Why Chaos Mandala?
The image of the circle has been used to signify completeness for aeons. The word Mandala originating from Sanskrit means circle or discoid object. Mandalas are intricate geometric patterns that have been employed in various spiritual and cultural traditions particularly with Hinduism and Buddhism. These mandalas represent the universe and they facilitate mediation and introspective practices as visual tools to enable unity and centeredness.
Therefore when I initially encountered the star of chaos I interpreted it as a radial mandala with its 8 points representing the outwards creative forces in the universe. The hidden 8 inwards points representing the destructive or dissolution forces in the universe; the ceasing to be or the return to chaos. In reality the rays are infinite but represented in a more pleasing way by 8 arrows. Although the significance of the number 8 in many spiritual practices is not lost on me.
Hesiod in his Theogony said “In the beginning was chaos” so for me chaos is what makes the multi verse “to be” and also change and develop in an increasing process of diversification. The ending and dissolution process being necessary to enable change and development. So I tend to view the chaos star as a mandala for understanding chaos- a chaotic map of the universe if you like. This may or may not have been in Michael Moorcock meant when he described the symbol in his Eternal Champion series, who knows what was in his mind? Nevertheless the symbol has been appropriated into chaos magick as the mandala of chaos.
I create many chaos star pictures on my Instagram account and am including many on my gallery. The meditative act of creating these images enables contemplation of the workings of chaos and the creativity and dissolution within the multiverse. For generations humans have used art, painting, sculpture, dance and the creation of altars as way of communicating with and expressing their relationship with the divine; so it is with my chaos star images. As after all one of the purposes of the great work is ultimately to attain knowledge and conversation with the creative and destructive forces of the universe. We call these forces by different names, gods, goddesses but I call it chaos.
In my paradigm it was chaos that created the multi-verse and this means that the entire multiverse is strung together by the strange workings of chaos. Some may call it by another name Tao or Awen for example. In my magical paradigm, this then means that we are residing inside this living and dying chaos mandala, pulsating with change and creative energy. This is represented within the image of the chaos star. If we develop a relationship with chaos then we become more closely aware of the creative and destructive forces in the universe. We can also move within the flow of chaos when doing our magick. Basically when connected to the chaos flow our lives become easier, smoother, as we dance within and become part of this never-ending movement of change within the cosmos while introducing a few changes ourselves.
The goal of the work is keeping this knowledge that I am living in a chaos mandala in my consciousness at all times. To recognise the messages from chaos as and when they appear and to act as a manifestation of chaos. We too are unique manifestations of the chaos force in the multiverse; we are mandalas of chaos within the mandala of chaos. To be in alignment with the overall chaos current we then need to manifest our individual chaotic expression. To find what makes our hearts sing and do it purposefully. To embody chaos to bring ourselves towards knowledge and conversation with the chaotic forces by invoking our unique manifestation. While not infringing on the rights of others who are also their own unique manifestation of this chaos force.
