Background on Labyrinths,An Ancient device into the occult world.

By UK Apologetics Library

Part 2

Cont….. [1] There are now over 1,000 labyrinths across the United States, mainly in churches, but also prisons, hospitals, parks and retreat centers.

There are many people today captivated by the Labyrinths and seeing them as mystical and symbolic, currently there has been an explosion of over 1000 Labyrinths in the USA, and throughout Europe a wide range of Labyrinths can be found, from Anglican Churches to Evangelical Pentecostal Churches [Ibid According to Forcing Change site: [2] Paradoxically, while the evangelical Christian community talks about “spiritual warfare” and “putting on the full armour of God,” many of these same churches can be found embracing that which they claim to counter. In seeking relevancy, we have become dangerously “experiential,” and old forms of mysticism are becoming centrepieces in “experiences of faith.”

Ibid. According to the Forcing Change site, the labyrinth prayer-walk, which follows a single winding path to a central location, is a prime example. Primarily jump-started by a UK-based Christian movement in alternative spiritual expressions and an influential San Francisco cathedral, denominations worldwide are embracing labyrinths as a viable part of the spiritual journey. But are labyrinths part of the Christian encounter, as the third introductory quote suggests?

Ibid According to Forcing Change site: Understand, Christians looking for ways to bring in new relevancy within church worship did not rediscover the labyrinth as a spiritual tool. As we shall see, it’s been part of the esoteric world for a very long time. Which is why, today, labyrinth walks and “prayer journeys” are being promoted by Rosicrucian groups.

[ed note: It is an alarming fact that the SRIA Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia require that its members be strictly Christian. “The Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (Society of Rosicrucians in England or SRIA) is an independent Christian society. Admission is limited to Master Masons who are subscribing members of a Lodge under the Grand Lodge of England or a jurisdiction in amity with the Grand Lodge and who accept and believe in the fundamental principles of the Trinitarian Christian faith.“

http://sria.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=
view&id=42&Itemid=238]

This is done at New Age festivals and celebrations, and throughout the neo-pagan world. Not surprisingly, one of America’s largest witch, shaman, and neo-pagan assemblies, the 2005 Pagan Spirit Gathering at Wisteria, OH, held a nighttime Summer Solstice Labyrinth ritual, which was described as a “transformative, walking meditation through an all-night labyrinth formed by 1000 lighted candles”.

Labyrinths are said to be used for Psychological, Healing, and medical purposes, and to enhance spiritual pathways.

One Labyrinth user said, [3] “The labyrinth is a riddle. It is the cosmos and the world. The life of humankind, the womb of the earth. The journey, the way to the centre. The way to ourselves…” – Ursa Krattiger Tinga

Prayer Labyrinths are used as a form contemplative practice, this states: [4] It is a practice that can be active or still, religious or not, that brings you to the present moment, stills your mind chatter and helps you to focus, center and reconnect with yourself and the Divine.

A labyrinth (unlike a maze) has only one path leading to the centre and back out again. There are no dead ends.
When you walk a labyrinth, you meander back and forth, turning 180 degrees each time you enter a different circuit. As you shift your direction, you also shift your awareness from right brain to left brain. This is one reason the labyrinth can induce receptive states of consciousness. It can also help to balance the chakras.

Each person’s walk is a personal experience. How one walks and what one receives differs with each walk. Some people use the walk for clearing the mind and centering. Others enter with a question or concern.

In the Washington National Cathedral they state [5]: “Participants come to walk the labyrinth, attend the Centering Prayer gathering, receive laying on of hands for healing or simply sit in the twilight quiet of the nave listening to the strains of harp and Native American flute music that accompanies the labyrinth walks.”

The videos below illustrate why churches use them. The videos also show how they’re used and promote Christ Consciousness. We can see they obviously have occult roots, but they are used in many denominations, as shown in the videos below, such as Roman Catholic, Baptist, Evangelical Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Lutheran.

Pagan Pride Day 2007 Christians are invited to attend pagan events running Labyrinth’s The coordinator of the 2nd Annual Pagan Pride Day in Lubbock, TX, is about labyrinths, spirit guides, and the Gospel. labyrinths Should Christian churches partake in the practice of labyrinths and emptying minds like the Pagans?

A pagan Labyrinth used in a church setting. A video introduction to the labyrinth as a form of Christian prayer. This video illustrates that the Bible is no longer used for “instruction and edification” The Labyrinth replaces the Bible.

