BECOMING AN ACCOMPLISHED MANDALA ARTIST JUST BECAME A REALITY…
You’re about to discover the essential mandala art and journaling workshops, tutorials and courses you need to create the unique and meaningful mandala art you’ve always dreamt of.
Artists have been creating mandalas for millennia, across continents and cultures. In addition to the most well-known mandala practice in spiritual traditions such as Tibetan Buddhism, contemporary mandala practice has evolved into both a common geometric concept in art & design and a useful therapeutic device in psychological environments.
Many creative people find themselves strongly attracted to the mandala symbol and already understand its potential to connect to both their inner and outer worlds. However, the art of the mandala and its seemingly impenetrable geometry can seem elusive.
Does that sound familiar?
The great news is that the Mandala Magic School is here to help you make sense of that attraction through the development of your own unique mandala art and journaling practice.
Introducing the
Mandala Magic School
The School is the only online art school dedicated to the symbolism of mandalas and art journaling as a creative practice.
It’s packed full of in-depth, practical workshops and resources on all aspects of mandala design and symbolism to help you grow as a mandala artist and develop a deeply meaningful creative practice.
PLUS the community support you need to gain confidence in your unique art.
THE SCHOOL WILL HELP YOU TO
Become a confident mandala artist who creates unique art they love on a regular basis.
Build a reliable creative practice to address the personal and cultural transformation needed in these times.
Learn a robust, repeatable process for finding meaning and creating connections through art journaling.
Practice self-inquiry and personal expression for living in rich and right relationship with others.
Understand the archetypal language of the imaginal realm and reveal your personal symbolism.
Discover how to construct an endless variety of mandala forms to activate different parts of the psyche.
Reactivate your creative imagination through invitational prompts and journaling exercises.
Use words & images for an expressive and introspective art practice that reflects your unique lived experience.
Meet Julie Gibbons, Founder of the Mandala Magic School
Hello! I’m so thrilled to welcome you here to the Mandala Magic School.
I’m a symbolic artist, based in Scotland and have been teaching the Mandala Magic process full time for over a decade.
You could probably trace my interest in symbolic art right back to 1990 and my college days, when I graduated in Communication Studies with a final year art project dedicated to the symbolic art of the Picts – the ancestral tribal people who populated much of Scotland, my homeland.
Fast forward twenty years and my encounter with the psychology of C.G. Jung and his now famous ‘confrontation with the unconscious’ and my art journaling practice was transformed.
I founded the Mandala Magic School to share the process I’ve developed in tandem with thousands of Mandala Magic students through the years in one always-open membership model.
The focus of the school is accessibility and creative practice as a means of transformation not only for the individual but also for their wider community and I’m excited to see how far we can spread the magic of the mandala in the years to come.
CREATIVITY FOR ALL – NO MATTER YOUR EXPERIENCE
It does not matter whether you are a mandala beginner or an established practitioner there is content here for all levels of skill. From a total beginner 2 years ago I have developed confidence in my creativity. Julie guides the exercises in such a way that you learn new skills painlessly. She inspires and encourages. I am amazed when I look back through the work I have created that I have progressed so much.
Jacqui Diamond, Mandala Magician
Meeting the blank page, even with an idea, can be the most daunting stage of the creative experience.
Here at the Mandala Magic School, we’re dedicated to helping you make your first marks, with meaning.
Beginner Course: Circle Magic
Understanding the geometry of the most basic of mandalas, the circle, is the starting point for your future practice as a mandala magician. This step-by-step video workshop series provides you with the information you need to build an endless variety of mandala designs that you love. With only a few essential supplies, you will create beautiful mandalas and improve your drawing skills, whilst improving your understanding of the geometry that underpins much of nature.
Signature Course: Alignment
The mandala is both container, symbol and psychological device in this much-loved course that explores the archetypal teachings of the 8-fold year. Designed originally to span the course of a full solar cycle, this in-depth exploration into the self as both individual and community-based draws from the wisdom of Gaelic and Celtic cultures of Scotland and Ireland. Alignment offers 27 individual mandala projects for you to create a magical art journal full of deep personal and cultural meaning, even if you’re a beginner, through step-by-step video demonstrations, written prompts and design instructions.
