Mandalas and Meditations for Everyday Living

Cassandra Lorius, a classical homeopath and author of several books on Tantra, discusses mandalas as Tantric yantras and shows their connection to the Hindu and Tantric traditions.

By Katherine Rae

Mandalas and Meditations for Everyday Living: 52 Pathways to Personal Power, by Cassandra Lorius. CICO Books; cicobooks.com

Mandalas are geometric images used in meditation to aid reflection on the universe and Self. Both the artistic endeavor of creating mandalas and the act of meditating on them attune the practitioner to a greater awareness of intuition and divine potential. In her introduction to their history and significance, Cassandra Lorius, a classical homeopath and author of several books on Tantra, discusses mandalas as Tantric yantras and shows their connection to the Hindu and Tantric traditions. She cites mandalas made by Navajo Indians in the south-western United States, Buddhist monks in Tibet, and 12th-century Catholic nuns in Europe. In this way, Lorius establishes mandalas as "universal archetypes" of "a collective unconscious common to all humanity."

Melissa Launay is credited with the illustrations, each accompanied by a guided meditation. Even if you're not a regular meditator, you're sure to enjoy the inspirational art of the mandalas.