New-Age Prayer Labyrinth Endorsed By Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN

Cathedral – Grace Catholic Cathedral In Beyond the Biography of Jesus, Alexander Shaia says, “The gospels are not four stories about Jesus’ life. Rather, when read in their original sequence, they lead us through a spirit-filled, universal process of transformation and healing.” Shaia names this path “The Journey of Quadratos,” a progression he has identified within the core traditions of Christianity as well as those of most great faiths and spiritual practices. In fact, he believes that underneath Centring Prayer, labyrinth walks, the Christian year, Celtic spirituality, and most psychological systems lies the same blueprint – The Journey of Quadratos – Grace Cathedral

In 1996, Tom and Kitty Stoner started the TKF Foundation in Annapolis, Maryland, to create spaces that would “offer a temporary place of sanctuary, encourage reflection, provide solace, and engender peace.” The foundation has helped develop more than one hundred sites, from urban community gardens to labyrinths and healing spaces at hospitals, medical centres, churches, prisons, and correctional facilities. The foundation develops each project in partnership with local community leaders. We talked with Tom Stoner and executive director Mary Wyatt, who explained why these open spaces are also sacred places.

Gloria Carpeneto is director of the Northeast Interfaith Peace Garden, located on the grounds of St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church in Baltimore. The labyrinth featured in this meditation garden and community sanctuary serves as a path for silent walking and contemplative exercises.

Bethune United Church Labyrinth Nadya Tarasoff takes you on a guided interpretive tour of the Bethune Labyrinth located in Baysville Ontario Canada Here this church is linked to pagan practices.

Grace Labyrinth at St.Mary’s Church, Ealing, London. UK

An example of an alternative worship experience hosted by the Grace community in London and attended by Calvin College students UK in January 2009. The service provided a prayer labyrinth with various stations to encourage participants to pray and meditate on their spiritual journey leading to more occult, new age and monastic practices.

Feig labyrinth in Gloucester Cathedral UK 27th August 2009 10.30pm, pre-Greenbelt alt worship get together in the cathedral. walking from the meal in the lady chapel down into the nave where agents of future are singing on the labyrinth.

Kent Dowsers Field Trip, Tudeley Labyrinth UK Dowsing Field Trip to Tudeley Church. Discover Earth energies around church with Marc Chagall Stained Glass Windows and explore Labyrinth

Church members and neighbours walk the labyrinth at Bellevue Christian Church in Bellevue.

The churches that employ labyrinth techniques are drawing their people down the slippery slope of neo-pagan mysticism, under the false guise of Christianity. Those who embrace this ‘new’ contemplative pattern can expect a similar shift in their philosophical perspective. They will increasingly blend an Eastern mystical inclusion into their counterfeit Christian ethos. If one continues to embrace such unbiblical practices, their ‘theology’ will be radically altered and transform their understanding from Christian into a spiritually amorphous paganism. Most experience a drift from Christ to Christ Consciousness, from the Biblical creator God into the New Age god of Oneness, i.e., the Pantheistic or Panentheistic concept of god. These practices, with their obvious occult roots, are finding new acceptance today in many denominations, such as Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Episcopalian, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Baptist, Charismatic, Pentecostal, Evangelical, and Emergent Churches.

They come to a place whereby the Bible has lost it’s unique and numinous power for their lives; Only those who are adrift from God’s uniquely living Word and the Divine Interpreter – God’s Spirit – would venture into such sheer folly.

These have lost their Biblical bearings and ignore the admonition of the Scriptures against such practices.

2 Corinthians 6:14 – 17 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

According to Living Waters Ministries Cyprus: [6] “Even though the labyrinth is a Western concept, it shares some similarities with Asian monastic and spiritual practices. The patterns of the labyrinth are similar in design and conception to the mandalas of South Asian Buddhism, which are physical representations of the spiritual realm designed to aid in meditation. Labyrinths blend their visual symbolism with the process of walking, which is similar to the Japanese Zen practice of kinhin, literally “walking meditation,” where all of the attention is focused on the process of each step, one foot in front of the other, and the breath is controlled and regulated. LEQ

Both of these techniques are used in Buddhist meditation, which combines the elements of calming and insight into the single goal of samadhi, or “awareness.””It was recently, in the early 90’s, when Jean Houston, one of the leading New Age teachers (Jean Houston), introduced the Christian world again to the use of this practice for seeking spiritual enlightenment through walking the labyrinth. Jean Houston has gained access within the “church” because of her doctorate in the Philosophy of Religion, even with her apparent New Age Occultic teachings.

