Labyrinths: Ancient Paths of Wisdom and Peace - Hardcover

Westbury, Virginia

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0306813106 ISBN 13: 9780306813108

Publisher: Da Capo Press Inc, 2003

Synopsis

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. This book traces the origins of the phenomenon. Archaeology dates it back to the Bronze Age, when simple seven-circuit models began to emerge in Europe, the Middle East and parts of Asia. Popular during Roman times, the labyrinth reached its peak during the medieval period, when elaborate eleven-circuit models appeared on the paved floors of churches and cathedrals across France and Italy, as well as in the fields of Britain and Germany. In recent years there has been a significant revival of interest in the labyrinth, and the author explores the question of why it should particularly appeal to us now. She looks at the many extraordinary ways in which labyrinths are being used today: as tools for meditation, as a means of connecting with the mysteries of nature, or simply as elegant puzzles for us to solve. The book concludes with an extensive gazetteer, indicating where the world's finest labyrinths can be found.

About this title

About the Author:

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 labryinth in the U.S.A., New Zealand, and Australia.

About this edition

• Publisher: Da Capo Press Inc
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0306813106
• ISBN 13: 9780306813108
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 112