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Thinking Magically™ | A Minimalist’s Guide to Choice
The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure , the process is its own reward.
– Amelia Earhart
Happy New Year! As you move into a new cycle of accomplishment and making things happen, I thought it would be both fun and instructive to dig deeply into a powerful method – The Rubber Band Model – I use for coordinating my plans of action with my deeds. After all, merely thinking about your life without actually doing something to move in that direction really doesn’t take you very far. And . . . here’s an interesting thing to consider: perhaps the keys to your personal kingdom of prosperity are not as much about giving you an entrance to achievement as they are about giving you access to the fulfillment of having taken action to attain your elite goal.
I first learned of this Rubber Band concept in the book entitled The Decision Book by Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschappeler. Robert A. Brugelman of the Stanford Graduate School of Business has opined on a like-minded, more complex, but similarly named model.
Imagine that you are being pulled in four directions by rubber bands and you must hold equal pressure in all directions to maintain harmony (to stay centered between the the four forces). You are always being drawn to somewhere else and being held in place at the same time. The first direction is how you talk to yourself internally (how you are internally programming yourself). The second direction is what it will take for you to win (your plan of action). The third is your activity (what you actually do in furtherance of your plan of action). And the fourth is the environment in which you find yourself (your chosen reality). [NOTE: For those of you who would like to plot this theory into a medicine wheel or The Vitruvian Square, it would look like this: North = Your Chosen Reality, East = Internal Talk, South = Your Plan of Action, West = Your Actions]
When you make a decision, then, you are constantly considering these four elements and how you will keep them in balance (even if such contemplation is at the subconscious level initially). For purposes of today, however, let’s only explore the more simplistic model from Krogerus’ and Tschappeler’s book. For this elementary approach, we will be combining all of Brugelman’s components for a decision into two factors.
The next time you have a decision to make and the choice is demanding, ask yourself these two questions:
What is holding you in place? (This question seeks to uncover how your internal dialogue, your life strategy, your deeds, and your achievements all collude to keep you right where you are. This is your fear of change and the level of your satisfaction.)
What is pulling you from where you are? (This question seeks to uncover how your internal dialogue, your life strategy, your deeds, and your achievements all collude to change things up a bit. This is your need for new things and the level of your discontent with your present situation.)
Once you get the answers to these two questions, you can readily understand, see, feel, or be touched by which of the responses is more intense, enabling, and potent than the other. You will then move in the direction of the strongest force (whether it is to stay where you are or be moved to a new place).
EXTRA CREDIT – A Deck of Shadows Reading
For some added perspective and guidance, you might consider transforming the foregoing technique into a compelling and clarifying reading.
THE RUBBER BAND SPREAD
STEP 1: From The Deck of Shadows, choose a card that represents the situation in which you find yourself. Place it face-up in front of you.
STEP 2: Mix and cut the cards until you are content.
STEP 3: Deal one card face-up to the left of your original chosen card. This card represents the temptation to keep the status quo and stay where you are.
STEP 4: Deal one card face-up to the right of your original chosen card. This card represents the allure of moving in a new direction, take risks, and change.
The cards to the let and right of the middle card represent the two positive powers that are enticing you. Ask yourself how you feel about each one. Then determine which one will rock your world if you do in that direction.
If you enjoyed this, I’d be grateful if you click below to share this with others. That’s right, go ahead and help spread this information by emailing it to a friend, or sharing it on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+. Thank you!
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© 2013 by Scott Grossberg. All Rights Reserved. thinkingmagically.com
The Vitruvian Square | The Labyrinth (Part 4)
The Labyrinth mirrors the wanderings and travails of the hero in search for meaning and resolution to the vicissitudes of life.
- David Danow (Models of Narrative: Theory and Practice)
Today, we travel there and back again. Today, we go on a mighty quest. Today, we leave behind the philosophical and abstract discussions and get down-to-earth – so to speak – about The Vitruvian Labyrinth. And to do this, you will want to download and print out your own, personal Vitruvian Labyrinth! Get yours now by clicking on the following link:
Your Personal Vitruvian Labyrinth Template
As you know, the labyrinth is one of those mysterious elements that lives within The Vitruvian Square. As a reminder before we start out on our journey, here is The Vitruvuan Labyrinth overlaid onto The Vitruvian Square.
Vitruvian Square Overlay for Vitruvian Labyrinth
If you missed the first three parts of my discussion, make sure you read the following before going further:
Today, you are going to go on an actual journey along or through your labyrinth. There are a great many ways to use your Vitruvian Labyrinth; so many, in fact, that a full discussion of the various adventures and techniques available would far exceed the boundaries of good blogging and your patience. So, in Part 4 of the series, I want to give you a very straightforward and fundamental approach to walking the labyrinth as this basic concept will serve you well time and time, again. This is essentially a combination of both a waking dream and deep mediation. Don’t over-analyze this before you take your first journey – there will plenty of time for you analytical types to deconstruct the technique after you experience its full effect.
STEP ONE: Lay your Vitruvian Labyrinth in front of you with the small antechamber at the top (the title, The Vitruvian Labyrinth, should be at the top left of your paper). Take a moment and just look over the entire labyrinth design. In doing so, know that there are 5 memorable stages to your imminent Vitruvian Labyrinth journey:
STAGE 1: The Place Before - This is the obligatory antechamber or entryway into the labyrinth. It is where you will take a moment to deliberately reflect on the reason for your visit upon the path.
