FAIRYLAND PENTAGRAM MANDALA

Fairyland Pentagram Mandala (Mandalas for Peace) ©Sue O'Kieffe 2009
source image: false lily of the valley

Do you have a special place in nature where you feel connected to the earth? My special place reminds me of a fairyland when these false lily of the valley flowers are in bloom. I love their heart-shaped leaves. The first time I was ever in this place I felt a deep connection to the nature devas who reside there, and it's someplace I go for renewal both in person and in meditation.

I thought since the flowers have a magical connotation for me that I would use the pentagram as the formation for the mandala. If you aren't familiar with the associations with the pentagram, wikipedia has pretty good information. Fascinating stuff.

I would love to know more about where you feel the most connected to nature.

~Sue O'Kieffe
Sacred Circle Mandalas

1.

THE FOUR FOLD WAY

Four Fold Way Mandala - (Mandalas for Peace Project) - © Sue O'Kieffe 2009
source image - coyote brush

Coyote Brush, a chapparal plant related to the sunflower, grows abundantly all along the coast of California and up into Oregon. It is resistant to predators because it has a soapy taste and resistant to fire and land clearings because of its deep root system. Coastal Miwok Indians used the leaves to reduce swelling and the stems for arrow shafts. (from Blue Planet Biomes).

I have Coyote Brush growing in my back yard and on a recent sunny day was able to capture photos of its flowers, which have now gone to seed. When the sun shines on the dandelion - like fluff, it glows like angel wings.

I have taken my time in publishing this mandala because I wanted to see what messages it had to share; today I hear it saying: Be resiliant, be creative, be open, be nurturing. These
words also embrace my intent for more balance in my life. I know
that the other component of intent is the action to carry out this
intent.

What does this mandala say to you?

(credit must also be given to Angeles Arrien and her book The Four-Fold Way:Wallking the Paths of Warrier, Teacher, Healer, and Visionary as another influence in the naming of this mandala)

AEDM 8 - WEAVING A DREAM

Weaving a Dream - (Mandalas for Peace series) - © Sue O'Kieffe 2008
source image - spider web

Spiders are nature's mandala makers, and autumn is a perfect time to witness their beauty. When I googled for spider medicine stories, I discovered in many cultures spiders are considered weavers of magic. They weave a web that remind us of the interconnectedness of life. Did you know that the spider web was believed to give the alphabet to man, so that we could communicate with each other, all over the world? And here we are, doing just that.

Someone who has the power of the spider will see enhanced balance, creative energy, and writing skills. Magic and intuition are also all part of this totem’s medicine.

I like having spiders around me, and it takes a lot for me to remove them from my home.

This mandala is my contribution for the Creativity intent for the Mandalas for Peace project. If you do not know about the project, be sure to read about it here.

I'm enjoying Leah's AEDM project and how much fun it is to challenge myself to try something new (nearly) every day.

DAY 2 - CREATE EVERY DAY MONTH

On my daily walk around the block I often study this particular palm tree behind the local laundromat. (Isn't it amazing the gems we find in such mundane places?) ...


and took some photos of the leaves using various shutter speeds.











Green Mandala - © Sue O'Kieffe 2008

When I took the bottom photo into Photoshop to be mandalized, I used the same basic technique from the photograph in Saturday's post...Photoshop's Find Edges filter set to Multiply and a wee bit of Gaussian blur which gives it that dreamy look. A strong Curves adjustment added boldness and grounding.

I have been craving green in my imagery lately. Even with most of the blooms faded away with the arrival of autumn, I thank goodness for shrubbery and living in a land of evergreens!

SUMMER OF LOVE

Summer of Love Mandala - (Summer series) - © Sue O'Kieffe 2008

It was 1967 in San Francisco. In Minneapolis I was naively 16 with no idea of the social changes that would transpire over the years to come. I didn't even really know where San Francisco was. Now I live about 300 miles from "The City." Whenever I see neon orange, green, and yellow, it always takes me back to that time in my life. There was a time in my youth when orange was my favorite color.

And now I think back on that time...the music, the ideas, the philosophy, the revolution...we have made progress (at least women aren't wearing white gloves to work anymore!). The Age of Aquarius and the Information Age have come together, and it is easier to realize..interacting with a cyber community all over the world-... how we really are all One.

May we all be made whole in this Circle of Love.


Sue O'Kieffe
Sacred Circle Mandalas

Hey, for a lighter side of Sue, be sure to visit my sister blog SUE DOODLES!

SACRED LIFE SUNDAY - BALANCE

In Balance Mandala - (Watercolor Series) - © Sue O'Kieffe
source image - white rhododendron

Everything comes to us that belongs to us if we create the capacity to receive it. ~ Rabindranath Tagore

We can want peace, but unless we are spiritually at peace ourselves, we dont mean it.
It is our thoughts which keep that part of the universe where each of us stand out of or in balance. ~ Little Crow

There are no choices that are really a detour that will take you far from where you're wanting to be -- because your Inner Being is always guiding you to the next, and the next, and the next. So don't be concerned that you may make a fatal choice, because there aren't any of those. You are always finding your balance. It's a never ending process. ~ Abraham Hicks

Now I walk in beauty,
Beauty stands before me
Beauty stands behind me
Above and below me.
~Navajo prayer


I am continuing to play with different approaches to the backgrounds on my artwork. This time I experimented with *grunge brushes* that I downloaded from this site, applying different colors on different layers and then playing with blending modes to get to the desired effect.

Balance...integration...release...transformation...growth...during these challenging times when life calls us to be present, what are we willing to receive? I like the quote from Abraham Hicks above...our soul knows what we want, and like some kind of internal GPS, it will keep us on track.

PURPLES AND GREENS

Spring Garden Mandala - © Sue O'Kieffe 2008

Playing with sweet purple petals. Im not really sure of the flower. I discovered them growing in a planter box in front of a store in my neighborhood. I did not end up with the effect I was trying to achieve, but I do like the watercolor-y effect I did achieve. I've been creating a lot of purple and green images this late winter and early spring. Vibrationally these colors open up my heart and my spirit. I hope they do for you, my viewers, as well.

Be sure and take a look at John Mora's post today. Cool collaborating.

SPRING GREEN

Spring green has been catching my eye and showing up in my creations. This particular mandala was created from the image seen below photographed by my friend dosmangoes of a rare type of green fluorite.

I like the coolness of this green and how I was able to capture the cubic shaped crystals. Green is the color of spring, new growth. In metaphysical traditions it is the color of the heart chakra. It is my hope to bring calm and healing to those who view my art.
© Sue O'Kieffe 2007