The purpose of this article is to help you make a visual focus for
  meditation. The article starts out with giving a rough sketch of how
  mandalas can be defined, then suggest some patterns, talks about how
  mandalas can be used, and then goes into some detail about how to
  actually make mandalas. A bibliography appears at the end of this
  article. As always, comments are welcome at: ceci@lysator.liu.se. The
  article will be saved in /pub/magick/Consciousness/mandala at the
  anonymous ftp-site ftp.lysator.liu.se.
 
  This article assumes that you already know the basics of
  meditation. If you don't, it's easy to learn. Contrary to
  popular knowledge, you don't need a teacher to get started. Just
  get a good book, and do it.
 
  Definition
  ==========
  Depending on whom you ask for a definition of mandalas, you get
  different answers. Some definitions are wide, others broad, and
  sometimes the intersection between these definitions is empty. For
  some people mandalas, and the making of them, is a highly formalised
  art, for others they are a means of self-expression. In eastern
  traditions mandalas are round or sometimes square and two-
  dimensional. Jungians usually see mandalas as round and two-
  dimensional. Visual objects to look at while meditating or praying
  have been used in other traditions too.
 
  In this article I will use a functional definition of mandalas. In my
  opinion there are two basic uses for mandalas: they can be used as a
  focus for meditation or they can be used as a way of getting to know
  yourself better. In the first case the stress is on the use of the
  finished mandala, in the second the making of the mandala is the most
  important. Of course there's nothing to say against using a mandala
  made for self-exploration as an object for meditation, and vice verca,
  a mandala meditation can be a kind of self-exploration. This
  definition is a very broad one, it even includes some things which are
  generally not considered to be mandalas, which in this article
  doesn't really make any difference.
 
  How to meditate with a mandala
  ==============================
  There are two basic approaches to meditating with a visual object. One
  is to try and recreate the image in your "inner sight". This
  means that you look at the picture for a few moments, then you close
  your eyes and try to visualise it. When you loose the visualisation,
  you open your eyes again, and look at the picture, and so on. The
  other is to simply stare at the picture, without really noticing
  it. Some Zen students use one of the ten Ox Herding pictures in this
  way.
 
  A third way to use a mandala is to look at it and let your thoughts
  wander around the subject of the mandala. This is a method popular in
  Western tradition. The Iron pentagram exercise in Starhawk's Spiral
  Dance is one example of this.
 
  Mandala magick
  ==============
  If you stare at a picture for, say 15 minutes a day, the picture is
  obviously going to affect you in some way. You can consciously use
  that effect through carefully choosing your mandala. If you are
  involved in some project that you want to make absolutely sure that
  you "win" or you have a hard task ahead of you (final exams for
  instance) or simply a personal problem you want to alleviate, you can
  paint a mandala that will help you with that. To take some examples: A
  person involved in martial arts can use the symbol of her style as a
  mandala a few weeks before gradation. A person with a personal problem
  can paint a mandala that abstractly portrays herself without this
  problem or a mandala that represents the problem to allow her to focus
  on it.
 
  Be sure not to choose a mandala that makes you feel guilty when
  looking at it, because it is likely to be counter-productive. If you
  feel guilty when looking at a mandala, switch to another, preferrably
  one that has nothing at all to do with what you want to accomplish.
 
  The mandala you use usually has a special significance for you. This
  makes it a potent tool. In times of stress, you can use your mandala
  as a "reality anchor". Whenever you feel that you are loosing
  grip, you simply visualise your mandala and concentrate on it. Choose
  a soothing but well-defined mandala for this purpose.
 
  How to choose a pattern
  =======================
  Whichever definition of mandalas you subscribe to, they're supposed
  to be good for you. Many people say that they feel better whether they
  use it for self-exploration or as an object for meditation. Many of
  these people imply that a circular design is particularly beneficial.
 
  There is great variety of patterns to explore. For someone new to
  mandalas, it is probably best to choose something simple, and increase
  the complexity later on. Start out with a pattern that appeals to
  you. If you are new to mandala meditation, pick one picture, and stick
  with it for at least a week, or preferrably a month before giving
  up. It may take some time before you find a mandala that gives the
  effect you desire, but constantly switching won't speed up the
  process.
 
