Song for Autumn

Greetings and Happy Fall Equinox. Shown here: "Harvest Moon Mandala." The harvest moon is the moon at and about the period of fullness that is nearest to the autumnal equinox. (she was stunning this week!) Here, two goddesses hold up the moon. And as Autumn is also a time of turning our energies inward, the bears represent the hibernation or inwardness of the spirit as they march to the west which is the cardinal direction associated with the Fall. The dream catcher in the center adds to this theme where the jeweled net of Indra (from the Buddhist tradition) invites us to remember that all phenomena are intimately connected.

Song for Autumn

In the deep fall
don’t you imagine the leaves think how
comfortable it will be to touch
the earth instead of the
nothingness of air and the endless
freshets of wind? And don’t you think
the trees themselves, especially those with mossy,
warm caves, begin to think

of the birds that will come — six, a dozen — to sleep
inside their bodies? And don’t you hear
the goldenrod whispering goodbye,
the everlasting being crowned with the first
tuffets of snow? The pond
vanishes, and the white field over which
the fox runs so quickly brings out
its blue shadows. And the wind pumps its
bellows. And at evening especially,
the piled firewood shifts a little,
longing to be on its way.

—Mary Oliver

(Original painting and prints are available of this mandala. Contact me via www.sacredartstudio.net for more information.)

Offering to the River

 

Offering our nature mandala from the Festival of Faith event last month to the Willamette River. See previous posts for more photos. May we remember that we are interconnected in the web of creation and care for the living earth upon we all dependent. May we have the vision. May it be so.

A Vision

-Wendell Berry

If we will have the wisdom to survive,

to stand like slow-growing trees

on a ruined place, renewing, enriching it,

if we will make our seasons welcome here,

asking not too much of earth or heaven,

then a long time after we are dead

the lives our lives prepare will live here,

their houses strongly placed  upon the valley sides,

fields and gardens rich in the windows.

The river will run clear, as we will never know it,

and over, birdsong like a canopy.

On the levels of the hills will be green meadows,

stock bells in noon shade.

On the steeps where greed and ignorance cut down

the old forest, an old forest will stand,

its rich leaf-fall drifting on its roots.

The veins of forgotten springs will have opened.

Families will be singing in the fields.

In their voices they will hear a music risen out of the ground.

They will take nothing from the ground they will not return,

whatever the grief at parting.

Memory, native to this valley, will spread over it like a grove,

and memory will grow into legend,

legend into song,

song into sacrament.

The abundance of this place,

the songs of its people and its birds,

will be health and wisdom and indwelling light.

This is no paradisal dream.

Its hardship is it possibility.

Festival of Faith: Voices of Youth

Facilitating an interactive nature mandala

Gathering together, we honor all faith traditions.

"Lovers of Creation" and video at the Sacred Art Studio station.

Our youth. Adding their voice for peace, unity, oneness.

Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Indigenous, or Humanist, we add our prayers for peace and healing for the earth to the mandala.

Beauty.

The completed mandala.

Dismantling the mandala. A meditation on impermanence from the Buddhist tradition.

The mandala is gathered up and later offered to the Willamette River to send our prayers to all directions.

I was honored to be part of the 7th Annual Festival of Faith at Trinity Episcopal in NW Portland on October 28th. This year the theme was "Voices of Youth." If our youth can envision peace, there is hope.

A Prayer in Spring

"Pulgaria Mandala" ©Amy Livingstone
(soul-symbol mandala commission)

From my March Sacred Art Studio newsletter. To subscribe, visit www.sacredartstudio.net

A Prayer in Spring by Robert Frost

OH, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
To which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends he will,
But which it only needs that we fulfill.

Spring is gradually emerging here in the Pacific Northwest. The birdsong is abundant, trees are in bud, and the daffodils, in spite of the recent snow, are blooming. New life is indeed emerging after the dark days of winter. I love the interiority and silence during the winter months and yet I feel my inner child again when I venture into the garden, seeking out new shoots of life peaking through the mossy beds covered with leafy debris left in place last Fall to enrich the soil. It's this joy that fills my soul in times of grief and sorrow.

