Sacred Mandalas: Mandala Messages for Aligning with Inner, Nature, and Universal Wisdom have a vibration that anchors, activates specific qualities, and represents something about ourselves, the natural world, and the energy with the Great Mandala at a particular time.

This year each monthly mandala supports Choosing Love’s Presence, our intention for 2026.

The February mandala archetype is Clarity.

My spirit remembers what my mind forgets.
                                                             Annonymous

Happy May, Kindred Spirit:

May is a very powerful month.

The 1st of May - May Day, and in Celtic tradition, Beltane, the mid-point between spring equinox and summer solstice--celebrated life, growth, and abundance—and marked the beginning of summer. It also arrived with the full Flower Moon—celebrating the bountiful blossoms this time of year.

We’re in one of the brightest turning points of the year. The days are longer. The bees are collecting spring flower pollen, birds are singing louder--bringing the feeling that something is awakening. So many of us are craving ways to gather, to mark the turning points.

This month asks us to Cultivate Clarity...about what wants to grow — What needs nurturing. When we soften, trust divine timing, and tend the soil of our becoming with compassion, gentleness, and gratitude—our visions take root and grow.

May is asking you to cultivate Clarity about what feels aligned, what truly nourishes you, how to trust your inner knowing, and choose Love’s Presence. This month’s Sacred Mandala Oracle Reading for the Collective is a beautiful place to do exactly that.

Can you feel how we’re moving towards summer: longer days with more sunlight, so much growth in our gardens, the trees in full bloom?

And layered within it… is something even more symbolic.

If you imagine the year as a life cycle, this is the time when changes in nature reflect the changes that take place in our own lives now and throughout the year. Celebrating and marking these points of noticeable shifts in nature helps us honor and integrate these transitions into our lives and bring body, mind and spirit into harmony with the rhythms of nature.  

The intentions we set earlier in the year are no longer just ideas. They’re ready to blossom. Not all growth is visible — some of it is quiet and sacred. Even in the unseen, life is preparing its next beautiful expression. Right now nature’s energies invite you to focus on the hopes and dreams you would like to see blossom in your life over the next months.

This is the most beautiful time to create, to tend your garden (inner and outer), and connect with something bigger than ourselves. Right now, you might be feeling like something is shifting… but you may not know what to do with it.

You may be pulled toward growth, but also holding yourself back. You may be tired of staying in the same place, but unsure how to move forward. When something inside you says: “Now is the time for growth” it’s not the time for overthinking or endless planning.

This is the time to step forward and act. That quiet inner voice doesn’t go away. It lingers. Pulls at you. Reminds you… there’s more you’re meant to allow to awaken. This time of the Great Mandala brings more than flowers and sunshine. It brings courage.

It brings expansion. It asks for Clarity. Without Clarity – it’s easy to ignore, overthink what is unfolding for you, or simply let the moment pass. This is the moment in the year when life begins to fully bloom --and you’re being invited to do the same. This is the perfect moment to pull a three card spread, a gentle, creative way to step into this energy and embody it.

And this is exactly why I love doing Sacred Mandalas: Mandala Messages for Aligning with Inner, Nature, and Universal Wisdom card readings. Not because they give all the answers or predict the future, but because they bring us back into alignment with our inner, nature, and Universal wisdom that illuminates what’s already trying to come through. They help you see what you might not be seeing. Feel what you’ve been disconnected from. And reconnect with your Clarity in a way that feels grounded and real. 

If you’ve been feeling like you’re in that in-between space… Where something is shifting, but you can’t fully name it yet… Or you’re ready to move forward, but don’t want to force your way there… This is exactly the kind of space this card reading is meant to meet you in.

When I sit down to do these readings, I ask the Universe and Archangel Ariel to show me/us where there is Clarity in our life and to reveal a map that helps us navigate our lives with hope, and intention as we choose Love’s Presence and move toward living our soul-guided purpose.

When I pull the oracle cards and I sit with them and intentionally see the colors, the essence, and absorb the mandala meaning, something shifts within. Everything settles. The noise in my head becomes quiet, followed by Clarity. I can see truths I may have been too overwhelmed to notice before.

This card reading supports Choosing Love’s Presence, receiving guidance as you grow into your next chapter, and discovering new ways to bring the magic, mystery and power of Clarity into your life.

Come back to this reading whenever you’re feeling stuck, seeking clarity, or when you're ready to Choose Love’s Presence—and experience Clarity within, in nature, and with the Universe.

This is a three-card reading. Before I pulled the cards I asked:

How does Clarity support moving forward toward choosing Love’s Presence—today, throughout May and the year ahead?

The first card, the Focus Card, is selected from the Chakra Suite—Inner Wisdom--practical wisdom, and reveals what we are called to cultivate and expand.

What do we/you/I need to cultivate that supports Clarity and moving toward  Choosing Love’s Presence in May and beyond?

The 2nd card supports the Focus Card, the allies and helpers who guide use and is selected from the Archangel Suite—Universal Wisdom—cards. 

What guidance are we/you/I ready to receive that supports expanding Clarity as we/you/I move forward toward Choosing Love’s Presence?

The 3rd card supports our next steps toward moving forward toward Choosing Love’s Presence and is selected from the Seasons Suite—Nature Wisdom—cards. 

What do we need to know that supports a possible future?

Like nature right now—we have access to our rich and fertile energy. We can use this energy to continue to grow, to evolve, to meet the changes and challenges that shape our current reality with grace and joy. This is the time to nurture our winter dreams, the visions, ideas that are bursting forth.

Even if what’s blossoming is small or it doesn’t look the way you expected, allow yourself to embrace the present instead of forcing the future.

Take a moment to pause, reflect, and reconnect with where you are right now. Because even if it doesn’t feel like it yet… something is opening. And you don’t have to rush it. This isn’t about forcing growth. It’s about being present and flowing with what is awakening.

When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.
                                                                            Rumi

Wishing you a beautiful beginning of summer season, — full of aliveness, possibility, and quiet becoming.  

May what is stirring within you continue to grow, and may you step into summer feeling inspired and fully alive.

May all your dreams and wishes come true!

Sending you love, light, and blessings.

Keep your eye on the Light no matter how much darkness there may appear to be around you. Draw nearer and nearer to the Light until you are completely immersed in it and there is no longer any darkness, for the darkness cannot withstand the Light.
                                        guidance received by Eileen Caddy

Co-Creative Mandalas have a vibration that
anchors, activates specific qualities, and
represents something about ourselves,
the natural world, and the energy in the Universe
at a particular time. This year the mandalas support Choosing Love’s Presence within,
with the rhythms in nature,
and with the Great Mandala.

The mandala archetype for this month is Optimism.

It's been fun, illuminating, and surprising to explore Optimism and all the ways it supports
Choosing Love’s Presence.

Love’s Presence within mind, body, and spirit is seen, felt, and experienced by listening to
your inner guidance
and finding joy, peace, and wonder.

How is Optimism calling you to embrace
Choosing Love’s Presence?

This Sacred Mandala--Optimism--is from a photograph of tulips (symbolize hope) is associated with the root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, and crown chakras. Are you being called to step into your power today? This mandala is a reminder of the energy and influence you carry within you. You're far more powerful than you may realize. You are a force. You have the ability to change situations, shift outcomes, and move things forward in a way that truly honors who you are. This isn’t about pushing or forcing—it’s about recognizing your inner strength and choosing to use it. When you align with your own power, the world responds. Every day offers another chance to choose the Light over darkness...knowing closing your heart is unimaginable.

Happy Earth Day, Kindred Spirit:
Earth Day wasn’t a celebration when it started. It began as an uprising.

In 1970, 20 million students and workers walked out of their classrooms and work spaces to demand an end to the ravaging of the planet by the country’s biggest polluters. They organized teach-ins at hundreds of universities, shut down streets and highways, and protested every corporation that had gotten rich by poisoning our air and water.   

This was not a symbolic protest. It was militant and confrontational, and the pressure forced politicians to act. It was centered in Optimism. Within a few years (under a Republican president), the government created the EPA and passed bills like the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act into law.

Fast forward to 2026. Under another Republican president, things look much different. This administration has gutted the EPA, overturned both the Clear Air Act and the Clean Water Act. It is rewarding—with big tax breaks—big corporations that are responsible for polluting our air and water.

