A mandala creates an enclosed circular space that represents the self (microcosm) within the universe (macrocosm). Mandalas have long been used in religious practices for visualization, meditation, self-realization and initiation. Hildegard von Bingen, Rudolf Steiner, Carl Jung, and the fourteenth Dalai Lama have all created mandalas and worked with their unique power to create sacred space. Carl Jung said: "The mandala symbol is not only a means of expression, but it works an effect. It reacts upon its maker. Very ancient magical effects lie hidden in this symbol, the magic of which has been preserved in countless folk customs . . . The fact that images of this kind have under certain circumstances a considerable therapeutic effect on their authors is empirically proved and also readily understandable, in that they often represent very bold attempts to see and put together apparently irreconcilable opposites and bridge over apparently hopeless splits." Using wax crayon and pastel, we will explore the traditional and contemporary use of mandalas, the mysteries of the divisions of the circle, the visual language of form and symbol, the principles of metamorphosis, theories of color use, and more, in order to create an archetypal sacred space, a picture of the self and the world.

Materials fee $45

Suggested reading:

The Secret Language of Form: Visual Meaning in Art and Nature, Van James (Rudolf Steiner College Press).