From Steve Banhegyi,
These are the cards with which the game is played - the questions on the cards are used to create knowledge by the participants - all centering around the central theme or 'organising principle' or 'strange attractor' the answer to the question : "what do we want?"
Steve Banhegyi & Associates
Art and Science of Change
steve@storytelling.co.za
Cell (South Africa) +27 (0)83 232-6047 / Fax +27 (0)86 635-4457
www.storytelling.co.za | www.trans4mation.co.za | isivivane.com
Visit the Institute for Open Economic Networks (I-Open) at http://www.i-open.org
Isivivane Game of Knowledge, Transformation and Co-operation
1. “Ukuphosa itshe esivivaneni”
Throw your stone upon the pile
Finalist in the 18th Mail & Guardian Investing in the Future,
Investing in Life “Most Innovative” Award, 2007
Applied know-how for
individuals, teams, groups,
families & organisations
Jim HeanyCougar
Steve Banhegyi
Eugenie Banhegyi Client CI
4. PREFACE
When people from different cultures share their stories, it is surprising how many similarities can
be found.
Jim Heaney has been a management consultant of many years, working in Bethesda, Maryland
in the USA. Through his devotion to nature he came into contact with the culture of Native
Americans and learnt about the use of the Medicine Wheel, which he applied in US organisations
with great success. During a journey to Africa on a project to bring Internet connectivity to a
Bushman community in Namibia, he met with Steve Banhegyi through a common friend. Steve
is a transformation and change management consultant, who was at the time applying and
developing game theory to facilitate change in organisations. Jim and Steve shared ideas and
discovered that the principles in Medicine Wheel resonated with game theory and systems
theory, which Steve taught at Wits during the ‘80’s.
Because of their shared passion, the Medicine Wheel became a regular conversation topic
and a general interest developed around it and other systems that help us to understand the
different elements of a system and how they can be influenced to achieve (or change to bring
about) a conscious, agreed-upon outcome. Ralf Sibande, Guy Lone Eagle and Laughing Waters
joined the conversation, adding insights and experimenting with ideas to make working with the
Medicine Wheel easy, accessible, relevant and useful in a very diverse world. As each person
discovered (and rediscovered) the wheel, there was agreement that the ancient, universal wheel
system fit in seamlessly with the modern world.
Every person who sincerely committed to following the system for a while seemed to not only
achieve their goals, but to think about themselves in a completely fresh way. We realised that
the Wheel systems have endured because they worked for human beings for thousands and
thousands of years. We wanted to ensure that its wisdom would not be lost on a generation that
was at last viewing nature in a more humble and appreciative way.
Correlations involving stones, circles, memory and opposite energies, (symbolised by fire, water,
earth and air) are still used all over the world. Very often, as in Buddhism, the energies surround
a still point or hub — the place holding the central vision or question. Although many of these
systems appear to be esoteric, they are actually totally practical.
In South Africa, Isivivane is a system in which stones are ritually stacked to memorialise
knowledge. The word also means collective effort. With the best of intentions, and to share
knowledge that has great value, collective effort was taken to be an invitation for Medicine Wheel
to add a stone to the Isivivane. Interesting how the idea of ‘collective effort’ links to teamwork and
partnership, and also to the idea of various aspects or archetypes of an individual.
5. Once we accept that ‘I’ am many aspects or archetypes in one person — or that ‘I’ am one
person who plays many different roles in a single day - we can see how important it is to pay
attention to each individual aspect in order to have harmony. And how just as harmony is
achieved within the individual, the same principle that honours diversity in a group can bring
harmony to a community — whether that community gathers in a corporate building or a suburb.
The great appeal in combining Isivivane with Medicine Wheel and Game Theory is not just about
their similar themes, but also because of their differences: the physicality and earthiness of a
circle marked by memory-infused stones on the one hand, and on the other hand, the ‘invisible’
areas of being human — thoughts, ideas, dreams, visions and emotions.
With this model, we literally bring thought down to earth, into the material world, so that we can
examine it from different points of view and even dance around it; to remind ourselves of how
many talents and abilities we have to bring to an issue, and also to observe how we are changing
and behaving in a new way.
This ‘objectifying’ of thoughts and feelings is now often used by therapists to help people, who
are confused by conflicting impulses, to get clarity on a situation and see it holistically. Sangomas
who throw the bones also use this system. And it is a system often used at business lunches,
where salt is this, sugar is that, the teaspoon represents another and how do we bring the pepper
into the situation so we can clinch the deal?
But Isivivane Wheel is much more than just objectifying thoughts and feelings. It turned out to
be something akin to an animated textbook — one which you walk around as you repeat eight
principles in sequence to entrench a new concept and turn it into a habit. It works, even if you
do the walking metaphorically, in your mind - as long as you hold the image of yourself central
in relation to East South West and North, and linking these cardinal points relating to your own
Spiritual, Emotional, Physical and Intellectual aspects.
WHY A WHEEL? WHY THE ANCIENTS?
In the time of our distant ancestors, our species was deeply connected to the seasons, to the
waxing and waning of the moon, to how Venus would disappear and instead of being the morning
star, appear as the evening star. Our ancestors found their way on long journeys by knowing
the patterns of constellations in the heavens. They were able to plan for planting and hunting
because they understood the cycle of seasons and the consequent behaviour of plants and
animals. They knew before grazing ran out when it was time to move their herds. And they knew
how to get to their destinations because they understood directions according to the ‘behaviour’
of the sun, moon, planets and stars as clearly as we read a calendar on the wall.
This knowledge (know-how) was more than likely passed on to each new generation using a
‘map’ of the heavens represented by stones on the ground. Some maps were enormous, like the
ones at Stonehenge, Nabta Playa and Bighorn, but what could be easier for an ancient teacher to
pour out a collection of revered pebbles and lay out the circle in front of the student?
However this ancient technology was expressed, it added to the personal clarity and
empowerment of everybody who got involved in this project. We hope it will do the same for you.
6. Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION 8
STORIES OF ISIVIVANE AND MEDICINE WHEEL 10
WHAT IS CHANGE? 13
MAP YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS 15
MINDSET FOR USING THE ISIVIVANE WHEEL 21
CENTRE: GAME, SPARK, WHAT DO YOU WANT? 23
EAST: GOAL, SCOUT, SEEKER & RESEARCHER 25
SOUTH-EAST: LANGUAGE, STORY, POLITICIAN 26
SOUTH: RESOURCES, CULTURE, RESOURCE-PROVIDER 27
SOUTH-WEST: STYLE, DREAMER & OUT-OF-THE-BOX THINKING 28
WEST: VALUES, HOLDER, TRANSFORMER & KEEPER 29
NORTH-WEST: RULES, PATTERNS, POLICY & BOUNDARY SETTING 31
NORTH: ROLES, GUARDIANS, PROTECTORS AND ENFORCERS 32
NORTH-EAST: RITUALS, DESIGNERS, CHOREOGRAPHERS 33
PROFILE THE CURRENT ENERGY ALLOCATION 34
APPLICATION: CREATING A PROJECT TEAM 36
APPLICATION: DEVELOPING COMMUNAL FOOD GARDENS 40
APPLICATION: DEVELOPING PRODUCTS 42
APPLICATION: ENGAGING PERSONAL POWER 43
APPLICATION: ISIVIVANE FOR EQ & CONFLICT MANAGEMENT 45
APPLICATION: HEALING FAMILY LIFE 48
APPLICATION: SPIRITUAL GROWTH 50
APPLICATION: KEEPING YOURSELF AWARE AND IN BALANCE 53
REFERENCE: FAMILIAR ENERGETIC ARCHETYPES IN ORGANISATIONS 55
REFERENCE: SHADOW ARCHETYPES 56
REFERENCE: THE ISIVIVANE GAME 59
8. INTRODUCTION
We are creatures of habit. Without realising, we think, say and do many of the same things day
after day, year after year, because sameness uses less energy than novelty and most biological
systems are designed to be energy efficient. Because of this built-in energy efficiency system,
much of what we do, is done on auto-pilot. Once we have mastered a skill, like driving a car,
we get to a stage where our energy-efficient auto-pilot takes over. We know we can do it, so we
trust our auto-pilot to perform the actions of engaging gears, accelerating, stopping and turning.
While the auto-pilot is busy performing these tasks, we can turn our attentions elsewhere, to what
other drivers are doing, or to a conversation or to thinking about the meeting that lies ahead.
Often we can’t even remember the route we took to our destination, because the driving was
done on auto-pilot.
But sometimes we want to develop a new skill. Sometimes we want to change the habits that
keep us in the same undesirable place or situation. And now the built-in energy efficiency system
presents us with a problem: It doesn’t want to change, because it is costly in energy. We have to
consciously by-pass this system to learn another habit through concentrated, regular repetition,
or it will cause us to simply fall back into the old comfortable groove.
Isivivane for Change and Transformation presents a system that helps us to design a new habit
we’ve dreamt of and then, through regular practice, create a new ‘groove’ until this new habit can
be entrusted to auto-pilot. This is when the dream comes true. When the new habit-groove is
deep enough for the auto-pilot to hum along in effortlessly, we’re living the dream.
Isivivane for Change and Transformation is designed to help you energetically organise either
yourself or a team to manifest a defined dream. The resource is written for leadership and
management, entrepreneurs, project management, team leaders in private organisations, NGOs
and government. You can use the principles here to manifest your dream or to improve the
efficiency and productivity of your team and the organisation. You can use it to change your life.
What things do you do habitually?
You look at your hand and suddenly see a cigarette, a drink or a chocolate. How did that get
there?
You find yourself having exactly the same argument with a colleague or partner or child that you
always have. How did this happen? (We promised we would be mature, sensible and respectful!)