Even so…

Every triumph, every tear, every birthday cake, every disappointment, every skinned knee, every dust off, every draped flag, every first dance, every missed flight, every shift change, every twirl hug, every wave goodbye, every love note, every human. Us. You. All we have
                           Astronaut Kristina Koch wrote on Instagram

It’s a time to begin again with new energy,  investing in what comes next. Every day is a new day. Every day is another chance to be close to Optimism. Every day is as if the day before never happened (even though we know it did).

I’m feeling it, how about you?

I’m talking about coming back to center, reclaiming your power, and aligning with your deepest wisdom.

For many of us, life is heavy right now and we feel its weight on our hearts and souls.

Underneath the weight, I also feel hope.

That’s because I’ve been witnessing beautiful moments of kindness, love, and generosity in my communities and circles.

People, neighbors, strangers, friends giving each other a hand up, volunteering for causes that speak to them, helping each other, offering support.

The recent Artemis II launch and exploration on the far side of the moon brought together people from diverse backgrounds and beliefs. For a few moments, during a few days, we were reminded that we’re all in this together, on this amazing planet, our home.

That’s Optimism grounded in love—and it’s still all around us—and within us.

When I was given the inspiration to co-create Sacred Mandalas: Aligning with Inner, Nature, and Universal Wisdom oracle card deck there’s no way I could’ve known where that vision would take me.

But I DO believe this with my whole heart…

That now is NOT the time to dim your own light or pull back from love and light all around you.  

Because, my friends, we all deserve:
•  inspiration that lights you up
• conversations that nourish your truth
• connection with individuals who get you
• experiences that remind you who you are
• the spark that leads to your next chapter
• respite from the heaviness of life

There always seems to be some new reason to feel uncertain, pessimistic.

Just when one thing settles down, something else shows up.

That’s been happening a lot lately. With rising costs, economic uncertainty, and serious situations around the world that are deeply difficult for the people living through them, it’s understandable that many people feel uneasy, hopeless, and powerless.

In my own life, when things feel uncertain, my mind wants answers right away. I want to figure out what’s going to happen and how it’s all going to play out. I want to control what isn’t mine to control.

Like so many sincere seekers, beginners and seasoned, I’m feeling both hopeful and deeply challenged by the current state of world and cultural affairs. Individually and collectively we are at a threshold, a liminal space, in which we may find ourselves disillusioned with looking outside ourselves for answers to our deepest questions.

I’ve meditated about what I can offer the world at this transformational time. I began my inquiry with asking powerful questions:

What if we are the ones we’ve been waiting for?

What if we are the oracle?

What I discovered is this: In moments like these, we need steady ground. We need down to earth, “practical spirituality” that is grounded, not abstract. That is deeply spiritual and deeply human. That is supportive of the seeker’s journey without dismissing it. That honors the human experience without bypassing it or forcing positivity. This is the time for inner safety that allows clarity, creativity, and wisdom to naturally emerge. We need tools that support our sovereignty.

We need Optimism. Not the blind kind, but the Optimism that comes from wisdom. That doesn’t mean tuning out and pretending everything is fine. It means shifting focus when something isn't in my control.

For an optimist, it makes no sense to lose hope. We can always do better, limit the damage, find an alternative solution, rebuild what has been destroyed, take the current situation as a starting point, and use every present moment to advance, appreciate, act, and cultivate inner peace.
                                                   Matthieu Ricard on "Wise Optimism"

My goal now is to learn how to stay grounded even when life isn’t.

So now, when things feel uncertain, I come back to what’s right in front of me that brings me hope. Even small things. How I show up each day. The choices I make. The way I treat the people around me.

That’s when I turn to the beauty and mystery of mandalas—healing circles in Sanskrit. For the past four decades I’ve been researching and using mandalas in my daily practices. Mandalas have the power to bring us to the heart of healing—as Jung said, remember our Wholeness. I love bringing these ancient, cosmic symbols into modern, down to earth, spiritual practices. They are tools that have supported me in co-creating the connection between my human experience, nature, and Universal wisdom.

This is also the time when I turn to oracle cards for guidance, clarity, and self-care. At the same time I discovered mandalas, I began using oracle cards for insight and inspiration. I’ve witnessed and experienced the life-changing power of oracle cards. My decades of experience with using oracle cards led me to co-create this deck. Sacred Mandalas gently supports an expansive, peaceful, and wise journey toward coming home to our own authority.

Oracle cards aren’t a prediction of the future. They’re a daily practice.

For me, that means focusing on what I can do, rather than getting stuck on everything I can’t. And asking, before I pull a card, “What do I need to know today that supports moving forward toward choosing Love’s Presence?”

It doesn’t happen all at once. It comes from small, steady choices over time. Today, I want to leave you with a simple practice. Take a piece of paper and make three short lists:

What I can’t control.
What I can influence.
What I can do today.

That third list is where your power lives.

Maybe today it’s stepping away from the news for just a bit. Maybe it’s going for a walk. Maybe it’s planting a garden. Maybe it’s pulling an oracle card and reflecting on its message. Or repeating an affirmation instead of replaying a fear. Maybe it’s helping someone else who is having a hard time.

We may not get to choose the times we live in (although there are many people who say we do choose). But we can still take things one day at a time, we can choose Optimism.

Optimism lives in the next step, not the perfect outcome.

Blessings of light, love, and hope, 

Sacred Mandalas: Mandala Messages for Aligning with Inner, Nature, and Universal Wisdom have a vibration that anchors, activates specific qualities, and represents something about ourselves, the natural world, and the energy with the Great Mandala at a particular time.

This year each monthly mandala supports Choosing Love’s Presence, our intention for 2026.

The February mandala archetype is Optimism.

Optimism is not just a passive wish. It's a dynamic force, a force of truth.
                                      Pema Chödrön in "The Places That Scare You"

Hello, Kindred Spirit:

Spring is fully here, and with it comes that lovely feeling of renewal, new ideas, and a little bit of magic in the air. I always feel that April carries a very special energy - the sense that something new is beginning, even if we can’t quite see it. Yet...

This month, we’ll begin by working with the energy of Optimism and really look at what’s ready to grow in life (and what might need a little more care and attention).

When hearing a door creak, the optimist thinks it’s opening and the pessimist thinks it’s closing.
                                                            Matthieu Ricard on "Wise Optimism"

Not everything needs to be figured out right now. Sometimes it’s about noticing what’s quietly asking for attention...and being willing to meet it there.

This month’s Sacred Mandalas: Aligning with Inner, Nature, and Universal Wisdom oracle card reading for the collective supports choosing Love’s Presence and noticing Optimism in our lives and relationships. It’s about the field where we co-create with the Universe... 

It’s about building a container strong, steady, and loving enough that we can become still, centered, and clear…

…so that we can love the truth of who we really are and see that truth in others.

So that you remember your Wholeness.

Even though life includes suffering, it is also deeply optimistic, because it teaches that suffering can be eased through  practical capacities we can cultivate, day by day--compassion, wisdom, and mindfulness--so we meet life with greater steadiness and freedom.

So that your life can evolve as you come into deeper relationship with your own wisdom and your soul-guided purpose.

We invite you to use this month’s Sacred Mandalas Oracle Reading for the collective to help you move gently toward choosing grounded optimism in all aspects of your life.

Sacred Mandalas can be your companion through this powerful season of activating Optimism. We invite you to find ways to flourish!

This month’s oracle card reading focuses on starting with self-acceptance and learning to trust ourselves and the people around us.

The first step is to honor our fears, the ones that express as negative internal voices, that often distract us from grounded optimism. 

We have the power to lovingly silence those fears, those voices that prevent us from choosing Love’s Presence.

We have the power to imagine and manifest a more loving world.

The reading can help you do that.

The reading doesn't predict your future. It can illuminate your deepest truths and shift your perspective.

When I sit down to do these readings, I ask the Universe and Archangel Ariel to show me/us where there is Optimism in our life and to reveal a map that helps us navigate our lives with hope, clarity, and intention as we choose Love’s Presence and move toward living our soul-guided purpose.

When I pull the oracle cards and I sit with them and intentionally see the colors, the essence, and absorb the mandala meaning, something shifts within. Everything settles. The noise in my head becomes quiet, followed by clarity. I can see truths I may have been too overwhelmed to notice before.

