Walking labyrinths is a twenty-first century method of approaching the sacred—and is a spiritual practice more ancient than Stonehenge or the ruins of Troy. A practical and inspiring guide to help you explore.
Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper and Rev. Dr. Carole Ann Camp
Paperback
6 x 9, 208 pp | 978-1-59473-486-1
The user-friendly, interfaith guide to making and using labyrinths—for meditation, prayer and celebration—updated, revised and expanded!
A labyrinth is a circuitous path that people have used as a form of prayer and meditation for thousands of years—a path that is being rediscovered as a spiritual tool in our own day. There are now thousands of labyrinths in North America, made of stone, cement, sunflowers, grass or canvas; indoors and outdoors; in Christian, Pagan and even nonreligious settings; and adaptable for use by people of all spiritual backgrounds. This guide explains how the labyrinth is a symbol that transcends traditions, and how walking its path brings us together.
Here is your entry to the fascinating history and philosophy of the labyrinth walk, with directions for making a labyrinth of your own or finding one in your area, and guidance on ways to use labyrinths creatively for:
Prayer • Stress reduction • Meditation • Commemorating personal or
family milestones • Faith rituals • Celebrations of all kinds
Labyrinths—a twenty-first century method of approaching the sacred—are a spiritual practice more ancient than Stonehenge or the ruins of Troy. This practical and inspiring guide will help you to explore them.
“Labyrinths, labyrinths, labyrinths! They are popping up all over. If you are not sure what they are, or want to learn more after one intriguing labyrinth walk, this is a great place to start!”
—Lauren Artress, author, Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool; canon, Grace Cathedral in San Francisco
“Both elegant and open-hearted, both practical and mystical, this slender, lovely book walks us home to the heart.”
—Julia Cameron, author, The Artist’s Way and God Is No Laughing Matter
“This book is at once philosophical and practical, informational and instructional, traditional and contemporary ... a warehouse of treasures for labyrinth walkers of all experience levels.”
—Robert Ferre, director, St. Louis Labyrinth Project
“Donna Schaper and Carole Ann Camp take one gently by the hand.... Makes the spirituality of the labyrinth readily accessible to novices and adds foundation and insight for those who are already practitioners of this way of prayer.”
—Bishop James E. Curry, the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut
“When our inner and outer worlds are in harmony, we find peace, joy, and healing. This book is a gift for mind, body, and spirit.”
—Ann Ameling, professor, Yale University; director, Program in Spirituality and Health Care, Yale University School of Nursing
“Spiritually useful [and] interesting.... I loved the section on seasonal and thematic walks.”
—The Living Church
“‘When is it good to walk in circles?’... Answers with a book—and a unique way of bringing its message to life.”
—Publishers Weekly
Preface to the Second Edition: Walking a Labyrinth: Another Kind of Power vii
Introduction: Labyrinths from the Outside In 1
Part One
Approaching the Labyrinth
Donna Schaper
1. The Labyrinth Revival 17
2. The Absolute Meets the Ancient:What Labyrinths Do 29
3. What Is Spiritual about the Labyrinth? 39
4. Spiritual Authority in the Labyrinth 49
Part Two
Walking the Labyrinth
Carole Ann Camp
5. Hearing the Dark: Elements of the Labyrinth Walk 61
6. Walks for Rites of Passage 79
7. Walks for the four Seasons 97
8. Walking in Many Spiritual Traditions 109
9. Walks for the celtic year and the Zodiac 127
Epilogue: Labyrinths from the Inside Out 145
Appendix A: Making your Own Labyrinth 151
Appendix B: finding a Labyrinth in your Area 164
Notes 189
Photo credits 190
