Being a Vessel

When I looked at my chart this morning, I was struck by the shape the planets made that are transiting around my chart. These are the red inner symbols which are transiting my outer birth date planets in blue (these don't change).
A bowl... an empty vessel waiting to be filled.
I am open, waiting to be filled with whatever new ventures come my way. What will I accept and what will I turn away?
When planets are at the bottom of the chart, one is more internal, looking within rather than pushing outwards. Recently, an astrology referred to this period in my life as a cocoon stage.
The first house, Virgo rising, has Saturn there. It is the house of Self and with Saturn, I am seeing Self-Discipline enter more profoundly. Finding that true Self and understanding it more deeply so I can in turn bring it out to the world.
My values in life, 2nd house, is being activated by the energy and assertion of Mars, the Sun and Mercury. Valuing my potentials, my gifts, my worth.
My dear friend and healer through her Psych-K testing brought this up, seeing a connection here to my recent bought of poison ivy!
She's amazing! I have come to realize the true value in myself and what I have to offer others and how to be compensated for it... which is always somewhat of a challenge.
Yes. I do deserve all the good things in life, good relationships, love, warm home, an abundance of art supplies :-).... You get the picture. What's the value of my services?
Yes, Chaska, I did give myself a raise :-)
The 3rd house - house of communication holds Venus there... speak and communicate with love.
The 4th is the home. Pluto, planet of transformation has been hanging out here for quite awhile and Jupiter has been bringing in the luck. I do have a happy home - but will I be moving soon???
5th house, where my sun sits, is the house of creativity. The moon will briefly visit for 2 days, so I'll make the best of my creativity - more painting and mandala making!
Neptune is hanging out in the 6th house of service and health. mmmmm and on the cusp of the 7th has been Uranus bringing in a lot of unexpected and sudden partnerships and relationships. This is the house where you begin to move outward towards others.
With Uranus, one learns to expect the unexpected.
I am an open vessel... we all are if we choose to be, ready to be filled with our passions. When we take the time to be filled, like a well, then we can in turn supply the refreshing waters of our true spirit - sharing them with others.
We are all blessed when we give of ourselves, our True Self, rather than what we think may be "expected" of us, thinking this is the responsible self, when in fact, we would be doing ourselves, others and our planet a disservice if we did not give who we really are.
Divine Beings -
Let us all be filled with Love.
Namaste'
ok, so I meant to place this in the other blog Roots N' Wings.... oh well...

Mandala Peace Project

This is on my other blog, but I wanted to place it here as well. A group of us at Mandala Oasis have decided to journey through the art of the mandala to set the intention of Peace and Love in this world.
When we come to a place of peace within ourselves, we send out that vibration into the world.
Cheryl's blog explains it in more detail.
A group of 9 women, for 9 weeks will be creating mandala art with the intention of sending out love and peace through creating these mandalas...9 catagories such as creativity, health, nature, etc.
Mandalas, I have experienced, have healing qualities. They are meditations of my heart, helping me to focus and center myself and reflect back to me inner secrets, opening me to discover deeper insight into myself. I invite you to discover their magical qualities for yourself. Click on the webring to the right to find others that are participating and travel to their blogs of mandala magic!
We are always welcoming new members into our group. A warm, welcoming and inspiring group it is! I'm grateful and blessed to be in a community of women and men who support one another, inspire and share their spiritual and artistic lives.
Envision Peace.
Create Peace.
As the mandala above mentions, there are infinite possibilities when we work together as One.
May Peace sit always in your hearts.
Namaste'

Labyrinth Intentions

For the new moon, and having the day off, I decided to walk the labyrinth at Wainwright House.

I had just read a passage in The Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd about her thoughts and experiences of the labyrinth. It was once looked at as a symbol of the divine womb, a ritual symbolizing rebirth.

Moving into this center, we shed that which no longer works, letting go of old outworn ideas, regrets, worries, doubts, a symbolic death. Shedding the old skin like a snake, I visualized myself stepping out of this old skin.

As I was walking into the center, I observed how as we walk into the labyrinth, it appears at times that we are moving away from the center even though we are indeed walking inwards. I thought of the spiral, how we come back to something over and over, even though it's at a different plane..

I had intentions of shedding that which I have no control of (worries), that which holds me back (fears) and all the doubts of where I should be, what I should be doing...

I am here.

Center.

