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Home > Art > Sacred, Religious > The Power of Sacred Geometry and the Mandala Art Work
The Power of Sacred Geometry and the Mandala Art Work
Submitted by: Nancy L. Young-Houser

The Mandala has become part of our English language, a symbol of sacred visualization of Buddhist religion and art. Known as a sacred geometric design, it symbolizes the entire universe. With a history that goes back a long ways in history, sacred geometry is different than mandalas, other than through individuals who design mandalas through channeled sacred geometry. In ancient times, sacred geometry was used for sacred art and architecture, with a basic belief that sacred geometry was not only found in music, light and cosmology but also in geometry, harmonics, proportion, and mathematical ratios. During the earlier days, it was found in temples, monuments, megaliths, mosques, and churches---considered an extremely fundamental part of the design.
Inside designs also used sacred geometry, such as in the alters, tabernacles, meeting places, iconography with religious proportions. On the other hand, sacred art was also considered as a sacred geometry based arts---medicine wheels, sandpainting and visualization.
1. MEDICINE WHEELS: Also called sacred hoops, stones were laid in a particular pattern by Native Americans on the ground, following the basic pattern of a stone center, with an outer ring of stones with spokes. An excellent example is The Medicine Wheel at Big Horn County in Wyoming. Their purpose has been for rituals, healing, teaching, and astronomical purposes for a certain segment of aboriginal groups.
2. SANDPAINTING: Used by the Tibetan monks, Native Americans, and Australian Aborigines, sandpainting is the art of pouring colored sands onto a flat surface to make a special paining, used for healing and religious ceremonies. The media used can be of crystals, minerals, or natural/synthetic pigments.
3. VISUALIZATION: An interesting aspect, visualization refers to seeking to change or influence the outer world by changing one's thoughts. Consisting of positive thinking, it is a basic technique used to enhance one's performance. Wallace Wattles, author of "The Science of Getting Rich" was the first person to successfully practice visualization.
It is thought that the complex system of space, time and form are perceived as very sacred, forming relationships and their connections. By following this philosophy and the application of sacred geometry and the mandala, insight can be gained into the laws and lore of the Universe. This has been proven in the designs of the Egyptian, ancient Indian, Greek and Roman architecture through use of the golden ratio, geometric figures, and the geometric ratios, with cathedrals from the medieval European period utilizing incorporated symbolic geometry.
Another group, the Indian and Himalayan spiritual communities constructed temples and their fortifications on mandara and yantra design plans. Many examples of the art in sacred geometry are not only the mandala but also the labyrinth, flower of life, Parthenon, Taijitu (the Yin/Yang pattern), Tree of Life, Rose Window, Celtic Art, Swastika , Dharmacakra, Vesica piscis, and Metatron's Cube.
An example of the geometric pattern would be like in the Vesica piscis, where two circles intersect within each other, and the radius of both is identical. The center of each circle lies within the other's circumference, with the term "Vesica piscis referring to "the bladder of a fish". The Yantra is a visual instrument, or symbol, specifically used to focus the mind. Used by the Eastern mysticism, the Yantra is used to also focus on a spiritual concept. Not only in art, it can be the act of wearing or concentration, said to have spiritual, magical, or astrological benefits through the design.
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Nancy L. Young-Houser is a professional writer and illustrator, in addition to providing a home for dogs on all levels of need with her best friend, Sandra Marquiss. Her writings include controversial subjects as part of the soapbox she has carried around since childhood, never leaving home without it. Part of this soapbox is her website WayCoolDogs.com filled with lots of four-legged information!
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