Aquarius New Moon Mandala
February 11, 2021
23♒️17
Fierce Love
I began the cycle finishing my thoughts on the Capricorn lunation and posting them on the Mandala Journal website later than I’d like. I decided that day was the day I was going to tackle my breathing room as it had gotten out of control. (A “breathing room” is a term used by Thich Nhat Hanh as a room in one’s home where one can go to get away from the craziness of life… to meditate, create, or just sit comfortably in a chair and look out the window.) After tidying up, I prepared my dream book for the Aquarian cycle, ordered some new crystals, and laid out the message from my Old Friend for this cycle which oddly enough was very self centered… to live my purpose (Moonstone), schedule myself in (Ocean Jasper), set strong boundaries (Black Kyanite), recall my dreams (the kind you have when you sleep – Lepidolite) and be kind to myself (Pink Opal) while trusting my intuition (Amethyst) among others. ~Daily Crystal Inspiration Deck.
In the evening I consecrated Twin Tiger Iron hearts I had purchase during the last cycle with the energy of the stellium in Aquarius as recommended by the team at Crystal Vaults. A stellium is a collection of planets in one sign and this was quite the line up – Moon, Sun, (Pallas Athena), Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn. I regret that I cannon recall who, but someone remarked that this was a house full of weird. Lol… I consecrated one heart for use in my sacred space symbolizing the element of Air and the other as a touchstone to carry with me. Every time I pick it up I hear the 5th Dimension singing:
“Harmony and understand,
sympathy and trust abounding,
No more falsehoods or derision
Golden living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revelation
And the mind’s true liberation…”
Okay… I really only hear the first two lines… but the rest is implied. 😉
“I understand that we want people to feel motivated to create the life they want. To create a world where that is possible for everyone would be a beautiful thing. But, in order to create that world, we must also embrace the fact that not everyone can manifest their dreams. There are many casualties on the battlefield of life. And we must prioritize their care, just as we prioritize our manifestation. Because the world of our most beautiful imaginings must stand on humane ground. The actualization of human potential and the comforting of the fallen are threads of the same holy weave.”
~ Jeff Brown,
The overall sense I had from the beginning of this cycle was summed up in another song, by Joe South, “Walk a Mile in My Shoes.” Better yet, to find someone totally opposite from my situation and walk in their shoes for a bit so I can learn… grow… come to know them and understand their perspective and situation better… and in so doing understand my own perspective and situation and my relationship to them in a deeper and more meaningful way. These words were so very true as the events of this cycle unfolded. I preface this by saying how truly fortunate I am. I can say in all sincerity and humility I did not walk in anyones shoes but through the events of this cycle the eyes of my heart were opened to the daily struggles of many.
The first event involved Snowmageddon… a week long freeze in the southern states. We were very fortunate to be able to acquire warm shelter, clean water and food. No pipes burst. Others were not so fortunate. The upside was the observance of a community’s outpouring of compassion for one another… in offers of aid… wood… water… food… blankets… and assistance. Truly heart warming. Others like myself monitored the neighborhood FB page and offered suggestions on keeping warm and lighting a dark room with no electricity that were forwarded from a very resourceful friend in Jersey. Thanks Amy!
Another was an example of someone “in the hospital system” easily acquiring an appointment for a Covid vaccine while someone outside “the system” struggling to find a local provider. The struggle was real and the difference quite evident. I still hear stories about people outside the system in the first stages of the vaccination process that are still not getting in.
The Mandala
Reprinting Sunny’s template as it will be easier to see the hearts in which I could not help but see an orchid! Not an exact replica but there is something in the way the hearts interconnect that reminds me of an orchid, one of the flowers associated with Aquarius. “Orchids are symbolic of love, fertility and elegance throughout various cultures and time periods.” (FTD). Orchids are also considered to be exotic – out of the ordinary.
Four interlocking hearts in side a square
Four: earth, order responsibility, form, planning. (Auntie Moon)
And hearts… love. And seeing that we are in the lunar cycle of Aquarius this love might take the form of “friendship, brotherhood, group activities, social pursuits, group projects, trying something new, or humanitarian efforts.” (Auntie Moon)
Lavender for tranquility, compassion and kindness and well as femininity and inspiration. Also, my Aquarian godmother LOVES purple. Mixing in pale yellow for the air sign that is Aquarius.
Speckled of course… orchid style. I found a picture of such an orchid. Quite lovely! Now that it is colored and the more I look at it the way I colored it, it could have made quite a nice white Peace flower as well.
The 4 hearts point to the corners of the Square as if to say “this love is meant to be spread far and wide… to the four corners of the earth.” It is totally inclusive! Excludes nothing… and no one.