In my heart. Being. I am that which I am. That's all I need to be. Always being in the perfect place at the perfect time (even if we don't always see it at the moment).

Entering the Center, the core of my being, coming to understand more of who I am.

Feeling at peace, I left the center, moving away but taking with me a deeper understanding that I am part of the divine plan. I am here to share the gifts I have, bringing who I am into this world. Each one of us, as individuals has some unique ideas, wisdom, energy, talents to share.

We are each a divine spark making up the whole.

Taking this outside, spiraling outwards to re-enter the world with me, this knowing.

I am "gifted" with an acorn dropped by my side. I pick it up with the thoughts, "this is my body".

Yes. All of nature, it all has it's potential. This is the gift. We have the potential, but will we use it?

Say YES.

Give and take

After yesterday's Clay Day and watching everyone work with the coil method of building pots, I'm sure this had an influence on my mandala :-)
I was so restless afterwards, my mind could not still itself. I read a page of my book over and over and over... so I went to the mandala for some focus.
To help still the mind, it is a great meditation.
Never quite knowing what it will be about until it begins to unfold, I began in the center with the spiral.
As I spiraled outwards, it reminded me of reaching out.
Reaching out to community.
We reach out and we pull back. From our centers, we reach out to others, giving a part of ourselves. We touch others with our ideas, our gifts. We teach and we learn.
And then we draw back in, taking with us all that we've received in our relationship with others. We give love, we receive love back in return.
We give gratitude, we receive gratitude.
We give of ourselves and we receive the gift of reflection, understanding, wisdom, friendship.
Give and Take. A constant exchange that benefits us all.
It's about community. What do you contribute and what do you receive?
It's also about a balance between the two.
Putting yourself out into the world, and allowing time for inner reflection.
This seems to be an area that our world needs to remember, as do I, that we need to take the time to go within, to center ourselves and balance it with our giving to the world.

Awakening

I tend to see the Spring as a time of birth and awakening and of course it is, but as I was creating this mandala, this flying creature just wanted to "awaken" and come out of her cocoon. As the leaves change and the pods release their seeds, ending their cycles, she wants to be born.

Autumn is a time that I especially love. It symbols a time of abundance and renewed energy for me. The oppressive heat of the summer is gone. The weather rejuvenates me and I love being outside observing nature's changes. Things going to seed in preparation for new growth to come after winter's slumber.

So after this was done, I questioned the idea of birth and awakening at other times.

Do we get to choose when we will be "awakened", claiming our own cycles of rebirth, to resurface and break away from the "cocooned" existence?

Does it matter what time?

Because I think NOW would be as good a time as any.

Peace Day

Tomorrow is International Peace Day and another prompt for our Mandala Oasis group. Another canvas that was started awhile ago... transformed.

It is just so nice to get back to painting, drawing, just being creative for myself.

And that brings me to what I feel brings greater peace to the world..

We must start with ourselves.

Once we feel at peace, it is inevitable that peace manifests outside our selves,

but first we must bring it inwards.

What steps can you take that will bring peace within.

What will help you to raise your vibrations to that level?

What makes you happy?

What is your passion?

What causes your heart to open and sing?

Do one thing today and tomorrow that brings comfort and peace inside yourself.

Add one more day.

And then another.....

and another....

Letting go

Last year in class at Igor's, I started to put some paint on this round black mat board, just playing around. The center, the green stroke and a little of the purple and the tiny yellow dot are what remains... I added to it for our Mandala Oasis yahoo group's Autumn prompt.

Autumn to me is about letting go.

Lesson from the trees. In time, we all need to release that which is no longer helping us, that which is out worn or just taking up space, collecting dust!

Just LET IT GO!

Sometimes, it is just a little bit of letting go.. a gentle breeze and other times, it takes hurricane winds to release the tight grasp.

What do you need to release?

Emotions? A grudge? An opinion or feeling that you've held on to way too long?

Or is it the stuff in the closet... taking up space, that could be used for something else...

Another canvas that was started awhile ago... I may still work on it. Notice the same whirling leaves in the wind... yep. all about letting go............

An Autumn flower

From a promt at Mandala Oasis, this is one idea... others are streaming forth. Actually, my intention was different, but a flower just wanted to "happen" and therefore it did.
My intention was to come to the page and do something loose and free... I guess I needed something to be structured today!
I went out for a walk with camera and will play with those later.
While attempting to clean up more of the art room, I found an old round canvas that I started with a tree... and well.
That was when "loose and free" was able to happen... so much for cleaning!
Still working on it........

