AEDM 3: Walk Between Worlds Mandala

 

Walk Between Worlds Mandala (Power Shield Mandala) © Sue O'Kieffe 2010

source image: red tailed hawk wing feather

I believe that the feather I used for this mandala came from a red tailed hawk. Sometimes it is kind of hard to tell after the fact; but I found a nice website with a good guide to feather identification, so that's what I'm going with.

When I was creating this mandala, the phrase "Walk Between Worlds" came to mind. Think about being able to travel between one dimension or another. You know how that feels when you dream and imagine. Traveling in non ordinary reality, such as during a shamanic journey, is another. I feel the power of wind under wings and soaring easily between one realm and the next when I feel into this mandala.

I'd love to hear your response as well.

Because AEDM is keeping me busy with creating every day, I've decided to forego a lot of the research I often go through for inquiry, and focus on my own intuition with these 11 spoked mandalas.And I think that is a bigger piece of the creative journey for me this month as well! I will rely more on what I know and feel inside, instead of looking for outside sources to validate my experience. Hurrah!

Bright blessings,

Sue O'Kieffe

Sacred Circle Mandalas

AEDM #1 - Spirit Flower Mandala

Spirit Flower Mandala (Circles of Healing series) © Sue O'Kieffe 2010

source image - cactus fruit

In Celtic tradition, November 1st is New Year's Day. This first month of the Celtic calendar is called Samonios - "Seed Fall"  - from death and darkness springs life and light (livingmyths.com)

Im not sure about the plant or the fruit from which this mandala was created, but I believe it is a variety of cactus. I love the way the berries cascade like beads on a string. Seeing the white berries as a contrast to this darker time delights my senses.

I was guided to create this mandala with eleven points. Eleven is a number of transition. In numerology, it  represents illumination and deep insight.

Reach for your light when your days are seemingly filled with  darkness. We may sorrow and grieve for what has fallen away. Life may offer us circumstances that seems hard to navigate. Take deep breaths and reach within and know that your internal brightness is always available, wanting so much to be discovered and brought forth to shine and share with the world. A ring of eleven angels with outstretched wings surrounds this mandala. Let them lift you upward. You are blessed. You are here.

November is the 11th month of the Gregorian calendar. November is also Art Every Day Month. I think this is my 4th year to participate in AEDM, and I only decided to do it this morning. So for the next 30 days, I have decided, as an experiment, to create all of my mandalas with eleven points and to see what messages around the number eleven rise up in me. I will be alternating my AEDM postings here with those on my sister blog,  Sue Doodles, so I am not making myself crazing trying to create for both blogs every day this month.

Bright blessings,

Sue O'Kieffe
Sacred Circle Mandalas

Autumn Portal

 

Autumn Portal (Circles of Fall) © Sue O'Kieffe 2010

source image: plum leaf 

I was going to wait until Monday to post this, but it's message needs to be shared today.

The time of going inward is upon us. We have cycled to that place of meeting with our inner space. We  greet the dark in order to find the light. Some of us find comfort there. For others it brings up fear. This is a time of transition, but it is not the end. It is just another moment in time. What I heard this mandala share with me upon completion is that there will always be Light to guide us during our darkest moments. Solace is available and Love is a constant.  We are never alone.

Bright blessings!

Sue O'Kieffe

Sacred Circle Mandalas

FRIDAY FIND: Inner Portals

if you are viewing my blog post from your inbox, you will need to come to my blogsite to view this amazing video

Illuminate Your Mind!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: Holding the Heart Mandala

 

Holding the Heart Mandala (Earth Mystery series) © Sue O'Kieffe © 2010

source image:serpentine stone

Sacred Circle Mandalas 2011 Calendars

Many of you know that I create a calendar every year with mandala art and inspirational quotes.  This year I was super inspired and created two! Creating these calendars is an act of love.  We need these reminders of healing in our daily lives as we move forward into greater awareness.

The Love of Nature

I hope you enjoy this year's uplifting mandala imagery inspired by nature. These calendars are  perfect for everyone on your holiday gift giving list who is on a journey of spiritual growth. People are drawn to the sense of balance and calm that the mandala imagery offers.

This year I am once again offering the opportunity to order calendars directly through me. Doing so will afford you a bit of a price break in shipping. In order to make sure I can get your calendars delivered in time for the holidays I will need to have payment via PayPal, check or money order by November 30th. Email me with the number of calendars you want to order, your payment method, and your email, and I will send you an invoice for your order.

