Hi All,
In looking forward to four consecutive days off I made plans for a creative Bliss ‘holiday’ to work through the blocked intuitive sense and for deep relaxation. This is exactly what Self needed.

In the dream 'Mother Died, Compassion and Remorse' I crossed a road at an intersection. With insight offered by Gerard the meaning became clear.

On deeper examination, or musing, the following came about. I drew the corner, then two roads intersecting. I drew the intersection as four corners (angles). The undrawn outer edge took on aspects of a circle (to this Psyche). Circle indicated by four parts or angles each containing 90 degrees, (two right, two left/two above, two below), total 360 degrees. Then the view from above broadened, to four square city blocks. The intersection then took on the symbol of the squared circle containing a cross. So symbolizing the many cross roads, tangents of circular paths in the Journey, inferred by largeness of the city.

I've tried to draw/sketch/paint a mandala with no result. Thought no inspiration…not yet time. Now realize it was choice of mediums. I don’t normally draw, sketch or paint, although beautiful art media's they're not my Bliss. A mandala came about through the convergence of several items. Spurred by the aforementioned dream, interpretation and deeper examination and use of my specific creative Bliss stations to bring the expression out from within.

Image of corner to squared circle…




And the mandala...a good start.





In a nutshell, this is why the MDS Dream Forum is invaluable in Self work. The guides are here to help us along in the Journey.

Kind regards,
Kathy

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 44 Central OH

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Kathy,
Thanks for your well illustrated post. Sharing your methods of working with the Self is educational and lends to MDS being a great learning place.
It seems as if the 'intuitive block' thing has been contagious. And we are coming out of in the same time period.

I've had a good part of the week off and have found a refreshed intuitive mind during this time. My ability to read dreams seems to have rehabilitate itself and my creative juices have been clicking on all 8 cylinders {I found and added two new scripts to my front page}. Some would say many people have free time during Thanksgiving and that explains the 'coincidence' but Kathy lives in England.

Some find working with mandalas an excellent way to center the Self. There is no doubt they possess undefined psychic qualities. Why would two different cultures {Buddhists and Native Americans} thousands of miles separated from each other use such similar sand paintings to influence the soul? Both Jung and Campbell wrote much about the power of mandalas.

Another important aspect of the journey that has disappeared from most cultures is that of the ritual. Of course America never has had many fixed rituals that really moved a person to act in a desired way because we are such a young nation and one built on individualism.
Joseph Campbell spoke of how rituals structure our customs and experiences that has meaning and influences the way a person lives. He illustrated in fine details many of these rituals in his four volume series The Masks of God. I am reminded of how he suggested everyone should take an hour every day to be alone and create a desirable way to center oneself. Prayer can be a ritual or meditation {my preferred method}. And neither has to conform to anyone else's instruction. It seems the best Americans can do is over eat on Thanksgiving and spend all their money on Christmas. Materialism has become the legacy of America.

Carl Jung stated in the 1920's that American was a neurotic nation.
It is slowly becoming a narcissist nation.

Gerard

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 56 Murfreesboro, Tn.

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hi kathy,
i found your mandala work very refreshing,
a great lesson to us all on the attributes of bringing forth creative energies,
i like the way you have turned the square (4 corners)
in on itself,pointing towards the centre,
almost looks like a flower closing ,perhaps reflecting the much needed relaxation you mention,

i was struck with the choice of pictures ,
what meaning do they have?
reminded me a little ,of a medicine shield,
regards steve.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 51 -eng

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Kathy,
I'm grateful you have learned to use html codes to highlight your posts. I created a page sometime back on how to use such codes but few people used them. I will list it again if anyone should wish to enhance their posts with links, colors and/or images. The page link is HTML Codes

Gerard

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 56 Murfreesboro, Tn.

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Hi Gerard,

I’m glad you had time to reenergize and invigorate the creative and intuitive. I’m sure the UK is lovely but a slight geography adjustment here…OH is in the US proper.

Self expression through creating a mandala was fulfilling and will continue with this process. I took too literal reading on Mandala’s in attempting to use unfamiliar media types. Using media and tools I enjoy were fruitful and produced form my Psyche relates with.

The long weekend has in a way been a ritual for me. It has afforded time and inspiration on several projects, two will continue through the winter. Think from now forward I’ll reserve this holiday weekend for creative Bliss.