Sunflower Mandala

If I cast the seeds into the wind,

where will they land?

Onto hard, dry, clay soil

rocky with stones

or

onto moist fertile soil,

loose and warm

rich and deep

ready to be nutured

to become

it's full potential

Take care of your seeds :-)

Bloom into your True Self

Nurture your dreams

Grow

May we all be blessed with rich soil

Love and Light,

Doreen

Thanks Pattie :-)

Pattie gave me this award. Thanks and I am truly appreciative. I love her art... go check it out. It makes me smile :-)

Now I need to pass it on........ first here are the rules:

1) I have to pick 7 of my favorite blogs and…

2) The winner can put the logo on their blog

3) Link the person you received your award from

4) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

5) Put links of those blogs on yours.

6) Leave a message on the blogs of the ones you’ve nominated.

I would like to give this award to:

(I'm doing this in stages) I've come upon some new blogs and would like to give them this award. It's from participating in The Altered Pages' The Pulse.

first it goes to Robyn, who I noticed on Coach Creative sight and love the work she does.

I've bookmarked Thrifty Collage Artist

Just discovered this blog by Lynne Hoppe

and I'll put some more up later... as I really need to get off the computer!!!!!!!

Spiraling In / Out

I blogged my spiral thoughts here and played with the spirals this morning. One spirals in and one spirals out... as a divination, Greer says:

Unfolding: "The spiral suggests that the design you have begun to draw upon your tracing board has much to unfold, if you allow it to follow the directions and dynamics it has already set in motion. Just as the oak unfolds from the acorn, the smallest portion of a spiral's arc already contains the full outward sweep of the finished spiral in potential; follow that potential, and your design will unfold as it should.... the spiral councils patience, attentiveness, and a sensitivity to context, so that the spiral patterns of the future can unfold in their own way."

I took this as a message to move the painting along... giving birth, rather than staying in the "cocoon" stage.

Diminishing: The spiral suggests that the design is spiralling inwards, tracing ever smaller arcs around the point where it will finally come to rest. The same inner dynamics that once sent it spinning outward in expanding curves now bring it back again, and attempting to force it around into a circle will only break the continuity of the pattern and leave something artificial in place of the natural dance of spiralling force."

A reminder that things cycle around... birth and death.. nothing lasts forever. Sometimes it is better to rest for awhile and then pick up the brush and move on......

The quotes are from John Michael Greer in Techniques for Geometric Transformation.

Waiting.....

So far, this is a painting I've been working on... Lots of stuff came up while painting it.
A desire to be connected to nature, the elements... the idea of gestation, cocooning, playing around with ideas and giving birth to them, manifesting them after some gestation period..
when will the eggs hatch or the butterfly be released... what comes next?
Not forcing, just allowing.
The desire to be in touch with the higher Self, the Being I am when all the roles I play are striped away... what still remains.... This desire to be in touch and remain there in this authentic place of Being and not get distracted by too much over analysis. Rather, go to my Heart Center more often, to Feel my way through it.
Here's to all those "cocooning" out there waiting for a new journey to Self. A continuous process I am sure, rebirthing our Selves each time to greater growth, spiraling up from the depths of our souls to higher ways of being.
Namaste'

Some mandalas......

Releasing Seeds
Bloom
Beyond the Garden Gate
Golden Cocoon

I took a break to do some painting... and then took a break from that to do some mandalas.
This last one, golden cocoon, is about where I am right now.
Just as I was about to write, after uploading this, my son called and began to speak of feeling as if he were in a cocoon stage.
WHAT?!?! (I am not alone)
He is an Aquarius as well, so we discussed astrology.
I'm reading Sue Monk Kidd's, When the Heart Waits and she is speaking of the cocoon, the gestation stage. Waiting.
I get it. I get the messages that are all around me and I'm learning as well how others deal with it.
It's not an easy stage, as there is a lot of inner work and quiet time to be had... waiting is key.
Waiting by immersing yourself in yourself. This I do best by painting. Painting is my therapy. It reflects, it mirrors and helps bring things to the surface.. that which is not always comfortable. It helps me to look deeply into that forever question: "Why am I here? What is my purpose?"
Sometimes I get it. That feeling of contentment when everything is all right with the world, love surrounds me and I feel the abundance of All That Is!
and then there comes those times of doubt. Am I delusional?
Beyond the Garden Gate caused reflection on how we need to break from our self-limiting boundaries. We need more passion, risk taking, adventure!
We become torn between obligations and responsibilites, to be the good child, and the lust to take it ALL in. Explore ALL of it.
We limit ourselves with Time and Space... and maybe that is the real illusion.