Despite your excitement about a new project, you may find yourself once again procrastinating...
What are the habits‚ both at work and in your personal life‚ that are keeping you in a pattern that
you decided long ago is not working for you?
Do you really want to change them?
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9. KEYWORDS: Knowledge Management, Leadership, Culture, Change Management, Change,
Transformation, Learning Organisation, Isivivane, Medicine Wheel, Systems Theory, Storytelling,
Narrative, Organisational Storytelling, Narrative Therapy, Modelling, Meta-Modelling, Innovation
The models and concepts presented here are based on a Knowledge Management Framework
that has been used in applications such as business turnaround, project and strategic planning,
conflict management, community animation and change management. The models are based
on Medicine Wheel stories and old African tales of Isivivane told by traditional healers from
Africa and North America. The result is a post-modern construction that brings together ancient
techniques of memory. We hope the ideas work for you and that they stimulate useful exploration.
Please send your comments and suggestions for improvements to steve@storytelling.co.za our
website is www.isivivane.com
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10. STORIES OF ISIVIVANE AND
MEDICINE WHEEL
Once upon a time, when we, the human species, were the ancients, we used symbols and stories
to help understand ourselves and our relationship with the cosmos and those that share Mother
Earth with us. In stark difference to Western consumerism, which tends to think in a linear fashion
and continuously forgets then tries to reinvent itself, things in ancient times were understood as
existing in circles, cycles and relationships. The thinking that all things are related, the wisdom
of the ancients is today increasingly supported by science. Mother Earth is round; the sun and
moon are round, and the path they take is circular. The seasons are cyclic. Life is a circle, with us
being born, becoming an adult, then an elder, and then death with its transformation.
Honouring these circles and cycles, Isivivane is a symbol to help us understand how things
happen in our lives, and to understand ourselves and others better.
Isivivane are structures generally made from stone for spiritual and ritual purposes. In North
America, Medicine Wheels were traditionally built by laying out stones in a circular pattern that
looks similar to a spoked wheel lying on its side. Isivivane in Africa were often not only laid out in
a circles and rectangles, but also in piles and piles connected to circles and geometric designs.
There are many stone monuments in Africa. Over time, much knowledge has been lost, and the
meaning of stone monuments is unknown to communities. There are over 100 sites in Gambia;
their significance and history unknown. In some cases, concentric circles of stones enclose a
burial site. Stone monuments come in many different designs and where they are so ancient
that their stories are lost, there is disagreement among archaeologists about what each one was
used for, although there is agreement that they had ceremonial, ritual, memorial and astronomical
significance. Stonehenge, Glastonbury, Great Zimbabwe and the Pyramids are examples of the
most well-known large formal stone structures that have significance beyond habitation.
It is interesting that in traditional villages, round huts are arranged within a round kraal and that
they usually have an East/West orientation, with the main entrance in the East. This arrangement
echoes Medicine Wheel lay-outs.
One way in which Isivivane are extremely useful is as memory devices/tools or reminders of a
particular ‘state’ or understanding. The piles of stones that travellers add to, become infused
with the collective soul of all travellers, as each stone represents a prayer, a wish, an intention, a
memory, or a sense of gratitude, honour or commitment. In the most desolate and dangerous of
mountain passes in the Himalayas, stone piles are a way in which travellers who passed before
encourage those who will follow. They also have mantric significance, for travellers to maintain
mental control over their fears and exhaustion.
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11. Isivivane are especially powerful because they require the user to physically and metaphorically
‘work’ with them. Any work has a tendency to be more memorable because when you are ‘doing’;
you hold the understanding as a complete system, in your mind and in your body. Learning
theorists agree that ‘doing’ makes for more powerful learning. This ‘doing’ is the basis of effective
Knowledge Management in corporate business, where there needs to be a transfer of knowledge
from those who ‘know’ to newer, younger members of staff. Another reason we describe Isivivane
as memory devices/tools is that they provide a rich source of metaphor that allows us to work
with complex, abstract systems.
We need such metaphors, because the bandwidth of conscious perception is very narrow. A
human being can only hold about seven (nine if you are really bright) unrelated words, numbers,
terms sounds, impressions, symbols or thoughts in their head at once (Miller 1956). A metaphor
packs a collection of thoughts and emotions into one powerful idea. So the metaphorical
structure of an Isivivane wheel and its easy connection to ‘life as system’ or ‘life as doing’ helps
us appreciate the continuously changing energetic relationship dynamics and how energies are
engaged through the language and practice of Isivivane.
Isivivane does not in and of itself contain any power - it is a symbol that can adopt many
metaphors. True power lies in knowing what you want, and gaining understanding of yourself
and your relationship to all other beings and things. The goal is not to focus on any one particular
component of ourselves, but to find balance and wholeness in all that we do.
ISIVIVANE — AFRICAN ART OF MEMORY
Isivivane is a Zulu / Nguni word, but the concept is also found in other African cultures. The word
refers to rocks arranged as piles, lines, circles or hub and spoke patterns. Stones were used in
the ancient world to mark places of great spiritual significance. The modern world enlists the
work of architects, artists and poorly paid workers for any notable public enterprise. In ancient
times, by contrast, it was expected of all ordinary people to contribute to great works.
Any public enterprise needs the contribution of the ordinary person, hence the proverb Ukuphosa
itshe esivivaneni to make a personal contribution to a great task. Literally to throw one’s stone
on the pile (monument). This contribution is made in a spirit of constructive and cooperative
enterprise as compared to the divisive, argumentative and polarized positions characteristic of
a debate. The concept of Isivivane is that the arrangement of stones would be contributed to
by diverse people over time and was therefore a form of collectively performed ritual memory.
In South Africa, recent memorials to the Struggle and its champions reintroduced Isivivane as
symbols of enduring collective memory.
Hence the community itself sets a great store (investment) on the progress and finished product
of the Isivivane. No one can claim to have made a final contribution to isivivane; it is life long,
continuous contribution. A similar Western concept would be the development of case law where
jurists die trying to perfect the law: there will always be room for improvement.
THE VALUES ASSOCIATED WITH TRADITIONAL ISIVIVANE
Common / public enterprise
Selfless contribution to the common good
Personal sacrifice
Capital formation & investment
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12. Sustainability
Spiritual refuge
Personal integrity
Longevity
Tolerance
We all contribute (from the great and small)
Public scrutiny
Legacy
The Compass
As you start your Isivivane journey, we suggest that you familiarise yourself with the points on
the compass in relationship to where you live. You might wish to buy yourself a cheap compass
to help you orient to magnetic North. (City dwellers may want to be reminded that while the
sun rises in the East and sets in the West, the actual position of the sunrise and sunset on the
horizon changes during the seasons.) This simple understanding is the first step to regaining your
connection to your place in the cosmos. This is a place where dawn and dusk, Spring, Summer,
Autumn and Winter have great metaphorical significance. Once we reconnect to the great cycles
of nature, we can let go of our fear of change. We can have certainty that a harsh Winter will end;
just as darkness will be dispelled by the rising sun.
As with the cycles of nature, timing is everything. You can’t plant in Winter and harvest in Spring.
Timing is crucial. You have to know when to act and when to hold back and wait. Don’t feel
anxious when things are not happening. Maybe it is not time yet. Learning about timing is a great
art worth learning.
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13. WHAT IS CHANGE?
‘Be the change that you want to see in the world,’ said Mohandas Gandhi. ‘Change is the end
result of all true learning,’ said Leo Buscaglia. Everything changes. You are not the same person
now as you were when you started reading this sentence. Something has changed. But what?
How do we know when something has changed? Change is a mysterious constant in our lives
and it is happening everywhere, right now. Change is both situational and continual: the new day,
the new year, the new relationship, the new job, the new friends.
‘No man can cross the same river twice - Everything flows, nothing stands still’ said Greek
Philosopher Heraclitus (535-475 BC). In the 6th century BC in China, the philosopher Lao Tzu
wrote ‘If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold onto. If you are not
afraid of dying, there is nothing you cannot achieve.’
Change has many definitions that describe something becoming different in essence or losing
its original nature. Change can be an event that occurs when something passes from one state
or phase to another. As a verb, it can also suggest cause to change; make different or to cause a
transformation; ‘The advent of the coffee and sugar trade altered (changed) power balances in the
world’. It can also mean to make or become different in some particular way, without permanently
losing former characteristics or essence; ‘her mood changes in accordance with the weather’. It
could also mean switch: lay aside, abandon, or leave for another; ‘switch to a different brand of
dishwashing liquid’.
Change can be the result of alteration or modification and can also refer to the process of
adjustment that people engage in while coming to terms with the new situation.
Cultural attitudes to change vary and are expressed by religious and spiritual traditions and
fall into two main categories. The first says that Change happens randomly because there is
an essentially random nature that underpins the workings of the universe. This view holds that
there is no underlying meaning or purpose to life, or that everything is controlled by a remote
and capricious god. The second view, particularly emphasised in systems such as Hinduism and
Buddhism, says Change is cyclical and circumstances such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods,
famine and hurricanes are expected to recur.
The mysterious and commonplace nature of change has been explored by numerous thinkers
and writers throughout the ages. A classic Chinese text entitled Yijing or the Classic of Change,
describes an ancient system of cosmology and philosophy at the centre of Chinese cultural
beliefs. The origins of the text are shrouded in mystery but its oral roots go back to at least
2800BCE. The philosophy centres on ideas such as how events evolve as a story of process
(the story of the way things happen), the nature of opposites (male/female, yin/yang, dark/light,
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14. life/death) and offers a way in which we can accept and work with the inevitability of change.
The text also describes a practical way of managing and engaging change traditionally based on
divination using coins or yarrow stalks.
