Spiritual @ MindSay

Define "spiritual bitch" for those who are put off by the word "bitch".  First, let me give some background.  My best friend and I are two highly spiritual single women living in sunny Miami and South Beach, yes, the cesspool of mindless bachelors.  Having both been in the world of dating, we each have had many run  ins with public enemy no. 1, the single guy.  Needless to say, we have our share of stories and we decided that we would put the experiences that we've both had, painful and pleasurable, to good use.  We're going to share our knowlege and experiences with our universal sisters and provide enchantments (spell potions) for those who are tired of being the nice girl that always feels let down.  This blog is to introduce ourselves to the world as powerful women who use magic and "love of SELF" to empower ourselves and other women, therefore playing a humble yet honorable role in helping the planet by proxy.  But I digress!  A spiritual bitch is a confident and sexually charged female that uses her God-given powers, which is after all our birth right, and creates her reality as she chooses, all the while being savvy to the games that men play so as to not lose sight of  #1   ...  NOTE:  #1 is always YOU.  Basically, being ahead of the game called "life", and to be more specific, life as a single woman.  It is our goal and commitment to recruit other single women to take action in this "phsychological warfare" between the sexes.  We are emotional, they are mental, and by mental I mean sexual.  lol  This is war ladies and we need to go to battle if we want to be on top.  They can continue being mental, for it is natural for them to be that way, they know no other way.  The Spiritual Bitch however, uses her emotions as fuel to change how men's actions or lack of actions affect her.  She will use her magic to charm and seduce without harming anyone and becoming the creator of her experiences.  It's Sex & The City with a twist of sorcery and a sprinkle of fairy cock dust.  We'll get to the "Fairy Cock Dust" in  a future entry.  We are currently working on Bitch Potion No. 9 and it is no-nonsense.  More to come!  Namaste... OM Shanti and remember Men LOVE Bitches, and this is the era of the new and improved bitch.....  Lust often Love ALWAYS, The Spiritual Bitches

I have found my favorite mandala is the Medicine wheel, I made mine using the stones to mean the 12 moons of the year/and as the constellations , the 8 festivals of Wicca, and for the 4 winds/seasons. This particular mandala for me includes all of my faith in symbolic format , I have found it to be a wonderful asset on my path. Each stone means so many things on so many levels, it is just awesome, how it fits into my idea of the Cosmos.

blessings,

Mandala As A Spiritual Exercise

A Mandala is a powerful spiritual exercise which can help you to . . .

• gain insight into yourself,

• befriend your shadow aspects,

• harmonize your body, mind, and soul,

• calm the mind into a meditative state,

• increase focus and concentration,

• offer teachings and wisdom from your Inner Guide,

• increase self-esteem and self-confidence,

• express - and enhance - your creativity,

• foster physical and emotional healing.

But this is merely the icing on the sacred cake.

The value of drawing and coloring mandalas is that they can connect you with your Divine Source - the Goddess Within and the God Without.

This is what makes it a valuable spiritual exercise for Wiccans.

In Wicca, as in any mystical spiritual tradition, this connection to the Divine is a source of power and joy. It is the inspiration and the purpose of spirituality.

Using pens or paints is a fun and gratifying way to foster this connection.

What Is A Mandala?

Typically, they are circular artworks with a spiritual context. In Sanskrit, the word means circle, or completion.

They are often symmetrical and geometrical in design, as seen in this one made of sand, created by Tibetan monks. They are using a language of symbols. Each element, each color, has a particular meaning to them.

But for the purposes of spiritual exercise, you will be creating a personal mandala. You can work with any shape, designs, colors, and symbols that calls to you.

Mandalas have been created in many cultures, and various forms. They also form in nature. Ice crystals, seashells, galaxies . . . Even the Earth may be seen as an enormously complex and beautiful 3-dimensional mandala.

They are tools and symbols of healing and well-being.

They can help you understand yourself, know your Path, and re-create yourself to align with your highest potential.

They are traditionally thought to be a symbolic depiction of the Universe, as a link between the physical world and the Divine realm. You can think of them as holograms . . . a tiny piece of the universe, which shows within its colorful borders . . . a microcosm of all existence.

So in creating one, you are portraying your spiritual Source - the essence of your Self.

Just as every piece of a hologram contains a picture of the whole, your personal mandala is a depiction of your inner self reflects the whole Divinity of which you are a part.

Creating Your Mandalas

The process of creating a personal mandala is an art meditation. But don't let the term "art" scare you off.

The first thing to know about any spiritual exercise is this . . .

No artistic talent is necessary.

