Spiral Peace Mandala
This piece of visionary art was designed and brought to life as a tool through which heart-centered, peaceful intention may be radiated throughout the Greater Cincinnati area in 2006.
A circle symbolic of wholeness, supports a map of the greater Cincinnati area on which a spiral continuously connects every direction, every neighborhood, everyone from Florence to Fairfield , Harrison to Milford. Molded with soil and water from the very center of Cincinnati added to paper and cement, the surface of the mandala has received over 40 hours of peaceful intentions via paint, fabric and focused consciousness.
Via the central spiral, everyone who connects with the mandala is connected with all neighborhoods, people and enterprises represented through the map.
Traditionally mandalas produced by Tibetan monks are destroyed upon completion to illustrate non-attachment to the work and the impermanence of all things. The spiral peace mandala has been destroyed and recreated several times as each layer of paint covers and changes previously applied paint creating layer upon layer of peaceful intentions.
Fear attaches to what is fearful.
What is impermanent is the discontent and violence
when the Consciousness of peace grows in each of us.
Click Links Below to learn more:
Next Peace Mandala Appearance:
The Mandala is currently on display at
the New Thought Unity Center
in Walnut Hills
513-961-2527
Schedule an appearance in your
community, place of work, event, or facility.
Keep the Peace Growing!
Call 513.549-4607
Your Energy and the Mandala
The contribution of community energy is an
essential component of the work.
You may connect with the mandala in-person or on-line. To connect with the mandala, simply complete the thought "I feel peace when..." then hold that sensation and focus that energy through your heart and eyes toward the mandala, into the paint, through the spiral, the map, for all the people young and grown. We are connected in peace and wholeness.
Peace Poem
Hundreds of people from all over the greater Cincinnati area and places beyond, have contributed their peace to the Mandala. Some have added fabric with written or energy infused peaceful messages, some have added paint, some have added their completion to the prompt: I feel peace when... These lines have been arranged into a growing poem. May you read it in peace.
Common themes have developed around feeling peace: Spiritual Practice, Social Practice, In Nature, Loving, Children and Family, Creative Practice, Creature Comforts (pets and animals), For a "quick fix" You may fast forward to any one of these themes by clicking on related link
Spiral Peace Poem
I feel peace when I am honest to my purpose
I feel my fear and choose courage instead.
I create a better world when I model my true self
I let go of preconceptions.
I let go of wanting to control me or them…or that
I remember that I create my world, in each moment, with each thought I choose to keep or discard.
I hold sacred space, feel the emotions of forever.
I am surrounded, held by the spirit.
I feel blessed a hundred fold
I feel peace when I soften my heart and open to the vastness. I open to the connection with nature and the universe. I open my heart to Divine Love.
I accept.
I release my expectations, I am centered in love.
I shed the events of the day and connect with God
I remember we are God.
I look into the eyes of another and connect with the same God within me.
I am connected to Source
I know love
Love prevails
I feel peace when I truly listen.
I feel peace when someone bothers to hear me.
I’ve struck a common thread with a stranger in a moment spontaneously, honestly
When people express
I know a thing or two about my neighbors and I can be supportive
I feel peace when I’m doing something to help others
I walk my talk when I work in community with others using our shared lives as a force for positive change in our world.
When we, in community, speak and act from the heart, when we, in community listen & be from the heart;
We all experience the safety and desireability of peace
We treat everyone as equals with love.
My acceptance of others - just where they are - leads them to recognize that disagreement is not always disagreeable, and that all voices deserve respect.
I feel contented - with All.
All choose to coexist.
I meditate.
(not often enough)
I feel peace when I am outside surrounded by nature. In natural woods.
In the beauty of nature, and the quiet of my heart
I walk among the pines in the new fallen snow
In the silence of the woods my mind is quiet.
I listen to my guides
The birds are singing, the wind whispering
I look into the expanse of a blue sky and feel we are all connected in this life
I feel peace when I get home to my farm
I drive my car and relax in the sun
I breathe in God’s love while walking
or sitting in sunshine
Sitting outside in my rocker on my deck in the woods, with my flowers and a good book, letting go of my "things to do" for awhile
and just listen to the earth and myself
I see a flower
I’m gardening
I contemplate nature
The sun comes up and the sun goes down
I breathe
I feel peace when I am with peaceful beings: loving people, and faithful creations.
I feel peace when my heartfelt love is received from one or all that is within this short but full of joy life we share.
I feel love, I share my love with others
I share my love with you
In the now of love I see happiness in the small things;
When I notice my beloved is smiling at me
A simple smile resonates forever.
I feel peace when I am present to children,
When I see children laughing
I see a baby's eyes as I hear them laugh.
Children smile, people hold hands
I watch kids play.
I’m with people I love and I love all people
I meditate
I feel peace when I hold a child, especially my daughter
The smiles in my son’s eyes radiate to my core.
He laughs at life.
I watch my children celebrate life everyday
I see my daughters following their hearts
When I am there in the moment my grandchildren
I am with the people I love.
When I'm holding my grandchildren
When I'm gardening with my grandchildren
I am meditating
I feel peace when I'm with grandma
I walk outside
Red birds join my journey and grandma is there
I am full of energy
I ride my bicycle
When I'm with my brother
I do video games
I go shopping
I laugh
I bring happiness to people and make them feel good.