This card reading supports Choosing Love’s Presence, receiving guidance as you grow into your next chapter, and discovering new ways to bring the magic, mystery and power of Optimism into your life.

Come back to this reading whenever you’re feeling stuck, seeking clarity, or when you're ready to Choose Love’s Presence—and experience Optimism within, in nature, and with the Universe.

This is a three-card reading. Before I pulled the cards I asked:

How does Optimism support moving forward toward choosing Love’s Presence—today, throughout April, and the year ahead?

The first card, the Focus Card, is selected from the Chakra Suite—Inner Wisdom—and reveals what we are called to cultivate and expand.

What do we/you/I need to cultivate that supports Optimism and moving toward  Choosing Love’s Presence in April and beyond?

The 2nd card supports the Focus Card, the allies and helpers who guide use and is selected from the Archangel Suite—Universal Wisdom—cards. 

What guidance are we/you/I ready to receive that supports expanding Optimism as we/you/I move forward toward Choosing Love’s Presence?

The 3rd card supports our next steps toward moving forward toward Choosing Love’s Presence and is selected from the Seasons Suite—Nature Wisdom—cards. 

What do we need to know that supports a possible future?

This April, and beyond, I invite you to strengthen  optimism. It widens the horizon beyond a single moment  and frames spiritual growth as a long journey.  There are future opportunities to learn, to practice, and to move closer to Choosing Love's Presence. That perspective can replace fear with patience, purpose, and hope.

Take three slow breaths. On the inhale, silently say, “Inhale hope.” On the exhale, silently say, “Exhale optimism.”

I suggest this mantra because it gives your mind a steady rhythm when life feels busy or uncertain. “Inhale hope” makes room for possibility. “Exhale optimism” helps relieve tension and fosters a constructive outlook. After the third breath, ask: What is one wise action available to me in this moment? If you’d like the story behind the phrases, read “Inhale hope. Exhale optimism” - Sound advice from Carole King."

So, as you move through the day, and each day ahead, remember:

A little optimism goes a long way.

Make today meaningful...for yourself, others, and the world.

I’d love to hear what love-as-a-verb looks like in your life.

Blessings of love and light,

Loyalty on the spiritual path leads to an expansion of consciousness and of love, both of which are deeply needed in the world today.                                                                   Brother Istananda

Co-Creative Mandalas have a vibration that
anchors, activates specific qualities, and
represents something about ourselves,
the natural world, and the energy in the Universe
at a particular time. This year the mandalas support Choosing Love’s Presence within,
with the rhythms in nature,
and with the Great Mandala.

The mandala archetype for this month is Loyalty.

As this new cycle begins, many of us feel the pull to reaffirm and realign with what truly matters
and to step into life with more clarity and intention.   There is a place inside each of us where Love’s Presence, wisdom, and our soul-guided purpose rise naturally.

It's been fun, illuminating, and surprising to explore Reverence and all the ways it supports
Choosing Love’s Presence.

Love’s Presence within mind, body, and spirit is seen, felt, and experienced by listening to
your inner guidance
and finding joy, peace, and wonder.

How is Loyalty calling you to embrace
Choosing Love’s Presence?

This Sacred Mandala, “Loyalty” from a photograph of snowdrops (symbolize optimism) is associated with the heart, throat, third eye, and crown chakras. You are invited to remember that you are love. You are loving. You are lovable. Let yourself stand in that truth without shrinking or apologizing for it. As you choose Love’s Presence you may notice a new sense of trust and openness — spiritually, emotionally, and energetically. This is a blessing, yes, but it’s also a remembering—a remembering of your Wholeness.

Welcome, March!
I always feel that March carries a very special energy - a gentle reminder that growth happens effortlessly in nature and naturally within when we choose Love’s Presence and align with inner, nature, and Universal Wisdom.

Spring is just eight days away! With it comes that quiet, steady reminder that renewal is always available to us, even in complicated times. Nature is waking up. The light is changing. Mornings feel different. The Earth is always inviting us into a living field of relationship, to feel our hearts open as we see the first crocus, daffodils, and tulips emerging from the ground.

Depending on where you live, winter may still be in full swing, or you may be noticing the first signs of approaching spring. Either way, this is a meaningful time to reflect on the value of personal seasons of stillness, rest, and new beginnings.

The natural world doesn't ask whether conditions are perfect before it blooms, and there is deep wisdom in that. Right now, in the midst of everything the world is holding, the flowers are opening, the light is returning, and your daily practice is here for you, a place to breathe, to settle, and to remember what is true and unchanging beneath all the complexities of life.

There’s something about this late winter turning toward spring that begins to make certain thoughts and feelings impossible to ignore. Late winter carries a particular feeling … This mix of restlessness and hope. Quiet anticipation. The sense that something is beginning to shift, even if you can’t quite see what comes next yet.

It’s not quite spring.

But something has shifted.

Here in Colorado, I can see the shift everywhere: Daffodils are blooming. Buds are forming on the trees. After turning the clocks ahead, the sun suddenly sets after 7pm.

Can you feel the Great Mandala turning?

What’s happening in nature is also happening within. This is a time of seasonal transition. Something is ending, but what comes next hasn’t fully taken shape.

I’ve definitely been feeling that same shift happening in my own life lately. As new growth begins — even if it’s just a thought, an idea, a quiet stirring — there’s an awakening that happens.

This moment between winter and spring is a time of meaningful growth and change. New ideas and new ways of being are coming alive inside us, even if they’re still underground. There is a cracking open that has to occur. A shedding of the outer shell that has been protecting us. Like seeds deep within the Earth, the unseen is alive in the space where the outer shell cracks and something fragile and new begins to unfurl, to emerge.

This is how growth begins. This is where we are in the seasonal cycles.

Once again, we practice sitting with what no longer fits. And nurture what is just beginning.

It’s happening … I can see it. And, I can feel it. I can feel myself stretching beyond where I used to be. I can feel myself choosing Love’s Presence.

Can you feel it?

What does this fragile energy need? What do you need? What is ready to be closed so something new can emerge?

In my body, and in my spirit, spring approaching feels like the reawakening of wonder.

“Have faith”, my partner said when he couldn’t say anything else. That’s what the coming of spring feels like to me...miracles can happen in this time of pure potential. Anything is possible in the weeks and months ahead. Anything can grow and come to life when we allow it.

Perhaps it is the eclipse season we’re in. Perhaps it’s the turning of this potent Fire Horse year. Whatever the cause, something powerful is emerging.

Within humanity, there is no question that these are both trying times and times of opportunity. We are, I believe, passing through the threshold from one Age to another, and such times of transition come with their own unique call to the souls who are living through them. How we recognize and understand that call and how we respond is vitally important.

We are in a time of transformation, but not the rushed kind. The kind that asks for patience. The kind where your gifts deepen, sharpen, and take clearer shape over time. The kind where you act from what you want, not what you don't want.

In more certain times, a soul’s calling may focus on what it needs in order to grow and what it can give in service to others. In times of uncertainty and transition, though, this call may evolve as we navigate a changing landscape. Needs arise, challenges arise, and opportunities appear that are not part of “business as usual.” This calls for a deeper level of alignment with wisdom. This time calls for choosing Love’s Presence.

It calls for Loyalty—to self, to others, and to the Earth. Not blind loyalty, not loyalty without discernment, but commitment to aligning with wisdom. Loyalty invites us to integrate spiritual practices that are in alignment with personal values, the collective good of all beings, and stewardship of the Earth.

In this liminal space of both uncertainty and possibility you’re invited to nurture:

Loyalty to Self: 
• Discern where you want to focus your growth energy, where you want to live in integrity.
• Take deep, loving care of yourself so that what is tender and new has the chance to root, strengthen, and bloom.
• Look at yourself with more kindness and allow yourself to be loved — not just by others, but by the Universe.

Loyalty to others:
• Cultivate empathy and build trust. • Honor commitments and build integrity.
• Serve with love and compassion and build connection. Loyalty to the planet:
• Engage in actions that protect the environment. • Align inner rhythms with seasonal changes.
• Treat the Earth with respect.

Loyalty to the planet:
• Engage in actions that protect the environment.
• Align inner rhythms with seasonal changes.
• Treat the Earth with respect.

