Crystal of Peace Mandala - Solstice Journey

The Summer Solstice Journey
The Prism & the Crystal of Peace Mandala

One year ago on the summer solstice of 2008 our community anchored an ethereal Prism of Light across a 65 mile geographic area in southwestern Florida. On that day, we envisioned a crystal city of light forming in Sarasota that would become part of the future earth's 22 cities of light network. This link has the story of that event in case you weren't there:
http://spiritofmaat.com/may09/prism_of_light.html

On the Summer Solstice of 2009 we'll celebrate and dedicate the opening of the Prism through the Crystal of Peace Mandala. The mandala has been in the consciousness of many in this community since it's introduction on the Equinox. It's been blessed by Tibetan monks, Hindustani musicians as well as by many local spiritual leaders and practitioners. It's been honored at a number of spiritual centers' Sunday services. At Wellness Fest more than 150 people recorded their intentions for peace on earth in a notebook then selected a color, imbued their prayer into the color, and then painted one of the many facets of the Mandala.

On that day over a dozen children left smaller colored versions of their Mandalas with us. All of them, some with the help of mom or dad, offered their wishes for the earth. The children's intensity and focus was extraordinary. Some didn't want to leave, insisting their parents go and they'd paint. They did. The Kramer sisters ages 5 and 8 stayed while their parents visited other booths. Each time the parents returned the girls told them they weren't finished their mandalas. Four year old McKenna couldn't understand why she wasn't allowed to paint the "big kids" mandala or use the "big kids colors." Told she could color her own Mandala she insisted her dad "wait over there till I'm done." He did.

Painting this mandala was a community-wide "spiritual happening." Everyone who joined in the effort was reverent and treated the mandala and what it represented with great respect. A few felt such strong emotions that they cried or prayed after they colored their prism. Having the children participate with such sweet devotion was a punctuation mark about the importance of the Mandala.

I watched them all for more than 8 hours. I watched each one ponder the words they wrote in the notebook. I saw the care and time each one took in selecting the colors they wished to use. Some knew immediately which faceted opening they wished to paint, others asked respectfully if they could paint a certain block. Each painter took alot of time applying their words, designs or colors. I realized through the diversity of colors, words, intentions and application was one bigger word - UNITY. The mandala was filled with diverse messages, shades, tones and color. Yet out of that diversity emerged a tapestry of design that created a COMMON UNITY. The feelings evoked around that phrase is what we call our spiritual comm-unity.

On June 21st at Unity's Labyrinth we will formally dedicate the Crystal of Peace Mandala in a Summer Solstice Ceremony. Spiritual leaders from all across the area will offer their prayers and blessings for a lasting peace on earth. We'll light candles, sing, dance and drum around a central fire. We'll honor the work we all embraced with the Prism of Light. With confidence we'll declare the opening of our own inner crystal represented in the Mandala.

This mandala is for the use of the community. It will be made available to our spiritual centers and spiritual leaders after the Solstice for their own ceremonies and sacred gatherings.

Endless blessings and gratitude to all who poured their magnificent grace into the Mandala.

Jo - May 25, 2009