Fire Mandala

"Fire Mandala" is my submission for this weeks Thursday Sweet Treat challenge, "The Warmth of the Fire Within".

The peyote ring forms that are the base of this pendant are a design element I've been using in many of my pieces in the last year or so; the sunburst worked in "hot"colors seemed appropriate for "The Fire Within".

But as is so typical for me, a simple ring seemed inadequate and I added the smaller center ring and realized I had created a mandala!

Here's some information on mandala's from the Mandala Project:

"The word "mandala" is from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit. Loosely translated to mean "circle," a mandala is far more than a simple shape. It represents wholeness, and can be seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself--a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies and minds.
Describing both material and non-material realities, the mandala appears in all aspects of life: the celestial circles we call earth, sun, and moon, as well as conceptual circles of friends, family, and community.

The "circle with a center" pattern is the basic structure of creation that is reflected from the micro to the macro in the world as we know it. It is a pattern found in nature and is seen in biology, geology, chemistry, physics and astronomy. "

The additional "arms" somewhat give the appearance of a compass - perhaps it's really a guide to find that fire of creativity within myself!