This seasonal energy of increased awareness and wonder happens with practices that remind us of who we are, strengthen connections with others, and remind us that our Wholeness is part of the greater Universal Wholeness.

As you sit this spring, let the natural world be your companion and your teacher. Feel the warmth of the longer days. Notice the aliveness stirring in the trees and in your heart. This practice of choosing Love’s Presence isn’t separate from the world, it is one of the most generous things we can offer it, and your presence matters more than you know.

If it feels right, take a quiet moment and place a hand on your heart. Breathe gently and acknowledge this connection. You might simply offer thanks — not because something has been given to you, but because you’ve remembered who you are.

My hope is that you listen to the call of spring, feel spring’s sense of hopefulness and excitement in your life, and remember that you’re not alone. That the energy of spring does not just rush past you, but becomes something you can hold, nurture, and grow into choosing Love’s Presence.

May this season bring you steadiness, resilience, and the deep comfort of belonging to something good. 

Blessings of love, light, and loyalty,

Sacred Mandalas: Mandala Messages for Aligning with Inner, Nature, and Universal Wisdom have a vibration that anchors, activates specific qualities, and represents something about ourselves, the natural world, and the energy with the Great Mandala at a particular time.

This year each monthly mandala supports Choosing Love’s Presence, our intention for 2026.

The February mandala archetype is Reverence.

You are an embodied being of love. You have an immense capacity to be loving. By feeling your Inner Resources you activate your higher consciousness frequencies that positively impact yourself and the world.
                                                                                  Bhavani

Hello, Kindred Spirit:
The vibration for the month that expresses Love’s Presence is Reverence—the radical, beautiful, and necessary idea that blends respect, humility, profound gratitude, and a sense of wonder.

That wonder and awe help us remember that we are powerful beings. We are a hidden (and visible) force for goodness. There is unmistakable power in our capacity to choose Love’s Presence.

February is all about love… in all its forms. I purposely didn’t post this on Valentine’s Day—well, because we can intentionally celebrate love--something that quietly shapes every part of our lives--every day. For me, Valentine’s Day has always served as a reminder of how much relationships matter—with ourselves, the people we love, and the ways we show up for ourselves and each other, even when things get hard.

Setting aside the flowers and cards, February 14th reminds us that love matters—that the connections we maintain in our lives are worth our care and attention. It’s love that brings us to this lifetime and we have love to give as our soul-guided purpose.  

And yet, for something so central, many of us were never taught how to “do” relationships—how to actively practice love. Instead, we’re handed stories about romance and partnership, but very little guidance about how to stay present through uncertainty, conflict, or emotional vulnerability—romantic or otherwise, individually or collectively.

We were led to believe that love is a noun. But wise and soulful people including M. Scott Peck (The Road Less Traveled) and Erich Fromm (The Art of Loving) tell us something profoundly different.

bell hooks, activist, artist, and poet reminded us:

The word ‘love’ is most often defined as a noun, yet we would all love better if we used it as a verb.

                                          from All About Love: New Visions 

Love is an active choice—a commitment to nurture our own and others’ spiritual health. It’s not something we possess or arrive at once and for all. Love is a verb—something we choose and extend again and again through attention, responsiveness, and care.

And like any meaningful practice, it can feel awkward at times. We won’t always know the right words. We’ll misread signals. We’ll step on each other’s nervous system “toes” without meaning to. We’ll judge ourselves and others for the ways we fall short of the “ideal.”

But there is an everyday path to the kind of healing, awakening, and connection that carries us through storms and brings us back to the truth of who we are: Choosing Love’s Presence in every relationship, including with ourselves. The longest, most important relationship you’ll ever have is with yourself. That truth is where self-love can spring from—and how we know what love with another really feels like. Instead of passively waiting for love to “happen,” we become active co-creators of the “stuff” we’re made of.

In Buddhism, love isn’t sentimental or selective. It’s an innate quality of essential goodness, sometimes called Buddha-nature—already whole within us. As a way to choose Love’s Presence, Metta—loving-kindness practice—reminds us to uncover what is already present and extend that presence to ourselves, to those who challenge us, and to all beings.

At Co-Creative Mandalas, we’re thinking about Reverence at the heart of Love’s Presence—always present (even if we forget) within, through, and around us. When we think of Reverence as love in action, a conscious choice, we can take charge of our lives and remind ourselves—and each other—that we are beings of pure love, gifted with this sacred human lifetime.

Remember, when you choose Love’s Presence, you’re sending that light stream—that frequency—to every cell of your body and to everyone. Forgive. Give gratitude. Remember you are whole and complete just the way you are. Nothing to prove. Everything to celebrate.

When you experience moments of Reverence, you have access to deep wisdom—within, in nature, and in the Universe so that you naturally uplift others. Threats become opportunities to see creative solutions rather than fear.

Are you willing to acknowledge the truth of who you are?

I invite you to consciously notice Reverence—moments of gratitude and wonder:

*A flower poking up through the sidewalk.
*A puppy experiencing snow for the first time.
*A child’s hug.
*Finding and nurturing the positive parts of yourself and the world around you.

This doesn’t have to be a phony effort, or one that denies real problems. We just want to notice aspects of our day that we might otherwise overlook or ignore.

In those moments, ask yourself:  

What sensations are present in my body?
Name the emotion.
Where do I feel it?

Bring this skill of gentle interest, curiosity, and attention to your encounters throughout the day. Notice  moments of Reverence, even those that may seem small.

This month’s Sacred Mandalas: Aligning with Inner, Nature, and Universal Wisdom oracle card reading for the collective supports choosing Love’s Presence and noticing Reverence in our lives and relationships. It’s about the field where we co-create with the Universe... 

It’s about building a container strong, steady, and loving enough that we can become still, centered, and clear…

…so that we can love the truth of who we really are and see that truth in others.

So that you remember your wholeness.

So that your life can evolve as you come into deeper relationship with your own wisdom and your soul-guided purpose.

We invite you to use this month’s Sacred Mandalas Oracle Reading for the collective to help you move gently toward choosing conscious love in all aspects of your life.

Sacred Mandalas can be your companion through this powerful season of activating Reverence. We invite you to find ways to flourish!

This month’s oracle card reading focuses on starting with self-acceptance and learning to trust ourselves and the people around us.

The first step is to honor our fears, the ones that express as negative internal voices, that often distract us from love in action. 

We have the power to lovingly silence those fears, those voices that prevent us from choosing Love’s Presence.

We have the power to imagine and manifest a more loving world.

The reading can help you do that.

The reading doesn't predict your future. It can illuminate your deepest truths and shift your perspective.

When I sit down to do these readings, I ask the Universe and Archangel Ariel to show me/us where there is Reverence in our life and to reveal a map that helps us navigate our lives with hope, clarity, and intention as we choose Love’s Presence and move toward living our soul-guided purpose.

When I pull the oracle cards and I sit with them and intentionally see the colors, the essence, and absorb the mandala meaning, something shifts within. Everything settles. The noise in my head becomes quiet, followed by clarity. I can see truths I may have been too overwhelmed to notice before.

This card reading supports Choosing Love’s Presence, receiving guidance as you grow into your next chapter, and discovering new ways to bring the magic, mystery and power of Reverence into your life.

Come back to this reading whenever you’re feeling stuck, seeking clarity, or when you're ready to Choose Love’s Presence—and experience Reverence within, in nature, and with the Universe.

This is a three-card reading. Before I pulled the cards I asked:

How does Reverence support moving forward toward choosing Love’s Presence—today, throughout February, and the year ahead?

The first card, the Focus Card, is selected from the Chakra Suite—Inner Wisdom—and reveals what we are called to cultivate and expand.

What do we/you/I need to cultivate that supports Reverence and moving toward  Choosing Love’s Presence in February and beyond?

The 2nd card supports the Focus Card, the allies and helpers who guide use and is selected from the Archangel Suite—Universal Wisdom—cards. 

What guidance are we/you/I ready to receive that supports expanding Guidance as we/you/I move forward toward Choosing Love’s Presence?

The 3rd card supports our next steps toward moving forward toward Choosing Love’s Presence and is selected from the Seasons Suite—Nature Wisdom—cards. 

What do we need to know that supports a possible future?