In my last newsletter (and last post here), I was preparing for my annual Living with HeART women's retreat. Twelve of us spent the weekend exploring our sacred creativity, connecting our inner knowing with the ancient wisdom of the medicine wheel, and finding sanctuary from the busyness of our world. It was a holy time. When I returned, I learned that a very close friend had died suddenly while I was away. He had been a close companion and was like a brother to me for many years, so it was quite a shock. Yet he had expressed his world weariness and financial struggles for as long and I do feel in my heart that he has at last found some peace. There will be a gap where his presence once inhabited my daily life but in his death, he has also given me a renewed sense of urgency towards life and purpose. So, in my grief, I find myself a bit impatient with the minutia of daily life and feel an impulse to make some extravagant change as I did twenty years ago after the consecutive deaths of my brother and mother. (I moved to Portland alone with no job, no friends or family.) This time however, it is holding to place, to community, to art, to being, to service...right here, right now. So, I find myself ever more present to the beauty around me in any given moment and to that which is most essential. Which is love as Frost expresses so beautifully in his poem, "For this is love and nothing else is love." As I've shared previously, I do believe, that it is through our grief, that we are able to open our hearts to each other and to the world around us. May all beings be happy. May all beings be loved.

What is most in bud for you right now during this season of rebirth, Spring? As always, I welcome your thoughts.

For love of the EARTH!

The above painting or "Pulgaria Mandala" is a personalized soul-symbol mandala commission. These are unique, one-of-a-kind sacred artworks that are expressions of your soul and support you on your healing/spiritual journey. Read more about these mandalas here at the blog or contact me for more information.

Creation Illumination

From my March Newsletter:
Spring blessings to everyone. At this time of year I am always so awed by the miracle of creation as the earth begins to awaken from her winter slumber. The first daffodils are blooming. Hydrangeas and trees are budding out. Bird song is abundant. With so much happening around the world from the crisis in Japan and the conflicts in the Middle East to the continuing economic challenges facing this country, it helps for me to remember that there is still so much beauty in our world. And like the cycles of the seasons there is also potential for transformation and growth to emerge out of the darkness and suffering.

An area of concern for me has been the plight of endangered species. I was feeling especially bereft for the the dolphins, sea turtles, and birds during (and after) the Gulf oil spill last summer. After a period of mourning, I turned again to the canvas. The Tree of Life emerged at the center and the overarching theme for the piece became "the Garden is right here, right now." Paradise is not in some unknowable future, but right here on this glorious planet. We need only remember the holiness of this place we call home. The endangered polar bear, spotted owl, tiger, and salmon (and honey bee, fenders blue butterfly, and frog) all asked to be included in this mandala or "Creation Illumination" (48 x 48") as shown below. Bringing together symbolism from both the Genesis narrative and those of our earth-honoring ancestors (4 directions, 4 elements, 4 seasons), this painting is a visual scripture that reveals our innate interconnectedness in the web of Creation. Currently in process are two other paintings that will live on either side of this center piece. (The three panels are what is commonly referred to as a triptych.) On the left will be Eve, representative of the feminine and on the right, Adam, the masculine. Here, Adam and Eve reclaim their roles as stewards of Creation per the original Hebrew text. The Hebrew at the bottom of the painting translates as "In the Beginning."

My intention is to show this completed work and have posters/cards printed in order to raise money for organizations working to protect endangered species such as the World Wildlife Fund or Panthera. If you know of any related events or places to show that are open to the public, please contact me.

While working on this center piece I met local poet, Deb Rodney. She shared her poem, Sanctuary, with me. It is so gorgeous and spoke so profoundly to my vision for this work, that I also wanted to share it with you. Enjoy!

May we have, "the courage to sculpt a new heaven on Earth." May it be so.

For love of the EARTH,
Amy


Sanctuary
By Deb Rodney

Divinity is formed from the undulating energy
Of billions of thoughts
Powering gravity, beauty,
Orbiting planets and the living potential of a seed.