BONUS: Going Deeper with Alignment
Designed for you if you have already completed a full cycle of Alignment, this course provides you with exclusive access to Julie’s personal Alignment project over the course of one year. You will learn how Julie follows a line of inquiry related to the themes of each gateway in the 8-fold year and makes it relevant to her personal life and the wider environment – in the moment. Following along, you are encouraged to create your own art journal full of personal designs using the invitational prompts and supporting resources.
ALL MANDALA MAGIC SCHOOL MEMBERS GET ACCESS TO…
All Courses, Available Immediately – no waiting around, tiers or VIP restrictions.
When you join the school, you have immediate access to all available content.
PLUS…
Mini Workshops
For those topics where one mandala project is the outcome.
Not all topics need to be gathered into a workshop series! With mini-workshops released throughout the year, you’ll never be short of mandala magic to practice.
Tutorials + Guides
Resources to fill the gaps.
Discover answers to your burning art supply questions, including What Journals Are Best, Pens We Recommend (and those we don’t), How to Make Use of Templates and other hints and tips you need to elevate your practice.
Content released each month to help you fill in the gaps between our courses and your practice.
Magic Circle Events
Where we gather throughout the year to work on our Mandala Magic projects and share our work.
You’ll receive invites to join live online events throughout the year and if you can’t make it due to schedule conflicts, you can access the replay, so you won’t miss a thing.
Magician Spotlight
A regular show + tell with one of our members.
Our members are amazingly creative and continue to offer up insights we could never imagine.
Learn more about your fellow magicians and be inspired by the story behind their creative practice to help you develop yours.
Plus entry into the Mandala Gallery.
Supportive Community
Where you can share with and cheer for each other.
Art journaling is often a deeply private experience but where possible, sharing our interpretations of our work and supporting others when they do the same helps us develop our capacity for connection and generosity.
Are You Ready to Become a Mandala Magician?
“I didn’t know what I should expect when I signed up. I just knew I wanted to get back into creating and I always loved mandalas. This program was so much more. I learned new techniques. I learned that the mandala is my container that holds my creations, there are different forms of creating a mandala, so many different possibilities. I learned to lean into my own by first following Julie’s prompts and then getting brave enough to infuse the mandalas with my own magic. I learned a lot about her backstory and how she implemented this into her creations and gave prompts to look into our surroundings, get more comfortable to see and listen what happens around us. In the end I learned so much about myself and methods of digging deeper. I can only say that you need to try it, if like me you are a bit lost in the sauce and want to start tapping in your creativity that wants to spill out.“
“Alignment was a wonderful way to approach my year mindfully. The mandala tutorials are accessible for multiple levels of experience with art and introduced me to multiple new mediums. There was room for personal creativity and it sparked deep reflection as I made my way through the year.“
“I used the journaling reflections of each lesson to delve deeply into who I am and who I strive to be. I was able to find expression for the both/and of these times on Earth, to embrace both despair and love for the times in which we are living. I have always wanted my art practice to be informed by such practices, and the mandala combined with Julie’s wise commentaries has been a gateway. Julie invites so many entry points into Mandala Magic, with a clear invitation to follow one’s own inclinations. I often find it hard to journal, but somehow I found that I had to do the journaling (sometimes for many days) before I could begin each mandala. This was something new for me — this preparatory phase. I think it is a new powerful way for me to make art from my heart. Also, in my art practice, I often wax and wane between the draw to detail and complexity and a kind of abstract realism. For me, the mandala combines a secret hunger for detail with personal images and symbols.”
Join the School Today – Instant Access!
If you’re ready to expand your creative practice and become a Member of the Mandala Magic School, simply choose your payment option below and click the button to join us…
Is The Mandala Magic School Right For You?
The Mandala Magic School is RIGHT For You If You...
Are a curious, creative individual who wants to make art full of meaning and deepen your connection to the world around you.
Have ever been attracted to mandala art and want to learn how to create unique designs you love as part of your creative practice.
Believe in the power of creativity for personal and cultural transformation.
Are ready to put principles into practice. The School contains a wealth of information but you still need to do the work! Mandala Magic is an entirely experiential process.
