| WHAT
IS PILGRIMAGE | MANDALA
FACILITATOR | GLOBAL SERVICE
Mandala is a Sanskrit
word which, loosely translated, means “magic
circle”. The term "sacred circle"
is perhaps a more appropriate description because a
completed mandala contains images expressed from the
depths of the psyche an is a precious sacred experience.
The images emerging
in mandalas are symbols communicating what some call
"the forgotten language of God”.
The basic mandala prototype, a simple circle, is without
beginning or end and is a broad based cross cultural
tool. In many spiritual cultures it represents wholeness.
Mandala patterns are quite common and visible all around
us. They can be seen from the ancient cultures in the
mountains of Tibet to modern skyscapes and indigenous
tribes around the globe. Mandalas are also inherently
seen in natural patterns in biology, geology, chemistry,
physics and astronomy as well as in a wide range of
architectural renderings around the world.
Further description
as noted in chapter 6 of Susanne F. Fincher’s
Creating Mandalas classic text may emphasize
the importance of mandalas in our personal and collective
cosmologies:
“...can be seen as a model for the organizational
structure of life itself--a cosmic diagram that reminds
us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends
both beyond and within our bodies and minds. Describing
both material and non-material realities, the mandala
appears in all aspects of life: the celestial circles
we call earth, sun, and moon, as well as conceptual
circles of friends, family, and community."
www.creatingmandalas.com
Simply put,
if one believes that the essence of divinity is innate
in all creation, the images displayed in an organic,
spontaneous mandala exercise are messages offered directly
from one's divine Nature. They are messages to you and
about you that can bring the unconscious into consciousness
where ego may effectively aligned with Self. The
images are already within you awaiting expression.
A mandala facilitator fosters a compassionate,
loving, and safe space in which one can discover the
authencity within that yearns to be recognized and then
to be integrated into authentic everyday Essential
Self living experiences.
As a Certified Mandala
Facilitator, Rev. Wanda Gail applies the basic ideas
of spiritual peacemaking through mandalas as tools for
healing through self-insight. These sessions are founded
on the premise that what is experienced on the inner
realm can be expressed outwardly to reveal what is unknown
and assist personal peace.
Joseph Campbell, noted author on mythology and comparative
religions stated: “When you contemplate the
Mandala, you are harmonizing inside..”
Dr. Carl Jung stated, “One does not become
enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making
the darkness conscious.” This idea lends
credence to the varied ways that Mandalas can be applied-
each as a step in the individual’s “little
self” journey back to the original Self of creation.
Click Here for the Personalized Self-Evaluative
Process
This mandala introduced
Rev. Wanda Gail to an inner muse named Penelope.
It is posted near her computer as a reminder that the
wisdom of her heart allows her to surf the depths of
her own consciousness and stand in the illumination
of it. Below are other mandala examples of her personal
journey.
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Before
Birth-Potential Awaiting Expansion |
One Last Dance
(Stage #10- Gates of Death on the Great
Round of Mandala)
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A personalized self-evaluative
process adapted from Suzanne Fincher’s work is
suggested to be completed in silence as a deepening
experience:
1. Begin with a full size piece
of paper, intuitively select at least 3 colors (any
drawing/painting materials) to start.
More colors may be selected as you progress in the process.
2.
Draw a circle and set the intention to focus and center
yourself.
3.
Allow the emergence of spontaneous symbology from
your psyche to be displayed in the circle.
4.
Examine the results with eyes of love (turn
completed Mandala in all directions).
Then determine the top- label with a T.
5.
If this were a story, write the title.
6.
List each color, number, and symbol then note your
associations with them.
7.
Free associate with what you have written and identify
patterns.
8.
Summarize patterns in a sentence or two. Ex: numerous
similar versions of a symbol or sets of symbols
in numbers of 2, 4, 5 etc.
9.
There are no universal connotations with anything
even though there are cultural commonalities. What is
most important is that you determine what everything
means to you. The Mandala offers a message that emerges
from you, is intended for you, and is about you.
10.
Meditate with your Mandala and be receptive to additional
personal insights and revelations.
11.
Journal insights for a deeper integration.
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