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.

May 1st (Beltane in Celtic tradition) marks the heart of spring, the mid-point between spring equinox and summer solstice when the earth is alive with possibility, promise, and potential. Throughout the next few weeks nature is inviting us into a magical time of flowering and growth.

According to a post on the Emerald Lotus website, the name "Beltane" is thought to originate from the Old Irish words Bel, meaning "bright" or "brilliant," which refers to the Celtic sun god Belenus. And tene, meaning "fire."  

In traditional Celtic traditions, this day is associated with rituals that promote abundance, embrace love, encourage growth, and celebrate the return of summer.

You're being called to open yourself to life's beauty and potential, much like a flower turning its face to the warming sun. This is a wonderful time to celebrate the joy and pleasure of being alive.

This is a powerful transition in nature's cycle. The slower beginnings of spring are blossoming into full expression - trees are showing green new leaves and vibrant blossoms, flowers are showing their colorful blooms, and the air is filled with the softness of spring showers.  This is nature's most expansive time, when creative energy flows through all things and life force surges in every branch, stem, and root.

May is here to help us ground, get intentional, and remember our most expansive self. This energy, and vibrant growth is also happening within...our innate power to bring our visions for the year into reality, even if you aren't aware of it. Because the energy is so vibrant and powerful, this time also offers an opportunity to remember to ground, reflect, and reset as we co-create this month.

We can experience the magic that is happening now when we stay present and open. I invite you to connect with this potent seasonal energy through this Co-Creative Mandala Oracle card reading.  This is a powerful time to get creative, try new things, and begin envisioning what’s next.

This Co-Creative Mandalas Oracle three card reading for the collective taps  into the energy of the month so we can navigate the weeks ahead with grace and ease. This month is all about connecting with your creativity, with abundance, with who you are and who you are becoming, and aligning more closely with nature's sacred rhythms.

This card reading supports you to Align with Wisdom, receive guidance as you grow into your next chapter, and discover new ways to bring Integrity (the mandala theme for May) into your life. Come back to this reading whenever you’re feeling stuck, seeking clarity, or ready to Align with Wisdom--within, in nature, and with the Universe.

How will you emerge, blossom, and reconnect to what matters to you this month? How will you harness the vibrant energy of the season and move forward with clarity?

Before I drew the cards, I asked:

What do we/you/I need to know about Aligning with Wisdom in May?

The first card, the Focus Card, anchors and grounds us this month.

GOOD FORTUNE
This mandala is from a photograph of Centaurea cyanus (symbolizes hope) and poppy (symbolizes resilience) and is associated with the solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye and crown chakras.

It reminds you that success is on the way. You have done good work and the Universe is rewarding you. The seeds you planted or will plant are bringing well-being in all areas of your life.

Be patient and allow new ways for achieving your goals to emerge. It's safe to ask for support.

Affirmation:
I feel optimistic about fulfilling my vision and living my purpose. The Universe is blessing me with good fortune at the right time and in the perfect way.

The 2nd card supports the Focus Card.

What do we need to know that supports us to Align with Wisdom?

ATTRACTION:
This mandala from a photograph of pink species rose (symbolizes gratitude) is associated with the root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, and crown chakras.

At the heart of all inspiration and growth is love.

This mandala reminds us that tenderness and love are always available. The love, compassion, and self-acceptance you give yourself attract love (in all its forms) to you. This is the time to notice opportunities for new connections or for deepening current connections.

We are connected to heart energy when we release old, toxic relationships, thoughts, and beliefs that no longer serve our most expansive self. We are worthy of attracting love.

Affirmation:
I deeply and completely love and accept myself. I attract love in wonderful and unexpected ways.

The 3rd card supports our next steps.

What will help us Align with Wisdom throughout May and beyond?

SPIRITUAL GROWTH:
This mandala is from a photograph of Himalayan blue poppy (symbolizes spirituality) and is associated with the root, sacral, solar plexus, throat, third eye, and crown chakras.

It reminds us this is a wonderful time! You are in tune with your soul's purpose, you live your life with integrity, and you trust yourself and the universe.

You are moving forward in the right direction on your path and are expressing expansive energy.

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

The beginning of May invites you to enjoy playful exploration of new ideas with a spirit of curiosity and wonder. Let yourself experiment without pressure or expectations. Through this gentle exploration, you'll naturally discover which possibilities truly light you up and deserve your precious energy.

Take time to immerse yourself in spring's sensual delights - the scent of blooming flowers, the warmth of sunshine on your skin, the vibrant colors painting the landscape. This deep connection to life's pleasures enhances your own creative power.

This is the perfect time to plant the seeds of your intentions. Like a mindful gardener selecting seeds with care, take time to connect with what you truly want to grow in your life over the next weeks and months. What dreams and visions are ready to be nurtured into reality?

I invite you to open yourself to the energies of abundance, growth, love, creativity, and authentic expression.

Wishing you moments of self-care--to reset and realign, and moments of creativity that move you forward with clarity as you allow yourself to dream and co-create! 

Blessings of good fortune, love, and growth!

Your suffering can break open at any moment, can shatter into Presence.
                                                                 Jeff Foster

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 mind, body, and spirit,
with the natural rhythms in nature,
and  with the Great Mandala.

The mandala energy for this month is Presence.
It's been fun and illuminating to explore Presence and
all the ways it supports aligning with wisdom: Your wisdom--mind, body, and spirit--by listening to you inner guidance: How is your wisdom calling you to be present? By noticing the wisdom of nature, the intelligent power of life within a flower blooming, the change of seasons, the ebb and flow of the tides. By trusting the wisdom of the universe that always has your back--is always supporting you and co-creating with you.

This Co-Creative Mandala, "Presence", from a photograph of a tulip (symbolizes cherish the present) as is associated with the root solar plexus, heart, and crown chakras. It invites us to step fully into awareness of the felt sense of wakefulness, openness, and tenderness that arises when we are fully here and now with our experience. Your thoughts, feelings, and presence shape your reality. Reconnect with your true essence, step into transformation, and radiate your light into the world. The radiant power of Wholeness has always been within you. Now is the time to claim it.

Happy Earth Day!

This Earth Day, we invite you to honor this time by nourishing your body, mind, and spirit.

There’s something powerful that happens when we reconnect to the Earth beneath our feet, the breath in our lungs, and the healing rhythms of nature.

Have you ever noticed how spending time in the natural world has a way of awakening something within you—a sense of greater awareness, even wonder and awe?

This is because we’re intimately connected to the ever-changing rhythms of nature. It’s easy to forget when we’re focusing on work or zoning out in front of a screen! The truth is, your body and mind long to connect with sunshine, fresh air, birdsong, and breeze. Your frazzled nervous system can switch into “rest and digest” mode from being in the great outdoors, even for just a few minutes.

