Walking The Spiral Path

Firm sand under feet, salt spray on the breeze, I walk the triple spiral labyrinth. Waves crashing endlessly on the shore draw me into a deep state of being as I glide through each swirling path. Arriving in the center where the three spirals meet, I am abuzz with chi. I pause briefly to admire the ocean before me, then whirl my way back to the place where I began this journey.

The triple spiral labyrinth is one of my favorite labyrinths, especially the 5-circuit version we carve into the sand on the beach. Walking the three connected sets of spiral paths is akin to the winding and unwinding action of a button spinner* and can generate an intense flow of energy throughout my body. In combination with negative ions from ocean waves and damp sand beneath my feet, the experience of walking the labyrinth fills me with a feeling of bliss and euphoria.

Using cotton cord or derby rope, I have made 3- and 4-circuit triple spiral labyrinths for personal use and special occasions or events.

The labyrinth I created for a Croning Ceremony represented the Triple Goddess—the Maiden, Mother, and Crone—as well as the phases of childhood, adulthood, and elderhood. Walking the labyrinth was the culminating ritual of the

ceremony(1).

My husband and I also created a triple spiral labyrinth at our local Women’s March this year. It had a separate entrance and exit, allowing people to flow through it in a single direction. All ages enjoyed the winding journey.

I have used the triple spiral design as the seed for a series of labyrinths. With the simple addition of meandering paths, I designed the triple spiral deluxe, a combination of curved circuits and tight spirals. The two different types of path create a balance of energies and allow a slower entry into an increasingly energetic experience. In athletic terms, the meandering paths are like a warm-up and cool-down. In spiritual terms, they provide a way to circumambulate the core of the labyrinth, much as pilgrims circle a sacred mountain, monument, or temple.

I next wondered how I might integrate the spiral and meandering paths, so I designed the triple swirl labyrinth. It appears almost spherical, like a marble, with three teardrop shapes nested together and resembles the Tibetan Buddhist wheel of joy (2). I view it as an expression of integration, where the separateness of different paths is transformed into a vision and experience of unity and wholeness.

The triple spiral is the core component of this triad of labyrinths. Each labyrinth is unique and provides an opportunity for meditation or play, depending on one’s needs or inclinations. The triple spiral, triple spiral deluxe, and triple swirl labyrinths form a trinity that leads us from simple to complex and fundamental to integral.

For all that is,