I'll try to make this as uncomplicated as possible. Here are the details:

U.S. Customers
1-3 calendars is $24.95 each plus $4.90 shipping Priority Mail.
More than 3 calendars ship $10.70 Priority Mail.
(In comparison, ordering directly from the publisher will cost you $8.99 in shipping for one calendar, $11.99 for 3 calendars, $14.99 for 5 calendars sent FEDEX ground)
6 calendars or more are eligible for a quantity discount.
California residents will be charged applicable sales tax.

Canadian/Mexican customers
Each calendar is $24.95 plus $11.45 shipping Priority Mail.
More than 3 calendars ship $26.95 Priority Mail.
6 calendars or more are eligible for a quantity discount.

Customers outside of North America
So that you can be sure to receive your calendar on time, I would recommend ordering directly from Lulu. com

Circles of Love 

Local customers
I'd be happy to make arrangements to deliver directly to you.

Gifting someone? Want me to mail directly to your giftee? I can do that. Just send the necessary information in your email.

Rather just order yourself? Not a problem. Lulu.com has a 3-5 day printing turn around, and shipping ground FEDEX takes about a week. (Shipping US Mail will take longer and cannot be tracked.) Just go ahead and order when you are on the site. Links to ordering directly from Lulu.com are here and here

Please feel free to email me with any questions you may have about ordering these calendars. My contact information is in the sidebar to the right.

FRIDAY FIND: Mandala Circles for Healing

Enjoy this beautiful slideshow of illuminated mandalas drawn by the students of the late Judith Cornell. Her legacy lives on through all that she touched.

From the Mandala Universe website:

Dr. Rajita Sivananda (Judith Cornell Ph.D.) is the award-winning author of MANDALA:Luminous Symbols for Healing. Since a radical awakening in 1979, she began pioneering a method to help others to awaken and heal at the deepest levels. Her method blends the sacred art and the spiritual science of the mandala with theories in quantum physics, raja and kundalini yoga, and transpersonal psychology.

Rajita is remembered as a bringer of light on the planet. Her life was dedicated to helping people on their path to awakening. She introduced people all over the world to healing on many levels using mandalas long before they had regained their current popularity. Rajita was a pioneer in blending sacred art and meditation and today there are many who use her process as a method for spiritual, emotional and physical healing.  Her focus was in helping others to awaken by experiencing unconditional love, forgiveness, gratitude for the present moment, connection with Nature and the spiritual depth of Silence. Rajita guided many souls to live with integrity and intentionality, honoring their True Nature.

She leaves a legacy of great award winning books and many mandala facilitators that will continue to bring her brilliant work out to the world for the greater good of all.
We will miss you, Rajita and we are certain that you will continue to do your light work on a higher plane.
Fly with the Great Ones, beloved friend and teacher.

Have a great Friday!

Bright blessings

Sue O'Kieffe
Sacred Circle Mandalas

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: Autumn Mystic Mandala

Autumn Mystic Mandala (Circles of Fall series) © Sue O'Kieffe 2010
source image: autumn leaves

Spice of Life Mandala

 

Spice of Life Mandala (Circles of Fall Series) © Sue O'Kieffe 2010

source image: wild dried fennel stalks

Fennel grows wild along the roadways. I love its umbrel blossoms, but appreciate it even more in its dried autumn state. Last week when I was in the southern part of the county, it was wonderful to run my hands against the plants and smell the spicy aroma of fennel seeds while basking in the warmth of autumn sun.  It was just so fallish!

This mandala, with its thirteen points, seems to whir and spin if you stare at it long enough. I think thirteen is actually a lucky number that represents both endings and beginnings. I actually began this mandala on October 13th, but it was spirit that guided me to use thirteen points. I know not why.

Recent events in my life have shook me awake just a little and led to me believe that variety just may be the spice of life after all. I have been thinking about wanting to make some changes to my blog for a while anyway, and now is a  good  time to put some of these ideas in motion.

Each Monday I will offer you a new mandala along with my interpretation of its meaning. Wednesdays shall be wordless. My offerings will be totally visual. I would love to hear your words and feedback. At least, come say hi. And Friday I will offer 5 things I have seen elsewhere of a spiritual nature around the interwebs that you might find useful, illuminating, or maybe just a little fun.

