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

Our Brightest Day Mandala

Our Brightest Day Mandala (Circles of Summer series) © Sue O'Kieffe
source image: succulent flowers

What is needed now, what evolution is demanding, is that we experience the self-transcending power of the soul. We do not have to change the world. We need only reclaim the fullness of our beings that is ever present and always seeking to awaken in us. In so doing, we become transmitters of a profound faith in life, and the world begins to change. 
~Richard Moss, The Mandala of Being


Yesterday was the 4th anniversary of the day the tumor on my carotid artery was first detected. I don't talk about it  much anymore; but the time leading up to my surgery in November of '06 was filled with spiritual blessings and a knowing that everything was going to be OK. After surgery, other medical concerns needed to be addressed that had the potential for being life threatening. Last summer I started to lose weight; I've taken it slowly, and over the last year have lost 30 pounds. When I saw my doc yesterday all of my other health concerns were within normal limits, and I've been released from my doctor's medical care until my next annual exam.

The journey right now is about getting to the person I really am, about allowing my light to shine in the ways that we are all meant to shine. I know that part of my calling is about assisting others reclaim, as Richard Moss says above, the fullness of our beings, and I am preparing the ways to help that happen.

Today what I most want to share is the unbelievable gratitude and appreciation I feel for those who have assisted me along the way.  I've had the blues for about a week; but yesterday, when the magnitude of my day finally hit me, I could feel the slump lift and the radiance that wanted to come through actually shine. I do think that contrast is necessary to recognize the Then and to see the Now.

May We All Shine Bright!

Sue O'Kieffe
Sacred Circle Mandalas

Summer Blessings Mandala

Summer Blessings Mandala (Circles of Summer Series) © Sue O'Kieffe 2010

source image: dandelion

I created Summer Blessing Mandala from the photograph of the dandelion right to honor this year's Summer Solstice.  I've been thinking about this time of year when the sun is shining highest and brightest in the sky and scouring the 'net for solstice lore and rituals. Nothing I found really seemed to fit for me in terms of what I wanted to share with you today.

And then it came to me.

We need to honor ourselves and each other as the bright suns we really are and visualize ourselves rising to our greatest power and glory. No more holding back or looking for that Light in someone else. I have my own ritual in mind to do this and I hope you might develop one for yourself.

May we all shine brightly. Now more than ever we need each others Light.

How do you celebrate Summer Solstice?

Bright blessings to you today and everyday,

Sue O'Kieffe
Sacred Circle Mandalas

A Healing for the Ocean

Restoration Mandala (Ocean Series) © Sue O'Kieffe 2010
source image: sea foam

I dreamed we had a lawn party for all the animals. We were there. You and you and you and me and the manatees and the pelicans and everyone was happy and laughing. Everything was full of light and clean.


Sue O'Kieffe
Sacred Circle Mandalas

Heart Healings

I've wanted to create a video for quite a long time. This was lots of fun to put together. I hope you find it soothing and comforting.

The heart is at the center of the mandala and reveals itself opening, beating, folding and unfolding, with so many varied patterns and colors.May we all learn to love fearlessly, to see each other as reflections of each other, to know that we all beat as one.

Original digital mandala art by Sue O'Kieffe. "Our Moon" created and performed by Roger Subirana

Redwood Healing Mandala

Redwood Healing Mandala (Circles of Healing) © Sue O'Kieffe 2010

source image: new growth redwood branches and leaves

After a recent meditation the idea of creating a mandala from redwood branches came to mind. This is a bit of a departure for me; usually I create work while the energy from my photoshoots is still fresh. But this mandala wanted to come through, and so I listened to my intuition.

I am in touch with both the ancient qualities of the redwoods and the energy of new growth when I feel into this mandala. I love the mystical aura present, and the mossy field around the image. Redwood forests are soft and regenerative from decay and new growth.

The mandala speaks to me. 

I am here on all levels and am eternal. I am the embodiment of all that has been before. I can assist you to experience new planes of existence and find what is true for you. I offer assistance to help you balance the body mind spirit aspects of your awareness. I am three times three. I offer you assistance in your growth and transformation. I am the mystic, the dreamer, and the knower. I help you come full circle and return to your roots. You will feel me in your dreams, and I speak to you through your intuition.

Redwood Mandala is powerful and wise.  What do you hear her sharing with you?

Bright blessings on your path

Sue O'Kieffe
Sacred Circle Mandalas

Redwood Healing Mandala is available for purchase at my Etsy shop