Summary of Remembering the power of sacred creation
Attuning to masculine energy through the labyrinth The labyrinth has often been connected with the strengthening of feminine aspects.
Little has been said about masculine aspects: Ariadne’s clew did save Theseus, but both Daidalos, the builder of the labyrinth, and the Minotaur have their role in the story.
Certainly men have much to gain through the physical experience of labyrinths. The unfortunate consequence of a strong Patriarchic society is a distortion of masculine energy patterns, creating brainless macho’s, heartless and anxious leaders and gutless companions. Each of them has difficulties in dealing with feminine strength in a balanced way.
I will explain how male identity is nourished while building or walking a labyrinth.
The native American cosmology of the Medicine Wheel, combined with Jungian archetypes show the powerful possibilities of experiencing pure masculine energy through the labyrinth. |  | 
Masculine and feminine energies are not restricted to males and females respectively. Every individual chooses his/her own flexibly changing mix. Awareness of both energies while building or walking labyrinths provides an empowering and balancing experience, inviting our inner selves to express at its fullest.
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Remembering the Power of Sacred Creation
Attuning to Masculine Energy through the Labyrinth. by Willem Kuipers Keynote for 7th Annual Gathering of The Labyrinth Society, Lenox, October 22nd, 2005 It is a great pleasure for me to be standing here and to offer you the results of a years pondering on and experimenting with the subject of my presentation. It was a kind of journey like walking a labyrinth. Last week I decided that the information could be presented in that format, to help me to keep my path during my presentation.
I favour classical labyrinth patterns, so here comes: Path 3: Question
Let me tell you how the subject came to me.
The attendance of last year’s TLS Gathering was very dominantly female. Being male, I wondered why my gender was seemingly less attracted to the subject. Was it a trend for the Society? Where had all the men gone? In her book ‘Walking a sacred path’, Lauren Artress writes about the re-emergence of the feminine principle in the Western world, and the importance of allowing this principle in our lives and in experiencing the labyrinth. She mentions its values like empathy, patience, community, reverence for nature, intuition.
Many people feel connected to Mother Earth or the Mother God when they walk the labyrinth. I am well aware of the fact that walking a labyrinth always makes me feel more connected to the earth, and I quite often need that.
She writes that the thread of Ariadne is a powerful metaphor for the guiding force that leads Theseus out of the labyrinth to safety after he has slain the Minotaur. But what is the guiding force that leads him in? Is that a masculine principle? | | Path 2: Feeling In the course of my life, I have always been surrounded by women. I was born out of one, mostly raised by three and since the birth of our daughter, I live with two. I also have very dear female friends. I have attended many courses on personal development given by women and in majority attended by the same. Since many years I have been confronted with gender themes. The last five years I have been trying to connect consciously with my own masculine matureness and identity, and found a couple of male friends in the process. So what do I have been feeling about this issue? How can a labyrinth be attractive for a Man to connect with his masculinity? What is the importance of the labyrinth for a Man in his quest for personal development and matureness? The labyrinth has shown to many women and men a new perspective on feminine values, and now I long for a new perspective on masculine values. I feel confident that it will be relevant to men and to women too. I’m well aware that many women in the world or in this room have refound their feminine values in the labyrinth after their feelings had been hurt through the deeds of men. They may feel uneasy about the connection of masculinity and the labyrinth. I ask them to trust my intentions with the subject, and I hope to be able to show them why that is worthwhile. to be continued via pdf-file above this text. |
