How to draw a Cretan Labyrinth
The Cretan labyrinth design, closely associated with ancient Crete and the legendary Minotaur, is more properly referred to as the Classic, 7-path labyrinth. Labyrinths are not mazes. Labyrinths have one entrance, which doubles as the exit, and no branching choices. The only path goes to the center and returns the same way. There are other designs such as the 11-path Chartres Cathedral labyrinth, but the Cretan is best known and easiest to draw. The starting figure has a "plus" symbol, four "L" shapes and four dots. Connecting these with eight curved lines completes the drawing.
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Instructions
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Start at the center of a piece of graph paper. Draw a plus symbol four tall and four across. Two over from the top, make a dot, then do the same on the other side. Repeat process at the bottom. The four dots should visually create a corners of a square.
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Draw an "L" shape between the plus and the upper right dot. Draw a backwards "L" between the plus and the upper left dot. Repeat with upside down "L's" for the bottom half. Each of these "L's" starts and ends equidistant from the dots and the ends of the plus symbol.
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Place the pencil point at the top of the plus and draw an arch up, to the left, then down to the top of the upper left "L." The top of the arch should reach the next horizontal line of the graph paper.
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Lift the pencil and then bring it back down on the upper left dot. Draw an arc to the right. This arc will go up to the next higher horizontal graph line than the last arc, and descend to the top of the upper right "L."
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Lift the pencil again and bring it down on the right upper dot. Draw an arc to the left, finishing at the left end of the upper left "L." As before, this arc will need to go one graph line higher at the top, and also one vertical graph line further out on the left side.
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Continue for five more curved lines. These continue to alternate start left, start right, and always move out another graph line away from the last. Lines do not cross. Fourth line starts at the left end of the plus and curves to the right to the right end of the upper "L." Fifth line starts as right end of the plus and curves left. Sixth line starts at the bottom left dot, curves right. Seventh line starts at the bottom right dot and curves left.
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Start the final line at the bottom of the plus. Curve the line down, up the left side, over the top, down the right, finishing at the bottom of the lower left "L." If you have drawn correctly, your labyrinth will have an entrance at the bottom and a first turn to the right. Trace the path with your finger to check the entire path.
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Tips & Warnings
Use the same starting figure but straight lines and right angle turns instead of curved lines to make a squared-off labyrinth.
These instructions make a labyrinth with the path's first turn to the right. Reversing the order of the arcs so the first is to the right yields a left-turn labyrinth. Both are valid meditation labyrinth designs.
References
Resources
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