  Of course, there are probably people for whom mandala meditation just
  isn't the right thing.
 
  Suggestions for newbies:
  * Three concentric circles
  * A symmetric cross in a circle, or
  * A square or a triangle in a circle.
 
  Suggestions for intermediate students:
  * A more complex geometric figure, maybe inside a circle or a square.
  * A simple symbol of particular importance to your path (star of
    David, the monad, or a pentragram).
  * A single letter from a special alphabet (ogham, runes, hebrew etc).
  * The mandalas on the Major Arcana cards in the Jungian Tarot
    deck.
 
  Suggestions for advanced students:
  * A complex design of organic and/or geometric figures.
  * A complex picture of particular importance to your path
    (crucifiction scene, a tarot card, a Godess).
  * A word or sentence of particular importance to your path, maybe in a
    particularly meaningful alphabet.
  * Three-dimensional objects. If you like to keep the circular nature
    of the mandala, a Japanese tea bowl may be appropriate, or a
    terrestrial globe. If not, candle flames and burning joss sticks are
    a fine tradition.
 
  Suggestions for experimental students:
  * A picture that moves, for instance a fractal computer program.
  * Three-dimensional objects that move. A model of how the earth and
    the moon revolve around themselves, each other and the sun, a lava
    lamp or one of those battery driven "perpetuum mobile" toys
    that were so popular in the seventies.
 
  Colours
  =======
  The colours you use in your mandala will affect you in different
  ways. The only way to find out exactly how, is to experiment. If you
  follow a specific tradition, there is often a colour system within it
  that you can experiment with. You can also try making monochrome
  mandalas, or maybe black and white mandalas. There's no rule that
  says that you have to use only primal and secondary colours (red,
  blue, yellow and green, orange, purple) straight out of the tube. You
  can use pastell colours if you prefer, or maybe use a very dark colour
  scheme.
 
  Another question is the background colour. Some say that the back-
  ground should be white, but I find that a sensibly chosen background
  colour will often enhance the effect of the mandala. Try using a dark,
  dull tone of the complimentary colour to the main field. The
  complimentary colours are green-red, blue-orange and purple-yellow.
 
  Frame
  =====
  You will probably need a frame to keep your mandala in. A frame
  protects the picture, and lets it stand up against something or hang
  on a wall. There are some things to think of when buying a frame.
 
  * It shouldn't be too small. About 1'x1' is adequate.
  * If you want to hang it on the wall, remember that you will take it
    down every time you change the mandala, so make sure the loop can
    take it. Don't buy a frame with a simple cut-out cardboard loop.
  * You will want to change the picture in the frame from time to time,
    so pick one that opens and closes easily.
  * The frame shouldn't be too elaborate, as it shouldn't detract
    your attention. Something gilt with little putti in the corners is
    out, sorry. :)
 
  One kind of frame that is recommendable from several aspects are the
  modern "clip" frames. These consist of one masonite board, one
  piece of glass and an appropriate (4-6 for this size) number of oddly
  shaped metal clips which keep the frame together and act as loops at
  the same time. This kind of frame shouldn't cost more than 5 USD
  for a 1'x1' frame.
 
  An alternative is to laminate your pictures. The handy person can buy
  transparent self-adhesive plastic film at the stationer's. Take
  care when applying it to your pictures. Make sure the worksurface is
  free from hair and dirt particles, as the static electricity build-up
  in the plastic film will draw these to it. Start removing some of the
  protecting paper from one end, and gently firm the film to the
  mandala. Work from side to side, taking care not to create any air
  bubbles. An alternative is to get a printer to laminate the mandala
  for you in a lamination machine. This isn't very expensive, the
  crux is to find someone who does it on a professional basis.
 
  Some techniques
  ===============
  Water-colours:
  Water colours are a medium that many have tried in school. You can get
  very many different tones, and they are generally light resistant
  enough, even if you buy a cheap box for children. If you have a
  Chinese shop in your neighbourhood, often they have cheap
  water-colours in tubes (Flying Eagle brand or Mary for instance) which
  are easy to blend on a water-colour palette or a white plate. Art
  masking fluid can be very helpful, too.
 
