In honor of Mercury Retrograde, which occurs from May 18 to June 11, Sindy at BlueButterfliesAndMe is hosting a Let’s Go Retro challenge to repost, re-blog, re-visit an old post. Inspired by Sue’s post Mandala ~ In Retro, I am reposting the following journal entry from my first year-long round of posting my Butterfly Journal entries:
Tibetan Sand Mandala
In the last journal entry I discussed how breathing, Pranayama practices, and other yoga practices help me when I am challenged to be patient and calm. Another practice that I have recently returned to is art. Art is a wonderful meditative practice or activity because it is when we remove the mind from the process, when we are being mind-less, we become fully open channels of inspiration, intuition, and divine love. When we allow ourselves to be mind-less, we are in full acceptance of the present moment (mindfulness), and patience becomes the natural state.
Last night I attended a mandala art gathering. Mandala, मण्डल, means circle, disk, and orb. The circle symbolizes the divine, the heavenly realm, and Source or the One that is All. Mandalas are an art form that has appeared in many cultures throughout the world. They represent sacred geometry, tell mythological stories, convey messages of the gods or the Divine, map out the Cosmos, and channel messages from the unconscious.
My Mandala
The discussion at last night’s gathering reminded me of how I would turn to art when I was a child to deal with the stress and frustrations at home, and of how easy it was and is for me to empty my mind, become mind-less, while drawing and doing creative projects. I had no plan as I started, but used the suggested Valentine’s Day theme to start me off. Then I just let the pencils flow as they wished. Without the heavy burdens of the mind, I felt like I could fly like a butterfly. At the end, we were asked to write down a title and any words that came regarding our mandalas (see left). I noticed that when I am in a patient, present/mindful, yet mind-less state, I am most expansive.
Most mandalas have an intuitive, irrational character and, through their symbolical context, exert a retroactive influence on the unconscious. They therefore possess a “magical” significance, like icons, whose possible efficacy was never consciously felt by the patient. – Carl Jung
The Tibetan sand mandalas are an amazing example of patience and the acceptance of the present moment and the impermanence of this earthly realm. After spending days slowly and patiently creating elaborate, intricate, and beautiful mandalas “painted” with colored grains of sand, the Buddhist monks often destroy their works of art (sometimes the destruction is even artistic) demonstrating the impermanence of material life. In an act to spread the healing of the mandala, the sands are spread among any onlookers and also poured into a body of water to spread throughout the world.
Through patience, by cultivating mindfulness by becoming mind-less, we can all spread our beautiful and mandala-like colorful wings to spread love, light, and healing to others.
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Through the Peacock's Eyes 
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Julie, this is a lovely contribution to Sindy’s Challenge.. and I love your artwork on the mandala..
I can not tell you how art has helped me through my life.. Especially through a nervous breakdown many years ago… Art allows you to go within and for a time shut out the outer world.. As you create with your imagination..
Seems the Monks are getting their messages across within WP 🙂
Many thanks also Julie for the lovely mention.. ..
Hugs and Blessings
❤ Sue
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Wow! I have just turned on my computer after putting my boys to bed. As I sat snuggled with them while they drifted off to sleep and I once again reflected on how blessed I am ( as I do every night!), I was considering what fun activity we could tomorrow. “Sand art” I decided. I will get some white sand and put it into empty spice containers and colour it with food colouring, and we can draw pictures then put glue onto the paper and sprinkle coloured sand onto them… And here is the first post I read! Retrograges certainly have a deep magical quality as well as the usual hiccups and set backs, don’t they? 🙂 I think I should join the Let’s Go Retro challenge and post and old post too – who knows what use it may have to someone else out there! Thank you!
Wonderful Synchronicity! Love the art idea too! ❤
Reblogged this on Higher Density Blog.
Reblogged this on Sindy's Saturday Satsang and commented:
Thanks for the awesome share sister!
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Yea! Awesome selection, I am really getting a Tibetan monk vibe lately. That is good! 😀
Not sure if you read my comment on Sue’s post, where I told her how I saw them creating one to heal the Santa Monica Bay back in the 80’s. I really do feel that peace these days. Thanks so much for sharing this one Julianne ❤
You’re welcome Butterfly! ❤
I made a Participation badge (it’s cute) it is on my sidebar if you are so inclined ❤
Dear Julie,
So so beautiful! I love it! 😀
I also took a long jog…. that helps with mindfulllessness. 😉 Come to think of it; I could use another jog.
xo Ka
Thanks Ka! I did get your email too. Thank you! Will reply soon.
You’re welcome. I understand that it takes time; and that your email will come at the right time. _/1\_ Thank you for letting me know.
Reblogged this on Grandtrines.