And if I have other things to share along the way, it might just end up being a full week!

Please know that my intent is to create uplifting mandala art to heal your heart and soul. If you have any questions about my art, my process, or my inspiration, please be sure to let me know. I will do my very best to always answer your comments and questions.

Bright blessings to you always,

Sue O'Kieffe

Sacred Circle Mandalas

Magic Mountain Mandala

 

Magic Mountain Mandala (Circles of Fall) © Sue O'Kieffe 2010
source image: dwarf huckleberry leaves

This photograph of dwarf huckleberry was taken during a recent visit to Mount Shasta, which I wrote about earlier.  I traveled to the mountain on a full moon, so the energies of that day are contained in this mandala.Curious about those energies?  This newsletter , written by astrologer Lisa Zimmerman, offers information about the Full Moon in Aries.

My intuition suggested that I create this mandala with ten points. I was immediately struck by the center of the image looking like an eye. Traditionally, the center of a mandala is the Self/the heart. The Eye is the I, as Life Coach Richard Ingate pointed out to me on a comment he left about the mandala on my Facebook page. The Self reaches up to a circle of ten elders, spirit guides and guardians raising their arms in support and jubilation of the Self. The circle is uplifting. I was curious about the significance of the number ten and discovered that 10 represents unity.  In Judaic tradition, ten is used to signifty God, who is thought to incorporate ten intertwining divine attributes. (Susanne Fincher, Creating Mandalas).

One of the messages that I received during my day on the mountain was about change and a shift in consciousness: When you always do what you always did, you always get what you always got. So many of us, including me, fear change and the unknown, even when change is really the only constant. What I/eye perceive when feeling in to the message of the mandala is that through the challenging transitional times when we aren't quite sure what to do next, that there will always be spiritual support available. We can call on it at any time. I forget this.

And it seems appropriate also that the colors in this mandala are of fire and earth - fire to transform and earth to ground it into a new view of reality. (Oh and yes, according to Fincher, the number 10 is also one of realism.).

I sat with this mandala for quite a long time, trying to hear what it was trying to say to me. I suspect the conversation is just opening now, since in my own life I am actively asking for change and shifts to occur to take me to the next level.

If you feel inspired, won't you share your perceptions of this subtly powerful mandala with us?

Bright blessings on your path this day!

Sue O'Kieffe
Sacred Circle Mandalas

Solo Show at Moonrise Herbs Arcata, CA Opening Oct 8 2010

Crow Drums with Shaman © Sue O'Kieffe

This mandala, along with seven other framed prints, other matted prints and a wide selection of mandala greeting cards (some available nowhere else but this venue), will be on display from October 8th through November 11th at Moonrise Herbs. This will be my first solo show and I couldn't be more excited! When I first began creating these nature mandalas, I envisioned having a show at Moonrise Herbs, and here I am!

If you live locally in Humboldt County, I hope you will consider stopping by and saying hello. I love talking about my art and the process of making these mandalas. Come join in the discussion.

See you there!

Sue O'Kieffe

Sacred Circle Mandalas

I Went to the Mountain - Part Two

So I thought I'd finish sharing my experience of Mt Shasta before the significance of it all fades away. Did you miss Part One? You can read it here.

Walking on the meadow path and really being present, I sunk my feet in and grounded. I could feel the earth vibrate beneath me. I felt connected to the mountain and all that was before me. Being present, I could feel the intense energy contained in the meadow, reverberating off the volcanic stone that is this magnificent mountain. I found a secluded area off the path where I wouldn't disturb vegetation and stripped to the waist, baring my breasts and my soul, shouting out to the Spirits of the Mountain Make me free! Make me whole! This had really been my desire the whole time and not that other, that should which I held onto for so long, I am grateful for my courage to fulfill my vision for my time on the mountain.

It really is ok to do those things that our soul most desires.

Something shifted while I was there. I asked for that shift. I came home feeling full of love and light. I have also been crying a lot and needing a lot of sleep. It's a time of release, of letting go, of making way for what comes next. It's a time of awakening.

I am ready.

 mountain vistas

 panther creek

 paintbrush flowers

 self portrait

volcanic voices

May you fulfill your desires as you wish them!