Change can be imposed on us or it can be something we choose. Our adjustment to the change,
however, is internal and forms our emotional response in whether we decide to accept, adapt to,
or resist the change.
The psychological transition starts with an ending (the loss of an attachment to a job, a loved one,
etc.) and the realization that things are not going to be the same. The loss of these attachments
can be particularly traumatic because they impact all areas of life including identity, standard
of living, relationship with family and a sense of self-worth and stability. In order for us to move
forward and have some control over the outcome, we need to reframe the past, embrace the
future and start exploring all our options and opportunities.
Isivivane helps you to explore the unfamiliar and unexplored aspects of yourself, since the model
makes you move around between energies, rather than remaining with that which is most familiar
to you.
‘All things change, nothing is extinguished. There is nothing in
the whole world which is permanent. Everything flows onward;
all things are brought into being with a changing nature; the ages
themselves glide by in constant movement’. Ovid (BC43-18 AD)
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15. MAP YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS
You wouldn’t think of starting off on a journey without a clear idea of where you wanted to go,
would you? What are the key things you’d want to consider taking along with you? Sufficient fuel,
provisions and money? A map perhaps?
An Isivivane Wheel provides just such a map, drawn up specifically for the process of change.
Using this map, you can perform something quite magical; manifest your dream. All you need to
start off with, is defining the dream or intention: knowing what you want. That is the hard part.
The easy part involves creating a balanced energy map for manifesting that dream.
One way to define success is ‘the ability to use all of yourself well’. And ‘achieve the most gain
with the least strain’. Many of us have dreams and are frustrated because they never seem to
be realized. Usually, it’s because the dreams are ill-defined (I want money), or because we tend
to put all our focus on the things we no longer want in our life. Every ounce of energy spent on
talking about the things we don’t want, takes away energy that could be spent on what we really
want.
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16. UNDERSTANDING ENERGIES
The model we will be working with here, offers a practical tool that can help you to define your
dream or intention and to choreograph your energy for success. You will understand how to
analyse how you expend energy in pursuit of your dreams and where you are out of sync with the
natural energy flow.
Effective individuals achieve the most gain using the least amounts of financial, physical and
psychic resources. They are flowing with the energy of the universe rather than struggling to
avoid suffering or conniving to impose their will upon others. Using nature as a reference point,
we can see that the universe is set up to operate with maximum efficiency through minimum
effort. (Creatures who live underground or in caves, have no eyes; it would be wasteful.) When we
are working hard and getting nowhere, it suggests that we are out of alignment. We may not be
using all our talents and resources, or not spending enough time on some very necessary areas.
But how would you know how to fix this imbalance if you don’t know where your still hub; your
place of certainty is?
Before any dream can be realized efficiently, we must recognize that everything is birthed from
our inner feminine principle of receptive, creative energy and sparked into being through the male
principle of active, conceptive energy. Both male and female energy are necessary to realize a
dream.
In order to be in balance (spokes of the wheel), we need to discover the still point or hub. From
the still point of consciousness we feel ourselves to be as constant in an ever changing world
as the hub of a wheel or the pin that holds the moving needle on a compass. Aware of the 8
directions of varying possibility, we can see clearly. This is the place of vision and connectedness;
it is our inner power and truth; it is our archetypal and ancestral Mother and Father; it is where we
feel the generosity of love. From here we can look out at our relationships and understand that we
are responsible for each and every one.
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17. To undergo successful change, we need to clearly understand and accept that we are responsible
for the situation in which we find ourselves. (We may not be able to change our fate, of being
born into a specific time and place, but we can take responsibility for every choice we make.) We
are the only authentic authority responsible for our actions or in-actions. Until we realise this, we
are powerless; bit players in someone else’s show.
Conscious intention in all we say and do is the cornerstone of effectiveness. Vague
generalizations about purpose can only lead to sub-optimal results. Achieving success requires
a strong intention coupled with a proper level of commitment and the felt sense that your dream/
goal is appropriate for you and achievable.
In a similar way to ourselves, a useful way of seeing and organization is as an energetic system.
Many people, each with a unique ‘vibe’ or energy, gather in an organization — hopefully to
achieve a common purpose. Modern science is making increasing use of general systems theory
that also underlines the nature of dynamic systems where each component of the system is
vitally important. The tool used here is designed to help people achieve a balanced look at how
they focus their energies. You may find this tool helpful as you map your way to success with a
particular dream or goal.
In this model, we classify energy into nine types.
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18. One way to use the tool is to consider how much time and the level of intensity you are applying
to each of the nine areas or types of energy. (Think of how different the energy-quality is that you
spend on planting a rose, writing a proposal or comforting a child.) The tool gives you a method
for taking a balanced look at what you are doing and provides a platform for allocating your
energies as you move to the next step in realizing a dream.
WHERE ARE YOU RIGHT NOW?
Bring yourself into present time and place your dream in the centre of the wheel/circle.
Do you really want this? Is it your dream or someone else’s expectation for you? Does the
thought of realising this dream make your heart beat faster? Is this the dream that you could work
on joyfully, day after day? Does this dream provide an outlet for your natural talents?
Spend a moment thinking about your spiritual, emotional, physical and intellectual aspects and
abilities. How does it “feel” when you are in this place? Are you using all your energies equally or
are you spending inordinate amounts with one at the expense of others? To be truly effective as
human beings, we need to achieve a balance between all of our aspects. Try to look at the issue
from a different perspective: if you normally use your intellect, look at the issue from an emotional
or spiritual or practical, physical point of view.
Remember: Effective individuals achieve the most gain using the least amounts of financial,
physical and psychic resources. The ability to be effective is greatly enhanced when individuals
have intentional commitment, focus and knowledge.
COMMITMENT is the willingness to pay the price necessary to achieve focus. You show your
commitment by the amount of financial, physical and human resources that you are prepared to
commit to the task at hand.
FOCUS means having a clear mental picture of where you are going (intention) and what
evidence there is that you have achieved the goal (feedback).
KNOWLEDGE means the things you absolutely, positively know about yourself. What are your
root metaphors? In what terms do you describe aspects of yourself to yourself and to people
you meet? Understand that the things you ‘know’ about yourself shape your reality and your
experience of the world. What are the stories that you tell yourself and to others that empower
you? What stories do you repeat that reinforce powerlessness or being a victim?
PRODUCT AND RESOURCES. Additionally, if you want to market a product or idea, you will
need a product that the market wants, as well as resources to bring it to market.
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19. ENERGIES AROUND THE WHEEL
CATALYST energy provides the spark necessary to get the change process going and keeping it
moving.
SCOUTS / SEEKER energy is used to go outside day-to-day activity seeking new ideas or ways
of doing business or running your life.
EMISSARIES / STORYTELLERS / POLITICIANS / CHEERLEADER energy keeps the business
or individual moving in the right direction by serving as an intermediary between different groups,
either inside outside the organisation.
RESOURCE PROVIDERS energy provides necessary resources such as money, emotion,
information, logistics, know-who, know-how, know-where, etc.
DREAMERS / OUT-OF-BOX THINKERS energy is used to generate new ideas and approaches.
Creatives run on this energy.
HOLDERS / TRANSFORMERS/ KEEPERS / HARMONISERS energy is used to edit and make
sense of information about a situation and tell a story about it, presenting it in a physical way so
that there is a realistic view of what is actually going on.
RULE MAKERS energy create the rules, policies and infrastructure or framework necessary to
meet the mission objectives.
GUARDIANS / ENFORCERS energy is used to ensure that we stick to the rules and get what we
want.
DESIGNERS / CHOREOGRAPHERS energy is used to blend human and physical energies
to achieve the goal. Are we all dancing to the same tune? How do we design for success and
sustainability and get work done using the least possible expenditure of money, energy and
effort?
TRANSFORMATION PROCESS
The hub of the wheel contains the central idea or problem. From here, various actions are taken
in a clockwise direction that is repeated until there is a satisfactory conclusion. At each attention,
remember to refer back to the central issue - the ‘spokes’ between the hub and different
attentions symbolise a free flow of energy to allow the central idea to change as new information
becomes available.
NAME the problem. DEFINE the problem and locate the point of blockage. GATHER
INFORMATION about probable causes and cures. IDENTIFY the transformation
point and the actions you can take to make a difference. Conduct a public or
private ritual. RE-EMERGE into a more positive and energetic future. CHANGE
THE WAY YOU SPEAK about the problem — use an expanded vocabulary and talk
about the problem in the past tense and how it feels to have solved it.
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20. However, everything begins with the central idea or problem: WHAT DO YOU WANT? The central
hub contains the energies of the metaphorical sun and the moon as a reminder to be wildly
creative and clear-thinking (male / sun), as well as open to your intuitive intelligence (female /
moon) - what feels right.
Be prepared to spend time until you have defined in exact words what it is that you want.
Generalities have no power. ‘I want a successful business that will make me rich’ is a generic
dream that just won’t cut it. Name the area of business and the role you will be playing in it - what
you come up with must make you feel excited. It’s valuable to set aside at least half an hour
during which you won’t be interrupted and to write out your dream. Be free, dream a big dream
that stretches far into the future. Imagine yourself into a state where your dreams are already
reality. Where are you? What does it look like? What sounds, smells, tastes and textures surround
you? What are you wearing? With what kinds of people do you associate? What conversations
and activities are you engaged in?
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21. MINDSET FOR USING THE
ISIVIVANE WHEEL
One of the characteristics of the postmodern world we live in is that all kinds of things are
competing to attract our attention. The result is that many people lead fragmented lives and are
pulled in different directions by home and working life. The situation is compounded by the fact
that the attention economy, reflected in television, the internet, newspapers, conferences and
such, are all desperately dreaming up new tricks to attract a greater share of the audience.
