Community United Methodist Church
Pastor Steve walking the labyrinth.
"Photo courtesy of the Westcliffe Wet Mountain Tribune; Tribune photo by Shanna Lewis."
Sacred Spaces: The Labyrinth
The labyrinth is located on three acres of land belong to the Community United Methodist Church of Westcliffe, Colorado. It is our gift to the community, and is open to all for prayer, meditation, or relaxation. It is located behind the Westcliffe Inn on Ridgeline Dr. next to the LDS Church. From the intersection of Highway 96 and 69, go south on Highway 69 to Hermit Dr. Take a left. The first right turn will be Ridgeline Dr. Just past the LDS church, you will see the labyrinth on the left side of the road in an open field.
The labyrinth is an ancient pattern found in many cultures around the world. Labyrinth designs were found on pottery, tablets and tiles date as far back as 4000 years. Many patterns are based on spirals from nature. In Native American culture it is called the Medicine Wheel and Man in the Maze. The Celts described it as the Never Ending Circle. It is also called the Kabala in mystical Judaism. One feature they all share is that they have one path which winds in a circuitous way to the center.
The Labyrinth is an archetype, a divine imprint, found in all religious traditions in various forms around the world. By walking a replica of the Chartres labyrinth, laid in the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France around 1220, we are rediscovering a long-forgotten mystical tradition The labyrinth has only one path so there are no tricks to it and no dead ends. The path winds throughout and becomes a mirror for where we are in our lives. It touches our sorrows and releases our joys. Walk it with an open mind and an open heart. Guidelines for the walk: Quiet your mind and become aware of your breath. Allow yourself to find the pace your body wants to go. The path is two ways. Those going in will meet those coming out. You may "pass" people or let others step around you. Do what feels natural.
Walking the Labyrinth
that is insisting to be reborn.
There are three stages of the walk:
Purgation (Releasing) ~ A releasing, a letting go of the details of your life. This is the act of shedding thoughts and distractions. A time to open the heart and quiet the mind.
Illumination (Receiving) ~ When you reach the center, stay there as long as you like. It is a place of meditation and prayer. Receive what is there for you to receive.
Union (Returning) ~ As you leave, following the same path out of the center as you came in, you enter the third stage, which is joining God, your Higher Power, or the healing forces at work in the world. Each time you walk the labyrinth you become more empowered to find and do the work you feel your soul reaching for.
