“Each person’s life is like a mandala – a vast, limitless circle. We stand in the center of our own circle, and everything we see, hear and think forms the mandala of our life.”– Pema Chodron

“Most mandalas have an intuitive, irrational character and, through their symbolical content, 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

 

Mandala (pronunciation mon- dah- lah) means “circle”.  A Mandala represents wholeness, a galactic diagram reminding us of our relation to infinity that extends beyond but also within our bodies and minds. Mandala’s appear to us in all aspects of life, the Earth, the Sun, and the Moon. Our intimate circles of family, friends even community can be considered a Mandala.

Mandalas are circular designs symbolizing the notion that life is never ending. The symbolism behind the creation of a mandala may have significant meaning for many individuals whether they are Jewish, Buddhist, Christian, Pagan or of any other religious orientation.  Most Mandalas are created by people to symbolize their journeys through life. Mandalas tell the story of where an individual has been.  In some cases, they will reveal the individual’s path in life.

Luckily for us, the internet has a wealth of Mandalas and their meanings.  I discovered many sites have mandalas ready for coloring as a free copy or download.  It is always best to select colors intuitively.  In reading about Mandalas because Tami’s latest project looked so beautiful, I discovered this information about what the colors represent.

 

RED for strength, high energy, and passion

PINK for love, intuition and the feminine

ORANGE for creativity, transformation, self-awareness and intuition

YELLOW for learning, wisdom, laughter and happiness

GREEN for physical healing, psychic ability, love of nature and caring

BLUE for emotional healing, inner peace, and meditation

PURPLE for all things spiritual

WHITE for mental focus

BLACK for mystery, deep thinking, and individuality

 

I decided to create my Mandala joining Tami in this exciting project. I love crocheting and find it soothing to do while I am thinking about different poems. It is National Poetry Month, and I am doing the 30-day challenge as well.  I never have idle hands or an idle mind.

I chose shades of orange for the first color of my Mandala because I was beginning a creative project. Yellow because crocheting brings me joy. I chose shades of green to reflect my love of nature and my surroundings. (The lighting in the house makes it look blue in the picture but they are definitely green. One is light and one is dark.) It was in the 70’s the last two days here in New Jersey. I chose red for my passion in life. (I had a great day writing, two poems and 900 words in my short story Death and I.)

 

The instructions are very easy to follow along.

I hope you take a moment to check out Tami’s beautiful Mandala. She was my inspiration for creating this project. It’s fun doing projects with other people and buidling relationships along the way.

Crochet Mindful Mandala – Rows 30 thru 34