Kali Transforms TESLI

The six foot Kali Mandala glowed magnificently under the influence of a black light last night.  One of the participants, Kayt Gordon, called the mandala “off the wall”  – literally – as she kept seeing it transform, leap off the wall, and enter the circle as another participant while us humans meditated with movement and dance.

Kali Ritual MandalaHere is the daytime view.  Kali Mandala on the new sound wall that Bob and I installed this last week.  Much less noise from the neighbors industrial HVAC unit.

Goddess Mandala at TESLIWith the break of dawn today, I took down the masterpiece who’s creation consumed my time this past week.  I was reminded of the sand mandalas created by Tibetan Buddhists – medicine that captures an energy that is meant to be used and what remains is allowed to pass away.

kali-mandala

Originally my plan was to move the sacred art into my healing room.  This morning, I contemplated and alternative plan.  I could just leave it on the wall to fade in the sun.  That felt good.  However, I finally decided that I would put it on the front of the house where more people could enjoy it.  That will take a little effort – the house is made of stucco and not as friendly to work with as wood, but I have a plan.

kali-mandala-dark

The next Goddess Wisdom event will be on December 26th.  We will be celebrating Hestia, the goddess of eternal light and the hearth.  Mark you calendars.  I sense another mandala will be there to bless us all.

Fire Element

Summer is upon us. In the five element system, summer is ruled by fire element.  This is an extremely expansive season.  The extra fire from the sun fuels plant growth and expansion.  Lots of yang energy, which means, heat, fruition, passion, expansion, and glory.  The fire element is all about an external show of power, form and structure.

Mandala for the Fire Element

Mandala for the Fire Element

Summer in Phoenix is a good example of what excess fire/yang energy can do.  In Phoenix, the excess fire scorches the earth and instead of expansion we experience a withering of resources and energy.  Usually the water element is activated to balance and subdue fire.  We experience this as the summer monsoons.  The rain pours down to temper the effects of the summer heat. Good to prevent the fire element from turning everything to dust!

Similarly, too much fire in the body is experienced as inflammation and eruptions.  If balance is not restored, the internal organs can fall apart from the scorching action of the fire element.  The treatment?  Much like the desert monsoons, one can find relief with cooling substances such as anti-oxidant rich juices and herbs like burdock and dandelion root.  In contrast, conditions where fire is lacking, including indigestion, are benefited by things that create fire, such as the spices like cloves, cardamon, and ginger.

Sometimes it is not so clear how to treat digestive disturbances.  For instance, lack of “fire” in the stomach can result in intestinal ulcers (a fire condition) or other inflammatory conditions of the gut (cramping, gas and bloating).  From an allopathic perspective treatment for an ulcer involves suppressing fire by the use of anti-acids.  From a traditional perspective, the cause of the ulcer would need to be determined first.  Some people get ulcers from hyper-secretion of acid while others get ulcers from hypo-secretion of acid.  One situation calls for a cooling action the other requires more fuel be added to the fire.