#manadala

Sun Stones are an easy way to incorporate the sun into your daily meditative practice through art. Let’s talk a little bit about Mandalas, where they come from and how we can draw inspiration from them to incorporate into our art witchery.

Mandalas

“Mandala is the term for a chapter, a collection of mantras or verse hymns chanted in Vedic ceremonies, perhaps coming from the sense of round, as in a round of songs. The universe was believed to originate from these hymns, whose sacred sounds contained the genetic patterns of beings and things, so there is already a clear sense of Mandala as world-model. The word mandala itself is derived from the root ‘manda’, which means essence, to which the suffix la, meaning container, has been added. Thus, one obvious connotation of mandala is that it is a container of essence.“     -Nitin Kumar

Originating as part of the Buddhist religion, these sacred geometric creations have captivated the imagination of Westerns. We need to look no further than our local super market or bookstore to find mandala themed adult coloring books. These are far from true Mandalas of course which are created by Buddhist monks who train for several years learning symbology and artistic processes before creating their ritual works. (Seeing one made is a special treat, click here to watch).

Process

For our project we will be drawing inspiration from these beautiful creations to inform our imagery, allowing our minds to drift into a creative meditative or Terrance state, and infusing our creations with intent. Begin by gathering stones, either collected locally or store bought, and painting materials (Acrylic paints work best for this project but feel free to experiment).

To begin paint a center circle, seed, or drop. This is where outside energy is drawn to and where later, energy can be drawn from. From there you can experiment with different sized circles, organic or inorganic shapes, or personal symbolism for the sun. 

While painting allow yourself to drift into a slight trance or meditative state. You may choose to chant an affirmation, a written spell, or poetry (either out loud or internally), play music which facilitates your connection with the sun, or simply be mindful and in the moment.

You can choose to infuse your stone in a number of ways. Maybe you have already done so throughout the creation process, maybe you leave it to soak up sunlight between sunrise and sunset for a day, or you visualize light being infused into it. I hope you guys enjoy this project, please tag it with #saw or #solarartwitchery so I can see your unique creations and celebrate the sun with you!

Light and Love

(via "Psychedelic Diamond Mandala" Acrylic Block for Sale by iAmAnAstronaut-)