These are uncertain times, but to some extent, we're always navigating challenges, and many of those challenges are inter-related. What's happening within, what's happening in the world, what's happening to the Earth are all connected. This is the time for Presence--both the state of awareness and the quality of energy that each of us bring to our experience. It's that felt sense of wakefulness, openness, and tenderness that arises when we are fully here and now with our experiences.

Over the decades since I first followed my grandmother around the farm, watching how she tended to her flowers and the vegetable garden, I've come to appreciate how profoundly healing it is to get my hands into living soil. I did that today when I prepped the soil for planting onions and potatoes.

When we plant seeds, tend our vegetables, or cultivate flowers, we're not just nurturing green spaces—we're restoring our own sense of Presence, hope, and connection. Gardening is a  metaphor for life. Just a few minutes, with the sun on my back, the breeze on my face, and the sounds of birds shifted my energy. I remembered my Wholeness.

Finding peace, Presence,  and purpose in the garden is such a simple way to make a contribution to the planet's future.  Gardening does more than grow food and flowers (although both are very important rewards for our efforts); it grows resilience and personal and global well-being.

Many of us realize, and celebrate, that the world as we have known it...doesn't exist anymore. Familiarity, certainty are over, no longer available. Perhaps, that's the way the human condition has always been.

For many, this is a moment of suffering--individually, collectively, globally. To move forward, we realize we can't turn away from our suffering or the suffering of others.

We're in a chrysalis moment. We're not quite seeing what comes next. Yet. Being in this state can feel messy, to say the least.

Right now, in this moment, we all stand at a doorway. On one side is the life we've known, including the familiar patterns, and the old limitations. On the other side is something new. A new awareness. A new way of being. A new brilliance that has always been ours to claim.

These times have so much chaos, upheaval and fear...along with such hopefulness, sweetness and trust...in our ability to birth a new humanity...a new earth.

In these uncertain times I've noticed that I long for answers. I long for something solid beneath my feet, for something that feels soothing to the fear, comforting to the hopelessness. Connecting to nature always grounds me.

Whatever it looks like, life is inviting us to embrace Presence--the felt sense that Ram Dass invited us to experience: Be Here Now.

So, how do we do that?

You may have the same experience that I have: I forget...the impermanence of suffering. I forget that all this shall pass...and is passing right now.

Then (perhaps not immediately), I remember, when I choose to bring Presence to the moment,  when I let go of resistance, when I love myself and honor all my feelings--the guilt, shame, fear, despair, along with the hopefulness, the trust, the wonder, the awe, I often find that all my experiences are filled with new energy and life.

I love those moments when everything just feels right. Not in the moral sense, but more expansive and easy. A realization so clear that it feels like the sun breaking through the clouds. I notice that experience when I'm in the garden, surrounded by the energy of living plants, of the sights and sounds of nature--the bees, the breeze cooling my body, the birds flying  in and out in search of seeds. Being in nature is one way to bring Presence to our experiences.

Presence is like the sun. Presence leads to change, just like the sun's life giving energy transforms the world around us and our world within.

How do you find those simple moments of Presence, which lead to coming home to your body, mind, and spirit--to aligning with wisdom--yours--your intuition, nature's--the intelligence that's found in the rhythm of the seasons, and the Universe--the co-creative source that always has your back?

At its most basic level presence– what we allow ourselves to notice and how we engage with the world – literally determines how we experience and navigate the world.
                                                         Sharon Salzberg

Right now, humanity is experiencing a great shift—one where we are realizing that our consciousness is not just shaped by the world around us but that we shape the world through our consciousness, with our Presence. Imagine the power in that! When you become aware of the co-creative force within you, your entire life can change.

Often, when we think of Presence, we think of being in a state of equanimity. But to be truly present, we need to be with everything that's arising, including fear and discomfort.

Whether the challenge is personal or political or global we can find our true vision and path forward only from a place of Presence. This seems particularly important in these times.
 
The journey to bringing Presence to our experience by aligning with wisdom isn't linear. It's more like a zig-zag path and an upward expanding spiral. It’s a deep, unfolding transformation. Sometimes it feels like warmth. Other times, like fire. And sometimes, like the weight of gravity pulling you toward your true purpose. But through it all, something within you is transforming—becoming brighter, stronger, and more fully alive.

Just like the sun's rays radiating through the clouds dissipate the fog, my resistance has no more substance than the fog. Then, the sorrow, the suffering, is gone.

Just like that, unexpectedly...

A child's laughter...
The kindness of a stranger...
A blossoming flower...
A moment of stillness...
Music that fills my heart with joy...

My experience is transformed.

There is so much to be gained by Presence, by being fully engaged in the moment, whatever that moment brings.

Feel your feelings, yes, breathe into all that moves in you, access your anger and your grief, speak your deepest and most authentic truth, of course, but also be available for the breaking-open of your suffering. Don't  assume it is here for any longer than a moment. Let it visit, and let it leave. Let it visit again. Let it leave again.

 The Guest House
by Jalaluddin Rumi

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

When you enter a state of deep Presence — through meditation, breath-work, a walk in nature, gardening or a quiet moment of reflection — you activate your body’s natural ability to heal, adapt, and regenerate. Resistance softens, tension disappears, and your cells realign, bringing you well-being from the inside out. At the deepest level, you are an active co-creator of your own healing, joy, and luminous potential.

Presence starts with our intention to bring awareness into everything we experience, everything we do, everything we feel in our relationships, interactions with strangers, at work, or at play. Whatever you do, do it with Presence and be your most expansive self.  Pay attention to each moment, one day at a time.

It takes practice. The more you bring Presence to your experience, the easier it becomes to stop, breathe, and be aware and fully experience the moment.

When we choose the power of Presence we explore a fresh perspective on the present moment. Our decision to bring Presence to our lives weaves together the threads of our life tapestry--from the moment we wake up, throughout our entire day, and to the moment we turn off the lights at night. I find it so helpful and even comforting to hold this expansive perspective during the drama and chaos in the world. Placing the chaos of today into the context of Presence...lifts me up, and invites me honor fear so that I can move forward with trust, curiosity and awe.

And it is not just personal work—it is planetary. Because as each of us awakens and aligns with our wisdom, the wisdom of nature, and the wisdom of the universe, we contribute to the collective awakening of humanity.

From our little corner of the universe to yours, we’re wishing you  beautiful Earth Day blessings--today and always.

 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.

Paradigm shifts often happen in April. As spring unfolds around us, nature reminds us of our own capacity for growth and transformation.