Are a beginner or improving mandala artist who is ready to elevate your mandala art and journaling practice.
The Mandala Magic School is NOT For You If You...
Are looking for a cookie-cutter approach to creating mandala designs. True Mandala Magic relies on finding your own symbolic vocabulary.
Want a cheap alternative to art therapy. There are plenty of therapeutic benefits to having a creative practice, but Mandala Magic is not a replacement for professional healthcare.
Don’t value your inner life experience. Many of the exercises are designed to dig deep into your inner life and other aspects of the imaginal realm.
Are scared to make ‘ugly pages.’ One of the principles of Mandala Magic is that all pages hold meaning and offer teaching experiences, if you allow it.
What Others Are Saying About Mandala Magic
“My journey has been an incredible one. I absolutely loved all of the modules, the deep soul work, all of the healing that has come at a much needed time. I’ve always been a believer in creativity as a form of healing and this course far exceeding my expectations. It has been a wonderful learning journey. I would encourage anyone who is drawn to jump in and do the work, the benefits are absolutely amazing.“
“Mandala Magic has invited me to deeply listen to and know myself better, to explore the natural world around me with wonder and curiosity, and to consider the paradoxes and confusions of what it means to live in this world today. Julie gently guides through powerful imagery, insightful questions, and ancestral tales. The exercises help me to capture and remember my feelings, thoughts, and experiences of this moment. Allowing me to consider how things change and remain the same between cycles. I am also grateful for this caring community, and I find myself feeling connected to other members even as I work through the exercises alone.“
“Julie’s class gave me an excellent framework for this year; I loved the beauty of following the solar/lunar calendar. I needed the mix of spontaneous free-flowing mandalas alongside more specific geometric mandalas (which were harder for me but offered me a good structure too.) I liked the freedom to journal with the mandalas or to omit the reflective writing. It gave me the flexibility for sometimes doing a deep dive and other times staying nearer the surface. I really like Julie’s gentle guidance and hope to learn from her again. I found her to be an excellent teacher, very professional AND genuine.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I become a member today instead of waiting?
When it’s time to take action, you know it. Our creative curiosity ebbs and flows and the flexible model of the Mandala Magic School means that you can join and leave at any time – there’s no minimum requirement and your membership won’t expire.
Right now, at the launch of the Mandala Magic School, we are offering a discounted membership rate that will apply to your entire membership, so you will save money now and in the future and be able to get started with our mandala workshops straight away. Founder Members will also help shape future content and trainings offered by the School.
Do I need to be good at drawing to participate?
One of the most wonderful aspects of the Mandala Magic process is that you will come to recognise your unique creative voice.
Everyone is creative by nature and each of us has our own way of drawing. With practice, you will improve your drawing skills over time and through the process, you will learn to appreciate your particular style, however that looks in the moment.
Not every Mandala Magic exercise requires you to draw and some will invite you to engage with other means of art-making, including more organic techniques like abstract mark-making, collage with patterns and textures, colour and shapes.
What if I’m already an experienced artist or art journaler?
Mandala Magic offers the more experienced practitioner a valuable tool in your artistic kitbag.
You will be able to apply your particular art-making skills and techniques to the process to create unique mandala art journal pages that feed into your existing practice and help you discover even more purpose through your work.
I’ve already participated in stand-alone Mandala Magic programs, what’s new for me here?
The Mandala Secrets and Circle Magic workshops are brand new and exclusive to the Mandala Magic School.
Our signature Alignment course and the Going Deeper with Alignment material is the same as that published at juliegibbons.com in 2022.
If you have previously participated in Alignment, you are encouraged to revisit the exercises as often as you feel inspired to. There’s great advantage to developing your practice through repetition and it provides you with tangible evidence of your progress. The Going Deeper bonus course has been especially designed to encourage you to develop your Alignment work beyond the original program.
Additional materials are released every month and will primarily be brand new and exclusive. We are planning a From The Archives series where exercises previously hosted at juliegibbons.com and Julie’s Patreon community will be revisited and updated for the Mandala Magic School.
What equipment or materials will I need?
