Mandalas Archives - Illuminated Rose

In Memory of Rajita Sivananda (Judith Cornell)

May 082014

May 8^th is the day of the birth of my mentor and dear friend, Rajita Sivananda, formally known as Judith Cornell. She is the award-winning author of Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing, The Mandala Healing Kit, Drawing the Light From Within, and many other wonderful books. I think of Rajita often but yesterday and today I am filled with thoughts and memories, and joys of our times together and the wonderful phone conversations we shared.

It was 24 years ago that I took my first mandala class with Judith at Omega Institute. It was such a spiritual opening and joy for me that I continued to study with her, soon becoming one of her assistants and eventually, her co-facilitator.

In 1979, Rajita, had a spiritual awakening and her art changed dramatically. She started to teach mandala classes that helped participants to use mandalas as a tool for self-discovery and spiritual awakening.

The picture I have attached is one that I took at the last mandala training she presented. We were in the middle of our sand mandala dissolution, and I remember thinking that this would probably be our last training together. Judith had confided in me about the condition of her health, stage 4 cancer and yet, she looked radiant and beautiful and I recall how even until the very last day of this life, she looked beautiful.

At her last teleconference, she relayed to her beloved students that she would not be in this body for much longer, and that if we were feeling loss and suffering, that we should work through that, because we are seeing it from the ego. “If you remember me from the heart and love, we will be together. I will be with you.“

Rajita is remembered as a bringer of light on the planet.

Rajita had a good passing. She was surrounded the whole week with close friends and family. We chanted the Mahamrityunjaya chant in the room adjacent to her bedroom. We read to her and the apartment was filed with feelings of love and light. She passed in peace and with presence.

I learned so much from Rajita. Some of the many gifts I received from her include:

The gift of silence
The importance of holding strong intentions for everything you do or want to create.
How to create and hold sacred space
When in a state of worry, to take the mountain view, – from perspective your problems don’t often seem so great.
Remember to create and speak from the HEART not the head.
Never label anyone in a negative role. That only holds them there. See everyone as a reflection of God
Before you teach a class, hold in your heart the soul of every participant and assistant, even before they show up, even if you haven’t met them before. Hold that their highest good be supported and their soul will flower and flourish.
We are reflecting and transmitting light in our drawings and remember that we are not the doers , we are receiving this Divine light and expressing it.

I am very grateful that our lives have so beautifully intertwined. and until we meet again, know that I love you.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

3rd Annual It’s All Good

Events, Mandalas No Responses »

Mar 252014

This past weekend, I attended the 3rd Annual “It’s All Good” event, organized by be the example, a 501(c)3 organization created to provide opportunities to inspire and empower others to recognize and embrace the gifts that lay in the heart (compassion, kindness, gratitude, love, understanding) and to pay them forward.

What is “it’s all good!”? Let’s start with what it is not. It is not a health and wellness fair, not a psychic fair, not a symposium, expo or a conference and not a festival. It is a unique event, a gathering, created to provide a “feel good” day to all who attend. It is a day to feed your soul, expand your mind and feel connected.

We facilitated a communal sand mandala and were honored to be a part of this lovely event and meet so many wonderful people. Thank you so much to Debbie Goldman for organizing “It’s All Good” and inviting us to participate.

View more photos from this event

Mahamrityunjaya Yantra for Healing

Mandalas, Yantras No Responses »

Nov 042013

I love creating all kinds of mandalas from the various wisdom traditions and with a variety of materials.

Creating mandalas is a way of quieting the mind, focusing our energies and tuning into spiritual concepts. A yantra (Sanskrit for “instrument”) is one type of geometric mandala. A yantra usually contains sacred geometry that has been passed down through the Hindu tradition.

Meditating on a mandala draws you to the bindu (the center of the mandala) and enables you to go inward and discover your true nature. The bindu is the cosmic center of the yantra and represents the origin of the supreme consciousness from which everything comes forth and to which everything returns.

This is a basic Mahamrityunjaya yantra that I painted last year. First I constructed the yantra in the center and then I added symmetrical designs called vedic squares. Then I enhanced the painting with some images I choose and added several washes and layers to achieve the final result.

While creating your mandala, you hold sacred space and prayer in your mind. The mantra that is chanted for this mandala is hailed by the sages as the heart of the Vedas and is said to help you tune into the healing force that is always at work within you. You might be familiar with this sacred Sanskrit chant as it has been sung by many New Age singers lately:

Om.