Spring is doing her best to emerge from winter here in Colorado. At one point in the last couple of weeks, she skipped right over spring and landed squarely in summer. Then gave us "weather whiplash" that plummeted us back into winter. Even so, the signs are all around us: Our yard is covered in patches of pale green and bright yellow dandelions. The early "te'te-ta'-te'te" daffodils bloomed in all their glory. And, when I look closely, I see buds bursting at the ends of maple tree branches.

Can you feel it? The gentle stirring of new life beneath the soil, the whispered promises of growth carried on the spring breeze.

This is a season of profound beginnings – a time when nature invites us to embrace our own blossoming potential.

Like the seeds preparing to break through winter's chilly soil, I sense there's something beautiful waiting to emerge within each of us, too.

As spring reveals its vibrant tapestry, it's the perfect moment to deepen our connection with the natural world through mindfulness, with presence. The gentle unfurling of new leaves, the cheerful chorus of morning birdsong, and the soft warmth of the changing breeze all invite us to slow down, breathe deeply, and awaken our senses.

In a time when the world can feel heavy with uncertainty and challenge, nature quietly reminds us that resilience, renewal, and balance are always within reach.

Whether it's sitting quietly by a blossoming tree, walking mindfully along a forest path, or simply pausing to feel the earth beneath your feet, spring offers countless opportunities to be held and supported by the natural world. Just as the trees continue to root deeply and reach skyward, we too can find steadiness and presence, returning to what is simple, true, and alive in this moment.

This Co-Creative Mandalas Oracle three card reading for the collective taps  into the energy of the month so we can navigate the weeks ahead with grace and ease. This month is all about cultivating a deeper connection with your spiritual practices and aligning more closely with nature's sacred rhythms.

This card reading helps you Align with Wisdom and discover new ways to bring Presence into your life. Come back to this reading whenever you’re feeling stuck, seeking clarity, or 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 Aligning with Wisdom in April?

The first card, the Focus Card, anchors and grounds us this month.

ABUNDANCE
This mandala is from a photograph of yellow species rose (symbolizes joy) and is associated with the root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, and crown chakras.

It reminds us that there's an increase of abundance in unexpected ways. We have planted the seeds of abundance and now the Universe is blessing us. The mandala points toward expansion. Open your heart, open your mind...you are about to receive.

Affirmation:
Abundance blooms all around me and radiates through me. I see blessings everywhere and in everything.

The 2nd card supports the Focus Card.

What do we need to know that supports us to Align with Wisdom?

ATTRACTION:
This mandala from a photograph of pink species rose (symbolizes gratitude) is associated with the root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, and crown chakras.

At the heart of all inspiration and growth is love.

This mandala reminds us that tenderness and love are always available. The love, compassion, and self-acceptance you give yourself attract love (in all its forms) to you. This is the time to notice opportunities for new connections or for deepening current connections.

We are connected to heart energy when we release old, toxic relationships, thoughts, and beliefs that no longer serve our most expansive self. We are worthy of attracting love.

Affirmation:
I deeply and completely love and accept myself. I attract love in wonderful and unexpected ways.

The 3rd card supports our next steps.

What will help us Align with Wisdom throughout April and beyond?

WHOLENESS:
This mandala from a photograph of purple verbena (symbolizes spiritual connection)  is associated with the solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye and crown chakras.

It reminds us that this is the time for increased personal power and for speaking your truth. Tap into inner strength and wisdom. With inner resources and support from the universe you co-create the life of your dreams.

See the truth of your power and presence. You are in control of your destiny. Trust yourself. Stay open. Prepare for the next chapter.

Affirmation:
I am whole and complete.I trust myself and I trust the universe.

April brings the opportunity to co-create a foundation for acknowledging and expanding presence in your life. Aligning with Wisdom is your pathway to co-creating  deeply meaningful spiritual practices that align with the natural world, your purpose, and with the Universe.

We need, each of us, to feel strong within ourselves – to feel solid, grounded, nourished.

And also … the world NEEDS YOU to be solid in yourself.

This time is a calling to each and every one of us to stand in your power. This moment is calling you to be your strongest self, to own your power – to OWN whatever magic and medicine you have to offer. (And we all have magic to offer.) Each & every one of us has our own magic we're here to share.

 And this moment is demanding that we all stand in the fullest expression of whatever that is for each of us.

Blessings,

Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights.
                                                              Pauline R. Kezer

As many of you know the Co-Creative Mandalas emerge from a partnership between an unseen, felt presence and me. I discovered this presence before I had the inspiration to create mandalas. Making that discovery is what is called serendipity--the magic of discovering something unexpected and unexplainable. Along with co-creating the mandalas comes the energy associated with the mandala that the unseen, felt presence names.

This month the mandala energy is Continuity. It's been fun and challenging to learn about all the ways that continuity shows up in science, math, nature, spiritual paths and practices, our ancestors, community, and within--mind, body, and spirit, just to name a few.

This Co-Creative Mandala--"Continuity" from a photo of purple crocus (symbolizes spiritual awakening) is associated with all the chakras.  This mandala reminds us to honor nature’s rhythms, find steadiness within ourselves, and step into spring with open hearts and hopeful spirits. This is the time to create a space of warmth and renewal as we welcome the progression of the seasons, longer days, and all the promise they bring. Shake off the weight of winter, embrace the energy of new beginnings, and plant the seeds of possibility for the season ahead. Nurture and expand your creative spirit during this season of renewal. Just as spring transforms a bare garden into a canvas of colors, this mandala will guide you in transforming your inner landscape into a flourishing garden of promise and possibilities.

Today marks the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere, a powerful time of pure potential when the natural world awakens from its winter rest. As new life springs forth everywhere and nature paints the world lovely shades of green, this sacred moment invites us to embrace our own awakening and renewal.

We move through the equinox doorways just twice a year. The seasonal energy is always supporting your growth, always providing the nurturing energy you need to transform your life. With all that’s happening in the world, resetting our energies, attuning to our soul essence, and aligning with the wisdom of nature's potent energies  is significant.

By doing so we can really set the tone for what will unfold in our lives moving forward for the present, for months, and even years ahead.

In a world that can sometimes feel overwhelming and uncertain, the Continuity in nature, the rhythms of the seasons, reminds us that change, renewal, and balance within are always possible. It's the perfect time to acknowledge Continuity, the uninterrupted progression, of your journey by integrating your experiences, lessons, changes, challenges, and triumphs.

And when you take the time to do this kind of meaningful reflection, you’re able to move forward into spring a bit wiser, a bit more evolved – and better prepared to truly embrace the powerful growth energy about to flood into your life.

