A mandala is a spiritual tool used to build a sacred space and as a help for meditation and trance induction. Working with Mandalas in any way can bring focus, relaxation and inner peace. It can be used to stabilize, integrate, rearrange and rebalance inner life, so one can eventually reach deeper levels of consciousness and experience the mystical sense of unity…
The mandala is a powerful symbol that once upon a time was transmitted by ancient seers and passed down through generations, from our far far far ancestors to us. Mandalas were able to survive the tides of time and stay anchored in the human mind like a seed preserving sacred wisdom.
Mandalas can be found everywhere in the world. Since ancient time and until today mandalas are used in rituals, therapies or “just for fun” as coloring templates. The mandala symbol is still being studied, decoded and re-created. The interest in the mandala didn’t fade away, i would even say that it has gained popularity during the last decade. The mandala seems to have a come-back as it is re-appearing in human consciousness at a time when we experience tourmoil and end-of-the-world feelings. We could assume that the mandala might be a symbol of great importance for the evolution of mankind in these times.
The mandala symbol must be a soul genome, like paradise, recognised and appreciated in human consciousness representing a place or state to which we wish to return.
Mandalas might have changed their appearance over time. Maybe the way they are used and understood today is not exactly the same as it was once but that doesn’t really matter, i believe. The point is, there is something that all mandalas have in common, and this deeper meaning, the quint-essence of the mandala, stays the same forever.
The mandala has a message for everyone who looks to gain better understanding about one self and the world around. The mandala is a symbol for the universe and a representation of the nature of reality. Therefore it has the potential and the ability to be a great teacher and guide on one’s spiritual journey.
When you embrace the mandala truly, you will not only hear its message, but you will be able to deeply feel it in your heart.
insired by the “flower of life” symbol – or more likely by the “seed of life” that grows into a unique flower waiting to be touched by colors…
which reveal their meaning in a message that is repeated over and over again like a mantra: “Living with open heart and free mind – simply happy! “
and her offspring as to say it in a literal way. These mandalas are featuring iconical images rather than symbolis while delivering symbolic meanings…
into your life. They are guiding you on your journey and take you further and beyond the ordinary so you can grow.
Transcendence is the quality or state of being transcendent. It is an experience that goes far beyond ordinary experiences, it exceeds the usual knowledge and surpasses comprehension. Being transcendent means having or allowing the ability to reach beyond limits.
Transcendence is the expansion of one’s consciousness beyond the self to something higher. Self-transcendence is about rising above the self, relating to what is greater than the self and realizing that we are just one small part of a greater whole.
in the year 2026
This mandala is dedicated to the great Lord Shiva. During the month of February (sometimes March) a significant Hindu festival in honour of Lord Shiva is celebrated throughout India and other countries. The Maha Shivaratri which means the great night of Shiva is usually happening in my birth month and last year Shivaratri even fell on my birthday which might be one of the reasons why i feel a real connection to Shiva.
Shiva is the deity of the universal life force and the Surpreme Being. His energy controlls the mind and helps counter emotional and psychological disturbences.
Shiva is the deity of the universal life force and the Surpreme Being. His energy controlls the mind and helps counter emotional and psychological disturbences.
Shiva is the transcendent reality of Rudra, his fierce form, which is related to Agni, the cosmic fire principle.
Rudra Mahadeva, whose essence is Shiva Tattva, the transcendent truth, is the primordial principle of Absolute Bliss. This principle which is beyond all manifestations appears in the Universe as Shiva, but only after a long time into the cosmic process. Shiva manifested much later in the creation and by the time Rudra arrived, all the higher worlds had already come into being, waiting for the lower world to be filled with mortals. Innumerable souls were waiting in the dark to be born into Prakriti, or the material world.
Shiva is the final and third aspect of the Cosmic Reality. The principle of the withdrawal and dissolution, indicated by Shiva, is necessary in the completion of the manifestation of the Universe. The manifest Universe is only complete when this last principle follows the principle of creation, represented by Lord Brahma and the principle of sustenance, represented by Lord Vishnu. The principal of withdrawal from creation is not only needed but truly important in order to take souls back to the Surpreme.
