Elementary,
My Dear Witchling!
By Natalie Zaman, Witchling by Steelgoddess
When the Dalai Lama came to New Jersey a few years ago, some Tibetan monks living in the United States created a wonderful gift for his visit: a blessing for peace in the form of a beautiful sand Kalachakra mandala (Kalachakra is sanskrit for "time wheel."). Then right before His Holiness left, they swept it up and tossed it into the Raritan River. What?! Why would these men work for days creating something so special, only to throw it away?--but they didn't. Lots of people got to see the mandala before it was swept up, but many more lives were touched when the sand was placed into the river. The sand was blessed with intentions for peace, acceptance, and environemental awareness.
Here is a Buddhist monk making a sand mandala. First he outlines his design, and then slowly fills it in with sand. The picture, and the intention that goes with it, begins at the center and builds outward. When the mandala is finished, the eye of the viewer is drawn back to the center--and the intention for its creation. Neat, huh?
Sometimes in order for magic to work, it must be shared--and it's important to know that not all magical crafts are meant to last forever. The monks labored over the mandala, concentrating their energies into its creation, which focused their minds on their goal: peace. By dispersing it, they spread their intentions beyond the edges of the mandala's circle.
The monks held a ceremony where they placed the sand from their mandala into the river--the work and the intention traveled and spread.
Summer Solstice is, in part, a celebration of the elements. At this turn of the Wheel of the Year, earth, air, fire and water come together to make things grow and flourish. It's a good time for you to bring all the elements together too--to help you ground and balance for the long, warm days ahead--you'll need the energy!
To make your mandala, you'll need materials that represent each element. For example, you can use shells to represent water (or you can use actual water!), salt to represent earth, herbs such as mugwort and cinnamon to represent fire, and feathers to represent air. You can also use colored sand like the Tibetan monks; use colors that represent the elements in your tradition. These are only a few suggestions--there are many ways that elements can be represented. Just remember that you're going to be creating something that will be left out in Nature, so plastic and anything that isn't bio-degradable won't work!
The next thing to do is to find a place in Nature to create your mandala. It can can be your back yard, a public park, or even in a flower pot if you live in an apartment and don't have alot of space--but it MUST be outside. When you're ready to make your mandala, go to the location you chose and seat yourself comfortably. Lay out your materials so you can access them easily. Make a circle on the ground in front of you; you can acutally draw it, or just outline it so you have the idea of it. It does not have to be large--size doesn't count!
This mandala was created with water, shells, salt, a feather, and plants gathered from the area where it was made.
Now, fill your mandala. One at a time, place each element inside the circle. As you place the element, think of the season ahead, and how that element can help you get through the coming weeks until the next turn of the wheel. You don't have to have a complicated design. When grounding, sometimes the best thing is to keep it simple: place the elements in a spiral pattern, or better yet, let your mind guide you. Place the elements where they feel right--you may be surprised at what takes shape! In the words of a wise young witch...
Leave the mandala in Nature and see what She does with it. You may want to draw it or take a picture of it to keep in your Book of Shadows. Visit it throughout the coming weeks and take note of how it changes...
Solstice blessings!