In one of her seminars in January 1991, Jean Houston introduced the experience to the Reverend Lauren Artress. In 1992, the Reverend Lauren Artress brought the labyrinth to Grace Cathedral in an effort to bring people back to their centre and allow them to experience “Spirit” for themselves. (https://gracecathedral.org/our-labyrinths/ and www.Veriditas.net)

Most of the practising New Age occult world has known, and still does, that the introduction of the labyrinth prayer walk is a victory for their cause, bringing the unsuspecting Christians into agreement with the overall plan of the Aquarian Age, where those participating in this practice could be captured or ensnared into the ways of Satan.” U.K.A.L comment.

Invitation to a spiritual journey p45 promoted the same concept that is taught about Labyrinths: “If one of the first steps in the spirtual life involves putting ourselves on the line with God the way we are, the next step involves listening to God. A relationship is a two way street.“ LEQ

In the Book Labyrinths by Virginia Westbury [p18] “Labyrinths appear to make very good meeting grounds. Indeed one of their more interesting features is the way they bring together people from all walks of life and faiths: Christians, Moslims, Jews, Buddhists, Neopagan, New Agers and those with no beliefs whatsoever. Within a labyrinth you are likely to encounter people who believe in meditation, prayer, crystals, karma, angels, spirits, Jesus, Buddha, Kali, Allah, God the Father, God the Mother, science and no god at all.“

“Many who come to labyrinths nowadays do so because they see them as non-religous ‘spiritual tools’ – non-denominational, non-dogmatic and ‘safe’.“Book Labyrinths by Virginia Westbury [p19]

What are labyrinths for ? “Meditation, spiritual connection, talking to God, talking to spirits, self exploration, healing, sensing ‘energy’, wisdom, worship, divination, inner peace, forgiveness, transformation and communicating with others. Labyrinths by Virginia Westbury [p19]

Invitation to a spiritual journey p45 states: “Does God speak only when we are good enough? Does God speak only to Christians or only to Jews or only to Muslims, or Hindus or Buddhists?

It would seem that Labyrinths are a vehicle for communication with god’s Divine nature, this is not the same as communicating with the God of the Bible.

Labyrinths make no distinction between different beliefs such as Deities or Spiritual Pathways. What Labyrinths teach is that you can reach God without Christ, and they remove Jesus from true worship; in turn, man elevates himself above Christ.

The Bible teaches John 15:5 “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

You can’t even communicate with God without going through Jesus first, and there is nothing about the Labyrinth that has any eternal significance.

Labyrinths are described as a “sensory tool” to revitalise your spirituality. The Bible does not teach this; in fact, in Romans 8 we are told to walk in the Spirit; we are not told to be spiritual.

Labyrinths are said to be stimulating or provide enchantment, it is said they provide for many people a key ‘Universal Spiritual Tool’ [7] here is the problem with this concept, it rejects Christ as Acts 4:12 you cannot reach God by any other means, Jesus said also 1 Timothy 2:5 For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; and replaces Christ, here the Labyrinth is becoming a mediator this also rejects the Holy Spirit, because it puts it self in place of the Holy Spirit.

One justification for using Labyrinth is from Labyrinths by Virginia Westbury [p29] “Picasso’s images show us the Minotaur not as a monster, but as a sacrificial offering, symbol of suffering and a victim of humanity’s relentless need to redeem itself through death and pain of others. It is an image which is intended to awaken our compassion, perhaps.”

The 12th-Century theologian and scholar Peter Abelard saw much the same sort of Role Christ, whom he says came to earth not simply redeem humankind from sin but to awaken in us the spirit of compassion for suffering and for all life.

This teaching rejects Penal Substitution the doctrine of atonement, [8] “Christ, by his own sacrificial choice, was punished (penalised) in the place of sinners (substitution), thus satisfying the demands of justice (ed note: the law) so God can justly forgive the sins.,“

It is also said that the increase in the uses of labyrinths is on the rise in times of the worship of feminine deities, The Labyrinth Society’s Sylvia Shaindel Senensky states [9] “the inner depths of the labyrinth as a source of archetypal feminine energy, the womb, the cave, the domain of the Goddess, the core of the earth“

[10] She Who Seeks Blog Site: Christian Labyrinths – “Despite its Christian origins, the Chartres labyrinth retains many characteristics which are distinctly reminiscent of traditional worship of the Divine Feminine. All Christian labyrinths, for instance, are devoted to the Virgin Mary. Because of this, the labyrinth’s centre is always represented as a multi-petalled rose, the traditional symbol of Mary.

Like labyrinths sacred to the Goddess, the Chartres labyrinth is also circular, a symbol of the Divine Feminine. Notice as well that when one rounded turn meets another in the Chartres labyrinth, a special black space is created (there are a total of ten). Christians call this black space a “labrys.” But this is in fact a very ancient Minoan term from the island of Crete. It is the name of the Goddess’s sacred double-headed axe used in ritual worship. Clearly, it forms the basis for the name “labyrinth” as well.

