Glossary - exWitch Australia (formerly 'Born Again Pagan')

LABYRINTH

Labyrinth

Drawing of the 19th Century Labyrinth in the nave of Chartes Cathedral.

The concept of the labyrinth is central to esoteric or occult thinking. It is a dark underground maze of tunnels leading to a: secret central cell where some tremendous and dangerous mystery is concealed.

The fIrst labyrinth is said to have been constructed by Daedalus for King Minos on the Greek island of Crete. At its heart lived the Minotaur, a terrifying creature with the head of a bull and the body of a man, that fed on the flesh of boys and maidens. It is symbolic of secret knowledge and its dangers. The fascination of the Egyptian pyramids for those of an occult turn of mind has much to do with their secret passages, enigmatic inscriptions and buried treasures.

A 666 foot long Labyrinth exists in the nave of Chartes Cathedral in France. As one can not get lost in this formal pattern, it is scarcely a maze, but more of a ritualistic dance pattern. The 'floral' device at the center is a magical symbol.

see also: MAZES

RESOURCES FROM OTHER CHRISTIAN SITES:
(Opens in a New Window)
ENTER THE LABYRINTH at Let Us Reason Ministries

PLEASE NOTE:
One of the major problems with 'defining' Paganism and/or its beliefs and practices is that it is an 'organic' movement, in that it is undergoing constant change and re-evaluation from within, and as such any 'one-size-fits-all' approach to understanding Paganism will be found wanting.

Due to the very 'organic' nature of Paganism, and the many differing Paths and Traditions within it, in many cases no one definition may be universally accepted by all Pagans. Therefore, where such cases of possible conflicting and/or contradictory meanings of certain terms occur I have endevoured to give not only the generally accepted meaning, but also any major 'variations' in belief and/or practice.

Christians who believe this difference in meaning of certain key terms, beliefs and practices to be unique to Paganism need to remember that such conflicts also arise within the Body of Christ - the Church. Take for instance the differing practices amongst Christians concerning Baptism and the different attitudes towards women in the clergy.

- Jean-Luc