2015 Libra New Moon Mandala © Lynn Keefer
Libra New Moon Mandala
October 12/13 ~ November 10, 2015
I Balance
In Libra, we reach the midpoint of the natural year… the fulcrum or balance point if you will. Libra is the first full cycle of the inward, yin-ward movement of energy. With Libra the light continues to shorten and the darkness grows. Libra asks us to consider our relationships, and the balance and harmony needed to live life in this plane with grace. The call to listen came early as one way to strengthen our relationships. And the year long message of self-care continues to be very much alive and well. But, the greatest teacher for me this cycle has been Acorn.
This year we’ve had a bumper crop of acorns known as a mast year so there have been many invitations to ponder…wonder… and consider this little nut. My first thought was that these little seeds hold such great potential and when buried in the dark earth and nurtured will yield a magnificent oak tree one day. Acorns then became for me a symbol of dreams, goals, wishes and desires.
Across the street from my house many of the fallen acorns were found crushed, symbolizing the dreams that are, for one reason or another, not meant to be and along with that feelings of disappointment, loss and grief.
An acorn can fall a great distance and land on the ground perfectly sound, yet when just a bit of pressure is applied they are easily crushed, representing the fragility of dreams and the need to proceed with love and care especially in the company of another’s dreams.
As I write this, I also think of the great abandon with which these little seed-bombs (to quote my friend Rich) fall to the ground as if courageously flinging themselves from the safety of the nurturing tree in faith and trust to find their own way in the world.
So much in a little seed…dreams, wishes, desires, fragility, loss, grief, courage, abandon, faith, and trust. And it was in this balance of darkness and light that I made my way this cycle.
The Mandala: I Balance
2015 Libra New Moon Mandala © Lynn Keefer
The prominent numbers in this mandala are 4 and 6:
Four speaks to precision and attention to detail; organized, practical and dependable; the work done should have merit, quality and durability. ~Auntie Moon.
Six speaks to connecting with family and loved ones, close friends and community. Who needs our attention? Six asks us to nurture the ones we love and beautify our environments. ~Auntie Moon.
As to shapes, we see a recurrence of triangle though this time it is represented in the traditional Star of David pattern (3+3) at noon, 4 and 8, plus 2, 6 and 10:00. And a second set is represented in the 1, 5, 9:00 plus 3, 7 and 11:00 positions. Yin and Yang – the 12 points of completion, of wholeness or w/holy-ness. The two representations together reflect 3 points of a triangle and 4 triangles in total or 3×4 which represents the manifestation of the Trinity to the four corners of the horizon. As described before, this holy manifestation is present in every direction. Gold is often my color for the things of G-d. Crème is a “soul” color for me.
A third Star of David is created by six sets of doubled hearts. Two overlapping hearts create each of the 6 interconnected heart shapes. I chose green for these hearts as it is the chakra color for the heart, the center of the body, and the color of the spectrum for Libra.
As I worked on the mandala it occurred to me that the interlocking or linking of the rounded sections of the hearts created Mandorlas. Mandorlas, those almond shaped spaces typically produced by interlocking circles, represent the thin places and invite us to the new…the unknown. They are the threshold between where we are now and where we will be in the future. Mandorlas then represent a time of unknowing… a dark time, if you will… of walking in faith and trust. I had first thought of pink, the color of unconditional love, for this shape as I am always wanting to develop that quality. As I got closer to coloring it – pink seemed too bright… too spring…too already there and too “in the know.” This space holds mystery and the unknown. It needed to be dark – the dark of mystery. Not sure what to do with it or how to represent it, I decided to take the dog for out for a short walk. As I left the house there, on the stoop, were 6 acorns. If you’ve been to my house you know my front door is well protected by an ample overhang. It is rare for anything to land on my porch, save some blowing leaves, so to find them there was quite surprising – and 6 six of them no less. Now, as described above, I’ve been (metaphorically) cracking that nut all month long on Facebook; so okay… acorns it is, then!
There are three lines dissecting the mandala into 6 pie pieces. These lines, along with one of the four circles, create a cross in the center of each acorn-inspired mandorlas. It beautifully represents the darkness I feel moving toward the unknown and the excitement of possible potential as well – but not without sacrifice and a dramatic change – the kind of change that transforms. As October so often reveals a sneak peek of the year to come, it will be interesting to see how this manifests. Could be a bit scary… so best to just keep my hands open and go with it. The mandorlas, then, are colored in dark brown and burnt ochre, the crosses in gold.
The final shape, found at the edges of the mandala, harkens back to the circles found in the Virgo New Moon Mandala last cycle. Purple is my favorite color for representing the dignity of who we are and Whose we are. Two more circles join the four from last cycle and open to reveal the message of this Libra New Moon Mandala. Even though there is the element of the unknown – of uncertainty – I find it oddly comforting. It tells me, that, though we may not know where we’re headed or what G-d has in store, we are surrounded, loved, supported, nurtured and guided by this very same G-d Who always has a plan and is closer to us than our very breath.
The Month
At the beginning of the cycle I had had enough and let go of a person I have such a hard time being around. It is so draining to be with someone who at every meeting tries to diminish you. This relationship had reached the point of no return and was quite easy to let go of.
I also found myself strengthening important relationships in my life – particularly my family. Now that the volleyball season is done I can say in all honesty I’m ready for a break and am in no hurry to fill the space – at least not with things or activities outside my home. The gifts of the time spent there, however, are a growing detachment and a softer way of being – and a growing ability to just let things be without interference from me.
So I’ve been asking myself, “Where do you see yourself? What are you doing? What is important?” The answer: the preciousness of life… of time… of love. I enjoy being home, taking care of my family. To quote “4” – what work could have more merit, more quality or be more durable than the raising of children? The landscape is changing, however, and my husband and I will soon be empty nesters. This next year will be an important one for our youngest as she makes her way in the world and I want to be as much a part of that as I can – just as I had been with our oldest who is now out of the house and on his own. So proud of them both! Strengthening these important relationships has been a benefit of my simplified lifestyle. I am home. I am present. I am calm. I am available and am settling into new, simplified routines. With time on my hands, I am also looking forward to nurturing my heArt life and am repurposing my studio to reflect this interest.
It appears I am coming full circle. Literally not able to journal, I started my mandala practice back in July of ’02 in an attempt to connect to my words – to my inner life. In those days I drew all my own mandalas. I haven’t drawn many mandalas of late, as I have been content to color and contemplate the beautiful mandalas created by Sandra “Sunny” Mosley each cycle. All cycle long, I have felt invited to this journey and have ordered the recommended supplies – most of which are in – just waiting on the markers which are coming from Japan no less– thankfully FREE shipping. Note to self…always look at the point of origin. Lol! But then again, G-d has a plan and they will arrive when it’s time for me to have them. 😉
I invite you to join me! You don’t have to be a bonafide “artist” to do this. Noted Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist, Carl Jung, drew a mandala every day. He saw it as a snapshot of the subconscious. It is a wonderful practice for self-discovery and self-knowledge. You can check out the challenge here: http://100mandalas.com/2015/09/29/take-the-challenge/
Hope to see you there!
Love, Hugs and Blessings,
Lynn xoxxx