Here are some insightful, empowering questions to ask yourself as you step through the portal from winter to spring:

What inner wisdom did you gather on your journey inward this winter? What did you learn about yourself?
     
What challenged you this winter?
     
What wisdom did you gain about yourself & about your life?
     
 Where are you ready to grow?

Spiritual transformation often creates an uncomfortable paradox between Continuity and change. Ancient spiritual texts, philosophies, and wise people over centuries remind us that we are whole, complete, perfect, enough...we are Beings of Light and Love. Whether we are conscious of it or not, we are always in progression toward remembering our wholeness.  We, however, don't always remember our wholeness. Being called to awaken spiritually requires personal change and transformation along with Continuity.

Sharon Salzberg, author and meditation teacher reminds us of the permanence of our true nature, Love and awareness we can place our hearts upon is present regardless of our particular conditioning or background or trauma or fears. It is not destroyed, no matter what we have gone through or what we will go through. Even though each of us has the capacity to remember our Wholeness, she reminds us that Although some people are completely out of touch with that capacity—they can’t find it, or don’t trust it—it is always there.

I love to look to nature for examples of Continuity: How water on Earth  heated by the sun evaporates into the atmosphere, forms clouds, and returns to Earth as rain, snow, hail that merges with soil, rivers, oceans, and then begins again. Something changes, and also continues to exist...

Nature's seasons bring Continuity every day throughout the year in predictable patterns.

In our personal lives, Continuity is the thread that weaves our life tapestry, the connection between our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual  life over time, from birth to death, and every stage in between. It includes our beliefs and values, lifetime memories, desires. Our true nature persists, even when our circumstances change.

The one thing that will always be true about the human condition: life happens. Sometimes not in a good way.

In our daily lives, the awareness of Continuity can provide a sense of comfort, stability, and predictability, which can be particularly important during times of change or uncertainty.

Life brings changes and challenges that shape our reality and can disrupt our perception of  Continuity and our belief in our Wholeness. Physical limitations, health issues, turmoil in the world, or loss of social connections may make it harder to maintain a sense  Continuity and leave us feeling our progression has halted.

We can remain peaceful and content in the face of continuity and change, prosperity and decline, success and failure.
                                                             Thích Nhat Hanh

When change inevitably happens, what do you turn to for comfort, for regulating your nervous system, for finding your awareness of Continuity? What gives you a sense of stability and predictability? How do you adapt to change and retain a sense of Continuity and inter- and intra- connectedness?

I invite you to reflect on those practices and habits without judgement. Just be fully present in the moment, paying attention to thoughts, feelings, and actions. Just write down what they are and think about if those practices fulfill living your purpose, with purpose, on purpose.  If they don't, think about some other ways that you might be able to find comfort in times of crisis.

Wishing you a magical spring season, ways to explore new forms of expression, to connect with your inner wisdom, and to nurture your awareness of the deep roots present in Continuity.

Blessings,

Your commitment to personal growth and spiritual transformation is truly inspiring, and we are deeply grateful to be a part of your journey.We are committed to providing you with resources that inspire, educate, and empower.

Our vision has always been to create tools that help people feel more connected to inner and outer resources in their spiritual journey – resources that support integrating and balancing personal growth with the seasonal changes.  Every time I receive a message from someone sharing how the mandalas and the card readings have helped them feel more connected to themselves, to others, to the Universe, and to nature's rhythm, I'm reminded of why this work matters.

The Spring Equinox is just around the corner, and with it comes a powerful opportunity to align with spring's transformative energy, profound growth, and joy-filled renewal.

March is a seasonal turning point, bringing profound shifts, renewal, balance, and the need for continuity. Use the March oracle card reading as you step into the powerful, sometimes chaotic, spring energy.

This Co-Creative Mandalas Oracle three card reading taps  into the energy of the month so we can navigate the weeks ahead with grace and ease. This month is all about trusting your inner resources, including your intuition, and not letting the outside world dictate how you feel or where you focus your attention.

This card reading helps you Align with Wisdom and discover new ways to bring continuity into your life. Come back to this reading whenever you’re feeling stuck, seeking clarity, or ready to Align with Wisdom--inner and outer.

Before I drew the cards, I asked:

What do we/you/I need to know about Aligning with Wisdom in March?

The first card, the Focus Card, anchors and grounds us this month.

GOOD FORTUNE
This mandala is from a photograph of Centaurea cyanus (symbolizes hope) and poppy (symbolizes resilience) and is associated with the solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye and crown chakras.

It reminds you that success is on the way. You have done good work and the Universe is rewarding you. The seeds you planted or will plant are bringing well-being in all areas of your life.

Be patient and allow new ways for achieving your goals to emerge. It's safe to ask for support.

Affirmation:
I feel optimistic about fulfilling my vision and living my purpose. The Universe is blessing me with good fortune at the right time and in the perfect way.

The 2nd card supports the Focus Card.

What do we need to know that supports us to Align with Wisdom?

BALANCE:
This mandala from a photograph of dahlia (symbolizes growth) is associated with the root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, and crown chakras.

The spring equinox is a moment of balance--between light and dark.

This mandala reminds you of the balance you've achieved in your life. Listening to your intuition has helped you realize you goal of integrating mind, body, and spirit energies. Your spiritual allies are guiding you toward greater peace, joy, and fulfillment.

You are in sync with your highest good, your most expansive self. You love and accept yourself, incorporate self-care, and make room for play.

Affirmation:
My mind, body, and spirit are centered in self-care. I see love and joy in myself and in all things.

The 3rd card supports our next steps.

What will help us Align with Wisdom throughout March and beyond?

ROOT CHAKRA:
Stability and Security from a photograph of snapdragon (symbolizes positive energy).

This mandala indicates that your energy is flowing freely. Issues from past challenges are being resolved. You are grounded, centered, and have established healthy boundaries. You allow yourself to feel increasing trust in your own power to safely move forward on your path.

You release the past and confidently open to what the future will bring.

Affirmation:
My root chakra is open and healthy. I am strong, stable, safe, and secure. I trust my needs are and will always be met.

March brings the opportunity to co-create a foundation for acknowledging and expanding continuity in your life. The spring equinox is a moment of balance, within and in nature. The seeds you have already or will plant bring profound transformation now and during the months ahead.

Blessings,

The two most important days in your life are the day you are born, and the day you find out why.
                                                                                       Mark Twain

Each month, we share insights, inspiration, and all the ways the cycles of the Great Mandala uplift and support you.  We draw upon the metaphors and messages of each season to explore and celebrate our individual and collective personal growth journeys.

Life goes in circles...all aspects of life...expansion, contraction, every part is equal, valued, necessary to be in balance...