In order to deliver useful results, Isivivane demands a particular attitude and state of mind. While
you don’t need to spend much time with the Wheel, it is important the the time you do spend be
focused and concentrated. We therefore recommend two very specific techniques that you adopt
while using the Wheel which can be described as questioning the unconscious mind and the
IsivivaneTrance.
QUESTIONING THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND
There is an idea in psychology that an unanswered question creates a tension that can only
be resolved when it is answered. Neuroscience has suggested that while consciousness is not
particularly good at working out solutions, it is very good at articulating questions for answering
by the non-conscious processes of the mind. The idea here is to ask for a dream, a vision or
insight, or simply the answer to a question. Examples of such questioning in everyday situations
include:
How can I make it better, faster, simpler, cheaper?
In what other ways could I see the situation?
How would I like to see the situation resolved?
Am I missing something here?
How will I feel when the problem is overcome?
Has this happened before?
Is there an underlying pattern here? What is it?
ISIVIVANE TRANCE
Many people associate the term ‘trance’ with raves, drug-filled hippies, and arcane spiritual
practices. In fact, a trance is something much more familiar and everyday. A trance is a state of
mind where you feel completely absorbed in what you are doing. Characteristics of trance include
a specific and limited focus of attention where you are often more aware of your internal world
rather than the external one. Here, we use trance in the sense of being entranced; filled with
wonder.
If we feel anxious, then we’re in an anxious trance. We are wrapped up in the anxiety of the
situation, creating nasty stories of how bad the situation is going to be. Here we have a specific
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22. and limited focus of attention - we are absorbed by the things that make us anxious. The trance
might exclude information that could pull you out of the trance. The minute you start looking for
this information, you start to move out of the trance. What kind of trance are you in right now?
There are countless options: A lying in bed on a Saturday morning trance • Driving to work
on a Monday morning trance • A preparing for an important presentation trance • A trance of
confronting the auto teller that has swallowed your bank card • The trance of lovemaking • A
trance where you fully believe in yourself • A trance where you can ask yourself how you can
change the trance state that you are in to something more useful and come up with a workable
solution • A trance where you feel productive, happy, present, motivated, dynamic, focused and
successful • What kind of Trance would you like to be in?
RECIPE FOR ISIVIVANE TRANCE
Find a place where you won’t be disturbed. Wear comfortable, loose fitting clothes. Sit down
comfortably in a chair, keeping your spine straight, facing East. Close your eyes and simply listen
to the sound of your breath. Calm yourself with every breath and visualise white, positive energy
coming to you with each in-breath and dark negative unwanted energy leaving you with each out-
breath.
Imagine sitting in the centre of the wheel. This means that you are occupying the still, hub space
where you have access to the catalyst or the ‘spark’ necessary to initiate a process. You now
need to acknowledge each energetic aspect of the wheel and affirm what it is that you are doing
to engage each specific energy. First move between the cardinal points (East, West, South
and North) and then look back at the centre, then the ordinal points, SE, SW, NW and NE. The
cardinal points provide stability, while the ordinal points provide movement and change.
If, for example, you are using the 4-point Personal Power Wheel, you would acknowledge what
it is you have done or wish to do in the Spiritual, Emotional, Physical and Intellectual aspects of
your life. You may wish to nod and acknowledge each of these aspects of yourself in turn.
Similarly, if you are using the 8-point Energetic Wheel, you need to start in the East and move
through each of the energetic archetypes acknowledging them in turn.
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23. CENTRE: Game, SPARK,
WHAT DO YOU WANT?
Everything in this world created by human beings was once a dream. What is the link
between dream and reality? In this resource, we will focus on Isivivane as a technology that
will help you manifest a dream in this reality. Isivivane allows you to translate a dream or a
vision into a form that everyone can experience it along with you. In this way, Isivivane is a
powerful tool, metaphor and model for getting things done. The other great advantage of
Isivivane is that it helps you answer one of life’s most pervasive and important questions.
For many people, the ‘what do you want?’ question if the hardest and most threatening of all
to answer. It is also the reason why many people remain in a kind of emotional stuckedness
and experience the dissatisfaction of a perpetual ‘Groundhog Day’ in which everything
repeats. (It’s a good movie too and explains the concept very well.) We all know someone
who seems to have perpetual problems and issues in their lives. One characteristic of such
people is they become their own worst enemies by dwelling in the past and thinking and
talking about all the stuff that is ‘wrong’. You may wish to try to experiment with such people
by asking a simple question like ‘so what would you like instead?’. We have seen many
people who look extremely perplexed when asked this question, almost as though thoughts
of a reality other than those which they continuously engage with are completely alien.
Asking the ‘what do you want?’ question moves your mind from the past into the future. It
is the dream of the possible and, as we know, dreams are only limited by the power of your
imagination.
So the first step on our journey around the Isivivane starts with the Spark. All fires are started
by a spark. The spark asks a simple question which provides the impetus necessary to get
the change process started and keep it going.
So what do you want? A new life? A new future? A new relationship? A new car? The
successful conclusion to a complex project?
ENERGIES OF THE SPARK
People who play the role of the spark are the entrepreneurs. The definition of the word
entrepreneur is ‘someone who seizes the in-between spaces’. They have the ability to
see possibilities and quickly find ways of exploiting them. In the energetic system of the
Isivivane, Spark people must have the wisdom necessary to play all of the roles and not be
consumed by any one of them in the process. Who provides the spark necessary to get the
change process started and keeps it going?
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24. SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEY WANT.
They know what they want and can put it into words. They know who they want to be
and where they are going; they have a very clear picture of what success means to them.
(Unsuccessful people talk constantly about what is wrong; the things they hate, dislike and
don’t want.) Do you know what you want? Can you say it out loud? This is the first step to
power and to success. If you do not know what you want you have no way of measuring
whether you are succeeding or not.
There are some of us who have grown up believing that they do not have the right to
ask the question, ‘What do I want?’ They simply believe that they don’t have the right to
want anything. These people never escape the feeling that they are just surviving and live
according to dreams or worlds created by other people. They do not create or live their own
dreams.
If you know what you want, obstacles cease to be problems and become challenges
that need to be overcome, because if you know what you want you are always looking
a few steps beyond the problem. If you don’t know what you want you become a victim
of problems that seem bigger than you. If you do not know what you want you have to
experiment — with exploring or imagining different experiences, relationships, tastes,
careers and dreams. If you do not know what you want and are not experimenting then you
are in someone else’s dream.
SO WHAT DO YOU WANT?
Make a list of all the experiences you wish to have in the future. How far into the future
do your timelines extend? Research suggests that individuals who are seen as ‘powerful’
generally have a clear idea of what they want and they also have powerful stories which
extend years into the future. Ensure that what you want has something to do with your
purpose and what you are all about. Many traditions speak of finding your purpose as being
one of life’s main goals. For instance, is material success all that you need? What about
using your talents, or acting on a larger
stage?
The Spark lies in the centre of the
Isivivane Wheel. It represents the
‘dream’ or vision of what you want to
make tangible on earth. Be completely
honest and certain that what lies in
the centre fits you perfectly and that it
‘feels’ right.
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25. EAST: GOAL, SCOUT, SEEKER &
RESEARCHER
The East is the starting point of our process when we come out of the centre point with a
clear idea of what it is that we want. We get up as the sun rises. Night is over. A new dawn;
a new beginning. After spending time in the still hub, you awaken with enthusiasm and
gratitude to have visualised your dream: you are filled with desire to have the dream fulfilled.
The fiery sun streams out, illuminating that which you need to examine. You can distinguish
clearly and discern with confidence. The mood is exciting and you look at everything with
great curiosity and interest. The planetary archetype of the East is Mars. It is a fiery, initiating
energy that sends you on a quest, like a knight setting out to find his heart’s desire.
The energy of the East is engaged when you step outside of everyday habits and activities
to seek information about the dream or goal you hope to accomplish. You leave the comfort
and safety of routine. You begin to erase old habits and establishing the new. You are wide
awake and aware — alert to anything that can help you in your quest.
Typical activities of the Scout energy include reading books, going to the library, consulting
others who know what you need to know, attending workshops, seminars and networking
sessions, brainstorming, travelling to a place where you can learn more.
With all this information, check back to the central idea and adapt it if necessary.
QUESTIONING THE EAST IN AN ORGANISATION:
Who is looking outside the organisation at what is going on and reporting back to the
management team?
Who is seeking new ideas about how to achieve your goal(s) or even what might be
appropriate goals ?
Are you visiting other companies looking for ideas?
Who is going to seminars and what are you doing with the
information gathered?
Who is reading about what others have done to achieve similar
goals?
Does someone in the Company belong to a formal peer group
where different approaches are discussed?
How did you determine your goal(s)?
How are you scouting out information about your goal?
From where are you drawing information?
What is the source of your inspiration?
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26. SOUTH-EAST: LANGUAGE,
STORY, POLITICIAN
The energy you expend acting as an intermediary with the outside world or the collective
consciousness to keep your dream in motion. Having read and listened to the words of
others, you now find the words and stories to describe and explain your dreams to others;
the planetary archetype is Mercury.
You start taking control of the stories you tell about yourself and your dream. You take note
of how you tell your stories and to whom. You look to see how people respond to you when
you tell your stories. If they don’t get excited and show interest, your story either needs
working on or you’re talking to the wrong person. Take careful note of what feedback are
you getting about your story. Another aspect of this energy is to be conscious of what trend
energy is in motion and ride that energy in the direction of your dream. This is also the
energy you internalise to maintain your motivation by thinking and speaking with enthusiasm
about your ideas, yourself and your life.