  If you are using translucent water-colours (which I recommend) the
  depth of colour you can achieve depends to a large extent on the
  quality of the paper. The less glue there is on the surface, the more
  paint it can take up. Unfortunately, this quality doesn't come
  cheap. A good quality water-colour paper sheet costs 2 USD or
  more. Buying them in blocks is usually even more expensive. Some
  brands to look out for are Hahnemuehle, Schoellershammer and
  Lessebo.
 
  Many people have a problem with waiting long enough to let the paint
  dry. I find that if I walk out of the room and do something else a
  short while (play Tetris, put out food for the birds, cuddle with my
  SO etc) the paint has often dried when I come back, and it didn't
  take half as long, subjectively, as if I had stared at it while it was
  drying.
 
  Some people also find it hard to paint even fields of colour with
  water-colours, particularly so with transparent paint. This is how to
  do it: Hold the paper at a slight angle towards you. 15 degrees or so
  is appropriate. Blend all the paint you will need for the area to be
  painted. Start at the uppermost edge and make one horisontal stroke
  across the entire field. Of course the paint flows towards the
  downside of the stroke, forming a "long drop". The next stroke
  you make with the upper half of the brush covering the "long
  drop", and the other half on uncovered paper. Proceed like this all
  the time making even horisontal strokes along the "long drop"
  line and starting alternatly from the left and the right. After the
  last stroke, hold the brush to a piece of paper tissue to suck up any
  excess paint, then lightly make one last stroke along the "long
  drop" preferrably without touching the surface of the paper. This
  way the brush will suck up the last "long drop". Let the paper
  dry in the same position.
 
  Never, ever go back with the brush on the wet or damp paint. If you
  think this sounds complicated, practise a few times on some scrap
  paper. If you want to make a graded field, you follow the same
  procedure but dilute the paint with more and more water all the time.
 
  This is how I make my mandalas:
  I draw the basic design on good quality water-colour paper. For this I
  use a cardboard circle and a ruler. The reason I use a cardboard
  circle instead of a pair of compasses is that the compasses make a
  small hole in the paper. That hole would later be very visible,
  because the paint is sucked into it.
 
  Then I mask the lines with art masking fluid, and let that dry. Next I
  paint the background, and let it dry. Then I go on painting each field
  in turn, all the while making sure that the adjacent fields are
  thouroghly dry before I start. When I've painted all fields once, I
  decide if any field needs more colour, and add that. After that I
  blend a slighly darker hue, that I paint along the edges of each
  field. I grade it down towards the middle of the field. When every
  last stroke is dry, I remove the masking fluid with an eraser. Then I
  paint the lines with a dark-grey colour. This will produce a stained
  glass effect that I am very fond of. Being very short-sighted, and
  always meditating without glasses, it's also an advantage that the
  design stands out so clearly.
 
  Paper:
  Paper can be had in many colours from the stationer's. There are
  glossy and unglossy kinds, and many kinds of textures. It's quite
  easy to make simple geometric shapes. Just draw the design on the back
  of one paper, clip out, glue onto a sheet of another colour, and
  voila'. There's generally no problem with light-resistance,
  unless yo buy very cheap paper and keep it in a sunlit window.
 
  Ink:
  Ink is available in many colours nowadays, but most of them are quite
  fugitive. India ink (black) is always light-resistant, but fluid ink
  in fancy colours isn't recommendable. If in doubt, make a simple
  light-resistance test: Paint the ink on a scrap paper. Cover one half
  of it tightly, and put it in a sunlit window for a couple of
  weeks. Then check if there is any difference between the half that was
  covered and the uncovered half. India ink can be used together with
  common water-colours and even art masking fluid.
 
  The coloured Chinese ink sticks are quite appealing, but I've found
  it to be a chore to grind enought to cover an area of more than a few
  square inches.
 