When I have a problem and I can talk to my mom and solve my problem
When I'm hugging my parents I am not afraid
I hear beautiful music
I'm meditating
I feel peace when I create
I honor my creative self
We are destined to be creative,
Working in my studio
I paint when I'm alone
I listen to music
I dance
I sing or write poetry
I sing even in sadness
In my breath I surrender
When I am making music with others,
when I’m singing with others,
I am totally into my center of being and that peace projects outward.
I sing love with women
we are creative beings
I am making music with my sisters
music with a message
Women from all different ages and life experiences sing together in beautiful accapela harmony
I feel peace when my family are together singing celebrating and laughing
I make harmony
I meditate
I feel peace when I take shelter in the kinship of all creatures.
I connect with many animals throughout the day,
when working and playing with animals,
when there are trusting sleeping animals around me.
I stay in the flow of life
and stay connected with my heart
When I see dogs running together
When deer are in the yard and the greenery is wet
When I'm at the ocean,
I open to the singing of whales
My dogs, kittens and daughter and flowers and grass welcome me home
My cats fall asleep on me
I am meditating
I feel peace when the sun is setting and the world takes on that rosy light
I pray and walk in that relationship.
Twilight is ending
and the moonflowers bloom.
the world is at rest
I am in deep heart-centered meditation
I feel peace because you send it to me:
through your sincere caring,
and your silent meditation.
I feel peace because now I am peace.
Peace is everywhere
in the little things
in the soul
I breathe
Peace
If you can't make it to the mandala, you can contribute your intentions to it via email by sending lines for the poem. Remember there is no "anti" or negative attachment in this work. Simple email your peace piece by completing the prompt "I feel peace when..." in one line with heartfelt intention. Please also include the neighborhood in which you live.
Neighborhoods of participants:
Anderson
Avondale
Bellevue, Ky.
Bridgetown
Brighton
Brown County
Clifton
Cold Springs
Coreyville
Covedale
Covington/
Edgewood, Ky
Dayton, Oh.
Deer Park
Delhi
For more information about healing art, group and community projects, hosting the Cincinnati Spiral Mandala or to comission a spiral mandala or walking labyrinth for yourself or your organization
or leave a message
513-549-4607
Invite the Mandala to your event or location
Contact Pic by email or phone 513-549-4607
Previous Peace Mandala Engagements
SOS Art Show
April 21st through May 7, 2006
at the Mockbee, in Brighton
Movements of Peace, April 29, 2006
at Mirror Lake in Eden Park
May 13, 2006
Open House, May 20, 2006 in Walnut Hills
June 9 & 10, 2006
September 14, 2006
in observance of 13th Annual World Day of Prayer
The Season of Non-Violence 2007
and presently 2011
Keep the Peace Growing!
Spiral plotted on map mounted on circular base using thumb tacks a string used on project with incarcerated men.
Construction begins
A web over the spiral facilitates completing the surface using papier mache and cement..
A "see through view" of the
central mandala form over a map of the area.
The actual map used was a detailed street guide.
Ft. Thomas, Ky.
Ft. Mitchell, KY
East Hyde Park
East Walnut Hills
Erlanger, Ky
Forestville
Harrison
Hebron, Ky.
Hyde Park
Indianapolis, In
Loveland
Madisonville
Mt. Orab
Mt. Washington
Newport
Norwood
Northside
Oberlin, Oh
Paddock Hills
Park Hills, Ky.
Price Hill
Pleasant Ridge
Ripley
Sharonville
Silverton
Springboro
Verona, Ky.
Warren County
West Chester
Wilmington
and others that
didn't sign in
The Cincinnati Spiral Peace
Mandala was designed by artist C. Pic Michel in 2006 as a meditation on peace during an extremely violent period of time which affected Pic deeply when a former student was murdered. Facilitating hundreds of people painting on the mandala and contributing to the peace poem is just one way Pic has worked with others to grow peace in Cincinnati*. The message of the mandala and the poem are timeless. Be peace in all your affairs.
Painting begins with the peaceful intentions of youth in Walnut Hills. All participants were asked to paint using a color they associated with peace.
The Mandala receives energy from artists and show patrons during SOS Art at the Mockbee
The Mandala after receiving energy from visitors and participants in Movements of Peace at Mirror Lake in Eden Park
Scroll down or jump by using links:
Thank You for Spending time with the Cincinnati Spiral Peace Mandala!
Under the Surface
Welcome
to the Cincinnati
Spiral
Peace Mandala
A tool for
finding, feeling and focusing peace in our hearts, our city and
our world
If there is to be peace in the nations
there must be peace in the cities
If there is to be peace in the cities
there must be peace between neighbors
If there is to be peace between neighbors there must be peace in the home
If there is to be peace in the home
there must be peace in the heart
Lao Tsu
* Why peace in Cincinnati? Why not peace in the whole world? Hopefully there will be peace in the whole world, and it has to start somewhere. Clearly, Cincinnati is part of the world. As violence escalated in Cincinnati it became clear we needed to create peace right here at home. That peace starts in the heart of every individual and the mandala provides a tool for focusing and expressing that energy.
