Handout 3.9—Mandala: Symbols of the Self
The word mandala takes its name from the Sanskrit manda, which means “essence.” The suffix la stands for container, making a mandala the container of one’s essence or Self. The Self is constantly digesting and unifying everyday experiences. A mandala symbolizes our experiences by organizing perceptions, ideas, and physical sensations within a circle. These images reveal what state people are in at a given moment.
Understanding Mandalas
Many students of mandalas have observed a pattern to their designs that expresses a 12-stage life cycle. It repeats endlessly.1 Before reviewing these stages, draw your own mandala, using the instructions on the following page. Then consider what your design is telling you about your current experience. This is an especially soothing activity to engage in during a crisis, an illness, or emotional heartache. Drawing a mandala is a type of meditation.
Mandala Designs
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Current Experience
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1. Void: Blank circles or vague forms, spider webs; dark or pale colors
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Fertile void (prebirth): Waiting, patience, pain, ignorance, confusion, alienation, depression
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2. Tiny scattered forms: Images of water, rays of sunlight, stars, small fish or plants; pastels
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Bliss (birth): Passive enjoyment, rest, blurred boundaries, infinite possibilities, dreamy, drowsy
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3. Labyrinth or spiral: Roads, stairways, maps, plants and vines, curving lines, spring colors
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Energizing (early infancy): Searching, exploring, increasing energy, creativity, longing for growth
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4. Small center form: Dot, circle, upward-pointing triangle, small boat, figure 8, curved lines, pastels
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Beginning (later infancy): Dawning of a sense of Self, self-absorption, dependence on others
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5. Target: Concentric circles radiating outward, bright or clashing colors
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Counterdependence (toddler’s antagonism): Vigilance, hostility, rituals, obsessions
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6. Division of opposites (sky father/earth mother; dark/light, angel/devil, yin/yang): Landscapes with a solitary figure; opposite or nature colors
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Conflict and resolution (adolescence): Passion, change, elation, excitement, and happiness, or alienated, fear, loneliness, and depression
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7. Squaring the circle: Crosses, squares, flowers with four petals, straight lines, gold colors
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Self-governing (early adult): Conflicts resolved, self-esteem, balance, striving toward goals
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8. Power of man: Human figure reaching out, five-pointed stars, five-petaled flowers, four-armed swastika with center point suggesting motion
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Functioning (maturing adult): Individual awareness, attainment of skills, ability to interact, active doing, readiness
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9. Crystallization: Six-pointed stars, eight-petaled flowers, forms composed of even numbers > 4; variety of colors with contrast, autumn colors
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Fulfillment (mature adult): Attainment of goals, creative activity nearing completion, satisfaction, harmony, enjoyment without attachment
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10. Collapse: Spokes of a wheel, crucifix, prominent X-designs (facing a crossroad), downward pointing triangle; dark colors, deep reds and blues
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Ending (crisis): Completion of a project, time of surrender, retirement, relentless turning of life, turning toward self, journey downward
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11. Fragmentation: Sliced-up pie; crazy quilt with no order, no center; messy, dark, muddy colors or overly bright and psychedelic colors
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Breakdown (physical or mental): Fear, confusion, uncertainty, chaos, profound loss, disorientation, guided by intuition and synchronicities
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12. Upward focus: Chalices or other transformative vessels, infusion of light from above, birds in flight, contrasting of dark and light colors
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Transcendence (rebirth, sage): Relationship to something beyond yourself, feelings of joy, harmony, reverence, unity with the world
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Exercise: Creating Mandalas
1. Have a full range of colors and media—pencils, crayons, pastels, markers, and so on.
2. Use a plate to draw a circle or the mandala graph paper below.2
3. Draw from the center or edges of the circle. Allow an abstract design or a scene to appear.
4. When you are done, give your mandala a title. You may want to make this a daily exercise and date your work. It is natural to see progression and themes, but avoid overanalyzing.
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