Description
Our labyrinths are made from a high quality, anti-microbial and virtually indestructible HDPE plastic, similar to what many plastic cutting boards are made of. No one else on the planet has finger labyrinths that are this high quality and long lasting. Once our inventory is gone, there won’t be products like this available anywhere.
This 11-circuit green plastic Chartres labyrinth pattern is the most popular design in North America and is based on the famous labyrinth that was inlaid into the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France in the 13th Century. Many people travel to this Notre Dame cathedral to walk this pattern. This design is longer to traverse than the Cretan, and therefore the journey to the center oftentimes will be deeper and more introspective than the Cretan design. Weighing about 4 lbs each., these green plastic Chartres labyrinths have a wide finger path and a notch for hanging on the back.
During the 13th century, this design was inlaid into the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France. It was adopted by the church during the Middle Ages as a substitute for the physical pilgrimage early Christians made to Jerusalem. The 11 circuits & center may represent the 12 apostles. There are 113 teeth known as “lunations” which adorn the outside of the pattern and many believe the ancients used these lunations as a sundial in order to determine the lunar feast of Easter. The center area (rosette) is a six-petaled rose that some believe represents the Virgin Mary or cosmologically, the six kingdoms of existence; mineral, plant, animal, human, angelic, divine. It is thought that by spending time in a petal representing a kingdom that embodies a quality that you are trying to emulate (i.e. the mineral and plant kingdoms teach us patience), you will come to better understand that quality. The green plastic Chartres labyrinth design frequently takes you close to the center and then back towards the outside of the design. This pattern can represent coming close to and moving away from your personal, transformative center, a place of intense knowing and change.
This finger labyrinth or lap labyrinth functions in much the same way as a full-size walking labyrinth, (to further relaxation, meditation and prayer) except that the user traces the path to the center using their finger rather than their feet. For many, this combination of movement (tracing the path) with introspection (eyes closed), is a more relaxing way to meditate or pray. For those whose meditation or devotional practice seems demanding or sporadic, finger labyrinths provide a unique way to bring renewed vitality and meaning to these activities. Since 1997, we have been making this finger labyrinth design with wide, adult-sized finger paths. Ideal for environments where light to heavy cleaning between uses is needed such as a hospital, nursing home, church, elementary school etc. Also a very good choice for outdoor use as, for example, signage for a walking labyrinth or as an alternative to those who physically are unable to walk through a labyrinth.
