ADVENT LABYRINTH

The holidays are often a very hectic time of year, with shopping, parties, and family gatherings.  December seems to fly by as we hurry to get everything done, and we find ourselves exhausted by the time the holidays actually get here.  In the midst of this chaos, it’s very important that we find some quiet time to recharge ourselves.  For me, the Labyrinth is a great way to do that

The labyrinth is a reflective, walking, meditation/prayer, that dates back to ancient times, and almost every culture, all over the world, has left images of labyrinths behind.  The patterns may vary, but their intent remains the same.  The pattern here is perhaps the most famous and is based on the labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral in France.

I should point out the there is big difference between a labyrinth and a maze (regardless of that David Bowie movie).  A maze has a series of dead-ends all designed to trick you as you move from point “A” to point “B”.  A labyrinth on the other hand, is one continuous path from point “A” to point “B”.  Although it may take you all over the place with many curves and turns, it is still one path, with no tricky dead-ends.

The Advent wreath reminds us of the season.

The meditative part of walking the labyrinth is that we go deeper into ourselves as we journey to the center, paying close attention to what we discover there.  Then, in turn, we walk our way back out of the center; bringing whatever message/lesson we received out into our everyday lives.  As we continue to work with the labyrinth it can become a very helpful tool for keeping us centered in our busy world.

During the hectic days of December, the labyrinth is especially relaxing as we walk its winding path, quietly grounding ourselves in the midst of the holiday chaos.

***Where do you find quiet time during the hectic holiday season?