Yantras (kolam) for the Sun

Kolam (Mandala) the Sun

Navagraha kolams are yantras (tantric drawings) drawn to propitiate the planets and to invoke their blessings. These yantras for the the planets are said to originate from Soundarya Lahiri, a poem composed in praise of Devi by Sankara. Though yantras are typically etched on a copper plate, kolam is drawn in front of the home shrine using rice flour or can be drawn on paper also.

The image above is the kolam for the Sun. The line drawing is the kolam; I have added color and embellishments. Here are some significant astrological details regarding the Sun, the most important of nine grahas (planets):

Name in Sanskrit: Surya

Sign: Simha (Leo)
Day of the week: Ravivar (Sunday)

Direction: East

Season: Grishma (summer)

Nature: mildly malefic

Kaalapurusha rulership: Soul

Gender: Masculine

Father of: Yama (god of death) and Saturn (planet)

Karaka (significator): 1st and the 10th house

Exalted: Aries 10 deg; Moolatrikona sign: Leo 0-20 deg

Directional strength: 10th house

Natural friends: Jupiter, Mars and the Moon

Represents: Father, government, authority, temple

Represents (physical): Bones, heart, eyesight, head

Lordship of nakshatras (lunar mansions): Krittika, Uttara Phalguni, Uttara Ashada

Dasa length: 6 years

Favorable in houses: 3, 6, 10 and 11

Aspects: the 7th house from itself

Yogas: budhaaditya , veshi, voshi and ubhayachari 

Represents: devotion to lord Shiva

Navagraha Kirtana: Surya murte namostuthe by Muthuswami Dikshithar

Temples: The Sun Temple at Konarak, Orissa, India

Suriyanar Koil at Thirumangalakkudi, Tamilnadu, India

Mantra to chant: Om suryaya namah

Note: You may copy the kolam for your personal use.




~ I'd like to thank Indira Govindan, DharmaKarmaArts, for sharing this wonderful post with us ~

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It's OK Not To Be Creative All The Time

Over the last few weeks there have been several instances where the subject of of “I just can’t seem to do anything creative” has come up. I’ve heard it in discussions, read it in blog posts and experienced the frustration first hand with friends and family members who felt that they should be more creatively “productive”...but it just wasn’t happening for them.

You know what? It’s OK. I really believe that although we are all creative beings, our our ebb and flow isn’t always switched on to “fabulous” or “produce” mode 24/7. Why people continue to beat themselves up with the false belief that it should be, is just silly.

It wasn’t, I’ll admit, until I started working so closely with circle imagery (the mandala form) in my artwork that I came to fully understand and appreciate this concept. Everything really does have a beginning, middle and end...and a lot of “in-between”. Whether it be a person’s life cycle, making art, or taking a trip the to grocery store... the same order of process applies.

Metaphorically speaking... we all dance around the circle, around the circle, around the circle....and when there is a pause, we are not always positioned at the top. It’s how we handle the “non top times” that matter in our lives. Are we frustrated? Do we shower that frustration on to others and as a result bring their spirits down too? Or are we a little more wu-wei about it and just move away quietly to something else, mentally switching gears and changing our approach?

From an artistic standpoint I learned a long time ago to not fight my creative lows, and I’m much more centered and content as a result. If a painting just isn’t “coming”...I don’t struggle with it, but move on to something else related to my artwork or jewelry business. A task more mundane seems to always works well for me. It shifts my mind from thinking and feeling to a physical, doable chore. Stretching and gessoing canvases, for example, has always proved to be a very workable solution. I have to make them anyway... Might as well stretch, staple and gesso...and not think. It works wonders.

If I’m designing jewelry and it’s not going right....I paint. Or I clean my studio, list items on the computer or cook. If I’m “stuck” and don’t feel very inspired... weeding through the multitude of “stuff” in my studio also works it's magic on me. Looking through items that you have saved, or even old artwork, can be an amazing creative trigger.

Whatever your personal “artistic slump” solution may be, the important thing is that you have one. Learn to recognize when your flow is about to stall, and understand that it is a normal part of life and the creative process. Use this time to explore other artistic options, don’t take your frustration or sullen mood out on others, and switch your routine up a little. When your circle dance picks up again, you’ll find yourself in a very satisfying new place.

artwork, Mandala #5 Nautica by Diane Fergurson

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What Motivates an Artist 

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