The seasonal cycles play a significant role in our daily lives, influencing our moods, energy levels, and overall well-being. The annual and monthly Co-Creative Mandalas have a vibration that anchors, activates specific qualities, and represents something about the natural world and the energy in the universe at a particular time. The mandalas support aligning ourselves with the natural rhythms of the Great Mandala and  enhance our sense of connection--within, with each other, and the world.

This month's mandala is Purpose.

This Co-Creative Mandala, Purpose, is from a photo of snowdrops (symbolizes spirituality) are the first flowers to emerge from winter's rest. It's associated with the root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, and crown chakras. It reminds you this is the time for celebrating your uniqueness and for realizing that you are destined for something amazing. It invites you to listen to your inner guidance, calling you to have a clear sense of your authentic purpose It's okay if you're not quite certain what that is. Stay open to the mystery and magic that's emerging. You may discover your purpose isn't necessarily what you think it is.

As spring approaches (in 21 days!) for many of us, we can almost feel the plants around us getting ready to push out of the ground and open to the sun. Are you ready to follow their lead? This is the time for awakening your most expansive self,  for navigating the changes and challenges that can create barriers to joy, fulfillment, and a meaningful life.

I love this liminal space...winter's still here and spring is calling forth new possibilities. As the days slowly grow longer and the first whispers of spring stir in the depths of the Earth, beneath the frozen ground, it's the time when we begin to feel spring’s inevitable arrival. You know that feeling you get when you see the earliest sprouts poking through the dirt or you notice the sun setting a bit later than before even though winter isn't quite done with us? It's that excitement, trusting spring is coming with new life, a new chapter, when your energy and the Earth's energy are buzzing.

Since ancient times humans have wondered if the darkness of winter would release it's icy grip on the world. Individually and collectively, we are experiencing uncertain times. We may also wonder if we'll move through dark times. The liminal space is also happening within us individually and collectively. We're still in the darkness of our "winter" depths, at the same time feeling the hope, potential and possibilities of our inner"spring" awakening.

We can look to what's happening in nature for comfort and as a source of hope as the seasonal changes remind us to have faith...anything is possible, and miracles are happening right now.

As conscious, spiritual beings we are  on the forefront of our collective expansion and evolution of consciousness. It's up to us to "be the change we want to see in the world"...

Even though there's a pull toward the outer (both in nature, in the world,  and within ourselves) at this time it's so important to intentionally calm & quiet your mind so you can hear your own, deep down, inner voice. This supports honoring all your experiences and clearing space so you can hear the guidance available to you.  This is the time to trust that these downloads from your Soul, from the Divine, from nature & the Earth all support the understanding that you have the power to co-create a world of meaning and purpose for yourself and others.

This is the perfect time for reflection, for asking ourselves powerful questions about what matters to us, what we value, how we want to make a difference in the world. It's the perfect time for asking yourself if you are living your purpose, with purpose, on purpose.

Have you recently asked yourself: Why am I here? What does a meaningful life  look like? What is my purpose? How can I intentionally show up in the world?

Until recently, I associated living my purpose with doing, with action, with how I manifest and co-create in the world. I thought living my purpose meant I was setting and achieving goals, i.e., contributing to my community, pursuing creative expression, serving others, building my  business. I came to realize that living my purpose is so much more than the goals I set and the actions I take. Deep reflection revealed that there's a source of living our purpose that we all share. I discovered that we all have the same purpose: Remembering our Wholeness.

Living your purpose, with purpose, on purpose is an inside job. I believe we all live the same Purpose even though we express our purpose in unique ways, at our own pace. We are infinite beings of light and love...that is our Wholeness.  Remembering our Wholeness  supports us not only to access the source of purpose, it supports expressing purpose with intentionality. When we live our purpose, with purpose, on purpose it helps us get through the challenges with greater ease, inner strength, and peace by giving us access to greater joy, hope, and well-being along the way.

There are subtle, but key, differences between the three concepts:

>Living your purpose is your true north, your sense of direction. It focuses on the source of your purpose, what matters, what you value in life.

>living with purpose is  aligning your every day actions with Wholeness.  It envisions your entire life as your purpose and how your actions and choices benefit you and others.

>living on purpose focuses on being intentional and deliberate as you co-create in the world with purpose.

As a pathway to living my purpose from Wholeness, this year I'm focusing on  Alignment. I discovered the concept and process of Alignment through Nova Wightman's work. She defines Alignment as:

... it's about engaging in self-awareness, consciousness and intention - disrupting the more reactionary and automatic states we humans tend to live from, especially in a world and time where life is exceptionally loud, fast-paced and seemingly full of endless distraction and unexpected curve balls to navigate. It's also a way to engage in your partnership with the Universe/the Divine/God/Your Inner Being so that you can better allow in the extra help.

This year I'm focusing on Aligning with Wisdom--found within, found in outer sources, and in nature.  You might have a different name for the vibration with which you choose to align: Love, connection, freedom, joy, compassion, abundance. Wisdom, like all names we use for expansive vibrations, arises from our Wholeness.  The practice of aligning (through meditation, breath work, journaling, energy clearing, mindfulness, connection to nature) is your access point to Wholeness, your true, authentic, most expansive self. Aligning is the connection with your inner self, and to the universe (higher power, spirit--whatever you call that source of expansive energy). This access point is where you remember your Wholeness.

Honoring the moment, remembering your wholeness, and acknowledging  your connection to everything is life purpose. Being in that vibration, trusting your wisdom, and the wisdom of the universe is a state of being from which all "doing" arises. It is from the gentle whispers of wisdom that the still small voice emerges and we find our greatest strength. Life purpose is connecting to Source, which leads to intentionally bringing grace to our actions, to whatever career we choose, to whatever we manifest in the world. It's our quiet persistence from the depths of our "winter" that co-creates our "spring" expansion. When we choose to align with wisdom, we become the gardeners of transformation in our own lives. From there we can choose to make a difference in the lives of others, or serve our community, or build a business, or pursue our creativity.

Living your purpose, with purpose, on purpose is a journey and there aren’t any shortcuts on life’s journey. Even now, as I live my purpose with purpose on purpose, I am defining and continually refining how I live that purpose. I like to ask myself three questions each morning:

When we slow down, align with wisdom (love, compassion, connection, trust),  shift our perspectives, and explore the full spectrum of human experience, remember our wholeness, from anxiety to freedom, guilt to acceptance, earthly to divine, we are living our purpose. In this combined state of intention and focus that alignment with wisdom implies we are invited to inhabit our bodies, our intellects, and our spirits simultaneously. This is where the mind, the body, and the spirit are felt and inhabited in deeper ways that are not possible when we attempt to focus on them separately.