STAGE 2: The Quest – This is the serpentine, 10 circuit path with its 22 turning points that you take to reach the center of the labyrinth.
STAGE 3: The Center of Peace – The promising center and refreshing heart of the labyrinth.
STAGE 4: The Return – The now-worldly-wise path you take back out of the labyrinth.
STAGE 5: The Place After – The same antechamber through which you entered, but now it takes on a new role – a room of gratefulness and reflection.
STEP TWO: Place the forefinger of your non-dominant hand inside the antechamber. Just pause here for a moment, imagining yourself about to embark on an exciting exploit. This is the time when you ask yourself why? – Why are you are starting out on this journey in the first place? What do you hope to find? What do you want to explore? What emotion do you want to confront? Perhaps you want to consider whether you just desire to leave the real world behind for a short time or whether you want to come face-to-face with some fiendish thought that has been plaguing you. The enchanting characteristic of labyrinth work is that it is so personal. There are no wrong reasons for walking a labyrinth. Know only this: to quote Yoda, you will find only what you bring in! Now, use your waking imagination and pretend you are standing inside the antechamber, itself. Is it a room? Is it a cave? Are you in a garden or a park? Wherever you imagine yourself to be, bring your creative, inner vision into focus and note as much detail as possible about your surroundings.
STEP THREE: After a short time, you find that a chaperone or guide appears to you in the antechamber. This can be a person, an animal, a fictitious character, anything or anyone. Just let the guide appear to you and start to lead you out of the antechamber and along the path. Move your finger down from the antechamber along the first straight portion of the pathway and towards yourself knowing that your guide is actually leading the way and keeping you shielded. You have started your journey! Pay attention to how you feel as you make your way along the path. Is your path actually a tunnel or are you on a garden pathway? Are there walls or are you on an open trail? Are you descending down into the earth or is the path level and serene? Is the sun shining down on you or do you see the moon or, perhaps, there’s no light at all. Notice your emotions. Notice the sounds around you. Notice where you start to linger or perhaps lose your way. Notice the focus it takes to stay on the path with your finger. And . . . notice what your guide is doing or saying as it leads you. All of your sensations and thoughts and feelings are important as they serve as both messages and metaphors for what you are supposed to find inside the labyrinth.
STEP FOUR: As you and your guide come to the end of the straightaway, you make a sharp left turn with your finger. Continue on the path a short distance and you will reach the beginning of your first hairpin curve. Before you actually move into the curve, your guide turns to you and bids you to continue on without it. Thank your guide for traveling with you this far and know that it will be waiting for you at this very spot to lead you back out of the labyrinth when you return.
STEP FIVE: Leaving your guide behind, you move through the first hairpin curve. Continue along the winding path – again, paying attention to how you are feeling, your reactions to the journey, and where your mind is focused.
STEP SIX: Eventually, in your own time and at your own pace, you will arrive at the bosom of the Vitruvian Labyrinth. Describe what you see, feel, hear, and experience. Where is this place that you have finally arrived at? When you are ready, place the palm of your non-dominant hand on top of the paper with the center of your palm over the center of the labyrinth. Then repeat to yourself the following incantation: at the center of all peace I stand and naught can harm me here. Now just let feelings of peacefulness and tranquility play with your mind. And as you stray and drift with your own thoughts and your own stillness, you start to notice that a wise thing has become visible in the center of the labyrinth with you. Who or what is this wise thing? And now you learn that you get to ask your wise thing any question at all – something that is important at the moment for you to know or learn. Ask your question of the wise thing and then listen intently for the answer. After you receive the message, thank your wise thing for sharing its knowledge and time with you. And then watch the wise thing slowly fade away.
STEP SEVEN: Stay where you are, with your palm on the paper, for as long as you’d like and enjoy the repose while you muse over the import of the message you were given.
STEP SEVEN: When you are ready, put the forefinger of your non-dominant hand back in the heart of the labyrinth and commence tracing your journey back out of labyrinth the same way that you came in.
STEP EIGHT: In due course, your finger will return to place where you left your guide. The guide, of course, is still there, waiting patiently and obediently and expectantly for you. Bid it hello, again, and – tracing the path with your finger – follow it back out towards the antechamber. At the entrance into the antechamber, your guide now signals you goodbye as you trace your finger that final trek into the room from which you started. Take a moment before lifting your finger from the paper to give thanks for what you have experienced and any lessons or messages you have been gifted.
STEP NINE: Take the time needed to think back on what you experienced in the labyrinth, what you were told, what you saw with your inner vision, and what special messages or meanings these have for you. This is a very personal journey you have been on and you are the best person to interpret what you have been gifted along the way.
The use of The Vitruvian Labyrinth can be a soulful and passionate daily practice that will bring you comfort and meaning. I must emphasize that there is no one way to walk the labyrinth and, in fact, your journey, adventure, guide, and your wise thing may be different each time. I want you to remember this. Sometimes, you may move through the path quickly. Other times, you may feel like you’re plodding your way along the path. Sometimes, it will feel like magic has happened in the labyrinth. Other times, it will just be a restful break from the stress of life. Whatever is happening at any given time is precisely where you are supposed to be and what you have to do and it is perfect for you. The important thing is to notice what is happening and remember the feelings, thoughts, messages, etc. that are given to as you complete your journey.
