​I have recently watched some videos talking about how mandalas are a visual representation of sound. I never thought about that before, but it makes sense. Just know that the information in this blog is limited, and so much more can be learned about them with a little research.
 
Mandala, which means circle or center in Sanskrit, is defined as “a geometric figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism.*” There are different kinds of mandalas. Mandalas used to teach use symbolic elements such shapes, lines, and colours with each one representing a different aspect of a religious or philosophical system. Other Mandalas with more intuitive elements are made for meditative purposes and used in healing. Sand Mandalas are created by Tibetan monks for manifesting beliefs into the physical world, and are destroyed after their completion. The creation and consecration are for beneficial reasons, while its destruction reminds us of the impermanence of all things.
 
Just the visual nature of a mandala inspires thought, healing, and growth, but what if it was also a sound. What if the complex patterns of the mandala are layers of natural frequencies that we could decipher and recreate? What benefits could we gather if we resonated with them on not just a visual/mental level, but also on the level of frequency/sound. What lessons would be available to us? What new levels of healing could be achieved?
 
In 1967 a man named Hans Jenny coined the term Cymatics, from the Greek word "kŷma," (meaning wave), to describe how sound waves create wonderful patterns, called Chladni Patterns (named after the man who invented the Chladni plates they are created on), in mediums like sand, rice, and even water through vibration, thus giving us a visual representation of sound. With each natural frequency** a new vibrational pattern is created, becoming more elaborate as the frequency increases. When these patterns happen one of top of the other as new natural frequencies are added the sounds you hear are created. Each object’s physical characteristics determine its unique acoustic signature that is comprised of a combination of personal frequencies. This frequency conveys information about the object like how it was created and with what, as well as its shape, size, and other such things. Patterns can also be projected on a visual display like a screen when striking something like a tuning fork (such as one from a solfeggio set), These complex geometric patterns are called Lissajous Figures. If two different frequencies are played together they can create something called a “beat” which is where “You hear a rhythmic variation in amplitude, a pulsing sound, where the beat frequency is the difference between the two original frequencies***”. I could segue into other topics here about how this relates to how frequencies affect our bodies, our relationships to objects, places, and people, or how they can change, heal, or otherwise affect our world, but this post is about mandalas. I will try to stay on topic.
 
I have previously discussed sound healing and frequency in a post called Vibrational Healing. We know that individual frequencies are used for healing, hence the use of tools like singing bowls and tuning forks. We also know that each chakra resonates to a particular sound which you can use to clear, enhance, or connect with them at that level. These frequencies can have a profound effect on our minds and bodies (physical or spiritual). So it stands to reason that decoding and creating the sound of a mandala would have an equally deep-seated and possibly radical effect. While much is known about the visual/physical aspects of the meaning of mandalas, I have not been able to find any research dedicated to deciphering them in this manner, but I think it would be worth studying.
 
As a related side note, one video I watched (I wish I could find it again so I could credit and link it) mentioned these little house carriages that had mandalas on the bottom. The monks said that if the right sound could be created (the one depicted by that mandala), then these house carriages would be activated. What exactly would happen I do not know, but I thought that was interesting.
What do you think? Are mandalas visual objects meant for teaching and healing on the mental/visual level? Could they be physical representations of sound? Do you think we could decipher them, or is that knowledge lost? What do you think it would sound like?
 
*Taken from google as a definition from Oxford Languages
** “An object's natural frequency is the frequency or rate that it vibrates naturally when disturbed. Objects can possess more than one natural frequency and we typically use harmonic oscillators as a tool for modeling the natural frequency of a particular object.” Taken from: https://resources.pcb.cadence.com/blog/2020-natural-frequency-formula-what-is-it-and-why-is-it-important
***Taken from https://www.arborsci.com
 

​We have talked about how our thoughts and words have power. We pour our intent into words to manifest our desires, and we try to phrase our thoughts and words into positive statements to attract positive energies to ourselves. This is a basic tenant of manifesting and plenty of spell work. It has been said that the universe does not “hear” the negatives, which is why we rephrase for the positives, and I agree with this. That said, not all of life is rainbows, unicorns, and sunshine.  This world is full of shadows, and they must be addressed, not ignored or denied.
 
Words can have immense power over how we think and feel about anything and everything, including ourselves, if we let them. They have the power to both hurt and heal. I am sure many of you remember the saying “Sticks and stones can break my bone, but words can never hurt me” from your childhood. A good “come back” or mantra to help a child in that situation, though not always as effective as we maybe would have liked. Words, have in fact, hurt all of us at one time. The adults in our lives were trying to arm us with what they thought was an age-appropriate defense mechanism to help us realize our own power over our feelings and reactions. I believe we seem to have somehow failed to remember this lesson, and pass it on to the following generations.
 
