by Sergey de Rocambol
Labyrinth built by a traditional scheme is the first cartographic opus of the mankind we know and is a fundamental module of nowadays' cultures.
The traditional labyrinth formula appeared earlier than all contemporary time scales and all contemporary notions of space.
Labyrinth built by the traditional scheme is a universal, and a kind of four-dimensional map of the Universe, correlated with three basic fields, in which human and the humanity lives and acts:
- with field of light (electromagnetic field);
- with language field (field of archetypes);
- with the Earth’s field (gravitational field).
Labyrinth is a strikingly perfect mandala with all the features of fractal and hologram — and moreover it is a mandala, which simultaneously exists in many times and many spaces.
Once having been built, the labyrinth starts an active presence in three basic fields, in which human lives: in the gravitational field, in the field of archetypes (actually, a field of myths and linguistic field), in the electromagnetic field — any actions and events held in the Labyrinth have consequences not only for participants of those actions but, though it may seem strange and fantastic, for the whole planet too.
These three fields (the three worlds) are fundamental factors determining and forming operational spaces, in which the humanity exists and any particular human lives and acts.
All the objects of our culture are the result of interaction of these three worlds, which have many names though usually they are called:
- sky (high world);
- earth (middle world);
- underground world (low world)
Basic levels of human brain may be considered as follows:
- neocortex — in fact, that is what makes human a human - parts where doors into speech and music, into creative energy open;
- limb formation - animal brain - horse, deer, ox, bear, wolf, lynx, tiger, puma, etc;
- reptile complex - dragon, snake, lizard, iguana, eagle, falcon, hawk, etc.
The brain is just a part of complete human presence - and basic levels of brain correspond and resonate with different sensor systems - and with different fields of attention; with different levels of human being-realization, where the main ones are:
- gravitational field (basic localization is a center of gravity of human body);
- field of archetypes (by Carl Jung’s definition, "archetype is an organ of soul" - the basic localization is a region of heart and throat);
- electromagnetic field (basic localization is a heart, throat and a center of gravity of human head) - one of its manifestations is the play of the Solar wind with the Earth’s magnetosphere.
One can find a similar metaphor after an attentive consideration of the Image of Saint George the Victorious. In the canonical Image of Saint George the Victorious:
dragon - reptile complex (notably a dragon isn't killed, but only wined, defeated - subordinated);
horse - limbic system - animal brain (a horse is white and reined by the man, that symbolises purity of an animal nature and its union with a human one to win and co-operate with a powerful dragon);
human - neocortex (in two aspects: male - west, right hand, left brain hemisphere, logic, rational dominant - Saint George, and female - east, left hand, right brain hemisphere, music, irrational, emotional dominant - Virgin Ekaterina);
In the world knight tradition the Image of Saint George the Victorious symbolises the victory of high emotions over low ones, the victory of Love and Fidelity over the pseudo — spiritual and spiritually — materialistic).
If to consider labyrinth as a conceptual fractal, it will illustrate a non-linear and hyper symmetrical nature of time in the best way; and if to consider labyrinth as a module of conceptual hologram, it will perfectly illustrate a multidimensional and multilevel nature of personal space, and denote its transpersonality in a clear and easy way.
Labyrinth, as a sign of overtime meta-code, as a module-hieroglyph of initial hypertext, joins together a massage of ancient Tradition and tendencies of contemporary art; possibility and desire to overcome the limits of binary language axiomatic with all its consequences for a person.
Thus the Labyrinth is not only a symbol, but also a catalyzing factor, attractor, which gives a possibility to see, realize and correlate many levels of human attention and presence, many levels of human, planetary and cosmic play.
All the Labyrinths are the one: an entrance into a Labyrinth is an entrance into all the existing Labyrinths, but everyone finds his own way out - authority is renewed and renewed - the ancient overtime formula actualizes in forms of contemporary art…
Labyrinth built by the traditional formula can serve for an attentive person as a library of great many volumes. Moving in labyrinth human being has possibility to consider of anything by means of whole personal planetary presence — including into the process of consideration not only this planet but the Solar System planets, the Sun, and even some constellations.
© 2000 Sergey de Rocambol
© Translated by Peter Kocharov