Tryambakam yajamahe 

Sugandhim pushti-vardhanam 

Urvarukamiva bandhanan

 Mrityor mukshiya mamritat

Simple translation : Om. We worship three-eyed Lord Siva, who is fragrant and who nourishes and nurtures all beings. As the ripened cucumber on the vine will hang until cut by the gardener, Lord Siva, liberate us from death to immortality.

This powerful mantra is said to remove obstacles and the fear of death and bring happiness and health to life. You can hear these verses here.

May you be filled with health and bliss and love.

The 23rd Annual Visionary Art Intensive

Events, Mandalas No Responses »

Aug 012013

We are back from an amazing week with Alex and Allyson Grey at the Visionary Art Intensive at Omega Institute July 2013. It was a magical gathering of conscious and creative beautiful, loving souls. What an honor to be with my dear friends and mentors, the Greys, and all the amazingly talented and inspiring visionary artists. I was honored to have been the Greys’ assistant and have such gratitude for this blessing. I was able to teach painting ideas and facilitate a communal sand mandala.

And so the Visionary Art Love Tribe Family continues to grow…

Communal Sand Mandala

Check out more photos from this event here.

The Mandala: Drawing Sacred Symbols for Awakening & Healing

Events, Mandalas No Responses »

Jul 172013

Thank you to all of you who joined us at our class, The Mandala: Drawing Sacred Symbols for Awakening & Healing, at Omega Institute last week! And thank you to all our friends who held us in your hearts and sent your good intentions our way…

What a joyous week, with such wonderful participants – each one adding their own gifts, talents and lessons. I feel so grateful to be able to share this great work.

Communal sand mandala Dismantling the sand mandala

Check out more photos from this event here.

Dragonfly Mandala

Mandalas, Nature No Responses »

Jun 252013

The last fairy mandala I made inspired me to create a dragonfly mandala. Dragonflies are so beautiful and very special to me… and seeing one is a good omen. Because they start their life on the water and then go through a metamorphosis, and become air dwellers, they combine the emotions of water element and the mind of air. They represent transformation, grace, ease of movement and, because they reflect the sun, they also relate to light and colorful transformation.

Here are some photos I have taken of dragonflies:

New Mandala based on the Octagram

Mandalas, Yantras No Responses »

Jun 242013

This week I created a new mandala using the octagram as its base symbol:

Flower Deva

Here are some other mandalas that I created using the octagram as a basis:

This yantra vedic square I created has the Hindu symbol for Venus (the center of which is represented by octagrams):

Venus Vedic Square

Octagrams are formed from overlapping squares often emphasize duality: yin and yang, female and male, spiritual and material. Squares are often connected with the physical world: four elements, four cardinal directions, etc. Together, they can mean both positive and negative aspects (of the four elements, for example) and the balancing of them. I have created many mandalas with this sacred geometry as its basis.

Owl Flower of Life

Mandalas No Responses »

Jun 182013

Many of you know how much I love drawing sacred geometry and today, while creating an expanding Flower of Life design, I saw the face and body of an owl in it. Maybe I should have just left the owl out and let you all see whatever comes to mind, but no erasing these pencils so here I present my Owl Flower of Life.. See more on the Flower of Life here.

Love to Everyone, Everywhere ~ All You Need is Love!

Holidays, Mandalas No Responses »

Feb 092013

“Love can accomplish anything and everything. Love can cure diseases, Love can heal wounded hearts and transform human minds. Through love, one can overcome all obstacles.” – Ammachi

Illuminated Rose Inc. would like to wish you all a wonderful and happy Valentine’s Day filled and overflowing with LOVE.

A Touch of Venus

Mandalas, Yantras No Responses »

May 222012

Vitruvian Woman
Eileen M. Rose, pencil and marker

June 5th Venus will be transiting the Sun. This is an event only happening 4x every 243 years. The last time was June 2004.

The Venus de Milo

Ava Gardner as Venus

In mythology, Venus is the Roman Goddess of Love and Beauty, and closely related to the Greek Goddess, Aphrodite. Many think of the Goddess Venus as the armless statue, Venus de Milo. (I remember my father warning my sister, “That’s what’s gonna happen if you keep biting your nails”) Other first memories of the Goddess Venus are from one of my favorite old black and white movies I used to watch as a girl, “One One Touch of Venus, played by the beautiful Ava Gardner. It taught me of Venus’s gifts of love and beauty.

