A mystic moment

Yesterday I decided to have a whole day without internet or television. It was different - I didn't miss television but I did miss being able to quickly email or look something up the minute I thought of it. I would do it again, though, and probably will in the near future.
So what does one do without television of an evening? I dipped into my books on transition, stared into space for a while, wrote a little. The books suggested 'going with' any artistic endeavours that appealed; I wanted to do some calligraphy but I've run out of ink, and then the idea magically popped into my head to try drawing mandalas which I'd seen on a design website a while back. So I did, for about an hour and a half. It was quite intense, actually.

They were a bit wobbly until I fished out my old school compass to assist with some guiding circles. Circles again. I was glad I couldn't go online and find ones to copy. It was better that I made up the patterns myself. It's only today when back online that I google mandalas again that I see they have spiritual significance in a number of traditions, Christianity included, not least the intriguing mystic Hildegard von Bingen.
Like I say, intense. Here is my favourite of the ones I drew.

and for keeners, check out this discussion of mandalas and geometry as part of mystical art on an intelligent and interesting blog (she wrote, getting all side-tracked).