Bright blessings

Sue O'Kieffe
Sacred Circle Mandalas

I Went to the Mountain - Part One

Mount Shasta is a power spot and has been my personal mecca for over ten years. I hadnt traveled there since 2003, so I knew I was way past due in spending time someplace that has been transformative for me and holds many pleasant memories for me as well. I went with the intention of taking drum, rattle and blanket, then finding a pleasant corner on the mountain to drum, chant and meditate. When I got there, I could find no pleasant corner; in fact, walking in the meadow is discouraged because it is being reforested. Local Native American tribes consider this a sacred spot and drumming is also discouraged. I did climb upon a fairly flat rock and tried to meditate, but was uncomfortable sitting out in the open. And then I heard the words When you always do what you always did, you always get what you always got.  I was trying to recreate my day from visits past!  I packed up all my gear, hiked it back to the car and focused on the perfection of the day that was there all along, waiting for me.

How often do we make decisions based on the way things have worked (or even not worked) for us in the past, just because it is the only way we know how to do things? Right now, writing this statement, I am getting  chills and realizing that this message was perfect for me, not only a week ago, but for many aspects of my life right now.

What about you? Do you get stuck in these grooves of familiarity? And how do you unstick yourselves? I'd love to hear your stories.

I'll share the rest of my story about the mountain on Monday. Stay tuned!

Peace Day Mandala

Peace Day Mandala (Circle of Healing Series) © Sue O'Kieffe 2010

This is my offering for all of you for  International Peace Day. Whatever you can do to bring peace to your hearts and extend it outwards to the world, I hope you might begin it now. Do not stop. We need this energy of  compassion, forgiving and acceptance in the world, now more than ever.



Bright blessings,
Sue O'Kieffe
Sacred Circle Mandalas

Autumn's Golden Hour

Autumn's Golden Hour Mandala (Circles of Autumn series) © Sue O'Kieffe 2010

source image: bayberry leaves

This mandala is an homage to my favorite time of day, that golden hour right before the sun sets, which is even yummier on a sunny autumn day. This is the first mandala I have created this year with an autumn theme, and Im hoping that there will be more of them, too. September and October are traditionally our best weather months here on the North Coast of California. It's raining right now, and the past few weeks have been chillier than usual, but I remain hopeful that there will still be lots of opportunities for capturing autumn glory.

I have been quite busy the past few weeks preparing not one, but two, mandala calendars for 2011. Themes for this year's calendars are Love and Nature. I'll have more news about them within the next couple of weeks.  I am also getting ready for some time away for a much needed break Soon I will be going for retreat to my own personal mecca on Mt Shasta. The mountain is a magical power spot. I will be going with drum and rattle and a long time friend for a day of reflection. (Oh, and the reason Im not citing where this photo came from is because the website was infected and it took me an hour after the download to make sure my computer was all cleaned up. I don't want to send any of you guys over there and deal with the same stuff I went through. But I love the photo!)

I hope you are all having a great autumn (for those of you in the Northern Hemisphere) or welcoming the first signs of spring (for those of you in the South.). If you feel inclined, leave me a note in the comments and tell me what you've been up to.

Bright blessings,
Sue O'Kieffe
Sacred Circle Mandalas

Boundless Giving Mandala

Boundless Giving Mandala (Circles of Healing series) © Sue O'Kieffe 2010

source image: locust tree leaves

I had a sweet opportunity this past weekend to housesit for a friend of mine. This was like a spa date for me, with hot tub, queen-sized bed, permission to eat her food, a black and white kitty, and views of loaded apple trees with chickadees bobbing around the garden. I know, tough assignment eh? It was great to get away from home and see the world from some new perspectives. This also included new 'hoods to explore with my camera. Autumn gardens are fairly well spent by now, but trees call out to be noticed.

I was particularly struck by the contrast in the leaves on this locust tree. Im not sure if this is disease or change of season I am witnessing with the white bits. I love how it all translated itself into mandala form. It reminds me of a wood block print, which is kind of fitting, eh?

When I feel into the message the mandala offers me, I sense the heart opening wide with love. The earthy greens and mauve tones also echo a correspondence to the heart chakra. This is a love that knows no beginning or ending, ever opening wider and wider. I love what Susanne Fincher says about the number nine:

Nine may be a reminder to...balance physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of your being...it appears to reflect a state of energy, arousal, and potency generated by spirituality. (Creating Mandalas)

I'm wondering what you see when you feel into this mandala? Won't you please share with us here?

