“Conspiring With Wonder”
“Conspiring With Wonder” - created July 6th, 2021
THE MANDALA PROJECT - How it came to life
If you know someone whose day would be brightened by this Mandala, please pass it along! Even more magical, with a love note from you!
The Mandala Project: #30
I notice that I hesitate before picking living plants for mandalas, choosing to mostly gather things that have fallen.
There’s a hypocrisy in my hesitation, because it’s only directed toward certain things—specifically noteworthy or noticeable, in one category vs another. The hesitation has me consider the countless ways I’m impacting other beings by my mere presence here. I’m definitely disrupting “invisible” life forms underfoot in the simple act of going for a walk, or standing in one place for an hour building a mandala.
I was reflecting on this throughout the day because this Mandala touched and delighted me with its vibrance and complexity, and yet there was a feeling of conflict at the same time that felt important to pay attention to.
The inquiry was an exploration into moving any and all forms of things around in the natural world. Who says the rocks I create with (or the creatures that live under them) don’t have as much of an opinion about being disturbed or relocated as the flowers I’ve picked?
Eventually, as is usually the case with truly curious inquiries, it was met with yet more questions of the very best kind—ones that orient to connection and possibility rather than moral absolutes:
As we create with the things that come into our lives, what if the magic that’s possible depends on whether our relationship is transactional or sacred?
What if I’m not as in charge as I think I am?
What if beauty is perfectly fine with changing form, with being an ally in this co-creative expression? What if it’s deciding too?
Location
This mammoth stone, which has become home base for several mandalas, lives along my regular wandering route. It’s right on the edge of a neighbourhood playground and it brings me great to joy to know that children happen upon the mandalas, because they’re so naturally open to magic.
Leaving treasures in their path feels a bit like conspiring with wonder.
We live in a culture that supports and encourages the ideal of self-sufficiency, and most of us spend our lives striving for it. It’s a myth, and believing it comes with a steep price.