In practical terms, being sure that you have a workable idea (after the Scout’s investigations),
go out to talk to people who can help you achieve your goal. Motivate them. Gather support.
Network. Establish relationships.
Check back to the central idea and fine tune it, using what input you found valuable during
your storytelling.
QUESTIONING THE SOUTH EAST IN ORGANISATIONS
Who is managing the internal and external relationships that will promote or block
achievement of the goal(s)?
Who is keeping people motivated to complete what needs to be done?
How are you working with the energy that is available?
How are you riding the energy behind your goal or dream?
What are you doing to keep people motivated to achieve the
goal(s)?
What is the source of the motivation?
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27. SOUTH: RESOURCES, CULTURE,
RESOURCE-PROVIDER
You need resources to get things done. Normally when we speak of resources we
automatically think only of money, but there are many other important resources we can put
to work. These resources include technology and know-how, talents, abilities, supporters,
emotional resources, motivation & energy, patient nurturing, daily practice and persistence.
The South of also the place of the child: spontaneous and trusting - our original being.
The South’s planetary archetype is earthy Venus, which reminds you to look at your central
idea and find ways to make it attractive to resource providers - those people who have the
special talents, materials, land or funding you need. Using the words you found, put together
a beautiful document that you can present to resource providers. Think of how you can grow
this idea and cooperate with others so that it is of benefit to as many people as possible.
Start thinking about which culture you would like to create or cultivate.
QUESTIONING THE SOUTH IN ORGANISATIONS
What resources (time, money, physical energy) are you bringing to the goal or dream? Who is
providing what resources to achieve the goal(s)? How extensive is your commitment in time,
money, energy, etc? What resources are you lacking? Who are our resource providers? How
much time is necessary to grow, gestate or develop this properly? How do we look after (or
nurture) what we already have? What is our maintenance policy? How can we save? How
can we protect?
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28. SOUTH-WEST: STYLE,
DREAMER & OUT-OF-THE-BOX
THINKING
The South-West contains the energies you use to generate new ideas and approaches about
your dream that will help you to realize it. This is often thought of as creative energy or the
energy used to assist you in thinking outside of the box.
Its planetary archetype is imaginative, visionary Neptune. What can you add to the idea to
make it catchy? How will you advertise your idea to the world? What will make this project
different from similar ones? Challenge yourself to come up with off-the-wall ideas or hire
people who can do it for you.
Having found something different, you can elaborate on your story, making it more
empowering and interesting to others. Step back and think bigger — how can this idea
benefit a community, the environment, the world? Having convinced with logical words (S/E),
you now have to seduce, enchant and make people ‘feel’. When you’re fully in this energy,
you are able to live the vision and make it sexy to end-users. Your imagination will find
unusual and interesting ways to express the vision to future customers or stakeholders.
QUESTIONING THE SOUTH WEST IN ORGANISATIONS
Who generates new ideas and approaches for the organization? Who has the imagination to
dream a larger dream of how the business can be conducted or even what the business is?
What stimulates new processes and approaches? How well formed are your goals/dreams?
Have you stepped out-of-the-box to consider other methods of achieving the goal/dream?
What tools have you used to unlock your creativity against the task? How can you adopt a
different style to make you noticeable and talked-about in the market-place?
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29. WEST: VALUES, HOLDER,
TRANSFORMER & KEEPER
At this half-way mark, this is the energy you use to change what you know into another
form to make it clearer. What has to die so that the dream can live? What do I keep? What
do I change? What do I trash? The West is where the sun, symbol of life, light and clarity,
disappears. West implies an ending, a going into darkness, where thoughts are unclear and
sometimes full of fear. West is night and dark, a place of nightmares, crimes, secrets and
spying, of passion, subterfuge, daring, magic and adventure. West is a universal symbol of
death, which can be welcomed, feared or honoured. We don’t like thinking of death, just as
in our normal day, we don’t like thinking of poverty, racism, sexism, tyranny, dishonesty and
cruelty. The West insists on honesty.
Does the idea have a negative? What are my values? What is my moral stance? These are
the uncomfortable questions we need to answer before we can progress on the wheel to
reach success. Isivivane and Medicine Wheel are sacred systems, and as such, will ask you
to deeply examine what your true motives are in any undertaking. What are you hiding from
others and yourself?
Here in the West energy you can transform a concept into a physical reality — you can
translate the difficult-to-grasp into a physical form so that others can see what is going
on and relate to it. Examples of this might be a mind-map, a diagram, a video, an outline,
a journal, model, financial statement, a story, a dance or anything that allows others to
experience your dream in a physical, passionate way.
With your idea ready to go into the world, stop and think carefully about what sacrifices
you may need to make. Are there any challenges you’ve been avoiding? Are there
uncomfortable issues you’re not facing? Is there anything in your original idea that needs
to die or transform? Have you forgotten to inform important
stakeholders, like employees, for instance. How will you deal
with disappointment and adversity? If this works, what will you
lose? These are all questions that need to be courageously
answered.
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30. QUESTIONING THE WEST
How do people get a real sense of what is going on in the organization?
Who presents what financial data to managers and employees?
How do employees learn the “Company story”?
Is the organizational structure visible?
How are you transforming your goal(s) into something physical that can be seen and related
to by others?
How have you changed your approach to make the goal(s) possible?
What have or can you let go of, or let die, to make your dream possible?
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31. NORTH-WEST: RULES,
PATTERNs, POLICY &
BOUNDARY SETTING
Every enterprise has its own pattern of success. The North-West asks what are the
appropriate patterns with which we must engage in order to achieve success. For example,
business organisations need an on-going inflow of cash to sustain their operations. A typical
pattern that ensures that we receive payments due to us might run something like: ‘Ensure
all invoices are emailed to client on completion of work and that they match the original
quotation. Also ensure that each client receives a statement by the 20th of each month.’
These are the energies you use to determine what rules, policies, protocols or patterns of
behaviour are necessary to realize the dream or goal.
With Uranus as an archetype, you need to put in place policies and rules FOR YOURSELF.
Instead of blindly following rules set or suggested by others, ask yourself what will work
for you. Make your policies uniquely yours — by doing this, you won’t be tempted to rebel
against someone else’s idea of correct procedure.
QUESTIONING THE NORTH-WEST
Who determines what rules and policies are necessary for the organization to meet its
objectives given the current situation?
How are rules, policies, boundaries and protocols established?
Who provides counsel, guidance and direction to the management team?
Have you established the rules, protocols, etc. necessary to achieve your goal(s)?
What patterns have you established to help the organization realize its goal(s)?
Were employees consulted and do they agree that everybody should abide by the rules?
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32. NORTH: ROLES, GUARDIANS,
PROTECTORS AND ENFORCERS
The North includes those energies that you use to ensure that the dream or goal stays
on track. Examples include activities that maintain the boundaries or protect the dream.
Another aspect of this energy is to check your progress formally and hold yourself
accountable for movement.
Having established what the rules are, decide on the structure necessary for those rules
to be upheld. What are the parameters of what is OK and what is not OK? Who is in
authority? The most authentic authority is the individual; so if everybody buys into the
rules, everybody becomes his/her own authority in upholding them. We play by the rules,
respect boundaries and follow protocols because we know they make sense.
QUESTIONING THE NORTH
Who ensures that the policies and rules are maintained and protects the safety of the
organization?
How much time, energy and money are being spent to enforce the rules? Monitor the
execution of programmes? Audit behaviour? Maintain boundaries? Administer discipline?
What are you doing to keep your goal(s) on track?
What are you doing to protect your dream?
How are you maintaining the Company’s boundaries?
What help are you receiving in achieving your goal(s)?
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33. NORTH-EAST: RITUALS,
DESIGNERS, CHOREOGRAPHERS
Throughout this process, you will have discovered your main aspects — spiritual (East),
emotional (South), physical (West) and intellectual (North). In the North-East you spend time
to appreciate each and harmonise them all in order to harness their combined energy. This
is your team (or team of abilities) that all come to the party to serve the dream. In Medicine
Wheel lore, this is the bringing together of the energy of the four worlds: human, plant,
mineral and animal, to manifest the specific dream. This is the energy you use to create and
implement a continuous operating plan.
With Jupiter as archetype, here everything is in place (everybody is on the same page)
to continue the abundance journey. Jupiter reminds us to be generous; to acknowledge
ourselves and people around us, to give thanks and celebrate what we already have. Giving
praise to ourselves, others and life in general is fundamental to creating an atmosphere of
positive energy. How do we dance together? How do we celebrate? How do we keep each
other joyfully motivated and in tune with the central idea? How do we keep focused on
successes and make those bigger? With the conjoining of our powers, we feel ourselves
supremely capable of giving, serving, contributing and sharing. The ability to give is
experienced as a blessing.
QUESTIONING THE NORTH EAST IN ORGANISATIONS
What have you done to pull all of your resources together to achieve your goal(s)?
Who blends all of the other energy inputs together and puts together a plan for realizing the
goals of the organization?
Who leads the Operational planning function?
Do you have a concrete action plan to help you achieve each of the goals?
CONTINUE TO CHECK IN WITH THE ENERGIES OF THE WHEEL ON A
DAILY BASIS TO ENTRENCH NEW HABITS
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34. PROFILE THE CURRENT
ENERGY ALLOCATION
With an established direction or a goal, Isivivane can be a valuable tool to improve
effectiveness. Check that the goal is achievable. If the overall goal is too large, use NE
Designer/ Choreographer energy to break the goal down into smaller pieces.
Draw a circle and place a goal in the centre. Then look at what types of energy you are
currently bringing to bear on this goal. Do one goal at a time. At each position on the wheel,
stop and ask yourself how you are applying the energy associated with that direction to your
task or goal.
