Behind the scenes of our Asatoma production
ON FRiday the 29th of november we released our second mantra production on all streaming services. Have a listen while reading the insights we are sharing about its meaning and our process of creation.
Design by Team member Pascale Laxy
About the mantra
Asatoma is a Hindu mantra integrated in the Brhadaranyaka Upanisad and known as a mantra which is considered to bring peace. Reciting the verses is very powerful in a phase of change and transition: Seasons are changing and the decade soon too. It is a requirement to free yourself from darkness, shadows and unclarity. Leaving your shadows behind and looking forward to a new beginning, Asatoma will support you in finding enlightenment, clarity and knowledge.
Lead me from illusion to reality
Lead me from darkness into light
Lead me from death to immortality
Om peace peace peace
Translation
Asat
Ma
Sat (sad)
Gamaya
Tam (tamas)
Jyoti (jyotir)
Mrityu (mrityor)
Amrita (amritam)
Om
Shanti
unreal, untruth, ignorance
me
reality, truth,
movement, lead
darkness, ignorance
light, clarity, purity
death
immortality
universal creation, holy vibration, god
peace
The prayer and fall season
The Asatoma mantra can be chanted on a daily basis, especially when asking for strength in difficult phases. In India, this prayer is frequently chanted by children in schools or during spiritual gatherings.
We decided to be gifting you our Mantra version during this special season of transformation. Fall Season is giving you the opportunity to be watching inwards and observing what needs to be healed.
The Artists
The Cover Process
Playful creation
Autumn had just reached its peak, every day we were accompanied by the colourful splendour of the leaves on our way through the city. Since the seasons and their changes, which are reflected in the colours of the leaves, are a strong symbol of transformation, we decided to show that in our ASATOMA cover.
At the “Friedhof der Dreifaltigkeit” we found leaves that were untouched and the autumn sun made the leafy splendour of the trees around us and the silence of the cemetery shine.
Here we found a deciduous bush (Cornus rugosa) and its beautiful leaves smiled at us in different colours and sizes. We were inspired by the unique colours of each single leaf, collected as many as we could for the Cover.
We laid out the leaves on the sand, dabbed them dry if necessary and began to lay out the first moulds. The leaves gradually found their place. A kindergarten group was on the playground at that time and when we started to unpack the bags and the first children came running in and started to watch them curiously and ask many questions. Then we draped the other pieces we had already collected.
We laid out the leaves according to our feelings, as we had thought about it before, while the children squatted next to us and asked us what we were doing and where these things came from. Since children are curious and wild, we had to be careful not to swirl up the leaves.
We told them to be careful and when the next gusts of wind came and we tried to hold the leaves to the ground, they stretched out their little children's hands and put them on the leaves to help us. Again and again small gusts of wind came and the next moment the children took each other by the hands and positioned themselves around us in a circle and protected the mandala from the wind.
As we started taking pictures and trying out different perspectives, the children slowly became impatient. We suggested that they collect leaves themselves, with which they could continue the mandala afterwards. Enthusiastically they ran in all directions and began to search for and bring in leaves. They began to lay their leaves around the mandala and enjoyed creating.
We packed the pieces from our studio and left everything else with the children, who happily jumped through the sand and carried more and more colourful splendour into the circle. We left the playground in gratitude for this creative process and a smile in our hearts.