HEART BREATH MANDALA

Heart Breath Mandala (Circles of Awareness Series) © Sue O'Kieffe 2009
source image: unidentified mint

Find patience in the breath of life - Ryunosuke Satoro

I imagine the seven beings who appeared in this mandala as breathing love into the heart center. That was the information I received as I asked for the message the mandala had to offer. I took some deep breaths and felt better immediately. After a somewhat gunky week, it was a deep blessing.

What a gentle reminder to remember that our ability to feel better and be uplifted is only a breath away.

Heart Breath Mandala

8.5"x11" $35.00 13"x19" $55.00

1.

LOVELY BLOG AWARD

I love receiving blog awards and I love giving them out as well. I think as creatives, it is important to give our peers recognition. It sure felt good when Charms of Light passed this award on to me. I do feel appreciated. It is so nice.

So.... for the rules:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you love and/or have newly discovered.

3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

4. Use the One Lovely Blog award picture from my blog, on your blog to let everyone know that you have one lovely Blog!

Well now, here are the blogs I choose. I know there aren't 15 of them, but they are quality!

Stacy Wills
Art of Ann Christine
Art and Tea
Kate Jobe
Artful Eye
John Mora
Creative Every Day
The Havens
The Color Goddess
Mandala's Message

HOW TO ORDER MY SACRED MANDALA ART

Peace Mandala (Circles of Awareness Series) © Sue O'Kieffe 2009
source image: wild onions

Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart. ~Unknown

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I am so excited to finally be able to offer you my mandala art prints at an affordable price. It is my desire to have my uplifting, inspiring art be as accessible as possible for those who are drawn to it.

Mandala prints come in two sizes (7.5x7.5printed on 8.5x11" and 12x12 printed on 13x19" paper), and are printed on archival matte paper using archival ink. Each print comes with a story about the mandala and the source image used in its creation.

Prices for the prints are for U.S. only and include shipping and handling. Shipment is by US Postal Service. If you live outside the U.S. ,I will need for you to contact me here for ordering information

More of my art, also available for purchase, can be seen at flickr.

I am honored to offer my art to you, to offer you the beauty and wisdom contained within these circles of nature inspired art.

Many blessings to you all.

~Sue O'Kieffe
Sacred Circle Mandalas

"Peace Mandala"

8.5"x11" $35.00 13"x19" $55.00

1.

AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

When life hands us lemons, make lemonade!

I was blessed and surprised by this blog award by the charming Charms of Light, who I've gotten to know on Twitter. I love her healing gemstone jewelry. Go check it out.

Here are the rules of the award: comment on your blog; post the award logo and use it on your own blog; nominate 5 to 10 blogs you feel show great attitude and gratitude; link to your nominees within your blog post; comment on their blogs to let them know they received the award; link back to the person who gave you the award to show your appreciation.

Here are my nominees:

Diane Clancy
Victoria Ryan
Cheryl Finley of Mandala Oasis
Connie Rose
Nine Tomatoes

I am so grateful for all of you in my world.

~Sue O'Kieffe
Sacred Circle Mandalas

MANY BLESSINGS MANDALA

MANY BLESSINGS MANDALA (Circles of Awareness Series) © Sue O'Kieffe 2009
source image - red clover

''Let the beauty we love be what we do.'' ~ Rumi

The day I was walking along the nature trail above the Pacific Ocean, I was especially grateful to be breathing in ocean air. It had been a week of much energy shifting with the full moon, and getting out into nature was the perfect stabilizer for some of the internal changes I was experiencing. This time of year the excitement of seeing new spring flowers blooming has pretty much passed, but I enjoy experiencing the changes in the cycles of life. This day the red clover was really catching my eye. It seemed to be sending out a special vibration that I wanted to capture in mandala form.

I looked up properties of the red clover and it has many benefits from adding more nitrogen to soil to being a blood purifier and having the ability to lower blood pressure. When I look at this mandala, it seems to say to me Be light. Be happy. Keep moving. Stay grounded. Enjoy life's many blessings. Rejoice.

Many Blessings Mandala

8.5"x11" $35.00 13"x19" $55.00

1.

LETTING GO OF EXPECTATIONS

We Come From the Stars (Circles of Awareness series) © Sue O'Kieffe 2009
source image: linaria purpurea

We come spinning out of nothingness, scattering stars like dust~Rumi

I have been participating in a monthly reiju blessing since early May. According to Pamir, reiju is an offering of spiritual consciousness and energy; it's a spiritual boost, a divine blessing and transfer of spiritual/healing energy. The first two months I experienced this healing was very positive and uplifting. The other night I just could not settle down with it. My mind was racing, I was agitated and then I became more agitated because I was agitated. My monkey mind was swinging from the trees and there is really no point trying to calm or quiet the mind. There is no trying, grasshopper. And then ... some moments of calm arose and I received information on how to finish the mandala that you see here. I got the picture "use the spiral brushes that you made" and then my monkey mind got all agitated and chattery because humpf that's not the kind of information you are supposed to be receiving now Sue you are supposed to be meditating and in a state of bliss.

What a funny girl I am.

So this morning I finished the mandala and used the spiral brushes and was pleased with the outcome. When I thought about what I wanted to write about in this blog post, again my monkey mind was looking for profundity; as if even though I believe in my heart that we come from the stars, I sure can't write anything authoritative about it. And then I heard this little voice say, well why not write about your experience of creating and how you got to where you are?

I mean, aren't I the only one who can write about my own expertise with any authority?

What a concept.

So here is what I'm learning. When I think an experience is supposed to look the same way all the time, I think I can control what I am experiencing. And trying to control stuff, which is really impossible anyway, leaves me no opportunity to experience the pleasure of the moment. And the moment is really all there is.

Oh, and if you feel inclined, check out the clown-like meditating figures sitting around the edge of the circle. I knew the Great Cosmic Jester was hanging out in those flowers!

We Come from the Stars Mandala

8.5"x11" $35.00 13"x19" $55.00

AND THE WINNER IS...

First of all I want to thank everyone who entered my mandala giveaway contest. It's something that I've wanted to do for a long time.

I ran the mandala give away on both of my blogs. Any other way seemed too complicated, and I wanted to include everybody who wanted to join in. If people commented but didn't expressly say they wanted to be entered I didn't count them as an entry. If you dont ask for what you want, then how will you ever get it?

I entered everyone on an excel spreadsheet by name time and date in order to get a ranking of who entered when. Between the two blogs I had forty entries and three people asked to be added to my mailing list. Not bad.

I used random.org to pick a random number between 1 and 40. The winner of the peacock mandala "Struttin Your Stuff" goes to complicatedlight, who reads me on Xanga and told me he never wins anything. Never say never, Phil. The mandala will be flying your way within the next couple of days by express mail.

It's all good.