Bright blessings,
Sue O'Kieffe
Sacred Circle Mandalas

Your Sacred Space Mandala

Your Sacred Space Mandala (Circles of Healing) Sue O'Kieffe © Sue O'Kieffe 2010
source image: cow parnsip leaf

Lots of different projects are keeping me busy right now, but I wanted to take a brief moment to offer you this mandala with the very wise words of Joseph Campbell accompanying it.

Be well and happy and enjoy your lives. I will be back soon with more to share.

Bright blessings
Sue O'Kieffe
Sacred Circle Mandalas

Luminous Wisdom Mandala

Luminous Wisdom Mandala (Power Shield Mandala) © Sue O'Kieffe 2010
source image: barn owl feather

I was blessed to be gifted with this barn owl feather. When I started reading about barn owl  medicine, I realized what a special synchronistic gift the feather was.Owls have long been associated with magic, the moon, and mystery. Owl's great hunting abilities help keep nature in balance, and so owl medicine helps us let go of what is no longer needed in our lives.

Think for a moment what your life would be like if you were able to jettison anything that did not speak to you on a Soul level. What would remain? What then would you "hunt" because it provided for you on all levels? That is what Owl medicine teaches us to do. We find that as we begin to move through the process of what we truly want, clearing the old to make way for the new birth of the Self that is close at hand, we find that other obstacles, limitations, fears and anxieties also begin to "die" in our lives. They no longer have the hooks to remain attached to our energy fields and without our support, they must die. (Lynx Graywolf  - http://morningstar.netfirms.com/owltotem.html)

Over the past couple of weeks I have received messages from different sources that I am  going through a spiritual death. The offerings of owl medicine are another confirmation of that message.

Owl, with it's ability to see and hear in the dark, is also connected to the gifts of clairvoyance and clairaudience. According to Ted Andrews (Animal Speak), one who works with owl medicine will be able to see and hear what others try to hide.Owl medicine helps shine light into the dark places of other people's souls.

The eleven rays of this mandala also correspond to the intuitive and illuminative wisdom that owl offers. Vibrationally, eleven also represents vision and moon energy, and is a number of balance. Remember what I shared earlier about owl helping to keep nature in balance? Yea, it's like that! 

When I gaze upon and feel into this mandala, I have the sense that the magic of the moon is contained within the owl's feathers.Just look at the luminous light that is revealed in this mandala! 

Credit: Barn owl photo 

Bright blessings.

Sue O'Kieffe

Sacred Circle Mandalas

Im Having a Gratitude Give-Away

Well, I can't exactly give away gratitude, but I can express my gratitude by giving away one of my mandalas.

I've wanted to do this for a while. I promised I would do another giveaway when my mandala art was "liked" by over 1000 followers on Facebook. I want to let all of you know that your support is valuable and appreciated. If you're on Facebook, I hope you'll come over and follow me there (if you aren't already).

So I'm giving away one of these mandalas, a $35 value...your choice...and all you have to do is ask to be entered. But please, leave me some way to contact you. If you sign in anonymously, or your profile name clicks to an unpublished profile on blogger, or something like that, I will have to choose somebody else. That would make me sad. :(

(top to bottom)

Heartspace Mandala

Brightest Life Mandala

Expansion of the Heart Mandala

This is going to be a short giveaway. Friday thru Monday. I'll pick the winner using random.org on Tuesday morning. 


I'm also using this time  to celebrate the grand opening of my new shop on 1000 Markets by offering all of my prints at 20% off listed price. I really like this new online venue with its clean clear easy to understand layout. I hope you come over and take a look.

Once again, thank you for all of your support over the last 4 years I have been blogging here. My intention has always been to offer you inspiring mandala art that supports the healing of your heart and soul.

Bright blessings,
Sue O'Kieffe
Sacred Circle Mandalas

Heartspace Mandala

Heartspace Mandala (Circle of Love Series) © Sue O'Kieffe 2010

source image: pearly everlasting


What is our "heartspace"? A space where there is no victory or loss, no victim and no villain, no need of any kind. No agenda of any kind. No Manipulation of any kind, no requirement of any kind. Nothing that exists in our mental and spiritual space except a single question: "What would love do now?" ~Neale Donald Walsch 


Spotting pearly everlasting on the trail is one of those wildflower signals that summer is on the downside and we are slowly sliding towards autumn. It appears in late July around here. Not too many wildflowers will appear after this before the rainy seasons shower us and we begin the cycle all over again. I love seeing  the small white flower clusters highlighting the landscape. 