The other day I was doom scrolling, as I sometimes do, and started watching a video by a content creator I often stop to watch. They were talking about how they could no longer use the word “fat” when making content anymore; that they could be shut down for saying it. This reminded me of all the times I have read stories and articles using words like “abuse”, “killed”, “drugs”, and so many more blurred out or spelled with special characters so that they would not be flagged or have their work taken down. When did the mere mention of a word become so wrong, so debilitating, that we, as a collective, had to censor their use? How are we expected to tell our stories so that others may learn from them, or understand us better, if we cannot use the proper words needed to convey our message?
 
While we may find the meaning behind some words distasteful, we should not be made to feel guilt or shame for having to use them for this purpose*.  Words were created so that we could convey thoughts and ideas in such a way that our message could be heard and understood by others. It is inevitable that these thoughts and ideas, if conveyed properly, will have an emotional response of some kind upon its recipient. Good or bad, this is a good thing. We, as individuals, are responsible for how we react to that emotional response. If they make us uncomfortable, we need to look at why. Censoring the word does not make issues like abuse, addiction, or murder go away. It only makes it more difficult for those affected by it to talk about it, and therefore deal with it. It is also not other people’s responsibility to tip-toe around, talk in hushed tones, or censor their thoughts and opinions for fear of upsetting or offending someone else. That strong emotional response is a sign you yourself have some personal work to do; an issue to address. Whether you tackle it on your own or with the help of a professional is your choice.
 
So while it is good witchy practice to try to try to manifest positivity into our world and our lives, it is also good practice to face the shadows head on. Not just our own, but those of the collective as well. We are all connected.  How do you feel about this rise in censorship? How has it affected you or your loved ones? Do you see it as a problem at all?
 
*Relevant side note: I am not saying that hate speech, bullying or actual threats should not be monitored and dealt with. This is not ok, and they should. I am talking about blanket censoring words regardless of their context.  

​Sovereignty (pronounced Saw-vr-uhn-tee) is not a term that is often used today; however it is relevant to understanding some myths and the roles of some goddesses. If you google the term you will find definitions like “supreme power or authority”, “the authority of a state to govern itself or another state”, and “a self-governing state”*. However, this does not really explain its meaning when describing the function of a goddess. There are several goddesses associated with sovereignty among the different pantheons. For instance, in Irish myth The Morrigan (more specifically her Macha aspect), and Ériu (the namesake of Ireland) are sovereign goddesses. In Greek myth it is Hera and Diana, while in Norse myth it is Mebd and  Freya that can represent sovereignty. These examples, of course, are not the only ones, but they are good examples if you know their stories.
A goddess who holds sovereignty is one that personifies that land/territory, embodying the power and authority over it. In any myth the duty of the sovereign goddess is to join together with a worthy king allowing him the right to rule over that land until such time as he can no longer perform his duties or dies. She does this by marrying or having sex with him, thus “marrying” him to the land. Marriage to the Sovereign Goddess does not mean he cannot marry a queen, as this is a symbolic marriage. That said there are some stories that portray this marriage as more than that. One such familiar story would be that of King Arthor and Guinevere. While many people see this story as a tragic love story where King Arthor is betrayed by his beloved Guinevere and his friend Sir Lancelot, this is not necessarily the case. There is a theory that this was actually a case of sovereignty being passed from the old king to the new, younger man Guinevere chose as Arthor’s worthy replacement. This “affair” led to the downfall of Arthor’s kingdom because he could not let go of what he thought was “rightfully his”. Another theory suggests that the Lady of the Lake that presented him with the sword Excalibur, and was Sir Lancelot’s foster mother, was the Sovereign Goddess.
The Morrigan, another sovereignty goddess, shows her power and authority over the land in her many tales involving Cú Chulainn. However, she was also married to Dagda, who is the king/chieftain of the Tuatha De Danann, and a god of fertility, abundance, and the earth in his own right. She helped the Tuatha De Danann save Ireland from their mortal enemies the Fomorians.
In Greek mythology Diana was seen as a Goddess of Sovereignty as she is the Goddess of the Hunt; giving her domain of the wild. This, linked with her roles involving cycles, renewal, purity, and unattained power show how sovereignty as part of her roles and responsibilities. The story of Rex Nemorensis (King of Nemi) is one example. Diana was worshipped as the huntress in Nemi, where runaway slaves could vie for a chance to be ruler if they plucked a golden bough from the grove of Nemi and challenged (to the death) and beat the current ruler. A classic “hunter becomes hunted” scenario, since the new king would have to continue to fight each new challenger until beaten. This story shows how she regulated the succession of leadership in her territory. As a virgin goddess she would not have used traditional methods.
So, now that you know what sovereignty is and how it works, how does this apply to us personally and in our practice? Well, while we may  not be immortals with control over vast territories, we do have domain over our own homes, and most certainly over our own bodies. Our sovereignty over our own bodies is possibly the most sacred power we have. What and whom you allow to enter or have any control over your personal space is up to you. While, as women, we still struggle with body autonomy in a legal sense, depending on where in the world you live, we still fight for that right, and it is a right. As the popular saying goes “Your body is a temple”. How do you worship your sovereign goddess within?   
 
*Definitions provided by Google from Oxford Languages