Labyrinths are a potent symbol in many cultures, and have been for thousands of years.

When Theseus killed the Minotaur he defeated the beast at the heart of darkness – and created a myth that is still vibrant and evolving. Roman mosaics often depicted labyrinths as fortified cities, while in medieval Europe they symbolised the one true path to Christian salvation.

Likewise spiritual pilgrimages have been the part of many different religions throughout history. Some examples are the Hindu’s pledge to bathe in the Ganges, the Muslim’s to pray in Mecca and the early Christian to visit Jerusalem.

During medieval times labyrinths were built in seven European Christian cathedrals as alternative pilgrimages since a trip to Jerusalem was very dangerous and costly in those times (this being the time of the Crusades). The labyrinth was included in these cathedrals as the final stage of the pilgrimage and represented entry into the New Jerusalem.

The most well-known of these “pilgrimage” labyrinths was built inside the cathedral at Chartres, France. The cathedral was built in the early thirteenth century A.D. and the labyrinth was constructed using individually carved inlaid marble. The Chartres labyrinth measures 42 feet in diameter and, even though the distance directly from the entrance to the centre is only 18 feet, the total length of the path is close to a quarter of a mile long. Myth has it that the design of the Chartres labyrinth was actually part of King Solomon's temple and was carried to France by the Templars in the middle ages.

Today there is a resurgence in their spiritual use by Christians. To this end, the meditation labyrinth at Frederic Wallis House is a replica of the design of the Chartres labyrinth. It is hoped that walking the labyrinth will lead the pilgrim to spiritual fulfilment and inner peace.

More information on the history of labyrinths, and labyrinths in New Zealand can be found at the Avoca House website - www.labyrinths.co.nz 

I was a latecomer to the labyrinth building project which concluded in 1999. My wife and I were exploring becoming members of the Pilgrim Community then looking after the day-to-day running of Frederic Wallis House. The labyrinth was an “interesting feature” within the grounds, and something I knew little about. In the following months I came to understand and appreciate it much more – both as a work of art and a meditative tool.

In the final stages of construction, our family of three laid a few broken pieces of tile in the colour mosaic which delineates the pathway. Most of the work had already been done over the preceding 3 years by Community, Committee, Friends of the House, and professionals. The tile-laying included many volunteers.

Though the precise pattern based on 11 concentric circles derives from the Middle Ages (in particular the indoor labyrinth of Chartres Cathedral in France) the coloured mosaic gives the Frederic Wallis labyrinth a unique, New Zealand flavour. Predominant blues and greens are interspersed with speckles of yellow, red, purple and other colours and hues. It mirrors some of the colours around the labyrinth in its original location, and coincidentally some of the colours in the hospital chapel window near where it will be relocated(?).

There is much ancient symbolism in the original pattern – the circle representing unity, wholeness and eternity; the six-petal, wooden centre the six days of creation in the biblical account. For me personally, the 22,000+ broken tiles that make up the labyrinth have their own symbolism: it is as broken people that we come together in new, and often unexpected, ways to make something wonderful and beautiful, that we could not do alone.

In my experience of the labyrinth at Frederic Wallis House, I felt we were just “touching the surface” of the labyrinth’s significance and purpose in being located in this part of the world on the eve of the new millennium. It is an ancient tool from the other side of the world, which has found expression here in Aotearoa New Zealand, and has the potential to speak in new ways to people of a different time and place. I hope and pray that in the move to Hutt Hospital – a healing place – that it may continue to touch and heal people’s lives.

The labyrinth is a symbol of unity and wholeness. The pathway walked – meandering a quarter of a kilometre into the centre, and coming back out again – can symbolise our journey through life. Even how you encounter and respond to others you meet on the labyrinth – whether travelling in the same or opposite direction – can reflect how you deal with people in life.

The labyrinth – when walked meditatively – is also a deliberate slowing down and taking time out to reflect and be aware – of the physical world around you, but also ‘what’s going on inside’. It is something much needed in our fast-paced society, concerned so much with what things look like on the outside.

While this particular labyrinth pattern comes from a religious tradition, labyrinths – as a spiral-based, meditative tool, predate Christianity, and the basic process of walking slowly and reflectively can be appreciated by people of any faith, or no particular belief.