Great Round of Mandala

• Do you wish to delve further into the meaning behind your art journal pages?
• Does the the mandala archetype call to you?
• Are you on a journey of self discovery and wish to dig deeper?
• Do the whispers of your unconscious infiltrate your waking hours?
• Is your art journal a refuge for your own personal therapy?
• Are you drawn to the same symbols over and over again?

If any of those statements resonate with you, I’d love to extend to you an invite to join me on a journey towards wholeness, as together we explore the twelve archetypal stages of the Great Round of Mandala.

It’s a journey of self-discovery… it’s a very intuitive way of doing deep work. ~ Tamsyn

The vehicle we’re going to use is our art journal, but you don’t have to be an experienced art journaler to accompany me on this journey. In fact, this series will be especially helpful to you if you;

• Are a wannabe art journaler but not sure how to begin.
• Don’t identify with being an artist, but want to activate a creative response to your personal development work.
• Would like to join a structured creative programme but don’t want to over commit.
• Want to explore art therapy as a self help technique.
• Wish to explore the psychology of self in a creative environment.

You don’t need to be an artist, or have a truck load of artist’s supplies to take part. As long as you have a journal to take notes in and a pen or pencil, you can get started.

 This journey doesn’t depend on artistic ability and there are no wrong answers. ~ Joni

I was told I was no good at art when I was at school and never saw any reason to challenge that view – I’ve now discovered that in art, I have another tool with which to explore aspects of myself that might be more difficult to bring to the surface via other methods. ~ Tamsyn

What will we do on our journey on the Great Round of Mandala?

We are about to begin a journey of meaningful personal revelations.

The Great Round of Mandala is an exploration of the cycles of self, and through this journey we can uncover and connect with our personal symbolism and archetypes.  According to Carl Jung, a mandala is the psychological expression of the totality of self.

The project will focus on developing and refining our art journaling process and divining meaning from our mandalas and pages in which they rest. (This project is not about teaching mixed media art techniques, although I will share my approach and techniques in the videos.)

Together we will

• Explore the 12 stages of the Great Round
• Create 12 individual Mandalas
• Activate our unconscious wisdom
• Uncover our personal symbolism
• Reveal the patterns and designs of our emerging self
• Connect with our intuitive creativity
• Inspire our journey towards wholeness
• Create a picture book of the mandala archetype
• Curate a mandala Pinterest board
• Participate in a private Facebook group

It can – and does – mean whatever you feel it does. You can skim it or dive deep depending on the exercise, your state of being, or whatever is influencing you at the moment. ~ Joni

This journey promises to offer you an opportunity to bring your unconscious into the light (at least once each month!)

Why should we undertake a journey into our unconscious?

I’ve been working on this journey for almost three years now and it has absolutely transformed my life. To be honest, I started out somewhat unwittingly, although I’m now utterly convinced that it was my intuitive wisdom which called upon on me to engage.

I have used as a guide on this journey my understanding and interpretation of the work of Carl Jung, the seed of which was planted by working alongside my husband in his personality profiling company PeopleMaps. When I came to blend that inner work of understanding self with my interest in creative pursuits, everything seemed to fall into place for me. I came to realise my dharma, my life purpose.

There is also the question of seeking something more out of this life experience. A hero’s journey. A spiritual quest.

I don’t think I could say it any better than Jungian expert Jolande Jacobi,

To deepen and broaden consciousness by raising unconscious contents to consciousness is an ‘enlightenment’, a spiritual act.

But here’s the crux of things – and it’s really quite simple.

When I better understand myself – when I am more awake to my place in the greater scheme of the cosmos – then I am better able to navigate my everyday existence. Tough times become easier to handle and good times even more so. Those times in between, they become even more meaningful.

What is the Great Round of Mandala?

The Archetypal Stages of the Great Round of Mandala is a concept developed by art therapist and founder of the MARI® (Mandala Assessment Research Institute), Joan Kellogg.

Kellogg developed her studies of Jung’s theories in parallel with her own work as a mandala artist to form the basis of significant psychiatric therapy research. This body of work is now used as a base for the MARI® – an assessment tool which is believed to provide a ‘visual snapshot of the self’.

We will not be using the  MARI® tool on this journey, but will follow Kellogg’s cycle of twelve archetypal stages, upon which all of our life experiences are said to be placed. As we fulfill our potential towards wholeness, we revolve around the twelve stages of this cycle, peeling back layers of self, much like an onion.

The initial prompts for our journey together are provided in The Mandala Workbook by Susanne F Fincher. You don’t need to purchase the book for the purposes of undertaking this journey.

Each lesson will include pertinent points about each of the Stages to give you a suitable starting point to develop your own response, but the book will certainly offer you more ideas for getting started should you need them.

I personally use the prompts to riff off, finding guidance in the starting point, but preferring to develop a personal response to each of the stages.

Each lesson includes at the very least;

• Introduction to the archetypal stage for the month
• Introduction to an aspect of the psychology of self or art therapy
• Art video (spprox 1hr)
• Downloadable PDF (approx 2opage, full colour) with further commentary and analysis of my mandala and symbols within
• Supplies list
• Journal prompts for before and after your mandala creation

I think people should know how much time, energy, investigation, openness and sharing you put into each lesson, not just the material but the preparation you do before hand. ~ Nicola

I really like the video clips. Seeing you demonstrate techniques and ‘thinking out loud’ as you choose colours and apply paint is like having you in the room teaching and it emphasizes the fluid nature of creating the mandalas, going with the flow. ~ Tamsyn

The videos of you creating your mandala are incredible. I love seeing how you process and work. ~ Nicola

Mandala imagery can be found almost everywhere. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to develop your awareness of the tool as a guide on your journey towards your whole self.

Join Us Now

I would recommend this course to anybody who would like to do some form of creation but don’t know where to start. ~ Nicola

The Great Round of Mandala is an online course, published monthly. Monthly subscriptions for 2013 are no longer available but you can now purchase  Season One (stages one, two, three and four) for immediate access for £36 GBP (approx $56 USD) ***This offer will close on 31st May 2013***

Season One includes Stages One – Four of the Great Round of Mandala. We’re using Suzanne F Fincher’s interpretation as a guide and you will receive access to four different lessons which will explore;

• Stage One : Resting in the Darkness
• Stage Two : Floating into the Light
• Stage Three : Turning Toward the Journey
• Stage Four : Embracing the New

 You get out of it what you need to. There is no “check in” unless you want to. LOVE the Facebook page. ~ Joni

***BONUS OFFER***

Quote the code COSMIC in notes to seller, alongside your mailing address and receive a free full colour, limited edition print of my Cosmic Mandala ready to frame.