The earliest appears to be mystical, symbolizing the riddle of life with a womb at the entrance and reincarnation at the egress. It calls to both the eye and the mind. In the past few years, many varieties of labyrinths having sprung up at churches, retreat centers, colleges, spiritual conferences and work shops. People walk them inside or outside. The benefits of walking the labyrinth are deep calm and introspection, and this process is difficult to explain by those who have performed the ritual.
Some people become a little mystified by the experience.
The tapestry at Grace Cathedral, in San Francisco, is based on the labyrinth of Chartres Cathedral in France. Underfoot, the tapestry has the feel of a thick pile carpet. It has eleven concentric circles, with a twelfth forming a six petal rosette at the center. The trip from the entrance at the outside edge to the center and back covers a third of a mile and takes about twenty minutes to complete at a casual pace. The methods of walking the path are varied and there is no right way or wrong way to walk it.