While Christians continue to use the pagan term “labrys,” the characterisation of the rounded turns as “the breasts of the Goddess” has disappeared. Guess it came a bit too close to acknowledging the true nature of She who is really being honoured by the labyrinth! “

The Labyrinths have also been associated with the Mystery Religions [11] Jean Chevalier and Alain Gheerbrant, The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols (Penguin Books, 1969/1996), pp.643-644. “To reach the centre of the maze, like a stage in the process of initiation, is to be made a member of the invisible lodge [Author’s note: the high-calling of the Mystery Religions] which the maze- makers always shroud in mystery or, better still, have always been left to be filled by the finder’s own intuition…” Exerpted from The Labyrinth Journey:
Walking the Path to Fulfilment? By Carl Teichrib – September 2005

[12] Logic Mazes states: “First, some history: In Old Europe, until about 4,000 years ago, our principal gods were all female. We joined various mystery cults centred around various goddesses in order to learn how to live in this world, how to find our way to the next world, and (surprisingly) to learn some practical information like how to grow wheat. Many of these cults had labyrinths, though we can’t be sure what they were used for.”

Labyrinths by Virginia Westbury [p63] “Around the world, labyrinths are appearing in a range of contexts and in forms unimagined in past eras. Indeed, if the medieval designers of the 11- circuit path could see the ways in which their invention is being used today, they might be shocked, for the so-called ‘church labyrinth’ has left the church and is now appearing all over the secular world: in hospitals, prisons, public gardens and squares, in wilderness parks and eve on beaches.”

Labyrinths by Virginia Westbury [p79] [ed note: stated in the book that Labyrinth pathways are all over protestant churches in American Cities, it is said that in Europe, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand you can find a labyrinth in public places, it is also said that the reason churches will use them is for encouraging people to come to church.]

Labyrinths by Virginia Westbury [p80] [Ed Note: Catholic Priests see the labyrinths as an installation, for prayer, kinesthetics, dance or ritual, interestingly Labyrinths are seen as a important tool for bringing ecumenical unity.] The Book also states on P80 “Spiritual experiences are very common within labyrinths. Walkers sometimes report quite intense mystical states, including union with a divine force or communion with ‘Spirit Energy’.

Conclusion: Labyrinths are purely Satanic and their uses are for evil intent because the root is corrupted, the Scriptures warn us and describe below exactly what this is.

Isaiah 5:20 “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”

Titus 1:15 – 16 “Unto the pure all things [are] pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving [is] nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny [him], being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.”

Luke 17:26-28“And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;“

Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and [that] every imagination of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil continually.

http://www.erwm.com/TheLabyrinth.htm Here is the link to the entire article above from Eastern Regional Watch Ministries.

Researching labyrinths has been interesting. There are about 1954 currently in the United States. 793 of these are located within churches.YES…. IN THE CHURCHES OR ON THE CHURCH GROUNDS. I randomly scanned about 300 of these, and here is the number of each denomination that has installed a labyrinth on their premises.

Baptist 3
Church of Christ 9
Lutheran – 17
Presbyterian – 24
Catholic – 28
Unity – 13
Unitarian – 16
United Methodist – 39
Undefined-63
Episcopal – 88

These numbers are only representative of the total, but they show which churches are allowing contemplative spirituality into their ministries. The Undefined churches had general names like Hope Church, The Foothills Church, etc., so they were impossible to designate. The remaining number of labyrinths (1161) not on church properties were located in health/medical facilities, spas, retreats, private

Residences, parks, etc. I found a local retreat about 10 miles from my home with 3 seasonal outdoor labyrinths.
http://wwll.veriditas.labyrinthsociety.org/locate-a-labyrinth

Refs:

[1] http://www.kanuga.org/aboutus/labyrinth.asp
[2] http://www.forcingchange.org/the_labyrinth_journey
[3] http://www.rainbow-labyrinths.co.za/about/what.html
[4] http://www.theblissfulsoul.com/tag/centering-prayer/
[5] http://www.nationalcathedral.org/worship/crossroads.shtml
[6] http://livingwatersministiescyprus.blogspot.com/2009/10/new-age-labyrinth-taught-in-churches.html
[7] http://www.rainbow-labyrinths.co.za/about/what.html
[8] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penal_substitution
[9] https://nurturingspace.ca/2014/06/26/the-labyrinth-lady-sylvia-senensky/
[10] http://shewhoseeks.blogspot.com/2010/09/christian-labyrinths.html
[11] http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/05/teichrib/labyrinth.htm
[12] http://www.logicmazes.com/labyrnth.html

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