Carl G. Jung, the brilliant Swiss psychiatrist adopted the Sanskrit word Mandala and used Mandalas to help himself and his patients heal.
A circle organizes all that is within and as such, the Mandala is a microcosm of the macrocosm of the universe.
A form of Mandala – the Great Round – was developed by the great art therapist, Joan Kellogg, in order to help us understand our own stages of growth. It turns out that our subconscious and collective minds do reflect nature in its perfection as nature and life is cyclical.
There are periods of growth, periods of stagnation and of death. I study the Tao Te Ching and Divine using the I Ching. The Tao and the I Ching interpret the cyclical flow of events. Mandalas and the Great Round are other tools that we can use. Kellogg studied thousands of mandalas and found that there was a recurring pattern in the drawings. Labyrniths are also circular and useful for shutting down our left brain thinking side, thus allowing our right brain creative side to flow.
The Archetypical Stages of the Great Round, is a series of developmental stages that we all go through, reflecting the cycles of growth of nature, numbering 12 stages. Each stage has a task. Here a the stages with a brief description:
1 – The Void – This is akin to fertile black soil of creation
2 – Bliss – Like a baby in its mother’s womb with images of water
3 – Labyrinth/Spiral – A quickening of life, like the Breath of God Upon the Waters
4 – Beginning – A trusting state where we are in the mothers world
5 – The Target – Separation from Paradise, an awareness of self as separateness
6 – Dragon Fight – A time of inner conflict during which we give birth to a new sense of self
7 – Squaring the Circle – A time to learn, plan and love, on top of the world at high noon
8 – The Functioning Ego Symbolized by a star, a clear sense of self is developed.
9 – Crystallization – feelings of satisfaction, harmony and fulfillment
10 – Gates of Death – the connection between ego and self grows distant.
11 – Fragmentation – The dark night of the soul, confusion, fear
12 – Transcendental Ecstasy – Returning home, able to accept the gift of grace
Life being cyclical in nature, we go back to the void and start again.
Stages 1 through 6 are related to the Mother. Stages 7 to 12 are related to the Patriarchy.
Humans reflect nature in these stages and we repeat these stages over and over again in our lives.
Stephen's Musings 