Samhain Labyrinth Ritual

“We are come to the labyrinth tonight, walking one by one, in the dark of Samhain…”

These lyrics, from the song “Come to the Labyrinth” by S.J. Tucker inspired me to create a magickal Samhain ritual using a labyrinth as a symbol of walking through the liminal spaces of Samhain night.  Many Pagans honor the Crone Goddess this night as she guides us on our journey of birth, death, and rebirth.

The labyrinth in ritual

The labyrinth is a wonderful symbol of going inward into our deepest selves, and then emerging out again with new insight. I created this ritual for the CUUPs (Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans) group of which I was a member. In this ritual we placed a cauldron in the center of the labyrinth, and used lavender seeds as an aromatic symbol of our troubles and sorrows to be burned in the cauldron.  The lyrics “Move into the center, add your sorrow to the coals, with incense rising…” inspired this part of the ritual.

On the inward traverse of the labyrinth we meditate on any sorrow, grief, or struggles we may have had that year and then give them to the Goddess in the burning cauldron. On the way out, we are following the flame She gives us to light the path of our journey.

We were fortunate to have a labyrinth on site where we did this ritual.  However, if you don’t have access to one, you can create your own using stones, pine cones, or other natural objects if you’re outdoors.  If indoors, you may want to use tape to outline the labyrinth.  Many patterns may be found online, or in books such as “Labyrinth: your path to self discovery” by Tony Christie.

Celebrating the Ritual

Begin the ritual in your usual way, cleansing your space, casting a circle, calling in the quarters, deities, and any other traditions you normally observe. We called the Triple Goddess for this ritual.  You may choose to include other elements into your ritual; for example we took a few minutes at the beginning to create an ancestor altar, placing photos and other mementos of loved ones who have crossed over and saying a few words to honor them.

As we gathered at the labyrinth, I sang “Come to the Labyrinth” to set the mood; you could have someone sing the song or play a recording. Once we were assembled at the labyrinth, we took turns walking through the labyrinth one at a time. As each person came to the center, they tossed their handful of lavender seeds into the cauldron where we had previously placed burning charcoal.

This was a very moving ritual with the meditative movement, the scent of burning lavender, the candlelight wavering around the labyrinth, all mingling with the momentous darkness of Samhain night. S.J.’s words remind us to walk steadily, keeping our heads and eyes up even when we are feeling burdened in life, knowing that the Goddess is there to lead us and change our troubles into joys.

Labyrinth as metaphor

Our life journey can be likened to a labyrinth, with its twists and turns, sometimes feeling like we are turning back and repeating things, sometimes being swung all the way to the other side; but we can keep our heads up and keep following the light that leads us and listening to the lessons we learn along the way.

“When all our sorrows cauldron into one, be reborn this Samhain night.”

Header image by Wolfgang Eckert from Pixabay