Nature's Mandalas

In awe of the patterns of nature.
Almost everyday, I watch the unfolding of the sunflowers...
and the bees that they attract.

Mother Nature Y

Feather Dance

Light as a feather,

dancing and swirling in the cosmos,

feeling a bit flighty.

glorious, joyous spinning

dizzy

spinning inward

spinning outward

tangled up in joy

with no where to land

but rather to just be.

Mandala of Moments

Movement through time.

Counting each second as we move around

from beginning to beginning.

Cycles.

Change.

Return.

Spiraling upwards through each cycle

Spinning through space.

Moving through change.

Moment by moment.

Second by second.

no stopping......

Making each moment count. Aware of the preciousness of these moments we have in our life. Each morning and each evening, I sat listening to the sound of water and birds, creating mandalas and going within to observe the Inner Self and messages, listening to my inner voice and what needed to be heard.

Observing the "chatter" mind.

And then the still voice in those moments when insight comes, chatter ceases, and "I" come forward. The true inner Self.

Precious moment.

I'm baaaack.........

Just got back from a glorious week with absolutely PERFECT weather from Phoenica, NY.
I did mandalas everyday. Read a lot. Shopped :-) a little... and took in all the beauty of the mountains, but especially the river. I love this place!
Later for uploads.. . but a very nice surprise from Marianne who gave me an award ---> see to the right, the I love your blog award.. thanks!
I'm going to pick my bloggers later though. I really need to catch up with emails! YIKES!

working with shapes

I've been working with the 3 shapes, circle, square and cross. I'm finding it interesting to be "structured" in this way. Staying within some limits rather than being spontaneous.
I chose a card from John Greer's Sacred Geometry deck. The Right Triangle.

I proceeded to create a mandala using just this shape. Every one is a right triangle except around the edges of the circle.

Discipline. Focus. Structure.

It's not my style really... but I think it helped me.

I felt good doing this after awhile. After it was colored in, I didn't really like it, mostly because I could not choose between two different approached and flip-flopped between mirroring and being sequencial.

My sponanteous side needed a part in this and did the patterning and then I liked it much better.

Doing this mandala work has gotten me to go deeper within myself.

It's also addictive :-)

Seeds of Peace

While walking to yoga class Monday, I flashed on the idea of a peace sign mandala. I started it last night, worked on it this morning and finished it up this evening.

I wish I could have planted some of these today... or maybe I did.

It seemed to me that there was some "tired, weary" energy to the day. I could easily have taken a nap myself, but had to work the whole day and then continued on to the laundromat.

I observed some emotional situations at work and then again in the laundromat.

(It's not even a full moon)

Carefully chosen words, a hug and a listening ear.

Some days these are the seeds that we plant, we tend to the emotions of others, lend a listening ear, some heartfelt sympathy, a hug, a smile...

then we go home and tend the garden of our own soul, nurturing our bodies and our spirits with good food, loving company, and a rejuvenating shower.

And of course some art.

We reap what we sow :-)

May all beings be free from suffering and may all beings be at peace.

Namaste'

Out of the stormy center

As I was working on this one, towards completing it, I thought "center of the storm".

Out of the center, and sometimes a stormy one, new life forms. New moments. New ideas.

Storms clear away that which isn't strong, weak branches, trees... Natures way of pruning.

In order for new life to come, there needs to be space made.

yesterday, I felt a bit stormy.

I need to make some space for myself, emotionally, as well as physically and what better way to do that to go to the center.

and listen.

My "storminess" subsided when I did what I really wanted to do.. and that was to get some colored gel pens to play with.

The eye of the storm can be quite deceptive, leading one to think everything is all right. Below the surface the storm is brewing.... once realized though, once brought to consciousness, then you can deal with it however it needs to be... but first we need to realize what the heck it is!

more Zendalas

After scanning this one, I brought it into PrintShop and cropped it. So much nice to not see the rings that bind the book.. I wanted to color it, but this is all I could do.

