My First Mandala

Here is one of my first Mandalas. I called it Mystic Rose. I think it looks very exotic. I have spent the last few days making mandalas. So am sharing them here.

Mystic Rose Mandala

This one is exotic and feminine and I put a rose in the centre and it evolved from there.

What prompted me to make Mandalas

Several decades on this earth and I have never drawn a Mandala. Bizarre. And yet they are everywhere. In logos, designs, tapestries, art and out in nature. They feature in ancient celtic art, most art of the ancients, stained glass windows and across world religions, spiritualities and mythologies. I have looked at them in books, saw them in art and been aware of them in the background but never contemplated them or attached the name mandala to them.

I studied both art and design and history and appreciation of art and architecture at school yet never contemplated mandalas. It just further reminds me how kind of samey and institutionalised education has become. Our art classes were mostly looking at things like an apple or something more boring than an apple and drawing it. Rather than being encouraged to use our imagination or vivid colours. History of Art was confined to the modern art movements starting with Impressionism rather than looking at the art of the ancients.

I was communicating with a fellow blogger in Minnesota and she was sharing a couple of her mandalas with me. I thought they were amazing. So intricate and beautifully exotic looking. I started watching videos about them. Then I decided to give it a whirl. I just drew several circles. From there you start to create the designs. Thanks to Sandy for her inspiration.

I think I did contemplate Mandalas briefly back in June around the Solstice when I bought a book of mystical artwork and the artist had created celtic mandalas. But I never thought about it again until this February. I believe it was the start of February I started creating these.

Contemplating Mandalas

If you start to delve into the world of Mandalas you are going to be utterly intrigued and fascinated. Mandala is a sanskrit world meaning Sacred Circle. They are a geometric pattern composed of shapes, symbols and images. They were and still are used in religious, spiritual and magical practices. They are also associated with mantras, so if you were to combine a mantra with a mandala and give it a title it can help with manifestation.

They are like life, a cyclic process. They are also associated with alchemy, sacred geometry and the golden ratio. They are used in Art Therapy and the famous Carl Jung spoke often of their use for therapeutic purposes and shared many of his own mandala artworks. There is even a type of yoga called mandala yoga that brings into play the four elements and their corresponding chakras.

Mandala’s have evolved from spiritual, creative and artistic practices and combine both the self and the cosmos and their patterns are usually balanced and harmonious. They are used in meditation to ground the self. The centre point represents pure consciousness. I found this incredibly interesting video on youtube. It’s from the University of California Television. It’s called “Mandala Therapy: Art of Centering the Self”. From a psychological perspective this is very enlightening.

Dark Star Mandala

I just kind of went with the flow. I created my designs by just drawing circles and then creating a symmetrical pattern. It takes some time and you kind of get lost in it. When it’s finished, with me, anyway, you start to see a bit of a theme or message for each piece.

Blue Pearl Mandala

You can clearly see here the dolphins at the edge and as this evolved it definitely had an oceanic feeling.

Spark to a Flame Mandala

This one was fiery and to me symbolises that creative or passionate spark that spurs you on in life. That you want to become a flame.

Atlantean Dream Mandala

This conjured up both the oceans and the heavens and the astral realms. And of course the Ancient World of Atlantis.

Contemplating The Depths Mandala

This is the darkest mandala that I did. I had to lighten it up a bit so it was easier to view. I did it today on a dark, ominous day weather wise which then lashed with heavy rain. I actually like days like that though as there is water and mood and movement in the weather.

It’s the stagnant, still days I don’t like with that oppressive thick cloud that allows you to see or sense nothing. Like an empty void.

Those torrential rain days are days to hibernate and do creative things. Actually, a lot of the best creativity comes from the darkest times.

Mandolin Rain

I put the song Mandolin Rain at the top as I wanted a rainy day song and I love that song. Listening to that, drinking hot chai tea and hazelnut coffee and making mandalas.

Mandolas are in fact musical instruments, as are Mandolins. Mandalas are the sacred circles we are talking about today.

Making your own Mandalas

If you want to make your own mandala. Just get a piece of paper, a pen or pencil and some felt tip pens, colouring pencils or paints. You will need a compass and a ruler to make it symmetrical and then you are good to go! If you don’t have that you could draw round circular objects like lids, bottle tops, cups or bowls. Or you can just get a piece of paper and do it freehand which is amazing too.

You do not need to be artistic to do this. If you are, then you will enjoy this and they will be amazing no doubt. If you think you are not creative you can still try this. As it is just creating a pattern. So it suits many different personality types.

This is why people like Carl Jung recommended it for helping people centre their mind.

I think it would be amazing to draw a mandala on the ground in a circular room. Perhaps with a group. I’m sure somebody in the world is doing this somewhere in some far flung place in a holistic retreat centre!

These are my first attempts at mandalas. Perhaps there is one you prefer. Perhaps you will be inspired to make your own mandala.

You can also buy kits to make your own mandalas and also books where you can colour in mandalas. But I think it’s more fun creating your own. Here is the circular design I used to create some of the mandalas shown here. If anyone wants to use it.

This video from mundoodle art is a great introduction to mandalas and she also does instruction videos. It’s called What is Mandala Art | Origin, History and Benefits | Mandala Art.

Personally I think it’s better to just start free flow. And then you can start to learn more about it and the type of symbols and designs that are used.

Music

The music is “Mandolin Rain” from Bruce Hornsby and The Range from 1986. It’s my favourite song by them and according to Songfacts.com; “The song is about a failed southern romance between two people who enjoy the rainfall and spent a lot of intimate time in it, but now that she’s gone, the singer mourns her loss and is reminded of her when he hears the rain.

Let me know it you’ve ever made a mandala or if you are going to try it out.

This post and art is by Anne-Marie at http://www.supernatualhippie.com

No unauthorised reproduction without prior consent.