The Vitruvian Labyrinth will provide you with metaphors and messages that should be turned over in your mind immediately after finishing your return out of the antechamber. Write down the inklings, random thoughts, direct messages, and experiences you noticed while walking the path. All of these have significance for you and have a deep-seated message to digest.
I want to thank you for taking this month-long adventure with me. There are certainly many more incredible insights to be extracted from The Vitruvian Labyrinth, but this has been a spectacular start to a new way of exploring for you.
If you enjoyed this, I’d be grateful if you click below to share this with others. That’s right, go ahead and help spread this information by emailing it to a friend, or sharing it on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+. Thank you!
And make sure to sign up for my blog mailing list so you get all future postings delivered directly to your inbox.
© 2012 by Scott Grossberg. All Rights Reserved. thinkingmagically.com
The Vitruvian Square | The Labyrinth (Part 3)
Nature is a labyrinth in which the very haste you move with will make you lose your way.
- Francis Bacon
I have spent the last two weeks providing you with some of the basic attributes of something I call The Vitruvian Labyrinth – a remarkable add-on to The Vitruvian Square.
Vitruvian Square Overlay for Vitruvian Labyrinth
Today, let’s start touring how to use our well-built path for giving readings. Here are some incredibly simple but potent techniques for you to start playing with:
A FIGURE OF SPEECH READING
The Vitruvian Labyrinth is, if nothing else, an image of our travel through life. And, it is something more – it is about our experience of life. It is a visual provocation for all that we associate with where we are at any given moment. You can quickly see that one of the most all-embracing readings you can give someone – including yourself – is to examine initial, gut reactions to The Vitruvian Labryinth. Follow these steps and you will get an on-the-spot grasp of where a person believes they are right now and how they view their life.
STEP 1: Place The Vitruvian Labyrinth diagram (you will be getting one to print out next week) in front of your participant with the entrance to the path facing them. To help you visualize the orientation, Place of Power “0″ from The Vitruvian Square would be closest to your participant and the bottom row of numbers (“7,” “8,” “9″) would be closest to you (presuming you are sitting opposite your participant).
STEP 2: Have your participant take a moment and stare at The Vitruvian Labyrinth.
STEP 3: Ask your participant to use their imagination and describe what they see before them using three adjectives. Don’t explain anything more to the participant. You are seeking their raw reactions to what they are viewing and experiencing.
STEP 4: Use the adjectives you are given to understand the participant’s current view of their life situation. While the participant has provided you with adjectives to describe what The Vitruvian Labyrinth is like, you will use those same adjectives (or words like those adjectives) to describe what life is for your participant.
THE MOMENTS OF TRUTH READING
This is the most expansive and wide-ranging of the readings I will provide to you and is designed to predict and analyze each of the 22 major turning points in a person’s life. It can be done with just the 22 Major Arcana (if you prefer to keep the discussion focused on just those archetypes), a full deck of Tarot cards, The Deck of Shadows, or any other oracular device that has at least 22 items at hand.
Before we delve into this rather lengthy and deep layout, you should first notice that The Vitruvian Labyrinth contains 22 hairpin turns/switchbacks that represent the transformations or turning points in one’s life. These twists/turns/bends/changes occur in a progressive pattern. There are 4 hairpin bends in the path in the North, 5 hairpin bends in the West, 6 hairpin bends in the South, and 7 hairpin bends in the East.
Vitruvian Labyrinth Hairpin Turns
You will also notice that (in keeping with my Lost and Found article) the major Moments of Truth in one’s life occur in the areas of Faith, Dreams, Desire, and Touch. You can read more about these areas here:
STEP 1: Have your cards mixed and cut.
STEP 2: Deal four cards face-down and farthest away from you and closest to your participant (if you are using The Vitruvian Square – the matrix will have Place of Power “0″ closest to the participant and Places of Power “7,” “8,” and “9″ closest to you). Deal five cards face-down and put them to your left. Deal six cards face-down and place them closest to you. Finally, deal seven cards face-down to your right. Don’t worry about placing the groups of cards in the exact configuration shown, above, nor do you have to adhere to the numerical sequence in the diagram. Instead, for this reading, you will simply place the cards in four, five, six, and seven card groupings.
Moments of Truth Reading with The Deck of Shadows
STEP 3: Have your participant looks over the cards and ask them to hand you a card. Whichever card they decide upon is where they are starting in The Vitruvian Labyrinth. There is no right or wrong choice here. Rather, just take note of where they are beginning their journey. Take the card they have selected as their starting point, turn it face-up, and place it to your left and closest to you (below the layout).
STEP 4: Repeat Step 3 with all of the remaining 21 cards; each chosen card is turned face-up in turn and placed sequentially to the right of the card chosen before it. Be mindful of how your participant chooses their cards and any pattern that emerges in the selection process. For example, are they focused on only one group of cards or do they seem to be choosing haphazardly? Are they choosing cards in a circular arrangement or are they choosing cards that are positioned opposite of each other?
STEP 5: Look over the 22 cards and, beginning with the card that was selected first, let the cards tell the story of your participant’s journey through life. Bring all of the things you have noticed about the manner in which the cards were chosen and any selection patterns you observed into the story. Let your heart and your gut drive the story that unfolds for you. Push what your logical mind might otherwise be telling you aside. In other words, just go with the flow of what you see before you.