We are whole only to the degree that we embrace all parts of our beings.That's remembering our wholeness. That's living our purpose, with purpose, on purpose.

With love, light, and blessings,

Today marks the mid-point between winter solstice and spring equinox.The days are growing longer, and you know what that means—only 47 days until spring!

As we step into February, we're reminded that, just like in nature, we may be "dormant", but deep within us there is movement toward growth.  If you're like me, you may be feeling the stirrings of spring already.  I even had the urge to jump into more active energy--in the garden!!! Then I remembered something very important: I still need these precious weeks of winter's nurturing rest, physically, mentally, and spiritually so that I can  gather energy for the beautiful work of Aligning with Wisdom still to come this year.

If you're feeling scattered, ungrounded, or disconnected from wisdom right now, you're not alone. Mid-winter can create tumultuous feelings within. To say nothing of what's happening in the world right now. Even though on the surface there's a lot of chatter and plenty of distractions that tug at our attention and pull us out of our center, this is the time for self-care.  Take this month to recharge. Self-love and self-care aren’t luxuries; they’re essential practices that allow you to meet life with resilience and strength, in alignment with wisdom.

This Co-Creative Mandalas Oracle three card reading taps  into the energy of the month so we can navigate the weeks ahead with grace and ease. This month is all about trusting your inner resources, including your intuition, and not letting the outside world dictate how you feel or where you focus your attention.

This card reading helps you Align with Wisdom and discover new ways to live your purpose. Come back to this reading whenever you’re feeling stuck, seeking clarity, or ready to Align with Wisdom--inner and outer.

Before I drew the cards, I asked:

What do we/you/I need to know about Aligning with Wisdom in February?

The first card, the Focus Card, anchors and grounds us this month.

TRANSFORMATION
(from a photograph of Lace Cap Hydrangea--symbolizes deep understanding and is associated with the solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye and crown chakras).

This mandala reminds you that you can shift challenges and transform difficulties in to great blessings in every area of your life. It invites you to claim your power, honor your intentions and embrace self-acceptance and self-compassion.

Trust your ability to overcome obstacles to realizing your dreams.

Affirmation:
I claim my power and co-create the life I want. I live my truth and my life moves effortlessly toward fulfilling my purpose.

The 2nd card supports the Focus Card.

What do we need to know that supports us to Align with Wisdom?

GOOD FORTUNE
(from a photograph of Centaurea cyanus (symbolizes hope) and poppy (symbolizes resilience) and is associated with the solar plexus, heart, throat, and third eye chakras).

This mandala reminds you that success is on the way. You have done good work and the Universe is rewarding you. The seeds you planted are bringing well-being in all areas of my life.

Be patient and allow new ways for achieving your goals to emerge. It's safe to ask for support.

Affirmation:
I feel optimistic about fulfilling my vision. The Universe is blessing me with good fortune at the right time and in the perfect way.

The 3rd card supports our next steps.

What will help us Align with Wisdom throughout February and beyond?

HEART CHAKRA:
Love and Self-acceptance from a photograph of rose foliage (symbolizes love).

This mandala reminds you to be open to receive love from others and for yourself. Gentle waves of encouragement remind you to gift yourself with compassion and acceptance. This is the time for cultivating the qualities of love for self and others.

Self-love is self-care.

Affirmation:
My heart chakra is open, healthy, and joyful. The energy of love flows to, through, and as me.I love and accept myself. I easily give and receive love.

February brings the opportunity to co-create a foundation for living your purpose. Even if we can't see it today, profound transformation is happening beneath the surface. Important growth is coming in the months ahead.

Blessings,

Let's do our best to meet each moment with sincere and joyful intention.
                                                                 Anonymous

Each month, we share insights, inspiration, and all the ways the cycles of the Great Mandala uplift and support you.  We draw upon the metaphors and messages of each season to explore and celebrate our individual and collective personal growth journeys.

Life goes in circles...all aspects of life...expansion, contraction, every part is equal, valued, necessary to be in balance...

The seasonal cycles play a significant role in our daily lives, influencing our moods, energy levels, and overall well-being. The annual and monthly Co-Creative Mandalas have a vibration that anchors, activates specific qualities, and represents something about the natural world and the energy in the universe at a particular time. The mandalas support aligning ourselves with the natural rhythms of the Great Mandala and  enhance our sense of connection--within, with each other, and the world.

This month's mandala is Intention.

This Co-Creative Mandala, Intention, from a photo of ice (symbolizes potential) snow (symbolizes calmness), blue sky (symbolizes freedom), and pine (symbolizes renewal) is associated with the solar plexus, heart, throat, and crown chakras. It reminds you that you are a co-creator with the Universe. When you set an intention from a place of alignment with Wisdom...you listen to your soul’s deepest calling, make a vow to honor that calling, and create a foundation for a fulfilling and vibrant year. This is the time to silence the noise of limiting beliefs and  take inspired action for  living your life purpose. It invites you to step into alignment with your most expansive self, listen to the voice of your intuition, and discover your life’s direction, forge your own authentic path, and activate the miracle of what makes you, you.

But first...

I can't find the adequate words, but my heart is so heavy as I think about  the suffering all around the globe and on the planet. Like many of us, I send healing  energy and prayers for safety and healing of all beings directly and indirectly affected by these challenges.  I "look for the helpers" and offer gratitude to all those who are giving their time, talents, and resources directly to the people and places in need. I hold the belief that our thoughts, prayers, and intentions are powerful.

Our individual and collective intentions can contribute to shifting the energy from constriction to expansion.  Yes, there is a lot of suffering...which can be overwhelming and leave me feeling helpless. I can also do something to make a difference...even if I can't directly effect the larger suffering. I can let go of judgement...I can surrender...I can reaffirm my commitment to my personal growth, to extending kindness and compassion. I believe these thoughts, words, prayers, and actions will reverberate out from my heart to those closest to me, to my community, to the world as a reminder that anything is possible and miracles are happening right now.

As we take the time in January to reset, Co-Creative Mandalas guide us do just that. Rooted in the sacred, our Wholeness, and vibrations of expansive energy, this way of focusing attention nourishes your whole being--mind, and spirit in the most amazing ways! It’s the perfect time to set intentions for how you want to feel, where you want to grow, deepen your relationships, and dream big for the year ahead.

The New Year is  a blank canvas that invites us to pause, reflect, and align with Wisdom, with what truly matters, and with our life purpose.  Between January and March we have the perfect time to set clear intentions, nurture the "soil" of our soul's purpose as we plant seeds of inspiration, and welcome the feelings that will carry us through the year ahead.