Thank you Gerard, but I don’t know any html. I use the Einstein method – write it down so I don’t need to remember it. (Or use an html editor.) A tip for others that don’t know html… I find it saves time to keep a saved Word doc containing Gerard’s MDS html code page info and an html color code chart. (You can copy and past a color code chart from the internet into the Word doc.) It’s easy to cut your text, and paste it into the html tags, then cut and past that into a Forum post. Images are another matter. I don’t know how to insert an image without first uploading it to a web site then linking to the site. For this you need access to a web site. Perhaps Gerard knows how to do this without having your own web site?

Kind regards,
Kathy

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 44 Central OH

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Hi Steve,
Thank you for your kind words. First-rate intuitive sense! A medicine shield, how fitting. Nature is the wellspring from where I draw peace and strength, what heals and inspires my soul. I did not make the healing connection.

Each photo symbolizes a moment of clarity, understanding, realization, mystery, synchronicity, etc or simply calm inner peace. The park offers much in the way of material to shoot. And what the inner Self requires the Mother usually makes available.

They are named, starting with the black and white, clockwise from top right
Speculation
Benefit
Adjustment
Nobility
Animation
Assistance
Mojo
Ascendancy
Frontier
Helpfulness
Acumen
Excellence

The center is Community. You have mentioned the river before. To me this photo symbolizes the energies streaming from the Godhead coming forth to join the flowing river of life.

Kind regards,
Kathy

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 44 Central OH

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hi kathy,
what you have done is just amazing,
even more so with your reasons for the various pictures chosen,
there is a place ,where all things come together,and a river runs through it,
regards steve.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 51-eng

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} m

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? yep

Kathy,
Sorry about the location. What was I thinking? Steve is from the UK, perhaps that was on my mind.

Yeah! That's the ticket. I was thinking of Steve.

Or not thinking at all.

Steve,
I located your Forum profile and have added your name to the contributors list in the heading at the Dream Forum. To review it go here Here

Gerard

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 56 Murfreesboro, Tn.

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hi gerard,
i don't have a problem being a contributor,
if i see something in a dream and i feel it may be of use,i will gladly give my input,
i have to stress though ,i don't feel knowledgable enough to take on every post that appears ,
as yourself and kathy do,
the time available for this is an issue for me,
work and home commitments etc.
regards steve

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 51-eng

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Steve,
When ever you can find the time to contribute is good enough. Kathy and I also have time issues so don't feel you are obligated beyond what you can do. As for the knowledge, you know more than you give yourself credit. Your input and insighs are always valuable and helpful.
Thanks,
Gerard

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 56 Murfreesboro, Tn.

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Hi Kathy,

I have been looking at your 'Mandala' website.

Can you tell me what the topics mean under each photo?
Are they inspirational, or sourced from books?

Could you explain a few to me, relating them to the specific pictures?

thank you,

Magda

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 24 Melbourne Australia

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Hi Magda,
They hold personal and/or archetypal meaning in this Psyche. The photos are symbolic. Many words, although not all, are more closely literal.

From a variety of sources including books, I Ching, computer programs, etc.

Frontier, a red tail hawk feather, holds personal symbolism. Red tails are a totem or 'spirit guide' to me. The day I took this photo, I saw two red tails at the park. One flew close, nearly overhead, announcing with it's distinctive piercing call beforehand. I thought Ahh...a sign. I continued, ran across another regular hiker. We talk photography, hiking, etc. We talked about a photography contest he'd entered and won, and encouraged me to 'publish' my photos. And told me the location of orange lichen on another trail. I later went looking for the lichen and took photos. Then decided to put away the camera and just enjoy the rest of the hike. Saw another red tail. Nearing end of hike I saw a perfect red tail feather lying in the middle of the trail, as though left for me.

I then knew at some point the photos would be public. No longer reserved for me, another purpose. The synchronicity of the discussion, lichen on the feather trail, seeing two hawks, finding the feather...all lead to entering a new wilderness, of experiencing in creative Bliss and life - a Frontier.

Another example is Helpfulness. The archetypal symbolism of the feminine boldly facing her own maldeveloped masculine. Societal view of help is that of weakness. Help without reservation is a bold feminine trait, a strength. Requesting and receiving, offering and giving, assitance without reservation. The pink flower stands forward facing left. Pink, flower, left...all symbolic for feminine. The dark background as masculine society, which eschews assistance to the point of detreiment. Yet the feminine must and does boldly stand her ground, surrounded by the masculine attitude relegating help as weakness.

Please let me know if this is not the information you sought. Or if there are specific photos you would like information.

Kind regards,
Kathy

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 44 Central OH

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