This February, and beyond, I invite you to hold your relationships—with yourself and others—with gentleness. And to remember that choosing Love’s Presence, noticing moments of Reverence—more consciously, more compassionately—is one of the most meaningful practices we can take on.

So, as you move through the day, and each day ahead, remember:

A little self-love goes a long way.

Make today meaningful...for yourself, others, and the world.

I’d love to hear what love-as-a-verb looks like in your life.

Blessings of love and light,

By having a reverence for life, we enter into a spiritual relation with the world. By practicing reverence for life we become good, deep, and alive. 
                                                                                     Albert Schweitzer

Co-Creative Mandalas have a vibration that
anchors, activates specific qualities, and
represents something about ourselves,
the natural world, and the energy in the Universe
at a particular time. This year the mandalas support Choosing Love’s Presence within,
with the rhythms in nature,
and with the Great Mandala.

The mandala archetype for this month is Reverence.

As this new cycle begins, many of us feel the pull to reaffirm and realign with what truly matters
and to step into life with more clarity and intention.   There is a place inside each of us where Love’s Presence, wisdom, and our soul-guided purpose rise naturally.

It's been fun, illuminating, and surprising to explore Reverence and all the ways it supports
Choosing Love’s Presence.

Love’s Presence within mind, body, and spirit is seen, felt, and experienced by listening to
your inner guidance
and finding joy, peace, and wonder.

How is Reverence calling you to embrace
Choosing Love’s Presence?

This Co-Creative Mandala, Reverence, from a photograph of hellebore, symbolizes calmness and is associated with the heart and crown chakras. This mandala reminds us that appreciation, awe, and wonder connect us to life, nature, and the divine. Treat yourself, others, and everything you touch as precious. Appreciate the small moments of beauty—within, in others, and in nature. We’re not alone in our journey toward choosing Love’s Presence. We are always supported, directed, and protected. We just need to ask.

Welcome to February:

February has always felt like a soft, heartfelt month to me. A time for love and meaningful connections — not only romantic ones, but our relationship with others, with ourselves, and with the world around us.

Much of what shapes our reality is unseen.  The energetic patterns that are marked by seasonal changes quietly influence our health, relationships, and sense of purpose. The quiet and stillness surrounding us now brings with it a sense of hope that comes from deep within—ourselves and the Earth.

Today is Imbolc — also known as Candlemas or Saint Brigid’s Day — a sacred seasonal threshold that marks the quiet return of the light. It’s the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox (only 49 days). Imbolc means “in the belly,” because like a pregnancy that is barely showing, nature is pregnant with the stirrings of spring and the promise of new life and reawakening.

Imbolc is the moment when winter begins to soften from within.

The Earth is still cold. There may be snow on the ground and Arctic blasts from the north. The daylight hours are still short. And yet, something is undeniably changing. Beneath the frozen soil, life is stirring. The light is growing stronger, even if it’s subtle. 

The light doesn’t return all at once.
Growth doesn’t happen overnight.

It begins in the dark — quietly, deep beneath the surface.  

There's wisdom in the darkness.
There is beauty in the slow return.

Here in the Northern Hemisphere, we're still deep in winter’s shadow. This is the perfect time to choose Love’s Presence by nourishing the light of loving kindness, honoring Brigid — goddess of the eternal flame — and shining some light on what is growing in our own fertile darkness. 

This holy day invites us to pause and honor:

The spark of new beginnings awakening within us
The hope that returns quietly, not all at once
The courage it takes to trust the magic of the unknown and unseen

Imbolc reminds us that transformation does not begin with action. It begins with Reverence--

✨With tending your inner flame.
✨With protecting what is just beginning to awaken.
✨With allowing support from the Universe, the Earth, and your own wise spirit.
✨With trusting that what is stirring inside already knows the way to the light.

We invite you to honor what’s unfolding, and yet, is still unseen, so we can move forward consciously. Universal and nature wisdom are asking us to slow down, settle into our bodies, and honor a future that is preparing to emerge.

A Simple Ritual for Imbolc
Tending Your Inner Flame

You’ll need: one candle and a few quiet minutes.

1. Create a gentle space. Sit somewhere comfortable. Dim the lights if you can.
2. Light your candle. As the flame flickers to life, imagine it representing the small, steady light growing within the Earth and within you.
3. Place a hand on your heart. Take a few slow breaths.
   
4. Whisper one intention for the season ahead — not a goal, but a quality you want to nurture (peace, courage, creativity, trust—choosing Love’s Presence).
   
5. End in reverence and gratitude. Thank the light — within you and around you — and gently extinguish the candle when you feel complete.

That’s all it takes. Even a few minutes of presence and intention can mark this sacred turning in a powerful way.

Go even deeper with--
Journal Prompts for Imbolc

Use these prompts to connect with the energy of this sacred time:

• What is quietly beginning to awaken within me?
  
• Where am I being asked to trust what I can’t see? Yet...
  
• What light do I feel ready to tend — even if it’s still small?
  
• What feels ready to be renewed, released, or rekindled?
  
  

Pause for a breath. Inhale slowly… and exhale. 💕

At Imbolc, throughout February, and the year ahead—may you meet what is awakening with reverence, patience, and grace.

An Imbolc Blessing*

May the gentle returning light find you.
May the spark within you be protected and nourished.
May you trust what is growing, even when it feels fragile or unseen.
May hope warm you from the inside out.

I’m sending you so much love as you tend your inner flame and walk this sacred threshold into what comes next.

Blessings of Love's Presence and Light,

*Adapted from Abbey's Art Imbolc Rituals

Sacred Mandalas: Mandala Messages for Aligning with Inner, Nature, and Universal Wisdom have a vibration that anchors, activates specific qualities, and represents something about ourselves, the natural world, and the energy with the Great Mandala at a particular time.

This year each monthly mandala supports Choosing Love’s Presence, our intention for 2026.

The January mandala archetype is Wholeness.

Welcome to the season of Co-Creating Spaciousness:

How are you finding the start to this brand New Year? I hope that the New Year is opening you to a renewed tenderness towards yourself and the world.

I’m hearing about all kinds of experiences from people—some people are excited & feeling replenished; others are telling me they are feeling frazzled and unsure about the year ahead; while some people are tired and overwhelmed after an intense holiday season. 

How are you feeling?

For me I am feeling pretty relaxed half way through January, and in part that's because I have learned to take great care of myself particularly at this time of year.

I’m taking this opportunity to share a bit about the energy January carries and this month’s Oracle Reading for the Collective and how this energy supports a sense of emotional steadiness, clarity, and resilience.

This month marks a new chapter for you, me, and for Co-Creative Mandalas. Moving forward, our monthly Oracle Card Readings for the Collective will be drawn from our new Sacred Mandalas: Mandala Messages for Aligning with Inner, Nature, and Universal Wisdom channeled 48 oracle card deck and guidebook. There are moments in my life when a project chooses me. Sacred Mandalas was definitely one of those projects. It took a lifetime, and two years, of quietly co-creating something that feels both ancient and completely new.  

This project was born from deep listening, shared intention, and a desire to bring us back to the essence of who we truly are. I’m excited to share the wisdom this card deck illuminates within as we explore Choosing Love’s Presence in 2026.

But first, a bit about new beginnings in a new year(or any time).

There’s something magical about fresh starts, isn’t there?

But sometimes all the New Year energy can feel like a bit...much!

IF you’re feeling like everything’s coming at you all at once—and it’s all clamoring for your attention (ambitious goals, heartfelt intentions, long, packed-to-the-rim to do lists, the collective concerns about what’s happening in the world), we have some good news that can shift your perspective.

Along with the impulse to “do it all”, January carries a quiet sense of beginning — a gentle opportunity, an opening into what is ready to unfold.

In numerology, 2026 reduces to a 1 year (2 + 0 + 2 + 6 = 10, and 1 + 0 = 1). One years are about alignment, they are about making choices that support your most expansive self. They invite you to return to yourself and to remember your Wholeness — your connection to Love’s Presence.

Wholeness asks you to look honestly at the deepest truth of who you are. As you move forward into this new year and this new cycle, I invite you to sit with these questions:

What deepest truth am I ready to remember about myself, the world, and the Universe?

Where am I being invited to choose Love’s Presence?