The hindu tradition allows for and even encourages the full range of iconographical representations in a form-based and in an abstract way. This approach allows a full spectrum and a full spiritual unfoldment of all artistic and creative expression. The greatest diversity of expression is found related to Shiva which inspired me in the creation of the Shiva Meditation Mandala and other artworks.
All forms of Shiva are but appearances in the greater dance of Shiva who is behind and beyond all forms. Some of his forms appear like the image of a physical person and some scholars believe that Shiva originally was a person, perhaps a great Yogi who lived long time ago. Even those who hold that Shiva is transcendent recognise that he can descend and appear in the human realm and work through various great teachers and gurus.
Shiva is the Yogeshvara, the lord of Yoga. He transforms creative power into mental creativity and interiorizes detachement that leads to release. Shiva is the inner guru and the guru of all gurus. He is the prime teacher of Yoga and the Surpreme Yogi. The goal of Yoga is Ananda (Bliss). Shiva Yoga is non-attachement which is surrender, withdrawal and letting go. Shiva Yoga teaches the union of the sould as Jiva with the Surpreme Shiva. It not only teaches us the art of living, but as well the “art of leaving”. True Yoga is about expanding out of body consciousness. Shiva is the guide of going beyond body and mind.
We can understand the reality of Shiva at a deeper level if we learn to read the symbolic language that is used to express the qualities and abilities of a deity.
Shiva is the OM, the essence of cosmic sound and light. He is the light of pure awareness.
Om is the prime mantra of Purusha, the Cosmic Being, Atman or Higher Self. Om is the sound of Ishvara, which is another name for Shiva, who is the cosmic Lord, the creator, preserver and destroyer of the Universe.
Om is Shiva, the cosmic masculine force, which carrries the Divine in manifested and un-manifested form.
ॐ (Om) – The primordial sound representing the essence of ultimate reality.
नमः (Namah) – A salutation or offering of respect and reverence.
शिवाय (Shivaya) – Referring to Lord Shiva.
Shivas depictions contain often supernatural factors which indicate his higher powers. He is associated with plants, animals, rocks, landfroms and celestial phenomena. He is the lord of all wild animals and the lord of the serpents.
The Shiva Linga is one of his main symbols, a symbol of the cosmic point of dissolution that takes us beyond time and space. This primordial point we can find in the center of every mandala. The word linga is defined:
“The moving universe is moving towards a single point of dissolution and that is the linga.”
Some of the symbols related to Shiva i have included in the Shiva Meditation Mandala:
Shiva is the God of the Mountains with Parvati his consorte or female counterpart. The Parvati Valley in India and Mount Kailesh in Tibet are related to Shiva and sacred places.
Shivas main animal or main vehicle is the white humped bull, Nandi, the joyous. The bull is a symbol of the spirit, the Purusha.
Shivas surpreme weapon is the trishul, the cosmic lightning force. The trident or three pointed spear is a symbol of
the three gunas or fundamental qualities of nature: sattva (harmony), rajas (activity), tamas (inertia),
the three processes of creation, maintenance and dissolution,
and the three powers: will, knowledge, action.
You may ask the Great Lord Shiva to assist and guide you through times of challenge and change so he can lead you to great transformation.
O Lord Shiva, God of Endings and Beginnings, may bless us all with the abilty to let behind the past so it dissolves and transcends and give us the courage to step forward into the future and beyond.
Om Namaha Shivaya
Shiva is the giver of liberation from all bond of worldly reality. He takes us beyond time and space, beyond birth and death. To live in the presence of Shiva is to never die.
This mandala is all about new beginnings. It is a unique manifestation of the imagination of a new reality. Like the morning star it shines in a new light at the dawn of a new era. It captures the moment when out of the cocoon a butterfly emerges into a magical new world. It is a portal that, when opened, leads us into the unknown, a world where everything is possible.
There is no beginning without a prior ending though, one implies the other and one cannot exist on its own in the never ending cycle of life and death. Beginning and ending are bond together creating a unity. That means, when we talk about new beginnings, we assume that there was an ending happening before and in the same time it is crucial to acknowledge the importance of proper endings.