I tried to paint with H2O's but it would not take and just went into the paper, which I found to be weird. It came off the silver pen.

Solar Power... This is what came to me while creating this. I really am enjoying working with the gel pens. Bought some colored ones today. I'm also wanting to "doodle" objects, something recognizable in these Zendalas, although I still want it to come from the subconscious mind, rather than consciously come to the page to draw something specific.

Silver journey

Using a silver gel pen and listening to music, I found myself in the art room instead of the bedroom. How easily I am distracted.........

I went in to turn the light off that I had left on, and there was the book, open as an invitation... circle already drawn.. just waiting for me.

Put on Shaman's Vision Journey and there I was on a journey, going within ~ a Zendala meditation.....

My Heart Pours Open

First page in the black journal.

The book is bigger and doesn't fit completely on the scanner, so the top words are chopped off. Layered first with white pencil and then layered color over it... ala Judith Cornell.

Being in the Zen

These are not in the order I did them... the one below is the first what could possibly be called a zentangle. There is a website for this, and of course they want you to buy a kit or book. I looked here some time ago and thought they were pretty interesting and then it came up in the MandalaOasis group.. I looked at the link again and decided to play around with it but inside a circle... joining the mandala and the zentangle or a

Zen-dala :-) which is rightly named because you go into a zen state of mind when you do these and they are addictive!

This the first one I did and just had to do another one, but I wanted to add color, thus - the one above. I traced around an old 45... and then just kept shifting it to create the inside lines.
I love the play of lines and how they come forward to recede... they are just so cool to make.
I used a thicker pen, and therefore it turned out to be bolder which I like. Again, I used a 45 and then shifted it around the circle a couple of times, adding some free form lines. I think this one I'll call....... "What a ride!"

A new theme...

Here are a few drying...

Yesterday, we spent the day painting mandalas and embellishing them as well. I decided to create flower mandalas as decorations for the camp carnival and show. We usually have a theme to camp and this year it's New York, but since we don't have a music teacher, the theme for the camp show is Disney, different than the show........ I decided to do generic decorations rather than decorate for two themes.

Being that the kids really got into the mandalas, I decided to take the poster boards an have them paint and decorate, add some stems and we'll place them down the walkway...

Fantasy Flowers!

Petal of Love

I had forgotten about the case of Prismacolor pencils I had.. brand new, only a few were even sharpened. It was nice to use them, having a different feel than markers. It's a slower process, especially when blending one color over another. It's outlined in a brush pigma pen and the black is colored in with marker.As I was coloring, it was actually making me want to go back to painting. With painting, I love blending colors, and just allowing the painting to evolve with layer upon layer... whereas with marker, it's quick, but once a color is down, there it is. Unless, of course, it's light enough and one can go over it... but for the most part, it's pretty flat.But I love marker for getting it out.. being spontaneous. It's down. Done. Spill it out!Pencils are gentler, softer, and I'm able to play more with shading.There is definitely a difference with good quality pencils. I've bought some other brands and they quickly became part of the kids materials.Even the Prismacolor pencils had been compromised. They used to be Berol and they were even better... today I find they don't sharpen as well, the lead being off center, especially when you by them in a tin. When I buy them individually, I check to make sure the lead is centered. Now they are made by Sanford and just not as good... too bad. I think they used to be even creamier and I hunt for the older ones.... which some are down to about 2"...This mandala, as I was coloring it, made me think of reaching towards love and how many aspects of love there are... Love comes in many colors.

An Award :-)

oooooh... I was honored by Cheryl, the amazing woman who started the Mandala Oasis group, with this award. Wow! This is so cool and I am deeply honored. Thank you, my friend. Visit her blog here.

It is so amazing to me how we are linked by this blogging community. Making new friends... I have even traveled with my online friend Mai-Liis, who is like a sister to me... and we met online!
This is a tool used for good... so now I am to pass it on to others, where they can pass it on as well, and the blogging community expands ever more so. We can meet other creative and inspiring souls by linking to each other creating a chain of love and acknowledgement.
We should all be acknowledged for the way we reach out to help others, bring our gifts to the world in ways that are unique to us.

