Addressing life themes with symbolism across the boundaries of cultures
A workshop under QfWf guidance
Art Dialogues around the board game Amor Fati
Amor Fati is a board game to enhance the intercultural art of living: you undertake a journey across a colourful landscape full of symbolism and along the way you pick up intercultural visions and mythical wisdom.
Around the Amor Fati game board, you travel through seven game rounds that address life themes and exchange associations and experience with your travel companions for a wise way of dealing with the questions life poses.
On the journey you explore the tension between amor fati as fate of your destiny and the freedom to shape life yourself:
In a workshop to get acquainted with the intercultural art of living.
In a master class to learn how to guide this game form yourself.
From one full day to 9 half days, suitable for individuals, groups and teams
The Quintessence Game
As an introduction to the cosmopolitan art of living of Amor Fati’s there is a shorter play mode can encompassing a (half) daily Quest through the Quintessence Game
This is a wisdom card game that introduces the art of living as a group of global citizen with three different layouts and conversation formats:
Quintessence: how to connect the wisdom of earth, of water, of air and of fire to the unsaid of the fifth element?
Your Quest? Explore an issue with each other by allowing chance or fate to play a role in your exploring the question behind the question!
Oracles: How to unlock ancient wisdom from the four corners of the world by being the oracle for each other?
Sitting around the Play Table with creative materials
Around the Amor Fati game board, full of mythical-philosophical symbolism, you explore the intercultural art of living, with the aim of promoting meaningful encounters and enriching conversations as global citizens.
The board game is developed by Heidi Muijen as Human, know yourself from 2006 onwards in her philosophical counselling practice Thymia, resulting in six game forms of playing around life-themes. These are still available as a workshop as a means for personal and professional growth.
The six mythical-philosophical workshop themes:
Whereas Amor Fati is a play for which you need up to 9 half days time, there are introductory forms to get acquainted with Amor Fati from half a day to 4 half days, suitable for individuals, groups and teams:
Elemental Wisdom — Gnosis game: a quest for wisdom!
The Art of Encountering — Mask game: the strange other!
Follow your ‘Hero’s Paths’ — Hero game: play yourself!
Elementary way’s of research — Compassion game: the good life!
The Art of Dreaming — Dream game: Follow your wish!
Envisioning your view of life — Vision game: attune to your inner compass!
Around a colourful Dialogue Tablecloth full of transcultural symbolism ― around myths and philosophical and spiritual perspectives from all coners of the world. These aim to uncover the important questions behind opinions: Explore your differences in framing an issue on a quest towards the core of sense making with intercultural perspectives!
What is your Quest? is played in four rounds by means of symbolic objects and two sets of cards with Western and Intercultural perspectives from East, West, North, South.
By reflecting on the images and symbolism on the Dialogue Tablecloth, a delay of reaction is created and the conversation tilts from simply ventilating opinions, to questioning and hearing the polyphony and layering in different meanings.
Dialogues in personal and professional settings
Workshop on location
Around the playful dialogue tablecloth you engage in a dialogue, with a team, your family, a group of friends on a discovering journey. There are four dialogue rounds, with intercultural symbolism and perspectives, such as: elementary wisdom, the search in the labyrinth of life, meaningful encounters on the journey of life, how do you interpret signs as a language of the soul, listening to your moral compass.
In a workshop one becomes acquainted with a playful form of dialogue.
In a master class you learn to use a playful form around the dialogue tablecloth yourself as a professional.
From half a day to 4 half days, either in Dutch or in English
Suitable for individuals and groups: friends and family and (sports and working) teams.
You either explore a common issue or each participant explores their own question.
Through the QfWf-dialogue game The Four Winds an Educational Team of the University of Applied Sciences has explored the issue of “Inclusive Communication with our students and with each other, how?”.
With the team around the Dialogue Tablecloth Four Winds
One of the responses:
“Talking with images, or from images is sometimes easier, if you don’t know the meaning of symbols at first …. Beautiful work forms, special experiences, cheerful …. Staying with your feelings, not everything has to have a meaning in your head …. It brings you surprisingly close to the core. Norms, values, beliefs …. Free, playful, associative. Instructive how images can evoke so many different emotions.”
The Dialogue Table was developed by Heidi Muijen from 2010 onwards in her philosophical counselling practice Thymia, resulting in different forms of playful dialogues for the purpose of investigating personal, professional and social issues. The workshops around the Dialogue Tablecloth are designed to stimulate the imagination and with creative exercises, so that the participants are focussing on questioning their own frame of reference behind the issues at stake.