As the transit of Venus is in the news and on our minds, what a great opportunity for us to examine and redefine the meaning of love and beauty, and because it is in Gemini as it transits, this creates something new in the way of communication. Every 8 years Venus returns to the same place in the zodiac where it was before. It is now returning to its position of 2004. In 2004 there was a leap in communication (with internet, cell phones) And now a huge door of communication may be opening as to how we communicate and relate to each other. Attune to how we share our ideas and expression and communication in a whole new way.

The Celestial Path of Venus

The path of Venus creates a 5 petal rose by doing this 8 year cycle dance in the movement of hearts and creating this 5 pointed star mandala. You must see this wonderful video of the Tango of Earth and Venus around the Sun.

Because of this path, Venus closely relates to the Golden Mean – (Phi,) and the Pentagram, the shape that relates perfectly to the Golden Mean and the Fibonacci series of numbers.

Sunflower by P.C. Truzcen

The Fibonacci ratio creates the golden mean spiral, as in our galaxies. And in so many flowers, shells, and, pine cones and other forms in nature, as so beautifully illustrated in the Sunflower painting by P.C. Truzcen. Everything is all related.

So if you have the chance to see Venus or even without looking to the skies, become aware of how to live in harmony with nature. In this link, John Wadsworth give a great explanation of this event of the Venus Transit on June 5th/6th 2012.

venus-transit-art-120502-hp

You can see the path that Venus will travel in those brief few hours when it passes over the sun, live from NASA. There is a video of how it will look.

In Hindu mythology, Venus, known as Shukra, is the son if the great seer Bhrigu. Bhrigur taught his son all of the spiritual sciences and scriptures. They too believed that Venus is an embodiment of love and a benefit planet and governs the refined attribute, romance, beauty, sensuality, passion, beauty, wealth, art, music, dance.

Here are two of my Venus yantra paintings as taught to me by Pieter Weltevrede and Mavis Gewant in the tradition passed down to them by Harish Johari. The mantra to recite for Lord Venus is Om Shukraaya Namaha.

Venus Yantra Vedic Square painting by Eileen Rose

Venus Yantra Vedic square painting by Eileen Rose

Venus by Pieter Weltevrede

The paragraphs below are from the Midland School of Astrology:

The Meaning of Venus

If you do not know any astrology, that’s no problem, you can read this, for I will be describing things in layman’s terms.

Venus is an Earth or Earthy planet. This much must be understood at the beginning. So what she delivers (or takes away) is manifestly and concretely felt. You can hold it, celebrate it and use it. Venus seeks gratification, pleasure and fulfilment. She will give affirmation and success in war or love because her aim is to manifest it …….to make it happen – whatever that is. Venus understands the beauty of form, possession and manifestation.

She is useful in practical and everyday living for protection, power and support. She supports aspiration, success and ac

hievement in LIFE. To the Egyptians, her symbol, the ankh, was known as the Giver of Life.

Boticelli’s
Birth of Venus

The Meaning of the Sun

This is the energy storehouse of our existence. The Sun’s immense nuclear and spiritual power fuels our lives from within and without. Many ancient and not-so-ancient cultures believed that the Sun was the source of all Spirit. It is the heart and ruler of our Solar System and it controls all life with the heat that warms and the energy (calories) that emanate from it both invisibly and visibly. So the Sun gives light and invisible power.

What do They Mean Together?

On the surface of it, together they mean something very successful and powerful, but on this occasion they might just SAVE THE PLANET! Sort of a cosmic Superman and Superwoman actually. For if you haven’t noticed, Earth is in trouble and we need a miracle. We are heavily over-populated and we are indulging in massive over-consumerism. Debt has fuelled over-inflation and the over-consumption of our planets raw materials. In short, we have been asleep in the wheelhouse of the Titanic for the last two decades and now we need a miracle! So hopefully, this Venus Transit can deliver one…… Read more from Midland School here.

As Venus blesses the Earth with her presence, let us not just witness this, but use this time to connect to the energies of love and to do what we can do to keep peace, balance, and love in our lives with our relationships. with our surroundings, and even with our enemies. Can you forgive and love unconditionally?

Synchronistically, at our Mandala Class at Omega Institute, on the day of the transit of Venus, we will be doing processes on Unconditional Love, Gifting and Forgiveness. A perfect way to honor the qualities of Venus.

For more info on the transit of Venus you can check out these video links:

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