SPIRIT MANDALAS
I recently asked current Sorcery of Hekate students what they wished they knew before taking the course. One student suggested they wished they knew more about Spirit Mandalas since a mandala plays a huge role in our Arcana. So, here we go.
You are probably already familiar with the word Mandala, and maybe think of it as a series of geometric shapes that may or may not have spiritual significance. This isn’t wrong, and indeed the word comes from the Sanskrit word for Circle. But that’s not what we mean here. Often those geometric shapes that you see everywhere from sacred paintings to coloring books are actually 2 dimensional floor plans for a 3 dimensional space. The points of each layer of the diagram are where certain spirits are positioned.
This is the key point really. Its not just a group of spirits like you would find in a grimoire. Its not a random gathering. It’s more like a highly choreographed dance or play. Every spirit has a specific role in that specific spot and interacts with every other spirit in the mandala. All those layers of a mandala? They each do something different, like a machine.
This is why you can’t simply start invoking other spirits and gods into a mandala. It would be like an audience member running on stage during a play. Sure Ben Franklin is from the same time and place (pantheon) as Alexander Hamilton, but if someone dressed as Ben ran on stage during a production of Hamilton and started flying a kite, it would completely disrupt the show. Same with Spirits Mandalas.
The way Spirit Mandalas work is very specific and each hold different secrets. These arrangements and actions are not decided by slapping together whatever the magician would like, but are transmitted by Gods and Spirits. Learning to wield that power and mediate it into the world isn’t just a matter if knowledge, its a matter of training and experience.
Obviously the details of the Sorcery of Hekate course are secret, but since people sometimes hear about spirit mandalas in relation to the course, this may help shed some light on the matter.
Those interested in the course, its starting again on February 3rd
Sorcery of Hekate Training Course
*Art done by Helena Domenic