How are you feeling, now that we’re in 2025?  Does it feel a bit overwhelming? Confusing? Not quite sure what’s the best thing to do, or what you want to aim for?

The beginning of the year energy may feel exciting and overwhelming, present and disconnected.  It's so important to get grounded in your own container...where you're focused energetically. As you continue moving into the New Year, I invite you to honor your true rhythm this time of year, no matter what your brain is trying to get you on board with, i.e., resolutions, vision boards, intentions...all those beginning of the year actions. Use all your tools, your inner and outer resources including breath work, EFT-Tapping, Yoga, journaling, and oracle cards for guidance and inspiration.

This is such a powerful time to set your intentions for how you want to feel in the year to come.

What intentions are you setting for 2025?

One of the hardest decisions we can face is choosing between what we think we should do and what our heart is calling us to do. Our mind might overwhelm us with self-doubt and overthinking, but when we honor our inner knowing--our wisdom, and align with our soul path, it can lead to a life of incredible purpose and fulfillment.

Sometimes we get so focused on trying to decide what we want to attract in our life that we forget how we want to feel. Particularly at this time of year. And then we start to tell our selves the old stories that keep us stuck.

When we focus on the feelings we want, things become simple.

What if we could start 2025, by focusing on the feelings we want to attract more of into life?  After all, all the physical manifestations we want to attract are because we think they'll help us to feel the way we want to feel.

What if we could do this the other way around? Decide what feelings we want and then clear anything that stops us feeling that way?

When we use our feelings as our guide, when we're in alignment with Wisdom, we’re on track, we’re in balance, in harmony with ourselves and the world around us. As a bonus, that helps us attract the physical things we’d like, too.

It's like taking a short cut, feelings first, will put us in a more expansive vibration and align us with Wisdom. Both will help us to manifest the things we'd like to experience and have.

I invite you to pause and reflect on a question:

How do you want to feel in the year ahead?

Consider a state of being you’d like to cultivate. Maybe you want to feel hopeful, connected, or inspired. Or perhaps at ease or enough. For me, my focus is,  inspired by the Co-Creative Mandalas 2025 journey around the Great Mandala, Alignment with Wisdom,  and all the feelings that support that alignment.

While our first thoughts might relate to our personal life, this feeling can also guide how we connect with our family, friends, community, and the world.  It can shape our actions, mindset, and the environments in which we place our self.

As you consider how you want to feel this year, I invite you to ask yourself:

  How can my actions—both personal and collective—nurture this feeling?

    What environments could make it a little easier to access this state?

  What connections could help facilitate this feeling?

Practices for feeling into the New Year and setting your intentions:

    Meditation:
    Spend time in deep meditation to access your feelings, clarify your intentions, and visualize your desires coming to fruition.
    Journaling:
    Write down how you will feel once your goals and dreams manifest.
    Positive affirmations:
    Calling in and claiming what want to feel and manifest..."I am".."I have"...
    Gratitude practice:
    Express gratitude for what you already have in your life and be open to receive.

Remember:

>Feelings get you present...with the vibration of what you want...

>Before you set an intention...be in the vibration of receiving and gratitude...

>When you clear your energy...and expand your energy field...you are open to receiving...

>When you open to inner wisdom...you trust the Universe has your back...

You don’t have to have it all figured out in January. Growth, healing, dreaming, and setting intentions are an ongoing process. The most important thing? Show up for yourself, align with Wisdom, and trust the Wisdom of the Universe.

I invite you to remember the incredible opportunity the New Year brings: a fresh start, an opportunity to feel into the New Year, a chance to step into your most expansive self, live your soul's purpose, and make 2025 a year of co-creating magic and miracles.

Wishing you the blessings of joy, delight, and well-being throughout your next journey around the Great Mandala!

Living life aligned with wisdom is our life purpose.
                                                                                         Susan Carey

Every year for over a decade we have been guided to co-create and share our Co-Creative Mandalas. We listen to our inner wisdom, nature's wisdom, and the wisdom of the Universe. We don't choose the mandalas or the messages. In essence, they choose us. What emerges are Co-Creative Mandalas that contain a sacred vibration that anchors you to your Wholeness, activates specific qualities that support your upward, expanding spiritual journey, and represents something about the natural world and the energy in the universe at a particular time.

This year's journey around the Great Mandala is
Aligning With Wisdom.

This Co-Creative Mandala, "Aligning with Wisdom", from a photograph of lace cap hydrangea, (symbolizes transformation), is associated with  all the chakras. It reminds us when we are aligned with wisdom, we feel at ease with the circumstances of our lives. When we are aligned with wisdom, we walk in light, because we are connected to and trust our inner guidance and the support of the universe. It invites us to tap into our divine inner wisdom and embrace the limitless possibilities that the Universe has in store for us.

Welcome to the New Year,  

I hope you had a lovely holiday season and that you're riding the waves of the energizing 2025 portal to possibilities and potential!

Is this a year of change, growth and transformation for YOU?

Are you receiving some clues and seeing signs that Spirit is pointing you toward living your most expansive self,  even if you aren’t quite sure where it’s all headed? According to the concepts of numerology, 2025 is a 9 year (2+2+5). It’s a completion, growth, and transformation year. We can expect that the universe has a lot in store for us, including curve balls, miracles, and dances with the mystery that is unfolding all around us.

For me, it's time once again to embrace this opportunity to begin again and renew my commitment to remembering my Wholeness. I feel a rejuvenating energy and creativity in the air — inspiring me (and each of us) to nurture and grow the the most expansive version of ourselves.

The beginning of the New Year is not just a time for resolutions—it’s a moment to choose your path. A moment to decide whether you will stay on autopilot,  or if you will step into the journey of transformation.This year, I'm choosing myself...my Self.

Many of us are feeling the pull to awaken more fully to the deeper truths of our existence. Whether it comes suddenly or gradually, the invitation to "wake up" is always here, inviting us to realize a deeper sense of who we truly are and to Align With Wisdom. Wisdom is the connection between each of us and all beings.

Wisdom is not only something we have, or something we acquire, or something we develop as we age. It's something we actively practice. Wisdom is your true nature and is also expressed in your actions. It's both a noun and a verb.  According to Positive Psychology, there are five strengths that can enable wisdom: Creativity; Curiosity; Open-mindedness; Love of Learning; Perspective.  

As we move through the cycles of the Great Mandala in 2025, toward Aligning with Wisdom, we discover that it's a simple journey that is built on a foundation of five factors:

1.Trusting your wisdom:  Tuning into and listening to your intuition, that "still, small voice" for guidance.  
2.Trusting the universe's wisdom:  Surrender to the flow of life and the divine unfolding of your path. The universe has you back...always.
3.Practicing self-love: Integrate physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual self-care into your daily life.
4.Accepting life experiences:  Accepting and honoring what is.
5.Sharing wisdom: Share wisdom with others and encourage them on their own journey.