Some thought-starter questions have been prepared to assist you, but whatever questions
you use will provide illumination. This analysis will help you see where you are in the process
of attaining your goal. Try to avoid judging yourself or jumping into the future. This step is
designed to help you get a sober and balanced look at where you are right now. It will help
you build consciousness of how the organization is using its energies.
THOUGHT STARTER QUESTIONS
Centre : Catalyst
Who provides the spark necessary to get the change process started and keeps it going?
East : Scouts, Seekers
Who is looking outside the organisation at what is going on and reporting back to the
management team?
Who is seeking new ideas about how to achieve your goal(s) or even what might be
appropriate goals ?
Are you visiting other companies looking for ideas?
Who is going to seminars and what are you doing with the information gathered?
Who is reading about what others have done to achieve similar goals?
Does someone in the Company belong to a formal peer group where different approaches
are discussed?
How did you determine your goal(s)?
How are you scouting out information about your goal?
From where are you drawing information?
What is the source of your inspiration?
South East : Politicians, Cheerleaders, Storytellers
What story are you telling?
How have you worked out that this is the story you should be telling?
How is the audience responding?
Is there a collective energy or ‘wave’ that you can ride?
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35. South : Resource Providers
What resources (time, money, technologies, talents, physical energy) are you bringing to the
goal/dream?
What are you lacking?
Who is providing what resources to achieve the goal(s)?
How extensive is your commitment in time, money, energy, etc?
South West : Dreamers, Out-of-the-box Thinkers
Who generates new ideas and approaches for the organization?
Who is capable of dreaming a larger dream of how the business can be conducted or even
what the business is?
What stimulates new processes and approaches?
How well formed are your goals/dreams?
Have you stepped out of the box to consider other methods of achieving the goal/dream?
What tools have you used to unlock your creativity against the task?
West : Holders, Transformers, Keepers
How do employees gain a physical sense of what is going on in the organization?
What do they see, hear and experience physically?
Who presents what financial data to managers and employees?
How do employees learn the company story
Is the organizational structure visible?
How are you transforming your goal(s) into something physical that can be seen and related
to by others?
How have you change your approach to make the goal(s) possible?
What have you let go of, or let die to make your dream possible?
North West : Rule Makers, Policy/Boundary Setters
Who determines what rules and policies are necessary for the organization to meet its
objectives given the current situation?
How are rules, policies, boundaries and protocols established?
Who provides counsel, guidance and direction to the management team?
Have you established the rules, protocols, etc. necessary to achieve your goal(s)?
What patterns have you established to help the organization realize it goal(s)?
North : Guardians, Protectors, Enforcers
Who ensures that the policies and rules are maintained and protects the safety of the
organization?
How much time, energy and money are being spent to enforce the rules? Monitor the
execution of programs? Audit behaviour? Maintain boundaries? Administer discipline?
What are you doing to keep your goal(s) on track?
What are you doing to protect your dream?
How are you maintaining the Company’s boundaries?
What help are you receiving in achieving your goal(s)?
North East : Designers, Choreographers, Directors
What have you done to pull all of your resources together to achieve your goal(s)?
Who blends all of the other energy inputs together and puts together a plan for realizing the
goals of the organization?
Who leads the Operational planning function?
Do you have a concrete action plan to help you achieve each of the goals?
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36. APPLICATION: CREATING A
PROJECT TEAM
Members of successful teams are all clear about goals and communicate effectively. The
suggestion is that you use the ideas here to stimulate open conversations around what the
team members desire. The team is being created (or re-energised) for a purpose - you need
to spend time discussing this. Also, it is useful to see team members as ‘taking on’ the
archetypes such as scout, storyteller, resource provider, etc.
Begin with the central idea or problem: WHAT DO YOU WANT? Why is this team being
created? What is its purpose? What are the desired outcomes? What, exactly, do we want
the team to achieve? Isivivane is flexible, so you might ask members of the team to reflect
upon what needs doing and who would be able to fulfil more than one energetic role. It is
also interesting to see how people perform when you not only refer to them as ‘marketing
director’ but rather as a ‘scout’ or ‘resource provider’ above their normal title. It’s a new way
of thinking.
The East : Researcher/Scout
Identify the person who is most deeply connected to the desire of the team.
Who has the energy and passion to go out and research all aspects and gather the
information about the project?
Who is looking outside the Company at what is going on and reporting back to the
management team?
Who is seeking new information about how to achieve your goal(s) or even what might be
appropriate goals ?
Are you visiting other companies looking for ideas?
Who is going to seminars and what are you doing with the information gathered?
Who is reading about what others have done to achieve similar goals?
Does someone in the Company belong to a formal peer group where different approaches
are discussed?
How did you determine your goal(s)?
How are you scouting out information about your goal?
From where are you drawing information?
What is the source of your inspiration?
The South East : Storyteller/Communicator/Emissary
Identify the team’s most potent communicator. This person will be charged with the
responsibility of talking about the project to stakeholders, listening to their views and feeding
this back to the team.
Who is managing the internal and external relationships that will promote or block
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37. achievement of the goal(s)?
Who is keeping people motivated with persuasive language to remind the team of the vision
so that they complete what needs to be done?
How are you working with the energy that is available?
How are you riding the energy behind your goal/dream?
What are you doing to keep people motivated to achieve the goal(s)?
What is the source of the motivation?
The South : Negotiator/Resource provider
Identify the person best able to make the goal attractive enough to gain the resources
needed for successful execution.
What resources (time, money, physical energy) are necessary for the goal/dream?
Who is providing what resources to achieve the goal(s)?
How extensive is your commitment in time, money, energy, etc?
The South West : Innovator/Out-of-the-box Thinker
Identify the most innovative and off-the-wall thinker.
Who generates new ideas and approaches for the organisation?
Who is capable of dreaming a larger dream of how the business can be conducted or even
what the business is?
What stimulates new processes and approaches?
How well formed are your goals/dreams?
Have you stepped out-of-the-box to consider other methods of achieving the goal/dream?
What tools have you used to unlock your creativity against the task?
The West : Change Agent/Transformer
Who is best able to manage the necessary changes needed for the project to become
established within the organisation? If we don’t get buy-in from employees, the project will
never fly. Discuss with Human Resources.
How do employees gain a physical sense of what is going on in the organisation?
Who presents what financial data to managers and employees?
How do employees learn the ‘Company story’?
Is the organisational ‘re-birth’ visible?
How are you transforming your goal(s) into something physical that can be seen and related
to by others?
How have you changed your approach to make the goal(s) possible?
What old, limiting thinking do you have to let go of or let die to make your dream possible?
The North West : Manager/Unique policy setter
Who can establish what unique rules and habits will be necessary for the new system to be
followed?
Who determines what rules and policies are necessary for the organisation to meet its
objectives given the current situation?
How are rules, policies, boundaries and protocols established?
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38. Who provides counsel, guidance and direction to the management team?
Have you established the rules, protocols, etc. necessary to achieve your goal(s)?
What patterns have you established to help the organisation realize it goal(s)?
The North : Administrator/Guardian
In order for the rules and protocols to be followed, identify the person who can set up a
structure that is clear and easy for employees to implement and follow.
Who ensures that the policies and rules are maintained and protects the safety of the
organisation?
How much time, energy and money are being spent to enforce the rules? Monitor the
execution of programs? Audit behaviour? Maintain boundaries? Administer discipline?
What are you doing to keep your goal(s) on track?
What are you doing to protect your dream?
How are you maintaining the Company’s boundaries?
What help are you receiving in achieving your goal(s)?
The North East : Director/Choreographer
Find the person gifted in getting people to work together and to stay focused and motivated.
Everybody needs to come to the party.
Who is able to tell the ‘big story’ about the project internally and externally?
Who will keep reminding stake-holders to live the dream?
How do we reward people for sticking with the goal?
What have you done to pull all of your resources together to achieve your goal(s)?
Who blends all of the other energy inputs and puts together a plan for realizing the goals of
the organisation?
Who leads the Operational planning function?
Do you have a concrete action plan to help you achieve each of the goals?
38 www.isivivane.com
40. APPLICATION: DEVELOPING
COMMUNAL FOOD GARDENS
Begin with the central idea or problem: WHAT DO YOU WANT? The central hub contains
the energies of the Sun/Male and the Moon/Female as a reminder to be wildly creative and
clear-thinking (sun), as well as intuitively intelligent (moon); what feels right.
What kind of garden do you want to plant? Who will it feed? Where will the produce be
sold? Who will profit? Is it for selling to the outside world or to provide good nutrition within
the community? What part will medicinal plants play? Does the garden protect our national
heritage of useful indigenous plants? Can these plants be processed into products like oils,
soaps, etc?
The East : Scout
Find out as much as you can about the kind of garden you want to plant. Go on a course.
Find out how other gardeners have done it. Read. Research. Become knowledgeable. Go
back to your central idea and make adjustments based on your new knowledge.
The South East : Emissary
Go out and inspire the community to support your project. Have discussions with possible
partners, other gardeners and those who will buy from you. Remember that the language
you use to express your idea affects others deeply - express your vision in a positive,
enthusiastic and powerful way if you want people to cooperate with you.
The South : Resource provider
Make your idea attractive to get the resources you need to make it sustainable. Put together
a beautiful document that you can present to resource providers. If people love your idea,
you will find it much easier to access the land, water, seeds, materials, skills, funding and
willing workers for your project. Think of how you can grow this idea and cooperage so that
it is of benefit to as many people as possible.
The South West : Out-of-the-box Thinker
Design the garden. What plants grow where and when? Be creative in the lay-out of the
garden to give each plant a place where it will flourish. Use other people’s junk creatively
— old mattresses make excellent fences; leaky tin baths can be turned into wheelbarrows;
tyres can be used for fences, edging and stacked to grown potatoes; old drums become
rainwater reservoirs.
