align us with a greater truth.  The labyrinth teaches the path, and I've been lucky enough to live or work in close proximity to many of these sacred tools, approaching them in meditative reverence, taking--in the course of half an hour--a walk that leaves me feeling changed.

But my favorite labyrinth ritual has a note of mirth.  And a blessed few simple steps.

First, locate your labyrinth.  Here's one of my favorite tools via the Celebrant Fundamentals course:
The Labyrinth Locator
Plug in your location and it will offer labyrinth options in your area. 

Then, find a time when the labyrinth is least likely to be occupied.  Early mornings have served me well.

Approach the labyrinth as you would any sacred space, with breath, intention, reverence.   I find it helpful to close my eyes at the entrance and make an offering--a prayer, a piece of stone, a feather--and ask permission to enter.

Then, run.

Yes, run.  

Let me backtrack for a moment and say I never would have run a labyrinth if it weren't for a morning at Breitenbush Hot Springs, resting on the river bank with Deva Munay.  We were short on time, but had promised ourselves a labyrinth walk.  The labyrinth, made of stone on river sand, was empty.  It was summer.  We removed our shoes, and ran.

I can't describe the effects.  Running the labyrinth has a lightness and simultaneous depth.  It is the paradox, both orienting and disorienting.  I recommend a pause at the sacred center, eyes closed, another offering or prayer.

Maybe you will choose to slowly make your way out.  Maybe you will dance your way back into ordinary time.

At the exit, offer thanks.  Then write to me and say what you've discovered.