The Complete Guide to Labyrinths
by Cassandra Eason
(Crossing Press;2004) 328 pages

Interesting subject but difficult book for me to really get into. I’ve always had a fascination with labyrinths and mazes from way back when I read about the Graeco-Roman legend of the Minotaur. Later I met a man at a metaphysical festival who setup a labyrinth using stones and offered people to walk it while meditating. I found the experience to be quite uplifting and useful.

One of my problems with new age books like this when the author has written over 50 books. This leads me to believe here is yet another cultural interest that they can exploit for a quick buck. Rather I prefer to read or hear about such a subject from someone who is truly passionate about the subject they’re writing of. Someone who has spent years studying and working with it so I know they DO know a lot about the subject matter as well as be able to provide some insights I may have not seen before. I didn’t get that impression here with Ms. Eason’s offering.

My favorite chapter hands down was four and that is about “Making A Labyrinth” as it outlines and gives you useful illustrations on creating your own backyard labyrinth. Having always wanted my very own Stonehenge but deciding that having several ton hunks of granite hauled in and put up made me give up that whole idea. Well now having a backyard labyrinth for my very own a viable substitute. In fact, I figure I could plant the medium sized stones deep enough so that they would not interfere with the mower blades but also remain visible.

Some of the other chapters that really turned me off was the integration of “Angels” and “Archangels” into the Labryrinth concept. Like this ancient Celtic device needs Angels to work? How silly is that? Then as in all new age publications, there has to be that token cahpter on “healing” somewhere. Oy! Talk about an overdone cliche! Then you find she takes the cliche’s further with the “Chakras & Labyrinths”! I felt like gagging here.

Even the chapter on Labyrinth Rituals I found trite, inexcusable pap offered. I did think she had something with the essay on Enhancing your Psychic Powers thru a Dream Walk. I’ve often found Labyrinthine like mazes to be useful for Ritual Purposes though these were imagined on the Astral plane and not created physically here on our home plane. Still the uses of a Labyrinth and Dream workings is not without merit and thus the subject should be pursued in more depth. Perhaps Lucid Dreams and Labyrinths?

All in all, the book was so-so to me. Again very hard to stay with it. I was constantly putting it down and picking it up again like it just did not hold my attention. The index is fantastic and very well done. The bibliography is seperated into subject categories but the downside is it again references those same old cliche loving authors of the New Age community.

At fourteen dollars and ninety-five cents, I found the book to be both pricey and lacking. I rate it 2 out of 5 stars for too much New Age hodge-podge and lack of real passion for the subject. Save your shekels and pass this one up. Wait for it to hit the used bookstore bins.