The West : Transformer
Plant the garden — and remember from now on nothing will be the same. You will have to
change your daily behaviour if you want the plants to survive.
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41. The North West : Unique policy setter
Establish a daily, weekly and seasonal routine for yourself to tend the garden. When do I
mulch? When do I water? When do I weed and check on plants? When do I transplant and
prune? Work with the natural cycles of nature for optimum results.
The North : Guardian
Having set the routine, create a structure to ensure that the rules are followed. Who is
responsible for what? How do we check that what we said needs to be done is done?
Create a calendar.
The North West : Choreographer
How do we dance (work) together? How do we celebrate the harvest? How do we keep
each other joyfully motivated and in tune with the central idea? How do we keep focused on
successes and make those bigger? How do we demonstrate gratitude?
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42. APPLICATION: DEVELOPING
PRODUCTS
Begin with the central idea or problem: WHAT DO YOU WANT? Come up with ideas of
products you can make from the plants in your garden. Are they medicinal, beauty or food
products?
The East : Scout
Do market research. Is there a need for the product idea? Will people want to buy? How
much will they be prepared to pay? What is needed in the manufacturing process. Get as
much knowledge possible.
The South East : Emissary
Communicate for support. Write convincing proposals to persuade possible partners. Talk to
a sample of your prospective target market to get their reaction.
The South : Resource provider
Make the idea attractive to get the resources and/or funding you need. Write a marketing
plan. Work out the growth potential of your product - is it local, regional, national or
international? If you need a loan or investor, make sure you have a good financial projection
document.
The South West : Out-of-the-box Thinker
Think of innovative ways to advertise your product to your target market. What unusual
ingredient, concept or delivery method will make the product stand out from the
competition?
The West : Transformer
Do a test-run of your product and asses how it went. What needs to change? Throw out
what doesn’t work and find new solutions.
The North East : Unique policy setter
Decide how your company is going to be unique. How do you treat customers and
employees? How will you handle finances? What systems do you need to put in place to
protect profits and pay debts on time? Write a potent vision, mission and values statement.
The North : Guardian
Create a structure for the habits and behaviours necessary to keep the company, employees
and finances (including tax payments) on track. Be clear about all legalities. Set dates on
which invoices will be issued and bills paid. Decide how you will remind yourself and others
to live the vision, mission and values.
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43. APPLICATION: ENGAGING
PERSONAL POWER
The North East : Choreographer
Decide how you will build on positive actions. Establish occasions to celebrate successes
and reward exceptional effort. How will your company contribute to the community in which
you operate? How do you keep everybody working together joyfully?
In the centre of the wheel, write a short synopsis of the kind of person you want to be. Use
your courageous Scout or Mars energy to examine what you are really all about. That means
all of you — the nice bits and the not so nice bits.
East:
What are the things you definitely know about yourself and how did you come to know
them? What are the qualities you were born with and developed throughout your life that
will help you to realise your dream? What is the source of your information? What books,
newspapers, magazines and articles do you read? How is this information supporting your
vision? Look out for any assumptions about yourself that are holding you back. (Someone
once said ‘you will never be a writer / success / entrepreneur’. There is no reason for you
to hold onto such an off-the-cuff remark. You can do anything you really put your mind to
doing.)
South-East:
How do you talk about yourself and your past successes and failures? Do you make
excuses or boast? Is this your authentic voice? What kind of conversations do you have
in your head and with other people? How do these conversations empower/disempower
you? Are you given to idle chatter, gossip or trashing-sessions or are you prepared to have
searching, mutually beneficial interactions with other people?
South:
Are you able to see your own beauty as a unique human being? What do you do to nurture
yourself emotionally, physically, intellectually and spiritually? Where do you feel most
resourceful? What are the relationships that support you? How do you look after what
you own? What is your relationship to the Earth and humanity in general? Do you actively
contribute to art and culture? Do you use ‘my culture’ to justify out-of-date, sexist and racist
power-play?
South-West:
What are your night time dreams telling you? How can you express the language of your
soul in art? Do you express your deepest pain and joy in innovative ways or do you get lost
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44. in fantasy, drugs and alcohol that give you temporary relief from reality? Do you outsource
your imaginative life to television soaps, cheap novels and movies?
West:
How do you cope with depression and misfortune? Do you see these as opportunities to
transform yourself? Are you able to surrender to the dark, uncomfortable times of change
and find meaning with the faith that ‘this too will pass’? What relationships, thoughts and
habits are you prepared to sacrifice in order to become the new person you want to be?
North-West:
What new habits do you need to establish to achieve what you want to be? Are these
YOUR rules, or rules that make sense to you? (If rules are set by someone else, it’s all
too easy for us to rebel. This rebellion mostly happens unconsciously, so that you may
interpret it as ‘weakness’.)
North:
What structures do you need to put in place to maintain the rules? If you are not the
authority in your life, someone else will step into the role for you. Being your own authority
puts you in the position of being the author of your future development.
North-East:
How do you celebrate and express gratitude for your life? Can you re-tell your history as
a compassionate story with a positive ending about yourself, your family and humanity?
Do you recognise your own successes and build on them? Practice praising instead of
criticising, compliments instead of put-downs, giving instead of taking.
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45. APPLICATION: ISIVIVANE
FOR EQ & CONFLICT
MANAGEMENT
This tool has been used to great effect with people who have trouble managing their
emotions and who tend to ‘fly off the handle’ when confronted with certain information.
This model talks of building a delay between perception of the information and acting on
and enforcing boundaries. A trigger to use this tool is when you have become aware of
information that causes an emotional impact or a ‘feeling’ that overwhelms everything
else in your life. You lose focus, your dream suddenly seems banal and in general, all is
meaningless and you have an urge to do damage. An example of this could be if a friend of
yours has let you down badly.
There is a part in every human being (our collection of shadow aspects) that sometimes
wants to lash out swiftly and brutally at the one who caused the offence, whether the offence
is a taxi racing past in the emergency lane or a beloved partner who has pressed your most
painful button.
Before there can be any substantial gain in emotional intelligence or conflict management
skills, Isivivane asks that we look deeply into our own hearts as human beings for the origins
of violence — whether it is physical, emotional, acted out or even just played out in our
imagination. We cannot settle an issue with another person until we have settled the dispute
within ourselves.
Going to the centre — stop and consider.
When we spend time in the still hub, holding the impulse to commit even an imagined
hurt upon another, we can come into contact with the archetypal shadow energies. Even
this central point has a terrible father and terrible mother aspect. We may be tempted
to suppress these aspects, instead we have to invoke our power to choose, or set the
‘direction of the heart’ (Rilke). We can, of course, choose violence. We can, if we wish,
deliberately hurt someone’s feelings, snap at a partner, slap a child, kick a dog, damage
property, or swear at another driver, as long as we remember that like attracts like.
We can also choose to be victims and allow other people to bully us.
Most of us will want to choose to live a decent, dignified life, free to pursue our happiness,
free of tyranny and respectful of other human beings wanting the same as us. This is the
age-old philosophy of Love, where Goodness, Truth and Beauty replace Anger, Greed and
Hatred.
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46. If we choose to bring about change through Love, we have a very rich tradition cultured here
in South Africa. Gandhi himself said that he was born in India but ‘made’ in South Africa.
And although, on the one hand, we have a terrible violent-crime rate (the shadow at play),
we have the legacy of our Struggle heroes, who, despite extreme provocation, time and time
again returned to their core quest of bringing about political change in a non-violent way.
They were astonishingly successful and we honour them by becoming familiar with their
philosophy by reading their books, articles and speeches.
Violence, in words and actions, grimaces and in-actions, is usually a stress reaction to a
pattern of pain avoidance that starts in childhood. So, before deciding how to manage
conflict, we could entrust ourselves to the wisdom of Isivivane.
For this exercise, set your central intention as wanting to gain insight into the dynamics
between you and the other person or persons and why you feel so bad. The purpose could
be ‘to examine this relationship through different lenses: spiritual, emotional, physical and
intellectual.’
East:
Remind yourself that you are a spiritual being having a physical experience. With the Scout
energy, take a journey into the history of this relationship. How did it begin? What is the
relationship based on? What is the nature of this relationship? What are the roles played
out in this relationship? Is there equality or is this a boss/underling, parent/child (between
adults), victim/helper connection.
South-East:
Describe what information you became aware of. Find words that express what you
have discovered about the relationship. Write, with great honesty, in a journal about what
happened and what you feel. Take particular care to write for your own information only, in
order to avoid ‘you did this and you did that.’ If possible, adopt a factual, dispassionate style
or writing. The purpose is to get clarity on the situation and to discover the role you played in
bringing about the dispute.
South:
How does this information make you feel? What are your real feelings about this person and
about your relationship? Are your feelings and the other’s feelings similar? Acknowledge
the emotions. Remember that there are seasons in relationships too. Is the relationship
merely changing or evolving? What are the good/beautiful qualities of the person and the
relationship?
South-West:
Using intuition and imagination, probe whether there is something else happening in this
relationship. Is there an addictive element? Is there an unacknowledged undercurrent?