Using pearly everlasting as the source image for a mandala about the love which endures just seemed perfect to me. I hope it brings you joy and is a source of contemplation as you meditate upon your own heartspace.


Bright blessings to you this weekend,


~Sue O'Kieffe
Sacred Circle Mandalas

Brightest Life Mandala

Brightest Life Mandala (Power Shield Series) © Sue O'Kieffe 2010

source image: domestic finch feather

A friend who knows I like to create mandalas from feathers gifted me with a little bag of sweet little finch feathers. Im unsure what variety of domestic finch they are, and the scan of the feather is more intense than how I see them in my hands. This is fitting because I think finches are intense, joyous  little birds. According to  Avia Venefica, finches bring us messages about joy, simplicity, and appreciation. I know when I watch goldfinches bobbing in the sky during flight, I certainly appreciate how much joy they bring me. Finches are also about high energy and teach us about enjoying the journey.

When I feel into this mandala, what I experience is intense bright power at the core of my being that radiates outwards into life. The energy of the eleven rays of the mandala will assist in an expression of higher consciousness, uniting spiritual truth to the material plane. Indeed, one quality of finch medicine is to assist us in finding our voice.

Finches offer us the energy for variety and diversity in our lives. Do you like to participate in many  different events (or, perhaps, do you want to?) Then this powerful mandala may assist you with this desire. Do you want a personal symbol  that will help you visualize the bright life you were born to live? Let the energy of the powerful little finch help you fly through life with joy and delight!

Brightest Life Mandala is available at both my 1000Markets shop and at Etsy

~Sue O'Kieffe

Sacred Circle Mandalas

Expansion of the Heart Mandala

Expansion of the Heart Mandala (Circle of Love Series) © Sue O'Kieffe 2010

source image - hydrangea blossoms 

   

Over on Facebook I asked for help in naming this mandala. I had already come up with three different possible  names, but nothing had that strong YES to it. And, I must admit, I love hearing people's responses to this art that pours through me:  It reminds me of pink peppermint ice cream, one person said. Another commented, It looks like what Baskin and Robbins tastes like.(and I had already considered pink ice cream and raspberry sorbet ...cool, refreshing, invigorating, yummy).

Another person suggested Divine Passion. I had previously felt the effects of an explosive riot of heart colors in this mandala. Then Batia added I like Divine Passion, because the red circle in the middle looks like the poems flowers write to get bees to come to them... (Isn't that comment, in itself, just divine? It certainly warmed my heart.)

But then Michelle suggested Expansion of the Heart and I got the big YES I was waiting for. And so it is. The heart laughs and dances and opens its many arms in  celebration, ever expanding in richness and with joy.


Thanks everyone who played with me on my Facebook page. This is one of the things I love about social media. I'd love for you to come over and share the journey with me, if you aren't already. 


~Sue O'Kieffe
Sacred Circle Mandalas

I Am Here Mandala

I Am Here Mandala (Circles of Love Series) © Sue O'Kieffe 2010

source image: tillandsia bromeliad

The way is where and who you already are, sleeping in your very being. Rumi

A couple of weeks ago I volunteered for the local botanical garden's fundraiser, and, in the process, had a wonderful opportunity to spend time in one of the gardens on the tour. The Deacon's garden, with beautiful rhododendron bushes, lots of succulents, roses, edible beds of lettuce and herbs, and an amazing display of bromeliads, definitely wowwed me. I've been waiting for just the right moment to investigate the photographs of tillandsia that I snapped. Also known as airplants, tillandsia are part of the bromeliad family  and grow without soil while attached to other plants and trees. They definitely struck my fancy.

My intuition suggested that the tillandsia wanted to be transformed into  a seven  pointed mandala.  During the creation process, I heard the words "I Am Here" come through me. I know that seven is a mystical number and is considered to be a number of sacred wholeness. The soft greens and blues resonate in my heart and throat centers. When I stepped back from the computer to contemplate the mandala, I experienced how bright the seven pointed star shined and reflected back  that we are all brilliant beings.

