Building Labyrinths
The following section provides visual instructions for creating several different labyrinths. Building a 3- or 4- circuit labyrinth is a good place to begin your journey with Labyrinth in a Bag. For those who aspire to time travel, I have included instructions for a time spiral. You may travel forward or backward in time or journey to an alternate dimension or a parallel universe. ☺
You will also find instructions for a 7-circuit labyrinth, which will require two bags of cord (400 feet) to complete. I have also included a favorite prayer, a mantra, and a meditation that I often use while walking the labyrinth. You may have favorites of your own, or you may wish to quietly contemplate a question of concern or simply marvel the ineffable and unknown.
Whatever you do while walking the labyrinth, it should resonate with your inclinations, reflect your intentions, and serve your needs. Remember, there is no wrong way to walk a labyrinth. Enjoy!
How to...
First, select a site that is relatively level and firm and doesn’t have a lot of debris—like crunchy seedpods or pokey sticks. A clearing with compact soil, embedded rocks, or sparse vegetation works well. Grassy lawns, wooden decks, concrete patios, or living room carpets are also suitable.
Next, remove your bundle of cord from its bag and lay it down next to your site. Then, study the visual instructions carefully. The lines represent cord. The dots are points of connection. Now, using a few pieces of cord, establish the first lines in the sequence of steps. You may place rocks where dots should be.
Depending on the size of your site, allow 1 to 1.5 feet for the width of each circuit. You can also enlarge the center according to your preference. The pieces of cord can overlap as much or as little as necessary. You can make adjustments in shape and width as you go along or when you run out of space or cord. If you do run out of space or cord, decrease the width of your circuits by moving the lines nearer to the center. You can increase the overlapping of cords or remove some pieces of cord to use for completing the labyrinth. If you have lots of space and leftover cord, you can increase the width of the circuits by moving the lines away from the center and adding leftover pieces of cord where needed.
Remember, building a labyrinth is a prayer. So relax, enjoy, sing, smile, and don’t worry about little imperfections along the way. You can always neaten things up at the end of the process. Then, enjoy your journey through the labyrinth!
3-circuit labyrinth
10 ft. x 10 ft. 16 in. circuit 2.5 ft. center
leftover cord: 110 ft.
4-circuit labyrinth
11 ft. x 11 ft. 14 in. circuit 1.5 ft. center
leftover cord: 90 ft.
time spiral
7-circuit labyrinth
