The 2009 Roberts Creek Community Mandala's is complete! Five days and 400 painters later, we dance on our communal dream! The Mannafestival, held on July 25th, celebrates our intentions to protect, grow and nurture one another and our environment. A small group met to herald the sunrise coming over Mt. Elphinstone. The day was sunny, and superhot with clear blue skies. The Mayan year of the Self-Existing Yellow Seed begins. Folks enjoyed a variety of musical guests, an opening ceremony invoking the directions, and an amazing puppet show by the Funginears, as well as crafts and food booth. By sunset we witnessed a double rainbow out on the pier and a forked lightning show lasting hours, with accompanying raindrops big as platters!
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The Mandala's new design theme this year is death and rebirth, a central issue in the evolution of humanity in relationship to our value system and economy, as it has unfolded this past year. The twin skulls have undergone a transformation, emanating rainbow light from the inspirations of a myriad of painters. The left brain is essentially feminine, while the right cerebrum reflects a male essence. The center circles inside the craniums reveal flower shapes, holding images of the moon and a First Nation's design of salmon, respectively.
This year's design honors our seven circular chakra system, symbolizing the energy of our Kundalini Shakti, from the red root Muladhara chakra, orange sexual Svadisthana chakra, yellow solar plexus Manipura chakra, green Anahata, doing double time as both the heart chakra and the Mandala's Central Mayan Hunab Ku, the blue throat chakra Vishuddha, and the purple third eye chakra Ajna, all culminating in the thousand-petalled lotus, Sahasrara, or Crown Chakra. A gateway path between the skulls leads one up through the Kundalini Shakti, our true source of power connecting us to the Divine.
Many have also commented on the Mandala as resembling a Mothership, with the twin dragons forging the firepower to lift our Spirits onwards!
Also featured are the Mayan Hunab Ku, the Galatic Hub, and the twenty signature glyphs of the Mayan Astrological Wheel. These signs alternate in four families of five, representing energies of the elements, Fire, Earth, Air and Water.
All who have participated in painting and those who visit and commune with the Mandala are sending prayers into the universe and beyond, co-creating with color, light, symbolism, towards sustaining a community of Peace and Hope for All Beings. Many Thanks. Namaste.