I would love to hear  how you experience this mandala and how it speaks to you.

Bright blessings,

Sue O'Kieffe

Sacred Circle Mandalas

Walk with me in Nature - Video

It's a joy for me to find another way to share my love affair with nature with you all. I shot this little movie about a month ago and I'm sure I will do more of them in the future. I was at the Widow White Creek Watershed Restoration Project, an area that was restored in order to maintain the watershed area after a housing development was built. I love going here and listening to the birds' songs and  the gentle sounds of the creek

Mandala of Sacred Hearts

Mandala of Sacred Hearts - (Love Series) - © Sue O'Kieffe 2010

source image -calendula

On July 11,2010 there was a solar eclipse that was most visible near Easter Island. Most folks in either hemisphere did not experience the visual effects of this astronomical event. What prompted me to create this mandala was the astrological forecast surrounding this happening.

I am by no means an astrology expert, and there is all sorts of info on the web where you can find out more about the significance of what happened yesterday. I will say that Venus, planet of love and the emotional body, played an important role in yesterday's eclipse.What prompted me to create this mandala in the first place is that we just have been offered possibilities to go beyond and come out the other side bright and shining and willing to embrace our Heart Space and interact with the world with more Love. A popular song from the 80's yearned for a total eclipse of the heart to shield him from pain. Are you willing to go past that to live in bliss? What a powerful intent of healing that would be!

When I feel into this mandala, I see 13 Goddess figures rising powerfully from the center of this fiery circle. If you are superstitious, you might consider thirteen to be unlucky. I interpret thirteen as a lucky number, a going beyond what has happened before. Thirteen represents the ending of old cycles and the beginning of something new. I understand now why my intuition recommended I create this mandala with 13 points.

13 Heart Goddess are here to assist  in the sublime opening of your heart center with courage. Have fun and be playful and know that we are all Love.

Sue O'Kieffe
Sacred Circle Mandalas

Susanne Fincher Mandala Books Give-Away

I have been blessed with a great opportunity to give away two books about mandala creation written by Susanne Fincher.  I was contacted by Susanne Fincher's publicist at Shambhala Press to conduct a giveaway of these two books. What an honor!

When I first began creating mandalas around 1995, Susanne Fincher's book Creating Mandalas was a bible for me. This book has now been revised and updated to create a section about mandala making in groups. I still refer to this book for Susanne's in depth information about color choices, numbers and symbols, even though my mandala making is primarily digital.

In her second book, The Mandala Workbook, Fincher arranges her chapters to correspond with the  ideas of Jungian therapist Joan Kellogg's ideas of the Archetypal Stages of the Great Mandala. Each of the twelve chapters contains a number of ideas for mandala creation relating to one of the twelve stages of life.

Many of these exercises are appropriate for those doing inner child work, and all of the suggested mandalas would be fun to explore creating in a group setting. Fincher also includes suggestions of yoga poses and sacred chants to use before creating mandalas.

I had hoped to create some mandalas presented in this book before I announced this fantastic giveaway, but I thought it was more important to get this giveaway announced first.

HERE ARE THE DETAILS:

• I will conduct this giveaway through July 10th and use random.org  to select the winners of these two books.(One book will go to two different people.)
• Leave a comment that you want to be included in a random drawing for this give away. Please only post your name once. Any other entries will be deleted.
• Be sure to check the box to receive email regarding further comments on this post. I need to be able to contact the winner. If I am unable to reach the winner through a blog or email, I will have to choose another winner.
• I'll choose two winners on July 11th and announce them as soon as they are both confirmed. 

If you've  been interested in creating mandalas, but weren't sure where to start, either of these books would be a great resource for you. I am so honored to have been selected to offer this giveaway here on my blog. Please be sure to spread the word about this giveaway on your blogs, Facebook, and Twitter. I'd love to have a great response.

Sue O'Kieffe

Sacred Circle Mandalas

Love is Everywhere

Love is Everywhere Mandala (Circle of Love Series) © Sue O'Kieffe 2010

source image: privet hedge flowers

Love is Everywhere. It radiates from the heart. 

Love illumines. There is always enough. 

Love continues to grow. 

There is an unending supply. 

Love is Everywhere.
Love is Enough.

Sue O'Kieffe

Sacred Circle Mandalas