Materials: Merino wool, hemp sliver, silk, silk organza, card, acrylic ink

Technique: wet felting, calligraphy

Size: 53 cm diameter (Labyrinth); 48 x 48 cm (Mandala)  

Description: People of many different cultures and religions use labyrinths and mandalas to assist them in their meditations. Whether they physically walk the labyrinth, or mentally traverse the mandala, it is the journey, rather than the destination, which is all-important. 

In these two representations, the colours symbolise the search for life’s higher meaning. The words describe the symbolism and experiences for spiritual nomads as they negotiate the complexities of the paths in the Labyrinth and Mandala, in their quest to reach the egoless central space. 

Created in collaboration with Phillipa Rooke .

Selected in the “Interwoven Vision – Nomadic” exhibition which toured throughout Queensland and New South Wales in 2004 and 2005, and printed in the catalogue.

Housed in the offices of a corporate sponsor in Brisbane. 

THE LABYRINTH – the words 

The words (reading from the outside in towards the centre):

The labyrinth has been a powerful meditative and healing tool for thousands of years for many people of different cultures and religions.
While walking slowly to the centre of the labyrinth, you meander back and forth. As you constantly change direction you reflect on your life’s journey up to the present time.
Pausing in the centre, you clear your mind and focus on your own sacred inner space by reflecting, meditating or praying. You elevate your consciousness and confirm your unity with the cosmos.
While walking slowly back to the outside, you integrate these experiences and contemplate your future goals with new insight.
The labyrinth is a wonderful tool for people of all beliefs to become united in a common spiritual experience. Yet this experience is different for each person, each time. In this pilgrimage of self-discovery, it is the journey, rather than the destination, that is important.

THE MANDALA – the words

The words in the four outer border sections:
         Mandala is a Sanskrit word that means “whole world” or “healing circle”.
         A mandala is a representation of the universe and everything in it.
         Mandalas are used as symbolic aids for meditation, healing and protection.
         The concentric structure symbolises progression to a spiritual centre.

The words in the central sections of the four outer borders:
          Door      Gate      Passage      Entrance

The words in the four triangular corner sections:
          The circle is the symbol for the cosmos. The square is the symbol for the man-made world.
          A square inside a circle represents the passage from the material to the spiritual plane.
          The centre is the heart or the “essence” and the circumference is the “grasping”.
          The mandala thus symbolises “grasping the essence” or the “body of enlightenment”.

The words in the circle:
          “Mandalas can be seen to be keys that unlock the mysteries of our soul’s architecture -  they can lead us deep into the hidden recesses of our inner world”
          (these words were written by Adam McClean)

The words in the four inner sections:
          Psychic integration      Cosmic order        Spiritual clarity        Inner peace