An ending is a process and like letting go, it is not happening instantly, it needs time. It is important to live through this periods consciously, allowing feelings to be lived out, to be let out, out of the system, out of body and mind. We must free ourselves before starting fresh, starting new.
New beginnings suggest that there has been a time of change prior, probably a happening or situation that involved finishing something, ending and letting go. It indicates release and surrender. A new beginning involves making space, clearing out, cleaning up. Only when we have reached the end of a chapter in our book of life, we can start a new chapter, a new page, a new cycle.
When someting ends and before something new starts, there is some kind of invisible gap between the two of them. The time frame between the actual end and the start or step into the unknown is the zero point. This moment of purification, in between the old and the new, is from profound importance. It is a powerful moment filled with limitless potential.
But wait, the new beginning is not about action yet. It is the intention to set something in motion. It is the moment before the start, the stillness before the movement. It is the seed that carries all information and potential. It is the central point where all energy is gathered before the expansion. It is the Zero-Point that, like a black hole or the Bindu (the center of the mandala) pulls everything in its center where everything becomes singularity. It is a point where our existing laws of physic can’t describe what’s happening and where regualar rules don’t apply anymore.
The point zero is – mathematically and metaphysically – not nothing, but everything. It is not an empty quantity but a fundamental reference point that gives orientation. Zero is the point when one reference frame ends and before a new one starts. It is a point of orientation marking the boundary between what has already taken form and what is about to emerge. It is compressed potential without definition, before polarities, differentiations and directions.
This zero point moment carries a great potential of creation, a point where all possibilities exist, where visions expand without boundaries. It is a point of reset, new start, new beginning. It is the central point, the point to center yourself, to take rest before the move forward.
When we arrive at a point-zero in our life, we are asked to let behind what we don’t need anymore, anything what might could negatively impact our journey towards advancement and expansion of life. It indicates a time of release and letting go of old habits, outdated thought patterns and behaviours. It announces the step into the unknown as everything that comes is entirely new.
The zero point moment is not the actual beginning yet, it is the preparation phase, the moment before the first step. It is about getting clear and setting intention before doing the actual move forward, towards a maybe new goal.
That’s the moment to get clear in our minds and hearts so we can start fresh. Take your time. Center yourself. Listen to your heart.
During that time of great potential, become still and wait for the breaking point, the point of movement, the actual starting point of every new beginning. You can push it out, yeah, but the point will come when it is time to step forward from the past into a bright and new future.
It is the moment when you consciously step forward, ready to write a new story, envision and then enter the Portal of New Beginnings that leads you into a new myth, a new reality.
done with an ink pen (0.5mm) then scanned and made ready to print on paper or canvas for coloring or decorative purposes.
The pointillism style and the love for details are characteristic of my artwork. Traditional mandalas grow out into the 4 directions. As my first mandalas were inspired by the “Flower of Life” they are mostly growing in 6 directions.
I am fully aware that there are plenty of mandalas out there, but my ones, I believe, are quite different and certainly unique. I have seen apps that create mandalas in the blink of an eye – just draw a line in one section and it will be repeated around the center as often as you wish. In that way one can create hundreds of mandalas without any effort or too much thought and without much heART, i would say. The mandalas that you can see here are all done without geometric tools. I use no ruler or pair of compasses to create my mandalas, only my eyes and my hands if i want to re-check distances. (Our eyes are naturally quite accurate in measuring and i love to challenge myself to become more and more precise with time and practice.) I usually use an A4 size paper and start with a pencil trying to be as free-flowing as possible. I use an eraser if adjustments are necessary, then i grab my beloved ink pen and start dotting along the lines, point after point.
I rarely have an exact idea about the outcome of a mandla, it starts growing kind of by itself, slowly from the middle, point by point. I never really know beforehand what will be in the end and how long it will take to finish a piece of my heART work. The creation of a mandala is a proces that can take several hours, usually days and even weeks or months from the beginning until the last dot appears in its place…
These 100% hand- and homemade Mandala Card Sets are available to order. Please check out my etsy shop if you would like to order them straight away or get in touch with me and we organize the order between us. Thank you for your interest and support.