West:
Where in your body do you feel the emotion? What physical effects are you feeling because
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47. of this conflict? (Look for clues in language and in age-old sayings: Shoulders — carrying
too much. Back — heavy burden, unequal load. Neck — can’t move, painful to look at all
aspects. Head — unexamined, unexpressed anger. Stomach — can’t ‘stomach’ values,
behaviour; ‘nervous stomach’, meaning there is fear — what fear?. Chest — ‘heart-sore’,
emotional pain or ‘I can’t breathe’, the relationship is stifling. Throat — not speaking up
— not saying the truth, not speaking your needs, etc.) Is this one kind of relationship
masquerading as another? Is this relationship worth keeping? Could it transform? Should
it be terminated? Take note now of all the names you have wanted to call this person. If
this person is really the tyrant, bully, cheat or whatever names come to mind, can you find
some mirror behaviour in yourself? It is typical to blame someone else for doing what we’re
doing; or for displaying characteristics that we dislike in ourselves.
North-West:
Examine the arena in which this relationship is operating. Where are the boundaries?
Define the relationship — partnership, business, marriage, etc. Have we agreed on roles,
interactions and protocols? Is there any formal agreement? Should there be one? How is
this relationship unique?
North:
How will the boundaries and rules be honoured and enforced by both parties?
North East:
With all the insights that have been gained, how is the relationship going to change? How
will you inform and discuss this with the other(s)? What is there to celebrate?
If, after this process, you decide that the relationship is worth keeping but needs to change,
you may want to repeat the cycle together with the other(s).
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48. APPLICATION: HEALING
FAMILY LIFE
Unfortunately, there is no such thing as parenting school. Most of us become parents and
either blindly follow in our own parents’ footsteps or, if we hated our childhood, do exactly
the opposite. For most of the population, it’s really easy to become a parent (noun); but
difficult to parent (verb) children into psychologically healthy adults. Children are precious.
If we fail them, what chance does humanity have of ever creating a world without wars and
tyranny?
We may not be able to change the world, but we can change our own thinking and
behaviour to become conscious parents. We can be the ones to stop abusive parenting
cycles and start a new family legacy, based on love, responsibility and respect.
The Dream
Decide what kind of family life you would enjoy. How are you going to treat each other? How
will you support each member’s unique life path? What do you want to mean to each other?
What kind of father or mother do you want to be? Is there a role model you can choose?
East
Take a brave step and look objectively at the family dynamics that are wounded, damaged
and damaging. Look at the family as it is. Very often, the most sensitive person in the
family will ‘act out’ all the hidden aggression or secrecy in a family. This can result in rage,
tantrums, dangerous behaviour, drug and alcohol abuse, etc.
South-East
How do you communicate with each other? Do you snipe, criticise or put others down? Are
you habitually argumentative? (Isn’t it interesting that we reserve our worst behaviour for
the people we ‘love’ most?) Can this change? How can each family member be allowed to
speak truthfully without hurting someone else’s feelings? Are all members prepared to really
listen to honest feedback?
South
How do you express your love for one-another? What can you do to bring beauty into the
family home and relationships? How can you nurture each other’s talents and personal
qualities? How can you establish and grow strong bonds with each person? What are your
resources and how do you look after them? How can this family grow to become an example
to future generations?
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49. South-West
Expect to find imaginative solutions. Allow creative expression. How do you deal with
adversity in the family, like the death of someone close or financial challenges? Do you pull
together and ride it out or do you expect someone else to make it all better? Everybody
goes through difficult times — make it a learning, bonding experience or the family may
splinter apart.
West
How are the parents’ damaged childhood playing out on the children and repeating
the legacy left by ancestors who created a less than perfect family model? What family
secrets are there, causing undercurrents of distrust and fear? What painful experiences
are not being acknowledged? (Deaths, miscarriages, jail-terms, being HIV+, mental illness
— anything responsible for ignoring an issue or ignoring a living or deceased member of the
family.) For a family to be a safe haven, there needs to be a way in which everybody can talk
about and express not only their hopes and joys, but also their disappointments and pain.
Look at behaviour that causes irritation: why is it there? Why is it irritating?
North-West
Decide how your family is unique and different from other families. It doesn’t necessarily
have to be the image of a model family you grew up with, or see in supposed ‘perfect
families’ TV series. Discuss the guidelines for behaviour that you will follow on a constant
basis that will help you to become the family you want. Get everybody to agree (or risk
rebellion).
North
Who will make sure that guidelines and rules are adhered to? What systems, calendars,
rosters or lists should be displayed? What are the consequences when rules are broken?
How can each member of the family assume personal authority in specific areas?
North-East
How do you compliment each other? How do you celebrate special days and successes?
How do you show gratitude? How do you extend good fortune to the world around you?
What are the stories you undertake to retell about yourselves, your ancestors and each
other on special occasions? What are children being taught about giving generously and
receiving graciously?
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50. APPLICATION: SPIRITUAL
GROWTH
Centre:
Spend time in the hub in meditation or wordless prayer until you feel the connection to your
Higher Self, Love or the Divine. How to take this feeling of love, safety and bliss into the
everyday?
East: the search
The East is the part of the horizon where the sun rises. It is the place our ancestors looked
to as the mark of a new day. To the East I learn about life as it first begins, its first breath, its
first glimpses, its first touch. In this direction I greet the sun as it is from here that the sun
and moon and all the other planets emerge as they travel around the ecliptic. Whenever I am
faced with a new challenge I seek my cardinal East to gain insight into what it is that I must
learn on my journey through life.
The gifts that we seek to develop in the east are:
Our relationship with Mother Earth and all those beings with whom we share the earth
Our Fire and Spirituality
The innocent or ‘first’ Mind
Protection
Enthusiasm
Insight, a new way of thinking
Research, testing ideas in imagination before they become reality
Birth
Spring
New beginnings, new possibilities
Planning, dreaming of new directions
The South
The South teaches that whatever has had its beginning and lives has its time to become an
infant that relies on life and its mother to nourish, nurture, love, comfort and protect from
the harshness of existence. The South is the home of the midday sun, the place of Summer,
and the realm of the material world, the physical, our sexuality. The sun travels across the
sky, bringing warmth and light to all that grows below. The South is the place of play and
innocent trust in the grace of higher powers that bring your ideas into fruition. This is also the
place of taking action based on your ideas and insights, trusting in how the whole process of
growth will unfold in your life.
In the South I can allow my heart to feel the love that joyfully explodes out of each of the 600
billion cells in your body: love for myself, my family, my relatives, my entire human species,
the plants, animals, and all creation. I trust in Nature, in the way a pregnant woman KNOWS
that a new life is developing within her womb all on its own. I am in awe of all creation,
including myself
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51. The gifts that are developed in the South include:
Our relationship with water
Relationships and partnerships
Physical action
Trust
Playfulness
Our Emotional life, our feelings
Getting down and ‘Doing it’ rather than talking
What we nourish ourselves with in order to grow (food, ideas, people, literature, etc.)
Infancy
Summer
The West
The West is the place of Autumn and transformation. It reminds us all about one of the
very few certainties in our lives — that we will die and that all things in creation have their
conclusion in the physical sense. This is the circle of life. The West teaches that whatever
lies on my path of life is unknown (I can set my intention, but I can’t control) and so we need
to focus in the here and now knowing that the cosmic creative force, our ancestors and all
the tribes and guardians are finding expression through us. The process has been going on
for millions of years without our control; so the West is the direction in which surrender to our
biological evolutionary path.
The sun sinks into the horizon at the end of the day and at the end of summer. This is the
place of rest — the in-between time after action and before integration of your learning. The
West is Autumn, the time of the harvest where we reap what our actions have sown. The
West brings a time of assessment, learning, and emotional release.
The gifts that are developed in the West are:
Our physical self; the earth.
Dreaming
Sexuality
Self examination
Reflection, introspection and retrospection
Growth
Trusting our deepest feelings and desires
Adulthood
Change / Autumn
The North
The North is the space of Night, Winter, the Owl, higher perspective, and the realms of
thinking and wisdom. It represents the still hour before dawn where we find authenticity
and attain wisdom. We choose and take responsibility for our actions. Winter holds the
promise of growth locked just below the surface. In the North we dedicate our thoughts
and intelligence to expand our understanding in and of all things. You may think of life as an
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52. endless series of cycles. There are cycles in our seasons, cycles in our days, and cycles in
the process of growing and evolving as spiritual beings.
The gifts that are developed in the North are:
Our relationship with our breath rhythm and the air we breathe.
Thinking logically and clearly without fear and prejudice
Understanding
Wholeness
Awareness of the lesson, cycles and patterns
Giving thanks
Winter
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53. APPLICATION: KEEPING
YOURSELF AWARE AND IN
BALANCE
In this Isivivane model, the human being is seen as being comprised of the Intellectual,
Spiritual, Emotional, and Physical selves. In order to experience a balanced, harmonious life,
you need to be in balance with them; all working together to the same end.
In the East we find fire and the spirit. In the South, we have the emotional self. In the West,
we have the physical self and finally, in the North, we have the intellectual self.
BALANCE EXERCISE
Find a still space in the outdoors, where you won’t be disturbed, to do this exercise, sit
comfortably facing North, close your eyes and listen to the sound of your breathing.
With your eyes closed, look up towards a point on your forehead and touch your tongue to
the centre of your palette.
Visualise the 5 golden Suns of this Isivivane with
the centre Sun representing you sitting in the
centre. Intellect above to the North, Emotions
below you to the South, the Spiritual to the East /
Right and the physical to the West / Left.
Are the suns the same size?
Are they the same colour?
Are the Suns the same distance from you?
Change them in your
vision to being the
same size, colour
and distance from
you. Bow to each
point of the compass
and acknowledge
what you have done this day for the Spiritual,
Emotional, Physical and Intellectual aspects of
yourself.
Bring yourself back into present time space,
bow to yourself and continue with your day.
An alternative to this exercise is to create a
small Isivivane yourself. All you need is a small
quiet space, if possible, in a garden or natural
place. Have 5 fairly rocks, small enough to pick up, but heavy enough to ‘feel’ the weight,
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