Mandalas are archetypal images whose occurrence is attested throughout the ages. The mandala signifies the wholeness of the Self, a circular image representing the wholeness of the psychic ground. Most mandalas have an intuitive, irrational character and, through their symbolical content, exert a retroactive influence on the unconscious, and therefore possess a “magical” significance, like icons, whose effects are seldom consciously felt. By delving into the unconscious, Jung observed the motif of the circle appearing spontaneously. Mandalas offer a way to restore balance in the psyche. Through the emotions, mandala images transport us beyond the franchise of the rational mind.
Join us in the Myth Salon on Thursday, November 17 at 5PM Pacific, when Susanne Fincher, a leading educator on mandalas, delivers a wonderfully visual journey through the history, cultural applications, and therapeutic uses of the mandala. We will experience the historical, spiritual, and psychological symbolism of circles; and how and why circles form the matrix of mandalas. She will explore Jung’s mandalas, Tibetan and Native American mandalas, and introduce us to the work of American art therapist, Joan Kellogg, originator of the Archetypal Stages of the Great Round of Mandala.