I'm passing this on to my wise and creative friend Mai-Liis. My traveling companion twice to Peru... a trip that will remain a highlight in my life. Thank you for your friendship and sharing your truth, wisdom and creative spirit. Mai-Liis is an artist and healer and can be seen here and here. I have used her original name here which I feel is beautiful and unique, but on our spiritual journey, she has evolved into Chaska. When the time comes for taking that step into our power and we need to shed the old self in order to make room for the new, we can take on a new spiritual name. More on that later :-)

New to the blogging community is my friend Ann Marie. I am so happy that she has decided to share her self here with her amazing insights, photographic skills and her creative self expression. She is someone dear to me, another spiritual soul that I can connect with.. and in person! Find her creative and expressive self here where she too shares her gifts of bringing the creative arts to others.

In our Mandala Oasis group, Milliande has a really wonderful site full of information to be inspired by...inspiration for the creative soul! Sometimes we need a jump start and this is a great place for that... thanks Milliande for sharing your gifts. Check it out here.

Rebecca has a blog I check into on a regular basis. Another spiritual artist who share her honesty and words of wisdom for me to ponder and who shares her soul with others openly. I'm honored to have one of her angel prints sitting on my meditation desk... a reminder I am taken care of by the Universe. She's gone through some really tough times, but her strong faith and love open up her compassionate heart for us and it is a lesson in knowing there are others that will support us. Love and art heal.
Stop by to say hi here.

.....and I would not be doing any of this if it wasn't for Leah's Creative Everyday blog!!
I had a dry period and she inspired me to get back on track and through doing art and connecting with that blog... it lead me to joining Mandala Oasis... so here's to being creative everyday... living the creative life is living life to the fullest.
Get inspired and join in on the fun here.

so here's the deal............
The Arte y Pico Award is meant to be paid forward to five bloggers who you want to recognize for their creative talents, interesting material, and overall contribution to the blogger community...helping to make the world a better place, one blog pots at a time!
Now it's your turn...If you have been selected for the award, please pay it forward, following the steps below:
1) Choose 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award based on creativity, design, interesting material, and overall contribution to the blogger community, regardless of the language.
2) Post the name of the author and a link to his or her blog so everyone can view it.
3) Each award-winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award.
4) The award-winner and the presenter should post the link of the "Arte y pico" blog so everyone will know the origin of this award.
5) Please post these rules! - Be my guest to copy and paste from here..The Arte y Pico blog is in Spanish.
To read it in English, click here. The translation is not perfect.

electric shock!

after the price quote of having another line put in.

Hands of Time.

I took one of my flower photos, played around with it, altering the color in printshop and then added some images... I didn't like where it was going, but kept playing around with it. The image of the hands in the four directions, turning the wheel... participating in the cycle, making a difference or not by what we choose to do or create.

Time will move ahead whether we play or not.

Passion Flower

As I was creating this mandala, the four "buds" that appeared made me think of opening up, the bud beginning to blossom.

Sometimes, I feel like this. That I am in a continuing state of blossoming. Over and over again to new opportunities, to new experiences, each day to a new chance to begin again.

Opening up to our passions in life, being true to them without compromise.

Finding that passion and bringing it out into the world. This is what life is for. It serves no purpose to hide one's light under a bushel (or hidden under the bed, or put onto a shelf) where no one else can share these gifts... each of us having them. They are meant to be shared, so others can see and offer up their own.

It's only fear and insecurity that holds us back and for what reason really... why should it really matter what others think, say, or feel.

Fear of judgement?

I am choosing to open up and blossom, that is my intention. To reach out, share, feel what I feel and give back.

What is your passion and how do you share it? or what is holding you back??

New Moon Mandala

REACH. FEEL. TRUST. GIVE.

New moon intentions:

Reach out more often, taking a risk with my emotions.

Get in touch with my feelings. Stop. Feel. What is my gut telling me as opposed to my head.

Trust my intuition. Be more trustful of others (especially the dentist :-)

Trust completely that the Universe provides.

Give.

Give unconditionally without expectations.

Give from the heart without conditions.

and then reach out again......

Namaste'

Camp mandalas

These are the two mandalas I sat and did with the kids. Girls the top one. Boys the bottom one... and a great discussion with the "keys of the elements" with the boys.

Mandala Party

At the end of the day, I grabbed some chalk and began creating a mandala in the middle of the basket ball court. Most of the kids were in the pool, but a group of girls took notice... "awesome!" they called out and came over to check it out. I handed over the chalk.....
Eager to participate, they started out with stars ... and then more girls came and then
their counselors joined in and we had a mandala party !
Life is good.