—by Marietta Moskin

The meditative practice of walking the inward and outward spiraling paths of a circular labyrinth is an ancient metaphysical tool found worldwide in religious places. The practice has found many new adherents in modern times and continues to spread to spiritual communities across the country. This has become an annual offering at All Souls, organized this year by a committee including Fran Mercer, Inez Miller and Barbara Schmitt.

The ceremony is simple. A cloth on which the labyrinth has been outlined in spiraling black and white circles that lead from the outside entrance to a center resting place and then back to the entrance, is spread on the floor with flickering candles around the circumference. The participants, leaving their shoes behind, walk through the labyrinth at their own pace, using their movement towards the center to reach deep within their own spiritual center to explore their own meditations, desires, feelings, ideas. Even novices feel the power of the shared centric movement after the first few steps, suddenly finding the unspoken words of a prayer, a poem, or a meditation on whatever is foremost on their minds to accompany their steps.

One can meditate on almost any subject, although spiritual meditation is the aim of almost any regular participant in the practice used by every religion on the planet. But getting started is often difficult. The formalized setting of the labyrinth design as well as the slow inward movement that necessitates small steps facilitates mental concentration and the shared experience and silence provides a healing background for this stress reducing practice.

This novice at walking the labyrinth found the experience soothing and inspirational.