Our house of worship stands on the well-worn stones
Of everyday living;
Where the sacred wisdom of nature is honored,
And every breath is a humble and sovereign prayer
Whispered to distances greater
Than the imagination can yet travel.

Heaven is peace
Among the butterflies,
Amidst the sap rising up tall trees,
In the sound of sea water flowing over broken shells,
In the last breath of a fully-lived life.

Heaven is freedom
From fear
And the hunger of poverty and greed;
Where the coyote runs belly-full and for the joy of it,
Where brilliant stars and tiny cells are created
By the magnitude of love
Grown fully.

Holiness arrives quietly
When humility and power meet
And the doors are wide open for tenderness;
When the lonely attachment to separateness
Is consumed in the holy heart
Of the collective heart
Of Us, the Creator.

This ecstasy is the wind and the mud
Igniting the courage
To sculpt a new heaven on Earth;
Where every moment is a miracle of possibilities
And every heartbeat is a living faith for all-

In this sanctuary where we live.

Sanctuary

I recently met local poet Deborah Rodney and as synchronicity would have it, her poem "Sanctuary" spoke directly to the heart and soul of my work. Especially the "Creation" trio of paintings (triptych) that I am currently working on and had hoped to finish in part last week, but was slowed by a cold. I hear the urgent call of the creatures in the painting who are endangered in our world (polar bear, spotted owl, tiger, and salmon) and hope this piece can serve as inspiration to others, in taking action to protect this earth/sanctuary we all call home. As we journey into the new year, may we all remember that the Garden is right here, right now and that all creatures on this beautiful blue planet are asking for our creative vision, wisdom, and gentle stewardship to ensure a sustainable future for all life on earth. Create...Creation...Creature...Creativity To quote Rodney, it is time "to sculpt a new heaven on Earth."

For love of the EARTH!

Sanctuary

By Deborah Rodney

Divinity is formed from the undulating energy

Of billions of thoughts

Powering gravity, beauty,

Orbiting planets and the living potential of a seed.

Our house of worship stands on the well-worn stones

Of everyday living;

Where the sacred wisdom of nature is honored,

And every breath is a humble and sovereign prayer

Whispered to distances greater

Than the imagination can yet travel.

Heaven is peace

Among the butterflies,

Amidst the sap rising up tall trees,

In the sound of sea water flowing over broken shells,

In the last breath of a fully-lived life.

Heaven is freedom

From fear

And the hunger of poverty and greed;

Where the coyote runs belly-full and for the joy of it,

Where brilliant stars and tiny cells are created

By the magnitude of love

Grown fully.

Holiness arrives quietly

When humility and power meet

And the doors are wide open for tenderness;

When the lonely attachment to separateness

Is consumed in the holy heart

Of the collective heart

Of Us, the Creator.

This ecstasy is the wind and the mud

Igniting the courage

To sculpt a new heaven on Earth;

Where every moment is a miracle of possibilities

And every heartbeat is a living faith for all—

In this sanctuary where we live.

Visit www.debrodney.com/ for more information.

Harvest Moon Mandala

In honor of the stunning harvest moon last night on the Equinox! The harvest moon is the full moon at and about the period of fullness that is nearest to the Autumnal Equinox. Here the two leaf goddesses, representative of the Sacred Feminine, embrace the moon while the bears symbolize hibernation or the inwardness of the spirit as they march toward the west which is the cardinal direction associated with Fall. The dream catcher in the center adds to this theme where the jeweled net of Indra (from the Buddhist tradition) invites us to remember that we are all interconnected in the web of life. Prints are available. Please contact me through my web site for more information.

Celtic Tree of Life Mandala

©2010 Amy Livingstone

“Celtic Tree of Life Mandala” for Mary M.