THE SECRET PATH READING
This is a quick three card reading that provides you tremendous insight into your participant and clearly tells them where they’ve just come from, where they are, and where they are going in the near future. It is built around the entrance to the labyrinth, the center of the labyrinth, and a point along the labyrinth’s path that has special meaning to your participant.
STEP 1: Have the cards shuffled and mixed.
STEP 2: Select a card and place it face-down closest to your participant. This is where they entered their personal labyrinth and represents where they have just come from.
STEP 3: Select another card and hand it face-down to your participant. Ask them, Where are you now? Have them place the card face-down on the table in front of them. Take note of where the card is placed and its relation to where the labyrinth would be if it was actually drawn on the table.
STEP 4: Select a third card and place it face-down in the center of the table. This is where your participant is going.
STEP 5: Turn the cards over and read them in relation to their positions and meanings.
ALTERNATE HANDLING: The Secret Path Reading just cries out to be handled similarly to my Slice of Life Reading. Take a look at the following links and you will easily see how you can modify The Slice of Life Reading to take the positioning of the cards and relate them to The Vitruvian Labyrinth path positions:
THE WAY IN AND THE WAY OUT READING
Finally, let’s explore one last spread you might consider; something I call The Way In and The Way Out. The spread uses 6 cards and is based on the six turns that get you into the labyrinth and bring you to the center (and back out, again).
Vitruvian Labyrinth Turns
STEP 1: Shuffle and mix the cards.
STEP 2: Lay out three cards face-down as shown in the diagram, above, in positions “1,” “2,” and “3.” These will be placed to your right and to your participant’s left.
STEP 3: Lay out three more cards face-down as shown in the diagram, above, in positions “4,” “5,” and “6.” These will be placed to your left and to your participant’s right.
STEP 4: Turn over cards “1,” “2,” and “3.” These represent what your participant brought with them that got them to where they are today. These cards make up the story of the path your spectator took into their current situation.
STEP 5: Turn over cards “4,” “5,” and “6.” These represent what your participant is about to learn that will lead them out of their current situation.
ONE FINAL DISCUSSION (AND YOUR FREE FINGER LABYRINTH) TO COME
. . . STAY TUNED
Before next week, if you would like to learn more, information about The Vitruvian Square can be found here:
The Vitruvian Square Casting Cloth
If you enjoyed this, I’d be grateful if you click below to share this with others. That’s right, go ahead and help spread this information by emailing it to a friend, or sharing it on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+. Thank you!
And make sure to sign up for my blog mailing list so you get all future postings delivered directly to your inbox.
© 2012 by Scott Grossberg. All Rights Reserved. thinkingmagically.com
The Vitruvian Square | The Labyrinth (Part 2)
For my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom as great. You have no power over me.
- Jim Henson’s Labyrinth
Last week, we started a wondrous odyssey into another powerful feature of The Vitruvian Square – something I call The Vitruvian Labyrinth. If you missed the first part, make sure you read the following before going further:
Let’s venture on, shall we . . .
Vitruvian Square Overlay for Vitruvian Labyrinth
SOME ADVANCED VITRUVIAN LABYRINTH ATTRIBUTES
10 Life Paths
The 10 paths (9 concentric tracks and the center circle) that make up The Vitruvian Labyrinth represent the inevitable spiritual/mental/psychological journey from life to death and then rebirth; the dynamics that arise from a mixing of both the spiritual and living worlds.
The 10 Paths of The Vitruvian Labyrinth
These 10 passageways are also reflections of the 10 Sephirot of Nothingness that make up the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. These paths, then, are to be viewed as the 10 different ways that Life manifests itself to you. (You will recall that there are also the 22 hairpin curves/switchbacks that relate to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet and, in turn, to the 22 connectors of The Tree of Life.) When you combine the 10 paths with the 22 hairpin turns you have the 32 Paths of Wisdom or acts of creation.
The number 10 stands for harmony, and of the creator entering their creation. It embodies the concept of something being made out of chaos. And it has been called the full course of life. Here then you have the 10 stages of your becoming.
9 Mystical Spheres
The center of The Virtuvian Labyrinth is composed of 9 mystical spheres or stations (8 external and the 1 around which the 8 others revolve); these 9 also representing the 9 Places of Power of The Vitruvian Square. In fact, if you look at the center of the labyrinth, you will see the 9 spheres are actually arranged in a 3×3 grid and so the attributes of The Vitruvian Square’s Place of Power are easily applied.
The 9 Spheres of The Vitruvian Labyrinth
The number 9 is not only the symbol of inspiration, it is a representation of your humanness, itself. After all, the average pregnancy is 9 months. When you reach the center of The Vitruvian Labyrinth, you have reached the place of peace where you are born again.
8 Labryses
There are 8 double-headed axes (Labryses) within The Vitruvian Labyrinth:
The 8 Labryses of The Vitruvian Labyrinth
These symbols can be interpreted as both male and female energies; depending on what you are seeking to find within the labyrinth. As symbol of male energy, the double-headed axe it can be the equivalent of a thunderbolt; a very sudden and very effective transfer of energy from the sky to the ground. As a symbol of female energy, the double-headed axe is one of ceremony and rebirth.
The number 8 is all about resolution, strong-mindedness, and willpower; an ideal number to represent the Labryses.
7 Fleurs-di-lis
The center of The Vitruvian Labyrinth, on first glance, looks like a circle of thorns; the thorn being a symbol of both obstacles and protection.On closer inspection of the center of the labyrinth, you will see that the center design is actually made up of 7 fleurs-di-lis; a symbol of The Ideal, life, and light.
