Labyrinths and Sacred Land

Pegi Eyers

Take your time, pace yourself, there are healing powers within and without.

Spontaneously, these words spring to mind like an ancestor chanting, as I walk the curves of a labyrinth on the side of a windswept hill. The stone-set triskele pattern that my partner and I designed recalls our Celtic origins, and fills me with the triple joys of heritage, our home in the Otonabee watershed, and the panoramic scenery stretching for miles in all directions. Accompanied by birdsong and sheltered by a green canopy, entering the labyrinth is to find a zone beyond normal time and space, where cares and worries are left behind. And however the magic works, I always leave the winding trail with a new feeling or direction, and sometimes, with the answer to a question I don’t remember asking.

Part of my gratitude for having daily access to sacred space is the knowing that natural earthworks, and the experience of them, is part of a much older tradition. For millennia, humanity has gravitated toward unique locations in the landscape that evoke a timeless mystery, such as hilltops, rock formations, ley lines and mounds, and we have marked the presence of the living numina in the land with unique creations such as labyrinths, shrines, and megalithic stone circles. Like a mythic geography or “psychogeography,” the origin stories, folklore and person/place resonances important to culture are anchored in these landmarks, so beloved to heart and home. Tracing the stone-built path of a local labyrinth returns us to our inherent belonging within creation, and can be a rite of passage that links us deeply to our own soul, and the soul of the land.

An expression of sacred geometry for a wide diversity of societies worldwide, the labyrinth connects us directly to the serpentine patterns and energizing properties of the earth. The labyrinth can be a symbolic form of pilgrimage, or a practice of self-integration that emulates the spiraling journey of life. Letting go, being in the “now” and focusing on specific questions are just a few of the many unique ways to use the labyrinth. The elder who makes the walk a daily part of their exercise regime, the spiritual seeker who wishes to uncover deep mysteries, the earth-connected animist who is working to reclaim their traditional European Indigenous Knowledge, or the rewilder who enjoys a grounded connection to nature, are all valid approaches to labyrinth practice.

Labyrinths are calling us to re-join the luminous whole of nature, recover the old maps, and honour Earth Community once again. The world is full of sacred places, each with spiritual significance and cultural potential, and we can wander along mythic pathways close to home, or even in our own backyard. Labyrinths continue to be a powerful tool for insight and spiritual growth, and facilitate the journey into the otherworldly realm of our own intuitive nature. By walking the winding path, we contemplate the wonders of the universe, receive wisdom and guidance, and move to the music of the soul!

Pegi Eyers is the author of the award-winning book Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community, a survey on social justice, nature spirituality, earth-emergent healing and the holistic principles of sustainable living. Pegi self-identifies as a Celtic Animist, and is an advocate for the recovery of authentic ancestral wisdom and traditions for all people. She lives in the countryside on the outskirts of Nogojiwanong in Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg territory (Peterborough, Ontario), on a hilltop with views reaching for miles in all directions. www.stonecirclepress.com