NAVAJO HEALING MANDALAS
Hi my Dear friends!
Today I would like to tell you about Navajo ritual of mandala creation. The image of mandala is used in many ancient cultures. Each culture created its own mandalas according to their goals and tasks. Navajo is the second largest Native American tribe after Cherokee. There are about 240,000 Navajos in the Southwest. Navajo call themselves - Dine, which means Holy People.
Today I would like to tell you about Navajo ritual of mandala creation. The image of mandala is used in many ancient cultures. Each culture created its own mandalas according to their goals and tasks. Navajo is the second largest Native American tribe after Cherokee. There are about 240,000 Navajos in the Southwest. Navajo call themselves - Dine, which means Holy People.
photo by Earl Waggoner, 1959
Indians Navajo tell that Holy People (gods) taught them to create sand mandalas; they still continue to manage ritual for creation of each mandala. This ancient ritual with chanting of special spells is a part of a healing ceremony. It is believed that during the ceremony Earth People and Holy People come together in harmony and give healing and protection.
Many mandalas include images of Yei, Navajo spirits. Shaman asks Yei to enter into the mandala to help them to heal a sick person and to restore a harmony of energies.
To create Mandalas Indians used red sand, yellow ocher, flour, crushed gypsum and charcoal, pollen, grind petals of flowers and bark. blending of these ingredients makes a required color. Mandala is created on a flat sandy land during a period from dawn to dusk or from dusk to dawn. It must be accurately reproduced, without changing. It is believed that changes in mandala may prevent the spirits enter into it, or even cause their anger. Navajo say that each mandala - is sacred recipe similar to the chemical formula. Studying of a healing ceremony takes many years. Shaman should just remember all the details of drawing mandalas and know by heart all the spells that can be very long.
During the ceremony of healing the patient sits in a mandala face to the east. It is believed that this is a direction whence the Holy People will come, will fill in the mandala and it’s their healing power. After over a sick read magical songs mandala is transferred to his body. Shaman dips fingers into the ritual herbal tincture, touches them to the mandala, and then render the patient sand mandala. When the ritual is finished, destroy the mandala. Sometimes the ceremony, participants may leave little the sand itself. They placed him in a small bag, which is on the neck. But the bulk of the sand remains at the disposal of the shaman. He scatters this valuable sand in all six directions, ranging from east. First, east, then south, west, north, and finally, a symbolic gesture throws up a handful of sand - the Father-heaven, and down - Mother Earth.
The ceremony finishes with a prey-song:
In beauty I go,
With beauty in front of myself I go,
With beauty over myself I go,
With beauty around myself I go,
Beauty is manifested in everything,
Beauty is manifested in everything,
Beauty is manifested in everything.
Many mandalas include images of Yei, Navajo spirits. Shaman asks Yei to enter into the mandala to help them to heal a sick person and to restore a harmony of energies.
To create Mandalas Indians used red sand, yellow ocher, flour, crushed gypsum and charcoal, pollen, grind petals of flowers and bark. blending of these ingredients makes a required color. Mandala is created on a flat sandy land during a period from dawn to dusk or from dusk to dawn. It must be accurately reproduced, without changing. It is believed that changes in mandala may prevent the spirits enter into it, or even cause their anger. Navajo say that each mandala - is sacred recipe similar to the chemical formula. Studying of a healing ceremony takes many years. Shaman should just remember all the details of drawing mandalas and know by heart all the spells that can be very long.
During the ceremony of healing the patient sits in a mandala face to the east. It is believed that this is a direction whence the Holy People will come, will fill in the mandala and it’s their healing power. After over a sick read magical songs mandala is transferred to his body. Shaman dips fingers into the ritual herbal tincture, touches them to the mandala, and then render the patient sand mandala. When the ritual is finished, destroy the mandala. Sometimes the ceremony, participants may leave little the sand itself. They placed him in a small bag, which is on the neck. But the bulk of the sand remains at the disposal of the shaman. He scatters this valuable sand in all six directions, ranging from east. First, east, then south, west, north, and finally, a symbolic gesture throws up a handful of sand - the Father-heaven, and down - Mother Earth.
The ceremony finishes with a prey-song:
In beauty I go,
With beauty in front of myself I go,
With beauty over myself I go,
With beauty around myself I go,
Beauty is manifested in everything,
Beauty is manifested in everything,
Beauty is manifested in everything.
Navajo ritual healing mandalas
FOUR DIRECTIONS
FOUR DIRECTIONS
WHITE SNAKE
SWA SNAKE
FOUR DIRECTIONS
Navajo modern mandalas examples
MOTHER EARTH FATHER SKY
BIG THUNDER
FATHER SKY
POLLEN BOY AND BEETLE GIRL
SUNFACE
SUNFACE
SUNSHIELD
SUNFACE
My name is Keri. I have a Rainbow Girl Sand Painting that I am trying to learn about. I know very little about it and would love if you have any info to share about it. The pic is on my fb account. You can search for me by email (greenthumross@yahoo.com) and request me or email me and I can send you the pics I have of the painting...
ReplyDeleteI have been unsuccessful to get any feedback from anyone (including Navaho Museums). Please help if you can...
Thx! Keri