What is a Labyrinth?
 The labyrinth is a walking meditation. It is a tool that enables us, in the midst of all the busyness of life, to be still and focus our thoughts and feelings. Many labyrinths can be found in cathedrals all over Europe and have been used by Christians for hundreds of years as a means of meditation and prayer. St. Martin's Outside Labyrinth is a smaller replica of the labyrinth embedded in the floor of Chartes Cathedral in France which dates back to 1201 AD.
It is located on the Clemson side of the property in an alcove off the Parish Hall. St. Martin's is also fortunate to have a canvas labyrinth that is modeled after the stone Labyrinth imbedded in the floor of Chartes Cathedral. This labyrinth may be borrowed by contacting the church office at 787-0392.
It should be noted that there is a difference between a maze and a labyrinth. A maze has many entrances and many exits. It is a puzzle to be solved. The labyrinth has only one path that takes you to the center and back. You cannot get lost! (But may be found) It is a spiritual path.
History of the Labyrinth
Labyrinths go back almost 5,000 years, long before Christianity. As with many pre-Christian symbols, the labyrinth was converted for Christian use and as a result, church labyrinths have developed a specifically Christian tradition that dates from the early Middle Ages. The process began in the fouth century, eleven years after Constantine's conversion and the resulting increase in the membership of the Christian Church.  At that time a Roman mosaic labyrinth was placed in a church in North Africa and Christianized by adding the words "sancta ecclesia" (holy church) in the center. The subsequent Chartes Labyrinth represents the culmination of the Christian design incorporating the cruciform image, rosette center, and small circles around the perimeter for a lunar calendar to calculate the date of Easter.
Christian pilgrims would walk 20 or 30 miles from their home ending up on the three-part prayer path in the cathedral. As they walked the long winding way in, they would shed everything on their mind; all of their worries, fears and concerns. In the rose shaped (Holy Spirit) center they would be still and wait for illuminatin or healing or a sense of God's presence. As they walked the winding way out, they felt at one with God, self, others, nature. These are the three parts of spirituality throughout the ages, known theologically as purgation, illumination, union.
Why Do People Walk Labyrinths?
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To relax and feel at peace |
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To let go of their worries and concerns |
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to cope with grief and loss |
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For insight on specific problems |
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For healing of relationships |
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To open the flow if creativity |
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For vocational discernment |
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For forgiveness |
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To express thanksgiving to God for the birth of a new child, recovery from an illness, a new beginning, friends, or the beauty of the earth |
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Before an operation, marriage, ordination, dealing with difficult situations, or at the time of death of a family member or friend |
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As a means for regular daily prayer |
Location and Hours
St. Martin's outside labyrinth is located outside the Parish Hall on the Clemson side and is availabe at any time. The canvas labyrinth is available for loan by contacting the parish office at 787-0392.
Guidelines for the Walk
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Remove your shoes, unless this presents a physical problem |
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Pause and be fully present to the act of entering this sacred space. |
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Find your pace. Feel free to pass someone, this is honoring their pace. |
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It is a two-way street. As you meet someone, do what feels natural to you at that time. |
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Be a caretaker. Since the outside labyrinth is a community offering, when using it, please take a moment to remove any natural debris, trash, etc. before leaving. If we all pitch in the labyrinth should be in tip top shape for all who use it. |
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