The 7 Fleurs-di-lis of The Vitruvian Labyrinth
The number 7, of course, has a magical and spiritual significance – standing for completion, perfection, and the heavens manifested on earth. The 7 fleurs-di-lis are a mystery when not understood by the initiated.
First to the Left
When traveling into The Vitruvian Labyrinth, you find yourself entering the network of paths just left of center. You then travel all of the inner circuits on the left before completing the inner circuits on the right. From there you are taken to the left outer circuits before being taken to the right outer circuits.
When you are traveling left of center, you are going against the grain, being a rebel, and you are a freethinker. You are innovative and certainly not content with things the way they are.
STILL MORE TO COME . . . STAY TUNED FOR NEXT WEEK’S ARTICLE
Before next week, if you would like to learn more, information about The Vitruvian Square can be found here:
The Vitruvian Square Casting Cloth
Just some thoughts. If you enjoyed this, please click below to share this with others.
And make sure to sign up for my blog mailing list so you get all future postings delivered directly to your inbox.
© 2012 by Scott Grossberg. All Rights Reserved. thinkingmagically.com
The Vitruvian Square | The Labyrinth (Part 1)
The maze of strange passages, chambers, and unlocked exits in the cellar recalls the old Egyptian representation of the underworld, which is a well-known symbol of the unconscious with its abilities. It also shows how one is “open” to other influences in one’s unconscious shadow side and how uncanny and alien elements can break in. – Carl Jung
In my book, The Vitruvian Square – A Handbook of Divination Discoveries, I included a compact discussion on pathworking and guided imagery that are possible with The Vitruvian Square matrix. This entails using your imagination and walking through each of the Places of Power (rooms, so to speak) that make up what I called The Vitruvian Palace. Today, we’re going to amp this up and I am truly excited to share with you the next generation in guided imagery that is available with The Vitruvian Square – The Vitruvian Labyrinth!
Vitruvian Square Overlay for Vitruvian Labyrinth
The diagram we are looking at today is only the basic version of The Vitruvian Labyrinth. (There is a much more intricate one that I will show you at a later time.) This basic version is all you need, however, to take yourself on an incredible inner journey. At the end of these articles, I will gift you with your own finger-board version; a spectacularly versatile tool that will allow you to actually walk and use The Vitruvian Labyrinth every day.
A BEGINNING
Many times the term labyrinth is used interchangeably and confused with the term maze. A labyrinth is a specific single, non-branching pattern that only leads in to the center and back out again. A maze, on the other hand, can be a very complex construction that is a puzzle with choices to be made about the directions to go and the paths to take. There are dead-ends and false starts to a maze, while those don’t exist within a true labyrinth.
There are many possible reasons that labyrinths have been created over the ages. Your Vitruvian Labyrinth is about self-discovery, reawakening, and a personal renaissance. The labyrinth, then, should be thought of as filled to the brim with symbolism and a classical way to walk between the worlds. It is something that is, at once, both your sacred place of power and an inviolate place of reflection. But be warned and excited: what you take into The Vitruvian Labyrinth, you will find.
VITRUVIAN LABYRINTH CONSTRUCTION
The Vitruvian Labyrinth gets its inspiration from one of the most famous labyrinths in the world – The 13th century Chartres Labyrinth at the Chartres Cathedral in France. However, The Vitruvian Labyrinth was designed specifically for use with The Vitruvian Square and so has some special characteristics and symbolism. Here is the basic Vitruvian Labyrinth -
Basic Vitruvian Labyrinth
While The Vitruvian Labyrinth certainly has a power on its own, its real energy is experienced when it is used in conjunction with The Vitruvian Square. Our next diagram is the basic 3×3 magic square pattern of The Vitruvian Square overlayed onto The Vitruvian Labyrinth so you can see the interplay between the Places of Power, the associated numbers 0-9, and the grids.
Vitruvian Labyrinth with Vitruvian matrix outline
At the heart of The Vitruvian Labyrinth (literally and figuratively), our pathway takes us from the heavens into a twisting and turning journey of realization and change (starting in Place of Power “0″ and then making its way ultimately to the center at Place of Power “5″), only to return again – transformed – to the starting point. The Vitruvian Labyrinth leads you through a true Hero’s Journey when you contemplate the various Vitruvian Square associations that the labyrinth takes you through as you walk it.
SOME BASIC VITRUVIAN LABYRINTH ATTRIBUTES
The Vitruvian Labyrinth is another way of expressing the marriage of heaven and earth (the square and circle geometry found within Leonardo’s The Vitruvian Man). The circle is, at once, a representation of the heavens and the cycle of time, while also being associated with the concepts of initiation, the universe, everything, and completion. The square is a symbol of the earth and our foundation. It is order, structure, building, and manifestation.
Our labyrinth contains ten circuits (nine outer tracks and the center circle) with only one way in and only one way out. The ten circuits each represent a Place of Power within The Vitruvian Square. Each of these ten circuits represents a different realm (and, indeed, may even be associated with a similar spiritual concept from Buddhism, if you’d like).
As you will see in the following diagram, The Vitruvian Labyrinth can also be divided into four quarters.
