Can anyone explain the mysticality of mandalas in non-mystical language please

[bran]

I was looking for something else entirely and stumbled across a Mandala book which I took a closer look at because the cover is so pretty.

I did a search on Amazon and there are loads off books about this. Some of them position themselves as adult colour books and have mild claims of being soothing or meditative. I can see that it would be soothing if you are into that sort of thing, a bit like doing a jigsaw or watching raindrops on a pond. But some others have really weird and frankly unlikely claims like this one, or this.

How is it supposed to work? Surely it's just colouring in?

I apologise in advance to anyone who believes in this stuff being mystical or powerful because no matter how well you explain it I still won't believe in it, although I will be interested in what you have to say.

From the reviews in the first book, I gather the rough idea is similar to that of creating a 'sigil' or symbol / set of symbols, that you have created while pouring in the creative energy / intention of, say, getting a promotion at work. The idea is then that this sigil / mandala artwork is infused with this creative energy, which then resonates throughout the universe and sets to work creating what you desire. I suppose the outcome would really depend on what you chose, and the energy you put into it.

Using sigils, or writing your desires on a piece of paper and then ritually burning it, could be just as effective. This stuff was well known before 'cosmic ordering' became trendy.

It is less scary for people to do some pretty colouring in than to start using ceremonial majik to obtain the same ends, though.

Shit sorry that was pretty mystical!

It's just 'the secret' in mandala colouring book form, I suppose.

Horses for courses and all that. They do look pretty though, don't they!

So it's a bit like sports psychology then? You spend time thinking about a positive outcome because the more that you picture what you want the more you believe you can have it and the less likely you are to falter from lack of self-confidence.

They are very pretty. They remind me of some quilts that I've made. I think quilting may well have the same sort of meditative and postitive thinking quality.

Most quilts that I have made have been cot quilts, mostly because they are smaller and therefore quicker to make. But it was a good wind down after the stress of work and it was lovely to make something that would be used by a baby at time when I wasn't sure I would ever be a parent. I don't think anyone has ever tried to ascribe mystical values to quilting though.

Mystical Quilting and You

by Bran

Move over cosmic ordering and rhonda byrne's the secret, this could be the next big thing!

I did wonder if my explanation would make any sense to you, love the 'so it's just like sports psychology then?!'

Or how about

The Art of Mystical Quilting and Fertility

by Bran

It's a bestseller I tells ya, I would have bought it as it took us 5 years of tests and fertility treatment to get dd!

I love the title "The Art of Mystical Quilting and Fertility", it pushes loads of buttons. I don't think I'd be able to get a publisher interested in that. Partly because I just don't believe in it (I do believe it's good to do things that relax you, and that it's better to be optimistic than pessimistic, but that's not mysical). The killer would be that we adopted DS and DD, so, from my sample of one, quilting has no effect on fertility whatsoever. It will get you very cute photos of other people's babies lying on the quilt you've made, which is sweet.

Hi- not posted often on here before but I did an A-Level piece of quilting work on mandalas, and did a lovely quilted design. I still quilt and do textile work, and was thinking of doing another mandala one, and then I saw this! uncanny! the world needs more quilted mandalas to add harmony hope no fertility boost for me personally as my cup runs over with the two i have!

That's funny frecklyspeckly. Just a coincidence? Or perhaps the mystical power of the mandala in action to make sure you do quilt another one?

Lots of traditional quilting patterns are simple mandalas aren't they, so many of them have a rotational repeat. The books that I saw online reminded me of Paula Nadelstern's kaleidoscope technique.

Perhaps so Bran. I must look into the Kaleidoscope technique. Sounds very technical I have to say! The mandala is very fascinating though and once introduced you see them everywhere.

(Can we on here all have a prize for discussion of most niche subject matter ever please, mumsnet hq?)

I tried to do a kaleidoscope quilt once, but it's really quite intricate and precise and I didn't have the patience or accuracy to finish even one section. I've vaguely considered doing a S. Reynolds Stack-n-Whack quilt which has the same sort of rotational repeat, but the pedant in me recoils at using a technique which uses "-n-" to mean "and".

This isn't all that niche BTW, the most niche thread I've been on has been just me, on my own, posting several times with differnt points of view on some obscure subject.

bran thats so funny i actually did laugh ot loud... you could have flamed yourself, and then called yourslef a troll, just to spice it up. I understand, entirely, why you couldn't stack'n'whack given the 'n'

whoops excuse spelling! am watching a film at the same time