Aquamarine for the square because the earth is primarily water and you just need something in aqua for Aquarius. 😉
The mandorlas/vesicas/almond shapes are created where the hearts intersect creating a doorway, a channel… giving us space for something new and other-worldly to be brought forth. A new and deeper love perhaps? And, the deep pool at the center (with a fountain perhaps?) for the Water-Bearer as well, in Copenhagen Blue.
Twelve (also overlapping) ovals create the 8 green leaves, the 4 pale-yellow centers of the orchid-hearts and the golden yellow shapes in the center. Not particularly orchid-like but the center shapes remind me of the stamens of a flower lending this already symbolically fertile orchid an extra dose of virility.
I have written about 12 before… representing “what is completed, that which forms a whole, a perfect and harmonious unit”. (Riding the Beast)
36 overlapping, petals around the outside started out yellow, but the more I sat with the energy of it… felt more God-like, so pink for unconditional love and white for purity to lay the ground work for the work of sharing the love.
36 symbolizes “philanthropy, humanitarianism, family, home, idealism, optimism, creativity and self-expression.” (angelnumber)
There are three circles in total – 3: “self-expression, creative, social, movement” (Auntie Moon) from my point of view three also symbolizes The Holy Trinity. There is almost always a connection to divinity in 3’s for me. I had thought to color the ring near the center a different color… but decided against it… allowing it to hide in plain site. The ring, like a wreath, has no beginning or end… and like the love of God is never ending.
You’ll notice I’ve used the word “overlapping” at least 3 times. This speaks to the inherent interconnectedness found in this mandala… not unlike a finely woven tapestry.
“…The Other – whether manifesting outside us or taking internal form – is not in need of new information, strategies, techniques, or beliefs,
but longs and burns for you…
your presence,
your tenderness,
your raw unfiltered being,
your love.”
~Matt Licata through Pam Younghans
“Here I am again, standing outside, the cold air wrapped around me like an ironic blanket, the stars watching, as they always do, while I seek to pray my way back to bed, too troubled to sleep, too aware that somewhere, out there, someone else is awake with worries. It does not matter to me how they pray or how they believe. It only matters that we share this night, drawn together by an unseen hand, siblings of the night, awake to each other by that strange chemistry of the human heart, able to feel one another’s presence, even across oceans of dark water. Your hurt is my hurt. Your need is my need. Your hope is my hope, it is what brings me out, calls me out, to say this prayer for you. There are no strangers in the house of stars, the Spirit’s house, where prayers are spoken at all hours of the night and day, and where souls search to connect with a love that will truly last till dawn.”
~Steven Charleston
“A memory surfaced as I rocked my granddaughter in my arms, her tiny hand holding onto my finger as she slept. I was remembering the moment when each of our three sons were born; a new facet of love was also birthed in me. A Fierce Love! A love that was absolute and lit a fire deep within my soul. A love that declared, “I will protect and lay down my life for you without hesitation.” Becoming a grandmother awakened this feeling within me once again. I realized that the power of this fierce love could arise and be applied to every aspect of our lives.
When we use this bold power of love to ignite the passion of our life’s purpose, we can step out of our comfort zone and create from the truth of all that we are. We can bring healthy boundaries around us that declares the fierce love we have for ourselves. We can choose to relax some of our self-imposed, stress-inducing rules that take hold of our time. We can step outside and breathe the fresh air to activate the knowing that we are part of Nature. We can carve out time to be still; to reflect on our life, our path, and our journey with those we love. We can open new doorways that bring in the Light!
I wish for you the power of a Fierce Love, to ignite your passion, to laugh easily, to dance freely, and to be bold in loving yourself.”
~Linda Burns shared by Pam Younghans
I think I shared earlier that, at the encouragement of Donna Drozda at Wren House Studio, I adopted a Metta Practice this year. This practice was introduced to me many years ago through a yoga instructor and then again while on retreat in the dessert for my 40th birthday. The prayer is said four times offering it for self, one you love, a neutral person such as a grocery store checkout person and an enemy. I tap into Metta every now and again. This year, it follows my daily (or nearly daily) meditation practice. It occurs to me that when we can love ourselves, the average Joe we meet as we go about our day or an enemy with the fierce love we have for those we dearly love, when we can lift up the casualties on the battlefield of life as we manifest the life of our dreams then we’re really getting somewhere. What a tapestry that would be. So yes! I too, wish for us, ALL of us, the power of a Fierce Love, to ignite our passion, to laugh easily, to dance freely and to be bold in loving ourselves… our fiercely loving, raw unfiltered, authentic selves! What a world… what a world.
Love, Hugs and Blessings,
L xoxxx
Soli Deo Gloria