 You're likely already well on your way to Aligning with Wisdom because you incorporate practices that support your most expansive self. Every day, simple practices include mindfulness, meditation, connecting with nature, journaling, and energy clearing techniques.

What daily practices are you committed to using that connect you to your wisdom and extend wisdom to the world?

Sometimes, at the beginning of the New Year,  we may feel overwhelmed when thinking about incorporating goals, resolutions, and life changes that support any new journey, including Aligning with Wisdom.

We can help with that.

We're here to support your journey. Like year's past, Co-Creative Mandalas offers a way each month to gently support your journey through the cycles of Great Mandala. Each month, we share a Co-Creative Mandala the offers insights, inspiration, and information about ways the cycles of the Great Mandala uplift and support you.  

As we enter our journey around the Great Mandala throughout this year of Aligning with Wisdom, we'll share a monthly Co-Creative Mandala that is connected to that journey. The vibrant Co-Creative Mandala images represent the blessings of nature and your inspired life.  The mandalas support aligning ourselves with the natural rhythms of the Great Mandala and enhancing our sense of connection--within, with each other, with nature, and with the Universe.  We'll draw upon the metaphors and messages of each season and explore and celebrate our individual and collective personal growth journeys toward Aligning With Wisdom.

We have other ideas brewing, including Co-Creative Mandala Oracle Card readings and a private Facebook group, so stay tuned for updates.

Our first mandala, Intention, will be published soon, followed each month with these mandalas:

January-Intention
February-Purpose
March-Continuity
April-Presence
May-Integrity
June-Amplification
July-Synchronicity
August-Flow
September-Honesty
October-Community
November-Convergence
December-Manifestation

As a community, we can explore the many gifts these monthly mandalas have to offer to help us navigate these complicated times with greater ease and quality of life.This year, choose wisdom and say "YES" to yourself!

I hope you will join us.

Wishing you the blessings of joy, well-being, peace, and prosperity throughout your journey around the Great Mandala!

Honor the beauty and power of darkness while turning toward and cultivating light.
                                                                             Anonymous

Each month, we share insights, inspiration, and all the ways the cycles of the Great Mandala uplift and support you.  We draw upon the metaphors and messages of each season to explore and celebrate our individual and collective personal growth journeys.

Life goes in circles...all aspects of life...expansion, contraction, every part is equal, valued, necessary to be in balance...

The seasonal cycles play a significant role in our daily lives, influencing our moods, energy levels, and overall well-being. The annual and monthly Co-Creative Mandalas have a vibration that anchors, activates specific qualities, and represents something about the natural world and the energy in the universe at a particular time. The mandalas support aligning ourselves with the natural rhythms of the Great Mandala and  enhance our sense of connection--within, with each other, and the world.

This month's mandala is Loving-kindness.

This Co-Creative Mandala, "Loving-kindness", from a photograph of snow (symbolizes a fresh start), blue sky (symbolizes hope), pine (symbolizes peace), and blue spruce (symbolizes light) is associated with the heart, throat, and crown chakras. It reminds us that, even in dark times,  we can experience a fearless open heart that connects us to the best in ourselves and others. Loving-kindness is a gift that connects us with our Wholeness, with the light, while also connecting us with other people. When we cultivate feelings of compassion, warmth, and connection toward ourselves and all beings we feel a sense of goodwill toward all forms of life across the cosmos, including ourselves.

Welcome to Winter!  The Season of Resting and Dreaming begins today.

The winter solstice marks the day in our journey around the Great Mandala when the sun slowly begins to return to the Northern Hemisphere. The winter solstice marks the depth of quiet and solitude in nature’s calendar. The shortest day of the year brings us the most darkness and also a beginning of the return to the light. Yet for a while, this will remain the coldest, darkest time of the year. But slowly and surely, the days will get incrementally longer. The light will return to the skies, and to our lives.

The ancients used to wonder: Will Earth grow darker and colder until only darkness remains? But on December 21, also known as Yule, the Sun ceases its decline and for a few days appears to rise in the same place. Solstice means to ‘stand still’ in Latin– as the sun seems to stand still, waiting to be reborn.

This is a beautiful time to connect with the stillness and light within you, to reflect on the year just passed, and to imagine what the light of the new year holds in store for you. You can dream peacefully knowing that deep within  Earth and within your heart, something beautiful rests and is nurtured… waiting to be born in the spring.

Across the globe, the period between November and February is rich with traditions that invite us to honor the light and the darkness, the sacred, the communal, and the joyful. From Diwali, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Lunar New Year, to quieter observances like winter solstice, this season holds space for light, renewal, and togetherness.

While for many of us, this time of year is a time of celebration for others it can also come with stress, unmet expectations, and moments of tension.  The darkness, combined with the hustle and bustle and the weight of tradition that sometimes comes with the holidays can leave little room for reflection or kindness toward ourselves and others. This is why I want to share a gentle reminder: We're not only celebrating outwardly but also inwardly. Let’s approach this season with an intention to slow down and offer loving-kindness to ourselves and others.

Winter solstice comes at a perfect time to regroup and prepare to begin again. It’s a time to reconnect with our deepest self, with family and community, and to spread love, and share our highest gifts with the world. It’s our opportunity to serve as beacons of light — focusing on the light and the goodness of  humanity.

As I contemplated what would be a fitting offering for this winter solstice, the holiday season, and the end of the year, loving-kindness came strongly to mind, especially given the upheaval around the world. I believe that's why we're here...to bring the vibration of loving-kindness to ourselves, to others, and to the world. When we intentionally extend loving-kindness...the world around us rises up to meet us there.

The ancient Buddhist practice of loving-kindness (Metta) begins with extending loving-kindness to yourself, then to someone you care for, then to someone with whom you have difficulty connecting, then to the world--to all beings, seen and unseen, across the universe. Simply sit quietly, gather your energy, put hand over your heart and say the following phrase for each person:

May I/you/we be healthy, well, at ease, light, happy, peaceful, strong, safe.

Use words that resonate with you.

For more information about Metta, Loving Kindness scripts, and other resources click here.

Just a few deep breaths,  intentional quiet moments, aligning with the loving-kindness meditation at the the Solstice, during the holiday season, and  throughout the New Year can have a profound energetic affect on us and everything as we move forward.

Where will you to put your energy?

Wishing you a winter solstice,  holiday season, and New Year that is joyful, compassionate, and peaceful.