The Red Thread: Rites of Passage for the Mother Phase of Life
THE LABYRINTH!!!
The labyrinth is an ancient, universal symbol representing our journey through life, ordeals and initiations. The pathway is associated with spiritual rebirth. The journey into the labyrinth’s center is symbolic of death, and the journey out of the labyrinth represents rebirth.“ ~ Pam England, Birthing From Within
Traditions around the world use labyrinths~ and every one uses the SAME number of rings = 7.
My spirit mama told me it takes 7 years to complete a cycle of life. In fact, scientists say that in 7 years ~ our cells have completely renewed themselves! We truly become a new person.
And! When it comes to the transition from maiden to mother, each ring of the labyrinth tells story of our initiation, our decent, our resurrection and our rebirth.
~~~~ We call this the Map! ~~~~~
#1
The first ring of the labyrinth is our initiation cycle ~
For you, this could have been the moment you got pregnant. Or maybe it was the moment you went into labor. Honestly, I think the first ring of my labyrinth began when I married my husband Adam.
#2
The second ring represents your descent~
It’s Inanna’s journey into the underworld. The unknown. She must loose herself so she can find herself again… but she’ll be different.
#3
The third ring represents creation~
It’s where new life begins. it’s usually the third year that mother understands what it means to be a mother. And she starts to sink into her new role. It’s also when many of the trials in the first two years subside, and the mother can come more Into herself.
#4
The fourth ring represents completion and a stability ~
In this cycle you may feel more secure in yourself and in your environment. Something that you were working on in the last three cycles, has come to a stable place.
#5
The fifth ring represents resurrection~
You have rebirthed yourself – and you are emerging from the labyrinth with a new personality, a new point of view and a new strength.
#6
The sixth ring represents the rising~
You now feel like you can teach the journey to others.
#7
The seventh ring represents the exit~
Just like the 7 chakras, or the 7 days of the week…
It takes 7 cycles, and possibly 7 years, to fully anchor the mother self.
For many, these rings represent years of life. For others… it has a different meaning to their soul.
~~~~
When we use myth to understand the human experience~ we need to compare the symbols – from various cultures and traditions.
When we do this the patterns repeat themselves. Those patterns are our map for life.
Pam England calls the labyrinth, “the Laborynth.”
And she explains it as the cycles within the birth journey itself.
Each ring is marked with contractions, and the spiral journey represents the turns the baby makes as it moves through the birth canal.
The labyrinth represents every life journey, because patterns mirror each other.
The labyrinth can represent the labor itself~~
the years following birth~~
the end of one stage of life and into another ~~
and our entire life journey from birth to death.
Understanding the Life Map, can help us as we transition from one stage of life to another.
And!!! with every ring of the labyrinth there are many turns within it! There will be ups and downs in every stage.
We all need to understand that life is not linear.
And it’s definitely not a fairy tale
(unless that fairy tale is following the hero’s journey model.)
Life is a wild journey. A hero’s journey. For the purpose of our soul’s growth.
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