by Kristi Sheldon
Sumbolaion is an exceptionally versatile tool. In application it is deceptively simple yet incredibly effective and efficient. The diagram itself consists of concentric circles around a central point. We are represented by the star at center, as we are the central figure in our own life. The circles represent states or areas of influence. Those most influential or important in our lives will be represented in the center circle, those that are have less priority or influence may make up the outer ring or be outside it depending on range and preference.
Each person in your life is symbolically represented in the sphere of influence they inhabit in your life. Once you have represented each person on your diagram, you may continue by listing causes, issues, and projects till the diagram has become a detailed representation of you and your life.
Once all the symbols are placed, the relationships are mapped. The types of relationships between yourself those in your life can be mapped out using different line styles or colors. For greater detail and increased effect, the relationships between the people can also be mapped.
Literary Example: A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Meg Murray is the star of our diagram. Her immediate family (parents and brothers) make up her inner circle. The second circle consists of those exerting quite a lot of influence, whether good or bad. The third circle is comprised of people with either less or indirect influence. The principal of her school Mr. Jenkins has more direct influence, he has less actual influence. He is still in the third ring with IT and The Black Thing although they have far more actual influence they exert indirectly. Meg’s friends and family are marked by pink lines. The relationships that are negative are shown blue, while the dangerous relationships, those seeking her destruction are in a more intense shade of blue.
Orginization of information is the first step. Once gathered and sorted, the information is to be acted on, creating well timed, properly applied, and efficient works.
Sumbolaion at its core is an interface which allows work to be done using the other principles. Any or all of the Principles can be applied to multiple relationships identified in a diagram, or diagrams can be created for specific needs or workings. With an informed perspective, the act of choosing a strategy is simplified. With the basic diagram, the Hagnizo Rite can be performed as an effective way to bring balance and healing to your environment through the relationships in your life, or more complex rituals can be created to directly deal with specific needs.
Where unhealthy relationships exist, there should be self-examination. Why is this? Because often conflicts are the best indicators of areas in which we can strategically reclaim wasted resources, like attention, emotion, or inordinate amounts of processing by way of obsession. Not only are these resources being wasted, but this can allow for other elements of strategy to falter. Where emotional resources are depleted by an unpleasant co-worker, positive relations within a family can suffer. So to maintain all of our strategies, it is best to address unhealthy relationships immediately. Now, I must offer a note of caution here. Not every adversarial system is unhealthy. Rivalry is, as I have commented elsewhere, a mediocre drive that is nonetheless effective. Adversarial relationships become unhealthy when they prevent or detract from progress on the parts of both primary individuals involved. So, if this is the case, then we will notice this and mark it on our diagram.
Working with Apoptisso is necessarily done on a case by case basis, but the essential root is that we all have a sphere of sensation. Now I will speak of spheres and substances that are invisible. Do not attribute reality or unreality to these. They are used only as a model for your understanding. Each of us have this sphere, which processes information sent to us from the external world and other people. Different areas on the sphere relate to different areas of experience.When we are hurt or damaged in a certain area, especially early in life, we rebuild that area with more substance than we had previously there. This causes information (light in our metaphor) to refract incorrectly around that area. It distorts our view. Now this sphere of sensation emanates from the spark of life within us. So if we deal with the issue or complex, then shatter our preconceptions in that area, it will emanate from our spark once again, corrected and healed. However, this is a painful process, and must be done carefully. It can be done to oneself, in which you might recognize the person you have the problem with as a symptom of your own issue, then shatter your own vessel carefully, or to another person. To take this one step deeper, the Sumbolaion can also identify groups, places, or monolithic beliefs that need to be dealt with through Apoptisso also.
Sumbolaion can also be used in the gathering of information through divination. As you mark the relationships between the members of your diagram, divination can be used to fill in any gaps in your knowledge, or to find solutions to the problems that are present. This can be done in various ways. The simplest method is to fill in what information you do have, then cast a card for the relationships you have questions for. This can be done using a single card for the relationship as a whole, or two cards, one for each person’s perspective. With groups, a card may be drawn to represent the triangle or square formed by the relationship lines forming the group.
The Sumbolaion Diagram is an infinitely versatile tool. These examples are not meant to be exclusive, rather a starting point for further innovation.
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