When I met with Mary, she said “When I look at my mandala I want to feel JOY.” Gratitude for life right here, right now in this present moment. As a pagan, shamanic healer, and lover of trees, and with her roots in the Celtic tradition, the Tree of Life and the Triple Spiral called to me for the center of this mandala. The ancient Celts envisioned the cosmos in form of a great tree—the roots deep in the earth and branches stretched to the heavens. The Celtic Tree of Life is the symbol of balance between these worlds; the unification of above and below. Spirit and Earth. It is a sacred symbol of balance and harmony. Within the center and in the larger mandala, the night/dark/new moon and the day/light/sun represents the balance between the masculine and feminine which she is learning to balance through her recovery from cancer.

The number three, as in the shamrock and triple spiral, is significant for Mary, so the three half-circles surround the center mandala represent that number. Within these shapes lie a world of magical creatures that inhabit our world. Often they are too small to see at a passing glance, like a slug or lady bug, but when we slow down and come more fully into the present moment, we are able to appreciate the miracle of all living things and find joy and gratitude in the moment. The hummingbird, butterfly, and dragonfly are symbolic of transformation, beauty, and love. The red flowers are impatiens which are symbolic of “motherly love” which I discovered after being called to paint them when a hummingbird visited these flowers outside my studio door. Synchronicity, spirit guiding my hand. They are reflections of Mary—with her enormous love for your family, community, Mother Earth, and the women she supports in recovery.

The cat—and cougar who curled up with her in the sweat lodge—sleeps quietly as a reminder of her spirit guides. Finally, she spoke of the power of herbs and the importance of rosemary. Framing the mandala are sprigs of rosemary to guide and support Mary on her journey of healing and JOY!

I feel honored and great joy to create these personal, soul-symbol mandalas for others on their journey. When I am immersed in the process of creation, I feel the spirit of the Creator working through me and am enormously blessed to be a vessel in which to birth each of them into the world. For more information about soul-symbol mandalas, please contact me through my web site at www.sacredartstudio.net or call 503.239.9671.

Sacred Art Studio Icon and Peru

I thought I'd share the symbolism around my logo and the inspiration behind it as it directly reflects the intention for my work, my spiritual journey, and the vision that I hold for the world during this transformative time in our history. I painted this icon when I returned from a pilgrimage to Peru in 2006. Dear friends from Canada—Terence, Carol, and Jim, who are also spiritual teachers for me—lead small groups to Peru in order that we may experience this sacred landscape and learn from the indigenous peoples the ancient spiritual teachings of the Andes. The intention for our pilgrimage was inspired in part by The Prophecy of the Eagle and the Condor. There is a lot on the web around the prophecy but in brief:

The prophecy story relates that in the beginning all the earth’s people were one, but long ago they divided into two groups, and each one followed a different path to development. The people of the Eagle became highly scientific and intellectual, indicative of a masculine energy. This would represent those of us living in the industrialized West. Whereas, the people of the Condor became highly attuned to nature and the intuitive realm, or what might be the feminine energy. This refers to the indigenous peoples—or the people of the heart.

It was foretold in the ancient prophecy that during this period of time, or what is referred to as the Fifth Pachacuti (world turned upside down), civilization would be on the brink of collapse which we are now seeing in the extensive ecological degradation of the planet as well as the recent breakdown of our economic structures. The prophecy says that at this time in the earth’s history, the Eagle people and the Condor people will rejoin. Remembering that they are one people, they will reconnect, remember their common origin, share their knowledge and wisdom, and save each other. The eagle and condor will fly together in the same sky, wing to wing, and the world will come into balance after a point of near extinction. Neither the eagles nor the condors will survive without this collaboration, and from this rejoining of the two peoples, a new alloy consciousness will emerge that honors the Eagle people for their remarkable accomplishments of the mind, and honors the Condor people for the deep wisdom of the heart. Together—and only together—the crisis will be resolved and a sustainable future will emerge for all.

As a small community, or allyu, we visited the holy sites of Machu Picchu, Tipon, Ollantaytambo, and Pisaq where we spent time in ceremony and learning from a native community—dear friends/family of our leaders—who are bringing back the ancient ways under the tutelage of the Q’ero shamans. This wonderful community of men, women, and children opened their hearts to us, invited us into their world, and shared their great wisdom (and music!) with us. I felt a profound connection to all the people of Peru as well as to the Earth, or Pachamama as she is known in South America. This truly was a sacred encounter between the eagle and the condor. What a gift to undertake this journey as so many others who are now being called to this holy land. Our allyu was additionally blessed to encounter His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Cusco while he was there making a visit to meet with the Q’eros people, who continue to live high in the Andes and live in reciprocity, or ayni, with Pachamama.

