In landscape, the labyrinth means an intricate network of pathways, usually enclosed by tiny bushes, in which it is not possible to visualize the center. This design has roots in the medieval religion, but is used more today as a “healing walk” that helps a person find stability through a walk in a designated path.

I found one this summer in the outskirts of Rome Georgia. The Labyrinth of Rome was designed as  reuse of an old amphitheater built by the WPA (Works Progress Administration) in the 1930’s.

In the early 13th century, during the Gothic period, people believed they were constructing the most Divine thing on earth in honor of God, so the layout and architecture of both the cathedral and the labyrinth were created according to the tenets  of sacred geometry.

Sacred geometry is the study and application of the unfolding of number in space. Sacred meaning is attached to certain geometric shapes, proportions, and numbers. An example of a shape would be a circle. One line creates one perfect shape with no beginning or end  that in Christianity means eternity. The circle appears in  the halo on the head of a saint, a rose window in a cathedral. and the shape of a labyrinth.

Examples of the association of numbers within sacred geometry:

The significance attached to numbers comes from several sources including Ancient Greek thinkers like Plato as well as the writings of St Augustine on the divine order of creation.  St Augustine wrote, “God made the world in measure, number and weight: and ignorance of number prevents us from understanding things that are set down in Scripture in a figurative and mystical way.”

Gothic cathedrals of the medieval period have labyrinths on the floor.  The Chartres labyrinth was built around 1215-1235. During this time, pilgrimages to  Jerusalem became very dangerous to undertake due to the  Crusades. The labyrinth becomes a  pilgrimage. The Catholic Church chose seven European cathedrals, mostly in France, to become “Jerusalem” for pilgrims.

These are images from Chartres Cathedral.

Each cathedrals used the 11-circuit labyrinth design but there were a few differences.Amiens Cathedral has an octagonal labyrinth.  These labyrinths were sometimes called “Road to Jerusalem.” Some pilgrims completed the labyrinth on their knees as an act of penitence. The path one follows in a labyrinth twists and turns while moving towards the center and then away, This path is symbolic of the faith journey.

The Chartres labyrinth incorporates sacred geometry in 3 ways, for example:

1. The center 6-petalled rose symbolizes love and union with God, as well as representing the Virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit. Each petal of the central rose, from left of the entrance path in clockwise direction.
2. There is a cruciform (cross) shape across the entire design
3. The circle represents heaven, God, and spirit. It also symbolizes wholeness and eternity (alpha & omega), (no beginning or end).
4. The four quadrants of the labyrinth represent the seasons and the cardinal points of N, S, E, and W.

Chartres Labyrinth & Symbolism. (n.d.). Retrieved July 29, 2020, from http://labyrinth.org.nz/what-is-a-labyrinth/chartres-labyrinth-and-symbolism/