Mandala Magic has been designed so that as many people as possible can participate. At the basic level, you will be expected to have available some paper, a pen and pencil and colouring materials, such as a watercolour set or coloured pens/pencils.
You will be encouraged to use what is available to you before you head out to buy more specialist materials. Often, Mandala Magic invites you to engage with existing household items, like cups (for circle templates) and salt (for interesting paint effects.)
If you don’t have any art materials available to begin with, ask your friends and family if they have any spare – even materials designed for children will be enough to get started with.
Although it isn’t necessary for all Mandala Magic exercises, a set of drawing compasses and a ruler will be useful and will help you participate in all of the projects.. These don’t have to be fancy – a simple student set like those used for basic geometry at school is adequate.
Where any specific materials are required for the purposes of an exercise, these will be listed, as well as ideas for alternatives.
Some of the core values of the Mandala Magic School are financial accessibility and ecological responsibility and we’re increasingly taking this into account when devising exercises.
How is the content delivered?
The content is delivered through a range of media, including written material on this website and streamed audio and video, so you will need a reliable internet connection with decent connection speeds.
If you are already watching YouTube or videos hosted on platforms such as Vimeo, you should be able to connect to the exercises. It is recommended that you use the latest version of your operating system and internet browser for best connection.
You can participate via a desktop or laptop computer, tablet or smartphone.
Can I join from any location?
Mandala Magic is delivered to you online, so as long as you have access to a valid email and internet connection, then you are good to go from anywhere in the world, in the comfort of your own home, coffeeshop or local library (with earphones!)
Do I need to attend classes in real time?
Most tutorials, workshops and courses are delivered on-demand, so you can join in no matter your time zone.
Where Magic Circles and other events are broadcast live at a specific time, there will usually* be a replay available for those unable to attend live. *unless otherwise specified and subject to technical restrictions.
Is Mandala Magic an art therapy practice?
The School has been created to promote Mandala Magic as a means to develop a meaningful personal practice that helps ignite the creative imagination and provide purpose through creative practice.
It is not designed as a substitute for professional healthcare or medical advice.
Due to the nature of the self-inquiry process, we recommend you have in place a suitable support network before engaging with any of these types of exercises and inform your healthcare provider if you are working with one. (Many students share their mandala work with their therapist or counsellor with meaningful results.)
If you feel that you need the support of a healthcare professional, please engage an accredited service provider who can offer you the right type of support.
Do you offer scholarship options?
Scholarship options are made available with a view to accessibility for those from diverse backgrounds and financial means.
This is in keeping with one of the core values of the Mandala Magic School, whilst still recognising the costs and creative effort that have gone into the creation of our materials.
There are currently a limited number of limited-duration, part scholarships available.
To apply, please send an email to: hello@mandalamagicschool.com with the subject heading: scholarship application and an indication of why you wish to join the Mandala Magic School. Please do not enclose any financial information – thank you!
If you still have questions, we’ll be happy to help you out. Visit the Contact Us page and submit your question there.
Can I upgrade to an Annual Membership later?
Yes! You can upgrade to an annual membership at any time and benefit from a discounted price, equivalent to 2 months free. Visit your account page and request an upgrade – our system will automatically take into time the account left on your current subscription, so you won’t be double-charged.
What happens if I decide to cancel my membership?
We know that circumstances change and although we’ll be sad to see you go, we won’t make it difficult for you to do so. All you need to do is visit your account page and cancel your subscription.
Once you’ve cancelled, you’ll still be able to access the site for any remaining time that you’ve paid for, after which you’ll lose access.
You can rejoin at any later date, but please know that if you initially signed up with a discount rate, this will no longer apply. Likewise, if the membership costs rise, you will be subject to the current rates.
I'm not 100% sure what the School is or if it's right for me. Do you offer a trial so I can test it out?
We’re not currently offering a trial, however, we do offer a limited number of free events throughout the year to provide a taste of the content offered. We’re confident you’ll enjoy the content here in the School, however, you are free to cancel your membership at anytime. If you still have questions, please let us know and reply as soon as we can.
Join the School Today – Instant Access!
If you’re ready to expand your creative practice and become a Founder Member of the Mandala Magic School, simply choose your payment option below and click the button to join us…