Capricorn New Moon Mandala
December 28, 2016
Salt and Light and Making Music in the Heart
As you can see from the date above, this cycle began on December 28, 2016 and as of this writing we find ourselves at the mid-point or “in the belly” of winter. After having celebrated the beautiful season of love and light in many and varied ways, we welcomed the New Year, many often choosing to do so by making resolutions. Being the hard working power sign, this cycle is a good one for establishing new habits and routines.
One of my favorite sightings from the cycle was “The Wishbone Tree.”
Covered in leaves, you’d never have seen the wishbone in the summer. The winter winds have begun to blow some of the residual “baggage” out of grasping limbs (a symbolic representation of those things that no longer serve us and yet we hang on to for various reasons.) This dead branch, however, reminds us to hope… to dare… to wish… to dream …
The Mandala
From the get go this mandala wanted to emerge from darkness and only black paper would do. Not sure how to accomplish that, I googled the process and decided upon applying a thin layer of white artist’s block to the back of the printed mandala and writing over the image with an ink pen, transferring the image to the dark paper. White chalk would accomplish the same thing. Five shapes create this mandala:
Six elongated diamonds create the star at the center and the outstretched arms that reach out into the body of the mandala. White was selected for its purity. A fuzzy line encases the outstretched arms of the star to create a sense of expanding light. This light cannot be contained. The number 6 is a symbol of completeness that idealizes beauty and high ideals. (http://mysticalnumbers.com/number-6/)
“Six is a number perfect in itself, not because God created all things in six days; rather, the convert is true. God created all things in six days because the number is perfect.”
Saint Augustine (The City of God)
Words that describe triangle symbolism are: gender, creativity, harmony, proportion, ascension, culmination, illumination, integration, subjectivity, manifestation, (http://www.whats-your-sign.com/triangle-meaning.html)
Three triangles are found here, two masculine (pointing up) and one feminine (pointing down.) The central triangle refers to the power inherent in the masculine symbol and connects to the energy of Capricorn. The lager triangles are balanced, that is they are the same size and together create a six-pointed star. In addition to the reference to six above, there is also a home-ing quality to six. Here the triangles speak to me of unifying heavenly ideals with earthly ones – creating heaven on earth. Funny, I would normally color the masculine triangle lighter and the female darker to further symbolize the qualities of yin and yang inherent in them, but for what ever reason here they are represented in opposite.
Six intersecting rhombuses create the “fish tails” reminiscent of the fish tail of Capricorn. They are placed around the 6 combined points of the larger intersecting triangles, further unifying the symbol and, in reference to Capricorn, supports achievement. I chose mulberry to represent higher ideals.
A heptagram (seven sided shape in green) encases the piece. Seven is the number of perfection, security, safety and rest. (http://mysticalnumbers.com/number-7/)
I chose the Pantone Color for 2017 – Greenery, symbolic of new beginnings and the joy of Spring. Green is also the color of the heart center…the place where joy resides. (https://www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year-2017)
Five circles radiate from center to border. The rings are likened to ripples in water from a stone’s throw. The ripples carry the light found deep within outward. Five represents Balance. (http://mysticalnumbers.com/number-5/)
The circles, then, are pictured in blue-violet – the color of the spectrum for Capricorn.
This mandala speaks to me of being light in darkness, of tempering earthly power with heavenly values (balance), of coming home to our truest selves … and the beautiful light that we are.
The Month
As the Christmas season came to a close, “Now the Work of Christmas Begins” composed by Howard Thurman, an African-American theologian, educator, and civil rights leader, circulated on Facebook:
“When the song of the angels is stilled,
when the star in the sky is gone,
when the kings and princes are home,
when the shepherds are back with their flocks,
the work of Christmas begins:
to find the lost,
to heal the broken,
to feed the hungry,
to release the prisoner,
to rebuild the nations,
to bring peace among the people,
to make music in the heart.”
This is the work of Light and Love if ever there was.
I saw the movie Hidden Figures during this cycle (A MUST SEE!) set in the early 1960’s about brilliant, black, female mathematicians that worked at NASA and were instrumental in sending a manned space craft to the moon and back. These beautiful (inside and out) and brilliant women did not complain about their circumstance. They worked with tremendous curiosity and passion in the circumstances in which they found themselves, while making history in a very special way. Remarkable women! I am so grateful that their story has finally been told. They are hidden no more.
At the end of the cycle, Lovie and I took a trip to Italy. It has been on his bucket list for ages. I will fondly remember this trip for years to come…the history, the beautiful artwork, architecture and scenery, the people who work with pride and dignity no matter their position, and their way of life will long have an impact on me. Taking time each day in the middle of the day to take a break, rest, recover and come back to the task refreshed, and renewed – much in the fashion of that Pantone Greenery mentioned above, their lives are much more relaxed, less stressed, less rushed and more balanced. Balanced…between the head and the heart. Anchored between responsibility to duty and self care they call me to rest and stillness.
Though the writing of this is well past the beginning of the next new moon, I cannot help but feel that the readings from this past weekend are part of the energy of this mandala. The gospel reading in particular, from Matthew 5:13-16, speaks of being salt (that adds the fullness of flavor to life), and light (that shines and is not hidden). (http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/020517.cfm).
And so, in this cycle, we were encouraged to begin the work of love planted in our hearts during the season of Light and Love. I began this post speaking of resolutions. What are they, really? But, a desire to make a difference in the world around us and/or to become a better version of our truest selves in the coming year – the version that more directly matches the Light within. What songs are being sung in our heart of hearts? And, how can we add the fullest possible flavor to our life – to really live it – in joy and peace and in the process bring joy and peace to the lives of those around us? It need not be complicated. The way of love is often simple, uplifting and will add no burden to one’s self or to another’s. I, myself, am looking forward to adding an evening session to the Prayer Shawl Ministry – the fruits of which are such a blessing and a source of compassion to those dwell in darkness.
Love, Hugs and Blessings,
Lynn xoxxx
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