There are shorter (thematic) Dialogue forms, playfully tackling life themes, that are still available as a workshop as a means of personal and professional growth:
The Images in Dialogue — in four dialogue rounds to the core of an issue.
The Quest — dialogues around a triptych Past – Present – Future.
The Pythiagame — a creative oracle game to explore your own wisdom.
The Existential game — follow your own path to the good life according to ethical perspectives.
A contemplative game that is both challenging and fun
A workshop under QfWf-guidance
With Adinkra — an intercultural communication game in 2 rounds.
A workshop offers an exercise in an indirect form of communication and an introduction to traditional African wisdoms — in particular the symbols and proverbs of the Akan in Ghana.
In a masterclass one learns to use this form of play professionally
Lasts from 1 to 2 half-days, suitable for groups and teams.
Together with your team, family or other network, you first follow an introduction given by Dr. Louise Müller — an expert in the field of African and intercultural philosophy — about the background of Adinkra, the Asante culture and various philosophies of Ghana.
Also, it is possible to play Adinkra online with each other.
You can see how this intercultural communication game can also work as a digitally powerful game, by connecting within your own network!
A few impressions from participants:
“Great to experience this and see what is possible digitally.”
“Nice and creative initiative. Beautiful things also arise to keep in touch with each other.”
“It’s great that we are not being fooled by the corona virus and still meet each other in this way.”
“Very inspiring and surprisingly fun!!!”
“Adinkra, with image-rich proverbs and powerful symbols from Ghanaian culture, allows people to experience the wisdom of the Akan philosophy in a playful way”.
Workshops, guest lessons and master classes, also on location.
For teambuilding, company outings, masterclasses in cultural diversity, intercultural communication and high-context culture exercises using adinkra.
Dr. Louise F. Müller also gives workshops, guest lessons and masterclasses on location and tailored to the purpose of the meeting and the target group.
Including: an association, a club of friends, a family reunion, a cultural team outing, team training intercultural differences; guest lectures for students, teachers and other professionals, administrators and managers, who take inclusion to heart and want to further develop their skills in cultural diversity.
Workshops and masterclasses both live and online! Requests and to Purchase: info@questforwisdom.org
Hybrid play with the Game for Wisdom
Find your course in life through the Art of Living
A workshop under QfWf-guidance
The Game for Wisdom can be combined with face to face meetings― as an activity introducting the Wheel of the Intercultural Art of Living!
Is suitable for individuals, groups and teams for the purpose of setting your course in life and career.
The game consists of seven rounds with questions based on intercultural symbols and stories from wisdom traditions from the East, West, North and South.
The Game for Wisdom can be combined:
Hybrid Game for Wisdom as a Pre-conference acticity
On a Quest as team for a full day or as a pre-conference activity; also in a hybrid form of training in combination with a masterclass
In a workshop in order to become acquainted with dialogue and play as a means of developing the intercultural art of living. Using intercultural symbols and stories from wisdom traditions from the East, West, North and South.
In a masterclass one learns to use this form of play professionally.
Requiring at least ½ half a day;
Also it is possible to organise a meeting of up to 3 days if desired, suitable for individuals, groups and teams.
Objectives and Policy Plan stem from the QfWf Mission and Vision:
The Quest for wisdom foundation was founded on the 10th of October 2016 by Dr. Heidi S.C.A. Muijen with the mission of fostering a culture of openness to inclusion and cultural diversity. The QfWf does this by collecting and further developing cultural expressions of wisdom traditions from North and South, East and West.
The QfWf activities continue to take place together with a growing circle of stakeholders, who share the mission of the foundation – as visualized and expressed in the ‘Wheel of the Intercultural Art of Living’.
The QfWf chooses as its course in tipping times the good life by developing world citizenship. To this end, artistic programs are cocreated by paying attention to the cultural-historical contexts of stories, rituals and symbolism from wisdom traditions on the one hand; on the other hand, by bringing into the globalizing society transcultural values, like hospitality, emapthy and humanity through music, visual arts and other intercultural expressions.
The need for an intercultural art of living
Being able to deal effectively and ethically with our differences is a delicate matter in our current times.
The objective of the foundation calls for an intercultural art of living as an answer to the fear of ‘the strange other’ and appeal of ‘the multicultural society’ by means of:
historical awareness of the (inter)cultural roots of wisdom traditions;
interest in other cultures and wisdom traditions and
living encouters and cross-pollination between cultures
Dealing with differences
Dealing with differences has been raised as a social issue in the international debate by Samuel P. Huntington’s terrifying perspective on the Clash of Civilizations (1996). Since then, there has been a heated political debate in many lands with multicultural populations, and the debate on social media is getting ever louder and more troubled ….The geopolitical landslides affect all of us as co-inhabitants of our shared planet Earth.