Vitruvian Labyrinth Cardinal Points
I have discussed many times the various associations for the four cardinal points in various cultures. Among others, you might consider the following in using the labyrinth:
NORTH = Pentacles = Earth = Winter = Sensation
WEST = Cups = Water = Fall = Feeling
SOUTH = Wands = Fire = Summer = Intuition
EAST = Swords = Air = Spring = Thinking
You will also note that, in the diagram, West is on your right as you look down on the diagram, while East is on your left. Please remember that, in working with The Vitruvian Square, you are putting yourself into the structure. In other words, pretend you are the Vitruvian Man looking out from matrix and back at yourself. From this position, East is on your right and West is on your left. What might look like an inadvertent reversal, on first blush, is really a deeper layer to working with both the matrix and the labyrinth. You are inside both of them – not merely an observer! (By the way, this also explains why Place of Power “6″ is on right as you look down on the matrix and Place of Power “4″ is on the left.)
The Vitruvian Labyrinth contains 22 switchbacks/hairpin curves.
Vitruvian Labyrinth Hairpin Twists
The 22 switchbacks/hairpin curves were included in the labyrinth’s design to absorb the 22 Major Arcana (and permit some amazing pathworking), among other things. When you think of what a curve such as this does – it makes you seem to reverse course and go back in the direction you just came while, at the same time, leading you closer to your ultimate goal – it is obvious how contemplation on each of the 22 Major Arcana can lead to some insightful revelations in this context.
Additionally, there are 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet for those who might be inclined to associate those attributes, as well.
Finally, as you may already know, 22 is considered a Master Number in numerology.
The Vitruvian Labyrinth also contains 6 turns.
Vitruvian Labyrinth Turns
In numerology, the number 6 can mean enlightenment – a lighting of our way – and the expressive nature of the soul. This is the number of truth, love, and balance. It should come as no surprise, then, that the turns were built at the very beginning and very end of our journey into and out of the labyrinth.
MORE TO COME . . . STAY TUNED FOR NEXT WEEK’S ARTICLE
Before next week, if you would like to learn more, information about The Vitruvian Square can be found here:
The Vitruvian Square Casting Cloth
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© 2012 by Scott Grossberg. All Rights Reserved. thinkingmagically.com
The Vitruvian Square | A Slice of Life (Part 2)
In chess, as in life, a man is his own most dangerous opponent. – Vasily Smyslov
Happy holidays, everyone! In the spirit of gift-giving, last week I showed you the basic technique for the Slice of Life reading. If you missed Part 1, you can easily find it here:
Now that you’ve had a chance to see the strength of this method and learn how powerful it really is, I’d like to give you some additional meanings and symbolism to consider when doing your interpretations.
THE VITRUVIAN SQUARE MATRIX
This 9 square board (with the “0″ resting above it all) embodies the world in which your spectator/querent plays their game of life. Here you find your spectator’s domain (as it is currently recognized by your spectator). The Vitruvian Square is a very visual representation of the game of life in which we all find ourselves. Here you find all of the competitions, trials, journeys, excitements, and wonders that combine into our heavenly and earthly concerns. In other words, The Vitruvian Square replicates a person’s life journey.
As I explained in last week’s video, once my participant sees The Vitruvian Square Casting Cloth, I then move on to the use of the chess pieces. I do not explain the Casting Cloth nor what any of the positions mean until after all the pieces have been moved to their respective positions by the spectator and I have laid down any Deck of Shadows cards I wish to use.
Perhaps this doesn’t need repeating, but I will do so, anyway: The Slice of Life reading technique’s underlying potency rests in the fact that the spectator is intentionally placing the chess pieces (or other oracle device you might choose to use) on the board.
THE KING
The King and The Queen are the central figures in the symbolism we will be interpreting. They represent your spectator (or yourself if you are reading for yourself). The King is generally used to represent a male spectator/querent and to show the response to the question, “Where are you now?” I believe you can readily see how, with such a question, the placement of The King or The Queen is vital and something to be cherished. This is the Present.
THE QUEEN
This is generally used to represent a female spectator/querent and to show the response to the question, “Where are you now?” As with The King, the placement of this piece undeniably shows you a person’s here and now.
THE KNIGHT
This chess piece is used to represent the Past and to show the response to the question, “Where have you just come from?” The Knight’s placement shows what someone did or experienced that launched them into their present place in life (the latter represented by the positioning of The King or The Queen). The Knight’s deployment embodies the very action that its placement foretells. Here you will find a complete story of your spectator’s determination, impulses, and passion. The landing point for The Knight can also represent your spectator’s world view; their comprehensive or overall perspective of the way things work or the way things are supposed to be.
THE CASTLE/ROOK
The Castle (Rook) is the token used to represent the Future and to show the response to the question, “Where are you going?” In its original form, this chess piece was actually a mobile tower or battlement; fitting for this technique as the Future is not fixed but continues to to be pliable and receptive to many things. The Castle personifies where your spectator wants to or believes they are going. This is their oasis, haven, or goal in the temporal world. From The Castle’s position, your spectator is able to have an objective and wide-ranging view of the way things are – as opposed to the way things are supposed to be (as indicated by The Knight).
SUMMARY
A Slice of Life allows your spectator to use their imagination and make-believe abilities to give a superb voice and visual depiction to life themes that they might not otherwise have been able to do. Essentially, you are helping them paint a literal picture of things that, in any other way, are unspeakable or unknowable to them.
