What (Who) are Mandalas?


From Tibetan rituals to Medicine Wheel ceremonies to Jungian therapy, MANDALAS have been used the world over as symbolic representations of the Cosmos as it relates to the Self.

The word "mandala" comes from a sanskrit root meaning "enclosing the essence" - and therefore "sacred circle". Indeed mandalas are round in shape and they provide us with a magic circle, a circular and holy ground, a cocoon where we can safely and efficiently perform self-transformation and cosmic fusion.

C. G. Jung observed that, towards the end of a successful therapy, mandala-like images would appear in dreams & in artwork as if to express an experience of completion and integration: the patient had become "rounded up", whole and the psyche was unified, balanced. Is it a coincidence if "circle" and "cycle" are close linguistic parents? Being circles, mandalas are displaying the reoccurring cycles of evolution and they always tend to appear at the end / beginning of a cycle, be it individual or collective. As symbols of the psyche, mandalas continuously speak a language of Self-Centeredness within the personal wheel of life and of Self-Integration within the grand scheme of transpersonal realities.

"The power of the world always work in circles and everything tends to be round",

remarked Black Elk, the historical American Indian elder. Even astronomy envisions now an alternative to the ever-expanding Big Bang: the universe might cycle back unto itself. Atoms, planets, star clusters and human ceremonies of transcendence tend to settle for a circular-spherical-toroidal shape. The megalithic site of Stonehenge, the buddhist temple of Borobudur in Java, the American Indian medicine wheels and the Tibetan Kalachakra sand paintings... are all mandalas designed to tap the power of the circle: these structures act as wave-guides towards a "holy center", a vortex-node of transcendence. Moreover, since circles, spirals and toroidal vortices are the favorite energy flow pathways in the universe, we can also understand mandalas as blue-printing for us the circulatory systems of light frequencies within the cosmic body.

We must here realize that mandalas are not just a fanciful or pretty art form, but belong to the larger family of "sacred art". Ancient mandalas are coming to us from cultures & traditions where most aspects of life were considered "sacred" and specially the use of shapes, images and sounds: architecture, art and music were used as ways to bridge over to the "invisible". Sacred art came about with the specific purpose to mediate the world of human affairs and the world of spiritual energies. Sacred art is the formulation of a deep inner longing within the heart of humanity: the need to reach for, access and integrate higher dimensional realities beyond body-mind perceptions.

As the modern world evolves towards a planetary community consciously attuned to a living universe, mandalas are being rediscovered as holistic tools, sacred holograms enabling us to decode, map and activate the inner synergy of consciousness. Mandalas have the power to come alive and to involve the viewers in a vision quest. Mandalas are teaching us how to freely ride the cosmic pulse between the center and the periphery of Self. Mandalas show us how to swim in the joyful and bubbling river connecting the source and the ocean.

In the future, the increasing use of mandalas will literally lift the veil between outer & inner vision. Mandala technologies will smooth out the transition between physical and psycho-spiritual perception: ultimately, they will lead through and beyond the illusion of separation.

The multiplication of mandala-like designs in art, architecture, science & education is preparing humankind for a deeper understanding of its primeval multi-dimensionality. Mandalas function at first as peeping holes but progressively they become windows, doorways, archways and eventually the wall itself disappears altogether.

Mandala designs, uses and effects involve a whole technology based on the principle of frequency propagation and resonance, on a cosmic scale. Traditional practices like visualizations or concentrations are now dusted off and recognized as powerful tools to modulate, shift, transfer, energize / de-energize the vibrational signatures sustaining specific physical, emotional, psycho-mental or spiritual patterns of manifestation. The ancient use of the "universal language" of sounds-colors-shapes-fragrances-textures is now understood as rooted in the knowledge of frequency-field engineering. Mandalas can be described as software disks to program basic or complex operations in consciousness evolution.

Mandalas are a profound, powerful, versatile and exciting field to explore. They are a Gift.

Depending on the level of perception,
Mandalas can be simple external devices or become awesome magic mirrors:
looking into them we can see ourselves as living universes.
Mandalas can ultimately become a Radiant Presence to merge with.

Mandalas are here to remind us that we are walking around
as beautifully unique spheres of Light frequencies
pulsating in unison with the Heart of Life.

Mandalas come rolling along to awaken in us
the Cosmic Dancers freely celebrating the intimacy of the Universe.