Labyrinths: Ancient Paths Of Wisdom And Peace

A maze, a prison, a sacred precinct, a place of peace...for thousands of years the human mind has puzzled over the enigma of the labyrinth. At first glance, it strikes us as one of the stranger products of human imagining-a winding path leading through a series of seemingly endless twists and turns, into a center and out again. Where does it come from? What is its purpose? Today, the labyrinth's spiritual connotations are absorbing much of our attention in the West. In the United States, Europe, the United Kingdom, and Australia it is being walked mainly for meditation and a sense of inner peace. This fascinating and beautifully illustrated book explores the history, the mysteries, and the locations of these "paths of peace." It provides first-hand accounts of walkers' experiences and shows why the labyrinth appears to have become a kind of "universal spiritual tool" once again. Virginia Westbury, journalist and award-winning documentary maker, has written the first global account of the modern labyrinth movement, complete with a guide to where the world's finest models can be found. She also provides a comprehensive account of labyrinth history and an intriguing look at the modern phenomenon of interest in the labyrinth.Author Biography: Virginia Westbury is an Australian-born internationally published journalist, television producer, and lecturer who specializes in writing about new social, political and spiritual movements. Her work has appeared in leading magazines and newspapers around the world and she has taught courses in media and cultural studies at universities in Australia. For several years she has been teaching and facilitating workshops on the labyrinth in the U.S.A., New Zealand, and Australia.