To embody Wholeness is to remember that you are connected to your most expansive self, to nature, and to the Universe—at one with the energy of Love’s Presence that holds you. Being Aligned with Wisdom reminds you that Love’s Presence isn’t something you need to search for; it’s something that moves through you and as you.

There’s a line in A Course in Miracles that says it’s not our task to seek for love. Our task is simply to seek and remove all the barriers that stand against it. So when we create space in our hearts and our minds, we arrive at Love’s Presence. Love’s Presence isn’t “out there” and it’s not going to be here soon. It’s already here. We just have to prepare ourselves to experience that truth within this present moment.

My hope for this year of Choosing Love’s Presence is that we experience more peace — within first, and then it naturally flow to everyone and everything around us. If you long for a more peaceful world, the invitation begins close to home: in your thoughts, your choices, and the way you treat yourself and others.

The work you do on the inside always has an effect on the outside. When you cultivate peace within yourself, that peace quietly reaches your relationships and the spaces you move through. When you act with care, forgiveness, and compassion, you become a living example of what is possible for the world.

The turning of the calendar doesn’t magically change our lives, but it does offer a helpful vantage point. The new year gives us permission to ask the most basic self-compassion question: What do I need? And, then do it. In other words, is there anything you want to do differently, to let go of, or to cultivate so that you remember your Wholeness and embody Love’s Presence?

Typically the old way of starting the New Year is with thinking we need to make resolutions and then rush forward with “new year, new you” enthusiasm or have everything figured out about what we hope the New Year will bring. 

Viewed from a kinder, gentler, and more compassionate place, we can see January as more like a buffer—a space between what has been and what is still forming. A time to slow down just enough to listen and to notice what’s quietly asking to come forward.

I believe that is the energy we’re moving in right now. There's no need to push or force clarity, compassion, or love. Instead it's about creating spaciousness.

That spaciousness is a gentle and compassionate way to make progress. So, even if you’re typically used to pushing and pushing uphill in order to get what you want and reach your goals, that doesn’t have to be the case this month or this year.

That’s where we are now. We’re being called to hold this New Year container with steadiness and allow our journey toward Choosing Love’s Presence to unfold in its own rhythm.

And within that energy, the field of possibilities and potential is open. And there’s a very different quality that comes when we allow, rather than force, something to move from intention into embodiment.

This may be the time you’re ready to bring your gifts to the world. You may decide you want to do something more aligned with your spiritual mission in this lifetime. It's never too late to step into your soul-guided purpose. Your timing is perfect because now, you’re choosing when you step in and move forward.

Follow your intuition and it will lead you to the truth, no racing required.

We invite you to use this month’s Sacred Mandalas Oracle Reading for the collective to help you move gently through this transition from the old to the new, release what’s completing, and listen more deeply to what’s ready to emerge.

Sacred Mandalas can be your companion through this powerful season of co-creating spaciousness. We invite you to find ways to flourish!

This month’s oracle card reading focuses on self-reflection, deep listening, and allowing,  as we experience the transition from what was into what is unfolding.

The reading doesn't predict your future. It can illuminate your deepest truths and shift your perspective.

When I sit down to do these readings, I ask the Universe to show me/us where there is Wholeness in our life and to reveal a map that helps us navigate our lives with hope, clarity, and intention as we choose Love’s Presence and move toward living our soul-guided purpose.

When I draw the oracle cards and I sit with them and intentionally see the colors, the essence, and absorb the mandala meaning, something shifts within. Everything settles. The noise in my head becomes quiet, followed by clarity. I can see truths I may have been too overwhelmed to notice before.

I've noticed that at this time of year, this spaciousness that the Sacred Mandalas illuminates becomes even more powerful.

This card reading supports Choosing Love’s Presence, receiving guidance as you grow into your next chapter, and discovering new ways to bring the magic, mystery and power of Wholeness into your life.

Come back to this reading whenever you’re feeling stuck, seeking clarity, or when you're ready to Choose Love’s Presence--within, in nature, and with the Universe.

Before I drew the cards, I asked:

What do we/you/I need to know about how Wholeness supports Choosing Love’s Presence in January?

The first card, the Focus Card, is selected from the Chakra Suite—Inner Wisdom—and reveals what we are called to cultivate and expand.

This Sacred Mandala is from a photograph of a dahlia. Its Essence, what it symbolizes, is Optimism. It is the solar plexus chakra.

Mandala Message:
Everyone has moments of doubt and insecurity. That's okay. The more you love and accept all parts of yourself, the more confidence you'll have. This is the time to focus your energy on taking charge of your life with determination and courage. Whatever you pursue you have the personal power and resilience to stand strong in the face of adversity. Remember that you can always make a new choice. You have the ability to transform any obstacle when you listen to your intuitive guidance. You decide if you will allow magic into your life.

Sacred Wisdom Journaling Prompts:
1. When do I feel the most confident?
2. What’s holding me back from living with confidence and ease?
3. Why is having an open and balanced solar plexus chakra important to me? 

Affirmations:
I am aligned with my soul-guided purpose. I wholeheartedly believe in myself. I am enough, just as I am.

The 2nd card supports the Focus Card, the allies and helpers who guide use and is selected from the Archangel Suite—Universal Wisdom—cards. 

What guidance are we/you/I ready to receive that supports expanding Confidence as we/you/I move forward toward Choosing Love’s Presence?

This Sacred Mandala brings guidance from Archangel Uriel and is from a photograph of a dahlia. Its Essence, what it symbolizes, is Resilience.

Mandala Message:
This is the moment to call your energy back home. Truth always reveals real connection. That’s the shift. If you’re feeling scattered or overwhelmed, know you haven’t done anything wrong. There's a part of you that’s been waiting your whole life to be chosen — by you! Stay connected to yourself. Now is the time to be honest—not harsh—with yourself. Drop the masks that keep you brilliance hidden. You are not broken. You were never in need of fixing. You don’t have to wait for life to be quiet before you speak your truth. Archangel Uriel offers loving support for being aligned with wisdom.

Sacred Wisdom Journaling Prompts:
1. Where in my life have I been waiting to speak my truth?
2. What does it mean to call my energy back home?
3. How does Archangel Uriel’s presence support me?

Affirmations:
My voice is a sacred expression of my inner wisdom. I speak my truth with confidence, clarity, and grace. Archangel Uriel guides me to stay aligned with wisdom.

The 3rd card supports our next steps toward moving forward toward Choosing Love’s Presence and is selected from the Seasons Suite—Nature Wisdom—cards. 

This Sacred Mandala  brings the energy of the Spring Season and is from a photograph of an Iris. Its Essence, what it symbolizes, is Adaptability.

Mandala Message:
When you are rigid and unyielding, you limit both inner and outer movement. This constriction keeps you trapped in old patterns, beliefs, and habits. For your well-being, just as your body needs to stretch, so do your heart and mind. Now is the time to dance with life and flow with its rhythm. Accept what is. Trust that peace, connection, and grace will come easily when you soften your mind, body, and spirit. Align with the Universe and say "yes" to life’s unfolding.

Sacred Wisdom Journaling Prompts:
1. Where do I need more flexibility in my life?
2. What does dancing with life feel like in my body?
3. How can I more fully say "yes" to life?

Affirmations:
I embrace the flow of life. I am aligned with the Universe. I say "yes" to life. 

As January and this year unfold, and you experience more spaciousness, remember your Wholeness — and remember by Choosing Love’s Presence you are contributing to a more loving and compassionate world.

Wishing you blessings, earthly and Divine, in January and throughout 2026,

If you fulfill the pattern that is peculiar to yourself, you have loved yourself, you have accumulated, you have abundance; you bestow virtue then because you have luster. You radiate; from your abundance something overflows.
                                                                                                     Carl Jung

Co-Creative Mandalas have a vibration that
anchors, activates specific qualities, and
represents something about ourselves,
the natural world, and the energy in the Universe
at a particular time. This year the mandalas support Choosing Love’s Presence within,
with the rhythms in nature,
and with the Great Mandala.

The mandala archetype for this month is Wholeness.

As this new cycle begins, many of us feel the pull to reaffirm and realign with what truly matters
and to step into life with more clarity and intention.   There is a place inside each of us where Love’s Presence, wisdom, and our soul-guided purpose rise naturally.