When I returned I was inspired to begin a series of artworks around this journey and am continuing the project at this time. I also felt called to create an icon or logo that would integrate the wisdom of these teachings to represent the long term vision for my work in the world and the studio. The result is a synthesis of the Inka Cross and the mandala (see Shri Yantra Mandala post for more information on mandalas). The Inka Cross (or Chakana) traditionally has wider sections in the north, east, south, and west quadrants, but I felt inspired to emphasize the symmetry throughout the piece to symbolize the balance between the masculine and feminine—as represented by the sun/moon and the yin/yang symbols. The spiral in the North represents the deepening spiritual journey that is needed for all beings to bring about the new emerging consciousness that the prophecy speaks to. The three-stepped quadrants in each of the four directions symbolize: the places we meet or the three realms (upper, middle, lower), the spirit helpers for each realm (condor, puma, serpent), what we bring to community (mind, body, heart) and the three ways we come together in community (labor for all, connection, reciprocity). The Inka cross essentially represents a spiritual and ethical framework for living in harmony with each other and the Earth. And at the center my icon is the heart of the world—love—which is my vision for a world at peace and one that honors the Earth and all life upon her. May it be so. Aho.

Shri Yantra Mandala

Shri Yantra Mandala

Soul-symbol Mandala for G. Ota
At the center of the mandala is a Hindu 'Shri Yantra.' This represents the union between the masculine and feminine. The Sri Yantra is a configuration of nine interlacing triangles centered around the bindu (center), drawn by the super imposition of five downward pointing triangles, representing Shakti; the female principle and four upright triangles, representing Shiva; the male principle. The nine triangles also represent the spiritual journey from the material realm to ultimate enlightenment. I was drawn to this symbol for you as it brings together in union your bold, masculine nature (as you spoke of with me) with those feminine aspects of yourself—compassionate heart, relationality, generosity, and healer.

The center of the mandala symbolizes the cosmos, the union with the divine (enoughness), which is then held by the cycles of the moon (31 days to represent your birth month) and nature (where you feel closest to God) and the cycles of the seasons. The four Japanese characters read as the cycles of the seasons. To the North is Winter. To the East is Spring (daffodils). To the South is Summer (echinacea). To the West is Fall. Framing the mandala, I was drawn to the bright red and green from the Japanese culture which represents your ancestral line and wisdom. The lotus pattern a reminder of death, rebirth, and healing. When you meditate with this mandala, my hope is that you will know that you are more than enough and whole. You are one with all creation and a gift to us all.

About Soul Symbol Mandalas
Mandala is sanskrit for circle. The mandala has long been a vehicle for healing and meditation in many spiritual traditions including Native American and Tibetan sand paintings. In Christianity, the twelfth-century abbess and visionary Hildegard of Bingen often expressed her illuminations of God through mandala paintings. A mandala represents wholeness and can be seen as a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our connection to the Divine, or God, as well as our interconnectedness in the web of life. In this way, mandalas are an expression of the Sacred that is both immanent and transcendent.

My studies in the spiritual traditions of the world have given me a broader understanding of the shared symbolism that weaves itself throughout the sacred texts of Eastern and Western religions—most notably within the mystical arms of these religions—with those of earth-honoring traditions. It is my intention to create a visual tapestry that expresses our innate interconnectedness within the web of life. In 2002, I began practicing and studying earth-based spirituality and, more recently, shamanism which is an ancient but still practiced healing modality among indigenous communities around the world. Bringing together these two ancient healing practices of the mandala and shamanism, I offer original soul-symbol mandalas to support you on your spiritual and healing journey. Contact me at www.sacredartstudio.net for more information. aho