  Felt pen:
  Simple felt pens in bright colours can be had for very little money in
  any supermarket. The light-resistance for these is often surprisngly
  good, but the colours tend to be less than tasteful. There are also
  more expensive felt pens of the kind of advertising firms use. These
  tend to be very fugitive, particularly the lighter colours. Highlight
  pens are even worse. Felt pens give a striped effect to pictures that
  I don't care very much for. Some people learn to control the
  stripiness, and use it to an advantage, others simply don't mind
  it. Just as with cut-out paper, there's no way of mixing colours
  with felt pens.
 
  Crayons:
  These can also be bought very cheaply in supermarkets. Both their
  permanence and their better colour range set them apart from felt
  pens. They don't give the stripy effect that is so typical for felt
  pens, either. Another advantage is that they can be blended.
 
  Pastells:
  There are two kinds of pastells, dry pastells and oil
  pastells. Neither of them are easy to handle, but they have a
  flexibility and a luminous quality that sets them apart from wax
  crayons.
 
  Dry pastells feel almost like chalk when you touch them, and they give
  off paint very easily. You need to use some kind of fixative to fix
  the paint to the paper, but even then the surface will still give off
  paint when you touch it. Buy fixative in a spray can unless you are
  used to a fixative mouth sprayer, because they're very hard to
  handle the first few times.
 
  Paper for dry pastells should have a texture that resembles velvet to
  collect as much paint as possible. A dry brush can be used to blend
  strokes of different colours and give a smoother appearance.
 
  Oil pastells are somewhat easier to handle, but they also stain very
  easily.
 
  Readymades:
  There is a host of readymade mandalas to be had from books, tarot
  decks and computer programs. They're often too complex to be used
  by complete newbies, but once you've used mandalas in your
  meditation for, say 6 months, you should be able to find appealing
  pictures in many places. Many pictures practically beg to be xeroxed
  (or colour copied and enlarged!).
 
  Some more or less obvious suggestions: totem animal pictures in
  popular scientific books, a picture of a page in the Book of Kells
  from a history book, Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper from any art
  history book, calender pictures, the output from Fractint, pictures
  taken by the Hubble telescope, illustrations or covers from books, for
  instance the illustrations in Robert Anton Wilson's Cosmic Trigger
  etc. And, of course, your favourite bonsai tree.
 
  Bibliography
  ============
  Susanne F Fincher: Creating Mandalas -- For Insight, Healing and
  Self-expression. Shambahla 1991. ISBN 0-87773-646-4.
 
  Roshi Philip Kapleau: The Three Pillars of Zen -- 25th Anniversary
  Edition. Anchor Books, Doubleday 1989. ISBN 0-385-26093-8. (A
  practical book about Zen meditation. It includes the ten Ox-Herding
  pictures in black-and-white.)
 
  Starhawk: Spiral Dance -- A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the
  Great Godess. HarperSanFransisco 1989 (10th anniversary edition). ISBN
  0-06-250814-8. Introduction to NeoPaganism including exercises,
  politics, thealogy and much more.
 
  Robert Wang: The Jungian Tarot. Urania Verlags AG 1988.
  ISBN 3-921960-76-2.  This is a boxed set of deck plus paperback book.
  I find the pictures ugly to indifferent, but there are mandalas on each
  of the Major Arcanan cards.
 
  Robert Anton Wilson: Cosmic Trigger -- Final Secret of the Illuminati. New
  Falcon Publishing 1977. ISBN 0-941404-46-3. _The_ Book for anyone interested
  in psychology, sex, occultism, drugs, the illuminati and everything.
 
  There are scores of books about meditation techniques, so I'm not
  naming any. Try to pick one whose author doesn't claim to have the
  One True Path To Wisdom(tm). If you can find one that describes many
  different methods, you can try them all before deciding which feels
  right for you at this stage.
 
  Fractint is a computer program for the I*M PC that paints incredibly
  beautiful fractals on your screen. It's available from major ftp-sites.
 
  Mandala blessings,
  --Ceci  --
  ====ceci@lysator.liu.se====================================
  "Gabriel before me, Raphael behind me,
   Michael to my right, Uriel on my left side.
   In this circle of fire." Kate Bush, Lily from _The_Red_Shoes_