Back in summer of 2010, I was introduced to the mandala during a trauma recovery therapy session. It started as simply as this gentle prompt from my therapist as she gave me paper and pastel chalk: "Draw a circle. Now fill it in." We did some additional work around what I drew, and now, 100 mandalas later, my love and appreciation for them has deepened immensely.
From my own hand drawn ones to all other forms.
Woah! Let's back up. What's a mandala you ask?
It's just a circle. And so much more. Because the circle itself is so rich in meaning, considered among different cultures and faith traditions a symbol that:
- Is universal, sacred and divine
- Signifies family ties, closeness & protection
- Represents the infinite nature of energy, of the notions of totality, wholeness, original perfection, the infinite, eternity, timelessness.
And finally, a perfect circle is symbolic of something that is whole, complete, ideal and eternal; a circle has no ending and no beginning.
I just love that! Let's take it a step further into its place as a mandala.
If you ask Wikipedia, here's what you get: A mandala (Sanskrit: मण्डल, lit, circle) is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Indian religions, representing the universe. And I would add that the mandala/circle that represents the universe just happens to manifest itself in countless forms throughout our own little mandala/sphere called earth.
It is those manifestations I've fallen in love with, that I am drawn to like a moth to light. Mandalas are found in nature and architecture, natural creations and drawn designs, coloring books and specialty books. They may be round or be a create a round pattern. They may be spheres. They are created from repurposed broken bits of glass and other bits and bobs. They form on the floor when I'm sweeping up a broken Pyrex measuring cup, They show up as a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice.
I zero in on them wherever I go.
Why does this matter? How does this happen? Because I have the mandala appreciation gene, of course! Those blessed with eyes to see experience a deeper awareness of the endless beauty of creation, the marvelous handiwork of craftsman, and the reminder of an eternal universal connection.
It's like there's a bit of software in my brain that registers the shape "circle" and I immediately experience a sense of one or more of the following:
- Path
- Calm
- Peace
- Beauty
- Eternity
- Mystery
- Curiosity
- Symmetry
- Wholeness
- Nourishment
- Completeness
- Playfulness (who doesn't love to play ball?
I want to linger and soak it up. My brain circle software reminds me:
- Oh, my! Get a photo of that!
And so I do.
Below are some mandalas from my most recent travel to London, Nice, and Monaco.
From left: Monaco Mystery, Hilton Paddington Lamp, Nice Stonemasonry, London Chandelier
So look around you. And up. And down. Repeat. Discover the marvelous mysterious mandala.