In nature, flowers spiral out of a center, in concentric circles. For example, imagine the lotus, the daisy and the Black-Eyed Susan. Shells and ferns coil out from a nucleus. Snowflakes and spiderwebs revolve and form intricate designs from a core as well. Rock geodes and tree trunks cut in half show pure mandalas formed over hundreds of years.

Mandalas are nothing less than intrinsic to our galaxy. Indeed, our cells and atoms are mandalas. 

Dr. Seuss was right when he wrote Horton hears a Who and described how a whole world lives inside a speck of dust. I recall being entranced by the childhood pastime of happily crafting mandalas with Spirograph.  

Mandalas illustrate and embody the interconnectedness of our weblike existence, 

Coloring in mandalas are not only a way to play, infusing our creative juices with guidelines, curves and hues, it is likewise a process wherein we relate to, and engage with, the cycle and circle of life.

It is interesting to note that mandalas exist in American indigenous tribes, Eastern religious sects and nature. 

Mandala in Sanskrit means circle. Mandalas are symbols of the universe. They are a spiritual diagram of the cosmos. In many cases, their geometric pattern includes a square. Each side of the square is a T shaped gate, representing a portal. Within these gates is a center point. Mandalas are a meditative tool. They help us create a sacred space and find focus. 

Native American mandalas include dream catchers and labyrinths. When we ponder the patterned circles, we come across various metaphors. You may see and understand the web of life, the infinite voyage of our soul’s journey, the power of nature or celestial wisdom. 

Tibetan Buddhist monks have a ritual wherein they fill in huge, floor mandalas with colored sand for days. They meticulously pour handfuls or finger amounts of sand onto sacred, encircled shapes. When they finish their multicolored live artwork, they blow the surface off, dispersing and destroying their handiwork. This is a symbolic reminder of the immediacy, fluidity and impermanence of life.