We've all been trained by our society that only "artists" can create, and the rest of us poor menials should sit on the sidelines and applaud them. This is absolute hog manure!

Everyone has a birthright of creativity. You are a spark of the Divine - the most creative power ever. You inherited some of that creativity. So set aside the inner critic who criticizes your creative expressions. Don't listen to his voice. It's important to allow yourself the opportunity to play.

As Robert Pike says, "Learning is directly proportional to the amount of fun you have."

How To Start

Like any meditation, coloring mandalas takes some time. Set aside an hour for a small one . . . three hours so you don't feel rushed on a large one. These times are just estimates. After drawing a few of them, you'll have an idea how long it takes you.

Make yourself a quiet, undisturbed space. You may want to listen to music, or mantra, or silence.

Be aware that if you're playing music, your meditation will reflect your response to it, perhaps more than it reflects your inner space. So for a pure art meditation, mantra or silence is best.

Prepare your "canvas." If you're using a template or stencil to map out the sections, you may tape it underneath your working paper, as a guide.

NOTE: A free printable mandala template page can be downloaded here.

If you've looked at pictures of mandalas, you may have some ideas for shapes and designs. These are easily found by an online image search, or check out this site. (Opens new window.) I found it useful to get ideas from others when I began, because I didn't really know where to start.

Look at the colors you have available. Pick one that you're drawn to. Hold it near the paper, until you have a feeling where you'd like to have that color.

When you feel a hint of inspiration, go with it.

Avoid judging it, or trying to make it look a certain way. Part of the magick of drawing and coloring your personal mandala is that it can be a clear expression of your soul, if you set your thinking brain aside for a while.

This is what makes art a meditation.

Let the creativity flow through you, without trying to control it. Remember . . .

"Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly. You're never good at anything at first."

When you've finished, you may want to paste your personal mandala into your journal, or hang it for a few days first, somewhere you will see it but others won't.

Now you come to (what I feel is) the best part . . .

Discover The Hidden Messages
In Your Personal Mandala

Once you've created a personal mandala, you can explore it . . . like an archeologist unearthing new discoveries about your Deep Self.

This is another part of the meditation on your personal mandalas.

The first meditation was in its creation. The meditation continues with the interpretation of its meaning.

NOTE: A free printable mandala template page can be downloaded here.

Reading Your Mandala

Here's a method I've found that works well for me, and it doesn't take very long unless you want to devote a lot to it.

Upon finishing your mandala, take a few minutes to write about what you feel and what you think about it.

Also, make note of any "conscious concerns" . . . issues that are up for you that day.

Then put it away.

At bedtime, let yourself gaze at the mandala while preparing to sleep. Allow thoughts and ideas to rise and fall away.

This allows the subconscious to develop the theme in your dreams.

In the morning, explore your mandala again. Make note of any new insights. If you've had dreams, it may help to record them as well.

If you want to go even deeper, meditate on your mandala for a set period of time. Afterward, make notes.

You can come back to a single mandala several times, to harvest levels of wisdom contained within it. Often after a period of time, new meanings will make themselves clear. Especially if you've also recorded your dreams.

Questions For Exploring Your Personal Mandala

Notice how the mandala looks . . .

• What shape is your mandala?

• How many points - that is, sections - is it designed with?

• Is it large or small, or in-between?

• Is there a lot of space, or is it well-filled in? If it alternates, where is it spacious, and where complex?

• Have you used much detail, or big broad strokes? Or a combination?

• Does it have geometric order, or chaotic movement, or something else?

• How do the elements relate to each other?

• How would you characterize the overall sense of your mandala?

• How do all of these characteristics relate to you, and your life, in this moment?

Personal Mandalas As A Spiritual Exercise

A person's mandala shows their inner identity, values, and way of being in the world . . . but this can change radically from day to day. So any one mandala is like a snapshot of where you are right now.

This is also an interesting exercise to do with various other things in your environment.

What if your house were a mandala? Or your car? The clothes or jewelry you're wearing today?

Try interpreting other things around you as if they were a personal mandala, representing a snapshot of your life. Because they are. As you can see, there is almost infinite possibility in self-discovery through this process. It's like having your own spiritual teacher, who knows your personal being through your mandala.

Exploring your personal mandala is a way to befriend yourself, and the Goddess within you.

Because this practice can take some time, I don’t do them often. But when I make the time for this spiritual exercise, I appreciate it for the rest of my life, it seems.

Each journey into your personal mandala is a joy. I encourage you to give yourself the gift of creating a spiritual mandala.

Do it at least once, because you can't begin to guess the insights and power that this exercise can release for you until you do it yourself.

With Bright Blessings,