To recap, the steps of the Slice of Life technique are:
1. Lay out The Vitruvian Square Casting Cloth or use some other physical representation of The Vitruvian Square that you and your spectator can interact with. As I noted in the video, you can also lay out 9 cards from The Deck of Shadows or 9 Tarot cards to form your 3×3 matrix.
2. Hand The King (if you are using a male spectator) or The Queen (if you are using a female spectator) to the person you are working with. Ask them to place the piece on the matrix with the question: Where are you now?
3. Hand The Knight to the person you are working with. Ask them to place the piece on the matrix with the question: Where have you just come from?
4. Hand The Castle to the person you are working with. Ask them to place the piece on the matrix with the question: Where are you going?
One more thing: there will be times when your spectator places more than one piece in the same Place of Power. That is perfectly fine. Such a sharing of the same space can represent the lack of forward movement (if The King/Queen and The Castle are used), a plateau that was reached before a major shift occurred (if The King/Queen and The Knight are used), and a return to where one first began or a coming home (if The Knight and The Castle are used). In those rare times when all three chess pieces are placed together in one square, you are likely dealing with some procrastination and obstructions.
Remember, your spectator, in placing their pieces, has unfolded a story that is waiting for you to give it a voice. Be a spellbinder and do their story proud!
If you would like to learn more, information about The Vitruvian Square and The Deck of Shadows can be found here:
The Vitruvian Square Casting Cloth
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© 2011 by Scott Grossberg. All Rights Reserved. thinkingmagically.com
The Vitruvian Square | A Slice of Life (Part 1)
Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor.
- Sholom Aleichem
Here is a video I put together for you that easily explains one of my favorite and most powerful ways to use The Vitruvian Square Casting Cloth! The really beautiful feature of this technique is that it is insanely hands-on and downright fun. Further, the person you are working with (even if you’re doing a reading for yourself) is providing the structure of the reading by the placement of specific items in specific locations on the Vitruvian matrix.
The person who is getting the reading, then, is actually the one who projects the design that your analysis will travel and sets in motion what will ultimately be said. I believe you will find that this is a truly effective projective technique that can be used with just about anything your own imagination contrives.
Enjoy the video. Next week, I will be posting specific meanings and associations to consider in using this technique, together with some nuances to take your reading skills to the next level.
If you don’t know about it already, more information about The Vitruvian Square can be found here:
The Vitruvian Square Casting Cloth
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© 2011 by Scott Grossberg. All Rights Reserved. thinkingmagically.com
The Vitruvian Square | The Four Realms of Creation
Every act of creation is first an act of destruction. – Pablo Picaso
STAGE ONE: The Guiding Light. This is the bright idea or inspiration that is the catalyst for everything that follows. This is the realm of the infinite. Kabbalistic Association: Atzilut (emanated from). Element: Fire
STAGE TWO: The Invention. This is the expansion of creativity into a actual creative brainchild. This is where nothing becomes something. Kabbalistic Association: Briyah (creation). Element: Air
STAGE THREE: The Passion. This is where desire and enthusiasm impel an invention into a solid plan. It is here that intention is made into a substantial blueprint for success. Kabbalistic Association: Yetzira (formation). Element: Water
STAGE FOUR: The Building. This is the point at which creation is made complete and real. And, the creation, itself, takes on its own independence. Kabbalistic Association: Asiyah (action). Element: Earth
Applied to The Vitruvian Square, these four Realms of Creation appear, as follows:
The four Realms of Creation can be used to review any creative project in which you are engaged. In other words, you can use The Vitruvian Square as a way to visualize or conceptualize any stage of of a creative process. By going deeper, you can then use the various Places of Power within the matrix to determine what might be emphasized or missing at any given time.
As with the Three Pillars, the Realms of Creation are not to be viewed in complete isolation from each other. Rather, I recommend that you think of the boundaries of each realm as the place where one river runs into another; their powerful waters coming together, mixing, and creating a new current in the process.
The Realms of Creation, by the way, do not just depict a top-down view of life (from inspiration to culminating action). Indeed, the Realms of Creation can also be a top-up view (finding one’s self in the world and aspiring for more).
Finally, each one of the Places of Power within The Vitruvian Square can be used as a mediation jumping-off point. You can take each numbered square and contemplate how it interacts with its own Realm of Creation, the Realm of Creation just above it, and the one just below it. Bear in mind, by the way, that The Vitruvian Square and the Kabbalah’s Tree of Life are essentially circular in nature (they form a loop of sorts). Thus, from Place of Power “0″ you would contemplate the realm of Invention as emanating downward from it, and the realm of action being above and giving life to Place of Power “0.” With a little thought, you will easily begin to realize the Kabbalistic concept of As Above, So Below in every aspect of The Vitruvian Square.
I have offered last week’s and today’s concepts for you to easily recognize that the Universe is multi-layered and in a constant fluid state. These continued changes and fluctuations can be used by you to help create the life you want to live and to explain why certain things have occurred when, where, and as they did.
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© 2011 by Scott Grossberg. All Rights Reserved. thinkingmagically.com
The Vitruvian Square | Towers of Understanding
There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle. – Albert Einstein
The Kaballah is, for most, an intricate explanation (often visual in nature) of the relationships between the Creator and his Creation. At a fundamental level, the Kaballah can be thought of as a set of teachings about the Nature of Everything.
