The word mandala, from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, translates as "sacred circle." In Tibetan, the term for mandala is kyil-kor, which means "center and circumference." Susanne F. Fincher, a Jungian psychotherapist, has more than 20 years of experience teaching classes and workshops in mandala drawing. In her introduction, she points out that traditional healers have used these circular forms to organize perception, thought, and physical responses in ways that are beneficial. Visionaries of the East have had people create mandalas for illness, for clearing blocks to spiritual enlightenment, or for gaining the attention of a local deity. The medicine wheel is a type of Native American mandala and in the Christian tradition, mandalas are seen in stained-glass window designs and labyrinths.

The 48 drawings in this coloring book have been taken from forms of nature, Native American and Tibetan sand paintings, Hindu yantras, Turkish mosaics, the illuminations of Hildegard of Bingen, and the art of M. C. Escher. These mandalas are based on the forms identified by Joan Kellogg, an American art therapist. They are called the Archetypal Stages of the Great Round — 12 stages of personal growth. The colors you choose play a part in your learning experience since each one has a symbolic meaning. By showing how these forms can be pathways to personal growth and creativity, this book becomes a fun and enlightening way to practice the art of transformation.