I went on a long-overdue writing retreat in early December at a lovely, wooded, Sisters of Mercy facility near my home. One of the first things I did was walk the labyrinth at the retreat property. A few thoughts from my grounded center. 

Labyrinth or Maze?

A proper medieval labyrinth is not a maze. According to Smithsonian magazine, “all are unicursal, featuring a single path that leads into the center of an intricately wound space and then back out.” Likely the most walked labyrinth today is in the floor of Chartres Cathedral, but the oldest recorded labyrinth was part of a 12^th Dynasty Egyptian pyramid complex (1844-1797 BCE). Unlike a maze, a labyrinth is not a puzzle. There is one way “in” and one way “out.” The labyrinth is a meditation in motion.

The Mercy Center Labyrinth

The labyrinth I walked on my retreat is based on the design of Chartres Cathedral’s labyrinth. It is entirely at ground level, an outline of a walking path. The walker is in no way confine by walls or hedges. You can leave at any time; your own sense of order and obligation holds you.

When you first encounter the labyrinth, you’ll notice how it only covers a small surface area. You might wonder how it can take any time at all to walk its length. How many steps could it possibly be? But between a meditative pace and the actual distance of the marked path, it took me the better part of an hour.

The labyrinth experience is deceptive in other ways. If you raise your eyes to try to figure out the route, you’ll find that you can’t judge where you are going beyond the next few steps. And just as soon as you think you’re about to reach the center, a turn takes you in a new direction.

The Labyrinth of the Writer’s Journey

The labyrinth is a great bit of figurative language to communicate the writer’s (anyone’s, really) journey. We are literally going around in circles on a long, long walk. Where are we going? The destination isn’t clear, at least from the path right in front of us. When we do raise our eyes to the goal, we can’t understand how this path will get us there. Progress is hinted at, but then denied, over and over. But if we keep going, we end up where we’re supposed to be and come out of the experience altered.

Liminal space

The labyrinth reminded me of one of my favorite concepts, liminal space. The place of transitions, of becoming something new, yet not being exactly one thing or another. Dawn, dusk, tweens, aging, falling in love, divorce, birth, death—life is beset with uncomfortable transitions. And in our creative life, as well. Few art projects just pop out, fully formed. It’s generally a painful process of struggling with a blank page and raw materials, conflicting ideas, and false starts.  

I’m in a liminal space with my current work in progress. I know where I want to go but can’t see the path forward. All I see is a step or two in front of me. Will this path even lead me where I want to go? The lesson of the labyrinth is to trust the process. The story will end up where it’s supposed to, likely altered, in the best way, from my limited initial vision of it.

Don’t miss The Big Cinch from Montag Press, an award-winning supernatural noir adventure by Kathy L. Brown. Sean Joye, a fae-touched young veteran of 1922’s Irish Civil War, aims to atone for his assassin past and make a clean, new life in America. Until he asks the wrong questions… 

What’s your go-to grounding and centering practice? I’d love to hear your ideas. Comment on the blog. Navigate to my website, click blog title, and complete dialogue box that will open at the end of the post.    

If you enjoyed this journal entry, you might like to read about Blind Spots and Shadows.

I started this blog thread on the gritty details of the writing process over on my Facebook Author page, @kbkathylbrown, but think I might be better served putting it over here. If you’re interest in following my writing process in an informal way, you’ll find a few posts on Facebook that might interest you. You can subscribe to the blog from the website landing page (scroll down).

And Now a Word from Our Sponsor

Check out my latest release from Montag Press, The Big Cinch, a supernatural noir adventure by Kathy L. Brown. Order today. Sean Joye, a fae-touched young veteran of 1922’s Irish Civil War, aims to atone for his assassin past and make a clean, new life in America. Until he asks the wrong questions. . . 

Love Letters to St. Louis is an adorable letter-shaped volume of short stories, poems, essays, and illustrations and includes my first science fiction story, “Welcome to Earthport Prime: A Self-Guided Tour.” A perfect gift and profits benefit the guild’s young writers’ program. Available on Amazon and local St. Louis bookshops.

Reviews, even a line or two, put the books you enjoyed in a more prominent position on Amazon and are vital for independent and small-press books to find their audience. Remember your most recent read? Leave a review for it on Amazon or Goodreads today. The direct link to review Wolfhearted on Amazon is here, The Resurrectionist, here , and Water of Life, here, or visit my Shop off the landing page menu to review at Barnes and Noble. Thanks in advance. Reviews put the book in a more prominent position on Amazon.

Like the blog? Subscribe (form at the bottom of my website) to never miss an issue. Want more? Subscribe to the monthly newsletter for exclusive content. And, of course, I’m selling books. Check out all my stories at Amazon.com. Or at Barnes and Noble if you prefer, here. Order my novella, Wolfhearted, as an audiobook, here.