It's been fun, illuminating, and surprising to explore Wholeness and all the ways it supports
Choosing Love’s Presence.

Love’s Presence within mind, body, and spirit is seen, felt, and experienced by listening to
your inner guidance
and finding joy, peace, and wonder.

How is Wholeness calling you to embrace
Choosing Love’s Presence?

This Co-Creative Mandala--Wholeness—is from photographs of Peruvian lily (symbolizes love), blue spruce and snow (symbolizes spiritual foundations), and dahlia (symbolizes joy) and is associated with all the chakras. This mandala reminds us that we don’t need to strive for Wholeness. We are already whole and complete. When we change our mind about who we think we are, our life changes, our perspective shifts. With compassion and acceptance we welcome all parts of ourselves, those parts that we love, those parts that we don’t, those parts that we embrace, those parts that we reject. Through the lens of Wholeness you can see the deepest truth about yourself.

Happy 2026!
Thank you for being part of the Co-Creative Mandalas community. I’m grateful for you. I trust the New Year will bring more joy, peace, and abundance to you and to the collective.

Before the beginning of a new year, with my spiritual support allies, I reflect on the intention I envision for myself and the collective. The intention arises from a place of fullness, not from a place of lack. It's less about the goals, resolutions, and next steps... and more about the slowing down and grounding into the present moment. That’s when I take a breath. Feel into the upcoming year—not from my mind, but from your body.

This year my intention...and by extension—Co-Creative Mandalas...is Choosing Love’s Presence. Throughout the next 12 months, we’ll explore what Love’s Presence means, what it feels like, its qualities and vibration. We’ll offer inspiration and insights that activate the qualities of Love’s Presence. Our monthly blog and the Sacred Mandalas card reading for the collective are offered as ways to align with the vibration that supports Choosing Love’s Presence.

It may seem odd to you (I know it does to me) that I’m writing the New Year blog about what happened during the past holiday season, but I trust you’ll see how it’s message is perfect for the year ahead. So, please bear with me.

I had a different kind of Christmas this year. The annual—here’s-what-happened-during-the-past-year-update letter wasn’t stuffed in a card, signed, sealed and on it’s way by December 1st. There was no hustling right after Thanksgiving to make a wreath, decorate a tree, and to arrange greens to add beauty inside and outside the house, or to wrap presents. Instead, the usual timeline was pushed back more than once. I just didn’t have the bandwidth to repeat the same decades long traditions. Initially, that bothered me—a lot—and I worried that nothing would get done if I didn’t push myself. Which didn’t give a boost to my bandwidth or self-esteem.

Usually I have a well laid plan for making sure it would be the best Christmas EVER! The holidays are tricky. Memories of wonderful, and not so wonderful Christmases linger. There’s a little girl who still longs for the joy and anticipation of a merry and bright Christmas past, in the loving presence of her grandparents. And, she’s also determined that there won’t be a repeat of the less than happiest holidays.

The idea of not meeting my self-imposed deadlines wasn’t a pleasant thought at first. I don’t think we talk enough about how the holidays change with aging or with life happening. Roles change, friends and family move away, or pass away, unexpected, life changing events happen, leaving us to find a new holiday center. Even if I have the freedom to do what I want—which might be different and the same as traditions and rituals I grew up with, those traditions shift with the changes and challenges that shape every day reality.

The “Hallmark” moments, as seen on TV and in lovely cards, make it seem as though people effortlessly and joyfully glide through the weeks leading up to and including The Day, finding joy, sharing meals, laughter, and beautifully wrapped gifts. But at what cost? I suspect the truth is quite different for many of us. My usual, well-worn strategies for making sure we experienced perfect Hallmark holidays, without dealing with life happening, just didn’t fit anymore.

So, this year, I made it up as I went along.

Second, I appreciated myself for all that I had accomplished. Instead of a “to do” list, at the end of the day, I reflected on and wrote a “ta done” list as a way of celebrating myself and all that I accomplished in a single day. I was often amazed at just how much I’d done that day.

By Christmas Eve, the wreath was hung, the tree decorated, the gifts were wrapped, the popcorn and cranberries were strung and hung, lovely evergreen arrangements graced our home and front door, and a holiday letter and cards were well on the way to their destinations.

Now we’ve crossed that liminal space from the past into the New Year. If there’s anything that I carry forward with my new found Christmas joy it’s remembering to be kind to myself and to let of some things—like self-imposed timelines, rituals and traditions that I no long need to hold on to and don’t serve my most expansive self.

I’m feeling excited and hopeful about 2026. I’m focusing on all the ways I can be kinder to myself and others, and looking for opportunities to support others and myself on our journeys toward positive change both in our lives and in the world.

From my heart to yours...I wish you and those you love a happy, healthy, and abundant New Year.

Blessings of love,light,and joy,

You can’t always get what you want…but if you try sometime…you’ll find you get what you need.
                                                                              The Rolling Stones

Co-Creative Mandalas have a vibration that anchors, activates specific qualities, and represents something about ourselves, the natural world, and the energy in the universe at a particular time. This year the mandalas support Aligning with Wisdom,
within ourselves,
with the natural rhythms in nature,
and  with the Great Mandala.

The mandala archetype for this season is
Joy of Manifestation.

It's been fun, illuminating, and surprising to explore
Joy of Manifestation and all the ways it supports
aligning with wisdom:
Your wisdom--mind, body, and spirit--by listening to your inner guidance and finding joy, peace, and wonder.
How is your wisdom calling you
to embrace Joy of Manifestation?

This Co-Creative Mandala, Joy of Manifestation, from a photograph of fallen leaves (symbolizes letting go) and evergreens (symbolizes hope)  is associated with Archangel Ariel. She has been a constant presence beginning with the first Co-Creative Mandala that emerged. This mandala reminds us to trust that Manifestation of our visions comes from a place of receiving and from co-creating with the Universe.  The Universe wants us to succeed. When you're present and connect your vision to the support of the Universe the possibilities are limitless. With just a single thought, you can go directly to Source where your thoughts and feelings are in alignment with the vibration of Manifestation.

Happy Holy Days:

This morning, I awoke to the winter sun pouring through the window, a warm contrast to the season’s chill, on the first day of winter.  My partner asked how I felt, and after a moment's thought, I said, "I feel blessed to be alive, bathed in winter light, and curled up beside your warmth. I feel hopeful, joyful, and full of wonder."

I wish the same for you as we enter the season of Holy Days—with so many opportunities to celebrate nature’s rhythms. We extend you a heartful  turning of the Great Mandala and a peaceful, joyful winter.

This season of deepening darkness calls for rest, reflection, and a return to what truly matters. Nature’s quiet rhythm offers us the gifts of stillness, reflection, and renewal—whether through time in nature, connections with loved ones, or simple moments to pause and breathe.

We invite you to invest your time and energy toward rebuilding trust in yourself, nature, and the Universe, and reaffirming your power to manifest.

We've just passed through the manifestation portal between 11/11 and 12/12. It offered a time to pause, set clear intentions, and align actions with your visions. But that energy didn’t end on 12/12, and it won’t end with the solstice, the Holy Days, or the New Year.

Change and manifestation aren’t reserved for special days, though those moments are scared and very powerful. The time that stretches out in front of us offers opportunities for deep spiritual growth and reflection on what did and didn’t manifest over the past year. It’s also a season for new beginnings, bringing clarity, motivation, and hope.

This season carries a sense of promise.

When you tune into your inner knowing—the part of you that trusts the process and believes in the outcome—your energy shifts from contraction to expansion. I believe the Universe wants us to succeed. It’s up to us to create space for the Universe to fill, in perfect timing and form. By learning to receive, this becomes second nature.

Before that happens, we may face energy blocks, setbacks, and impatience. Our energetic container might feel too small to receive what we want. I’ve been there.

If I could sit down with my younger self—no gray hairs and more energy than patience—I’d say: “Trust yourself. Trust the process. It’s okay not to know, even if it feels uncomfortable. “That’s where the light comes in” (to borrow from Leonard Cohen’s wisdom).

As a Gemini, patience isn’t my strong suit. My imagined tombstone will read—“Patience isn’t a virtue. It’s a waste of time”. I used to rush through the discomfort of waiting for my visions to become concrete, wondering what was wrong with me when they happened slowly or in a different form than I expected. But over time, I’ve learned that some of my most profound growth and happiest surprises come from staying with the uncertainty a little longer.