One of the mystical symbols used to express these concepts is know as The Tree of Life. Overlaid onto this iconic symbol are usually further images that depict what are known as the Four Worlds and the Three Pillars. I will leave the discussion of the Four Worlds to a later article. Today, I want to discuss the Three Pillars; a concept that will provide you with some ample mediation practice.
The Three Pillars are usually distinguished by the following themes: Severity, Mercy, and Balance. You might also think of these as Intensity or Fierceness, Grace or Tolerance, and Symmetry or Equality, respectively. It should be no surprise to discovery that the same Pillars exist within The Vitruvian Square!
In The Vitruvian Square matrix, the Pillar of Severity is located on the right-hand side of the image (or the left side as you face the illustration). The Pillar is made up of Squares 1, 4, and 7. These squares make up a literal tower of strength and intensity. It is a masculine (sweeping, dynamic, and practical) force to be reckoned with, but can be menacing if not controlled. This is also called the Plane of Outcomes, and deals with choices and consequences. Intentions, goals, and ambitions are sustained in this column. Here you will find a sense of purpose.
The Pillar of Mercy is located on the left-hand side of the our image (or the right side as you face the illustration). This Pillar is made up of Squares 3, 6, and 9. These squares make up a tower of compassion and tolerance. It is a feminine (pliable, gentle, and fluid) force that seeks to give goodness, but can be too kind at times. This is also called the Plane of Duty, and controls our memories and feelings of responsibility. Passion, love, and desire all live here. But so does one’s temper.
Finally, the Pillar of Balance is the constant that exists in The Vitruvian Square. It is the middle column and is made up of Squares 2, 5, and 8. This is where fairness, steadiness, and symmetry are found. It is a neutral force that is constantly giving and taking from the two adjacent pillars and so must constantly stabilize itself. In The Vitruvian Square system, this is also called the Plane of Values; the place where our opinions and beliefs are housed. This is the place where you find staying power, commitment, and endurance.
A little contemplation of the three different Pillars will reveal that the specific squares that make-up each of them all share comparable features and traits. However, you will also find how each Pillar supports and requires the other to be complete. Once you make those general associations, start to meditate upon the individual characteristics of each Pillar’s Places of Power (the squares that make up each Pillar) and start to scrutinize the qualities of each one in relation to its designated Pillar.
Most importantly, as you delve deeper into The Vitruvian Square you become aware that none of the Places of Power are to be viewed solely in isolation and that all have their dual aspects that keep them in perfect balance. The concept of a trinity exists in many cultures and beliefs. See how many different trinities you can find hidden within The Vitruvian Square matrix (not just the Pillars, themselves, but amongst the various squares, planes, and axes).
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© 2011 by Scott Grossberg. All Rights Reserved. thinkingmagically.com
The Vitruvian Square | Principles of Reality
The I Ching insists upon self-knowledge throughout. The method by which this is to be achieved is open to every kind of misuse, and is therefore not for the frivolous-minded and immature; nor is it for intellectualists and rationalists. It is appropriate only for thoughtful and reflective people who like to think about what they do and what happens to them. – Carl Jung
The Vitruvian Square owes part of its origin to the Lo Shu Square. Naturally, I have been asked how The Vitruvian Square, the I Ching, and the Ba Gua correspond with each other. For those who might not already know, ancient Chinese legend tells of a great flood that occurred in pre-historic times. Following the deluge, a remarkable turtle came out of the water; the back of its shell containing a discernible arrangement of dots. These dots became know as the Lo Shu pattern and presupposed a three-by-three grid of numbers/meanings/associations.
Some claim that the three-by-three grid housed 8 meaningful trigrams; each trigram made up of broken and unbroken lines. The 8 trigrams constitute some fundamental principles of reality for the Taoist and are often called the Ba Gua. The Ba Gua is commonly associated with the Lo Shu square. It is only natural to show you how the 8 trigrams fit into The Vitruvian Square matrix, and to easily demonstrate how energy flows between the squares.
1 = ☵ = Water = Endless
2 = ☷ = Earth = Receptive
3 = ☳ = Thunder = Shaking
4 = ☴ = Wind = Grounding
5 = Yin Yang
6 = ☰ = Heaven = Forceful
7 = ☱ = Lake = Unlocked
8 = ☶ = Mountain = Bound
9 = ☲ = Fire = Radiant
An expanded version of this with some basic correspondences from Lo Shu, I Ching, and Ba Gua theories would look like this when superimposed upon The Vitruvian Square:
Position 5, you notice, does not host a trigram. Rather, it represents the wonderful Ying Yang concept; the Place of Power where perceived extremes and the trivial, opposing forces and those which are aligned, and differences and similarities all come together, and then give rise to each other all over again. This is where the ebb and flow of spirited reality takes place.
Extra credit – You can combine the individual Places of Power within The Vitruvian Square to create 64 of the same types of hexagram fusions as you find with the Ba Gua and I Ching systems of divination. For example, the hexagram for Youthful Folly is a combination of the inner trigram ☵ (Square 1) and outer trigram ☶ (Square 8). Can you see how the concept of Youthful Folly is epitomized by The (inner) Fool and betrayed by (outer lack of) Strength? Have fun exploring and meditating upon the 64 different combinations and discover the additional depth the exists within The Vitruvian Square.
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© 2011 by Scott Grossberg. All Rights Reserved. thinkingmagically.com
You’ll Find Me Listed Under the Topic “Inspiration”