When I first dreamed of co-creating Sacred Mandalas: Mandala Messages for Aligning with Inner, Nature, and Universal Wisdom, I thought it would happen quickly. But, as can happen with manifestation, it took years—waiting, growing, and aligning with the right support. I had to stop forcing it and let it unfold in its own time.

Here’s what I learned from that process:

Wisdom  is the deep connection to intuition and divine guidance—seeing blessings and challenges as part of the path.

Alignment  is living in harmony with your true nature, attuned to inner knowing and something greater.

I believe the same applies to manifesting our dreams. We can’t rush trust in ourselves or the process—it grows slowly through presence.

We’re always manifesting, even when things don’t look how we expected. Manifestation works, even if the timing or outcome is different from what we envisioned. When we try to control the “how,” we resist the flow of magic, slowing down manifestation.

So, if you’re waiting for your vision to manifest and it’s not happening yet, don’t assume you’re off track. You’re likely right where you need to be.

These days, when I feel impatient, I ask myself,

What’s the invitation to see something differently, to pause and appreciate the unknown, the magic that is emerging?

This simple question can turn frustration into curiosity, and curiosity into progress.

During this season of shadow and light, I hope you’ll slow down enough to notice the invitations life is offering, especially when you’re working on manifesting your next big thing.

And remember when it appears you're not getting what you want:

This or something better—for my most expansive self—will manifest!

Stay open to the magic that’s waiting to emerge.

Have a wonderful winter season.

Wishing you a peaceful, joyful winter and a season full of light, love, and magic.

Co-Creative Mandalas have a vibration that anchors, activates specific qualities, and represents something about ourselves, the natural world, and the energy in the universe at a particular time. This year the mandalas support Aligning with Wisdom,
within ourselves,
with the natural rhythms in nature,
and  with the Great Mandala.

Welcome to the season of Reflection and Release:

Are you feeling a familiar cycle resurfacing as the year closes, and as a nine year and a nine year cycle come to an end? Do you feel the pull toward a deeper energetic reset?

This is an exciting time...for reflection, for appreciation, for preparation for the future...

To prepare us for the end of this cycle, the cosmic window between 11/11--a portal for spiritual awakening and 12/12--holistic completion offers us the opportunity to integrate the cosmic energy from the past month and welcome the beginning of a new cycle.

As we move deeper into December, the energy of the season continues to shift. The daylight hours are short, the night time hours are long, and nature is drawing inward.

This is the time of year when the Earth rests, integrates, and quietly prepares the soil for what will grow in the spring.

Your spirit is asking for the same.

This week, I invite you to continue reflecting on the year that’s ending — not to judge yourself or to tally accomplishments, but to understand the journey you’ve walked.

Reflection and release are powerful soul work.

They transform your experiences into wisdom. They turn challenges into clarity. They help you carry forward what matters… and lay the rest gently down.

Allow reflection and release to be simple, honest, and kind.

While I'm not an expert in numerology, I am expert in what cosmic and nature cycles feel like in my body, in my bones, in my heart and in my mind. This year has brought challenges and blessings, the mundane and the miraculous, holding on and letting go. With this nine year, symbolizing closure and growth, its natural current of completion aligns effortlessly with Manifestation--(December's Co-Creative Mandalas archetype) aligning your inner wisdom to co-create your life.

This Collective Card reading supports us in integrating the lessons of this nine year (2+0+2+5) and releasing the what no longer belongs.

Winter draws us inward. It quiets the noise and invites us to listen to the whispers of the soul.

Winter gives us permission to rest, to breathe, to dream without striving--to be in tune with nature's rhythms.

Co-Creative Mandalas can be your companion through this powerful season of reflection and  release. We invite you to find ways to flourish! This month’s oracle card reading focuses on self-reflection, tying up loose ends, and aligning with wisdom,  as the season shifts.

The reading doesn't predict your future. It can shift your perspective. When I sit down to do these readings, I ask the Universe to show me/us where there is Manifestation in our life and to reveal a map that helps us navigate our lives with hope, clarity, and intention as we align with wisdom and move toward living our soul-guided purpose.

When I draw the oracle cards and I sit with them--the color, the essence, the mandala meaning, something shifts.

Everything settles. The noise in my head becomes quiet, followed by clarity. I can see truths I may have been too overwhelmed to notice before.

I've noticed that in the winter this becomes even more powerful.

This card reading supports Aligning with Wisdom, receiving guidance as you grow into your next chapter, and discovering new ways to bring the magic, mystery and power of Manifestation into your life. Come back to this reading whenever you’re feeling stuck, seeking clarity, or when you're ready to Align with Wisdom--within, in nature, and with the Universe.

Before I drew the cards, I asked:

What do we/you/I need to know about how Manifestation supports Aligning with Wisdom in December?

The first card, the Focus Card, reveals what we are called to cultivate and expand.

SPIRITUAL GROWTH

This mandala is from a photograph of Himalayan blue poppy (symbolizes spiritual enlightenment) and is associated with the solar plexus, third eye, and crown chakras.

Mandala message:
This is a wonderful time. You are on your karmic path, headed in the right direction. You are in tune with your soul-guided purpose. Trust yourself and trust the Universe.

Possible barriers to honor and clear:
Do you feel like you've lost your way, fallen off your path? Do you feel distracted by old habits, fears, limiting beliefs or worry? Do you feel stuck in constricted, energetic patterns?

Affirmation:
My mind and heart are open to Truth. I trust that my inner guidance and Universal guidance will show me the way.

The 2nd card supports the Focus Card.

What are we/you/I ready to receive that supports Manifestation and Aligning with Wisdom?

ROOT CHAKRA: STABILITY and SECURITY

This mandala is from a photograph of snapdragon(symbolizes grace).

Mandala Message:
Issues and challenges from the past are resolved and released. You are grounded, centered, and establish health boundaries. You allow yourself to feel increasing trust in your own power to safely move forward on your path.

Possible barriers to honor and clear:
Do you fear for your safety and/or security? Do you worry about or are you afraid of what the future could bring?

Affirmation:
I am strong, stable, safe, and secure. I trust my needs are, and always will be, met.

The 3rd card supports our next steps.

What action step can we take that supports seeing Manifestation as a pathway to Aligning with Wisdom throughout December and beyond?

HEART CHAKRA: LOVE and SELF-ACCEPTANCE

This mandala is from a photograph of rose foliage (symbolizes new beginnings).

Mandala Message:
Open your heart to receive love for yourself and from others. Your broken heart is healing. Gentle waves of encouragement remind you to gift yourself with compassion and acceptance. Cultivate the qualities of love for yourself and others.

Possible barriers to honor and clear:
Do you have lingering feelings of abandonment or heartbreak? Is it difficult to love and accept yourself? Is it difficult to let love in?

Affirmation:
The energy of love flows to and through me now. I love and accept myself. I easily give and receive love.

Allow the messages from this reading guide you back to a steadier rhythm, one that makes room for more clarity, honesty, and choice in how you move through each day, and how you'll move through the season ahead.

Take your time—this reading is available for you to return to for support whenever you're ready to align with your wisdom, with the wisdom of nature, and Universal wisdom.

As we experience this final month of 2025...this is a powerful time...reflect on what is surfacing from deep with you:

*What have I learned?
*What do I want to take with me into my future self?
*What do I want to leave behind?
*What do I want next?

Let's affirm to trust our wisdom — we are exactly where we're meant to be.

Speaking of endings and new beginnings, this reading will be the last Co-Creative Mandalas Oracle Card reading--not just for 2025, but as we go forward into the future.

We're retiring that deck. It's been a wonderful and meaningful companion since 2014, bringing insights and inspiration to hundreds of clients and to us every day since then. We say a fond goodbye and welcome, beginning in January of 2026, the new 48 card oracle deck and guidebook,  Sacred Mandalas: Mandala Messages for Aligning with Inner, Nature, and Universal Wisdom.   Stay tuned for more information about pre-ordering, bonus personal Sacred Mandalas reading, and the opportunity to see the deck before it's available to the general public.  

Wishing you blessings of love, grace, and gratitude,