That is why the QfWf addresses this issue as a layered and multidimensional question, an ethical issue of a practical, social and political nature:
How do we deal with, and how do we want to deal with ‘the strange other’?
That strange other can be the foreigner, the outcast, the fringe figure, the refugee and the privileged citizen …How do we not exclude ‘others’ ― the ‘stranger’ and people of a seemingly different nature ― but to see them as part of us, as ‘the strange other(s)’ in ourselves?
The QfWf wants to play a role in tilting the debate
Diagram met de 17 duurzame ontwikkelingsdoelen
The QfWf wants to help turn the polarized debate about migration, refugees and religious strife from a problem for ‘political experts’, to a relevant issue for all of us as world citizens, making an ethical appeal to everyone, from the current administration to our neighbours on the street.
In order to tilt the debate, the QfWf sees it as a call to recalibrate the awareness of who ‘we’ are as citizens of the cosmopolis: nomads with intercultural identities, transcending differences in culture, race, religion, ethnicity, gender,….
By stimulating the recognition of the beauty of our differences and shared commonality, instead of a fear of ‘otherness’, through artistic and (inter-)cultural expressions, the QfWf seeks to create space both in and between people and establish meaningful connections between cultures!
Hospitality, respect and inclusion and other shared values of humanity are what truly connect people as sisters and brothers ― opening a common playing field for all!
The members of the board do not receive any remuneration for their work. They are, however, entitled to reimbursement of costs incurred in the performance of their duties, such as, for example, a travel allowance.
Board members cannot dispose of the assets of the institution separately. There is a separate bank account in the name of the QfWf. In addition, an annual financial overview is drawn up by the treasurer of the QfWf. This overview is discussed and adopted during an annual board meeting (at which at least 3 members of the board are present).
9: Report of the Activities Performed
In 2021 as well as in 2024 the QfWf received funding, due to the cultural and social relevance of her activities. The first subsidy was given for developing an intercultural storytelling programme during the Corona lockdown which was presented on a specially designed website Animal Wisdom including an educative offer with a series of ebooks.
The second subsidy in 2024 addressed the theme of Global Citizenship and resulted in the fusion of the three Quests as the Golden Ratio Quest around a yearly theme of the intercultural art of living. Hereby,the QfWf has restructured its working method around the three Quest for Wisdom goals: through the Wisdom Web; Quest 2 ― Golden Ratio of Educative Materials; and Quest 3 ― Meet, by means of Annual Meeting Days, Workshops, Masterclasses, Newsletter ‘Spinning web’ and the Video channel.
From 2024 onwards the three Quests are integrated focussing on the enhancement of world citizenship by developing every year an intercultural artistic and educative programme which is presented on the Yearly Meeting Day as well as on the digital platform The Golden Ratio.
Awarding Cultural ANBI-status
Toekenning Culturele ANBI-status
Since its foundation in 2016 the QfWf celebrated on 6 July 2018 that it has been recognized by the Tax Authorities as a Algemeen Nut Beogende Cultural Instelling (cultural ANBI-status) with its objective and activities with retroactive effect since 1 January 2018.
See below the reports of QfWf-policy for activities in chronological order:
The QfWf Wisdom Collection was born from the wisdom of wildhaired QfWf authors, who open up the richness of cultures worldwide with stories, music, visual arts, philosophical and spiritual traditions to a wide readership in their own way. They show wisdom from North, South, East and West in breadth, in multifaceted and artistic forms. Collections that go into more depth and highlight specific artistic wisdom from cultural traditions will also appear in the QfWf Wisdom Collection.
These (e)books are published in the Dutch and/or English language; and sometimes multilingual. The proceeds of these (e)books will entirely benefit this programme and upcoming QfWf projects. We hope for a wide and interested audience for this entire varied series.
The first three books in the QfWf Wisdom Collection will be published in a physical form, partly due to a grant awarded in 2023 by the Cultural Participation Fund for the ‘QfWf Global Citizenship from the Street program’.
The fourth and next publications in the series are all ebooks (pdf).
The series opens with Amor Fati: Spelende wijsheid voor de kosmopolis in which Heidi Muijen explores the question of global citizenship through the Wheel of the Intercultural Art of Living. The book thus highlights both the vision of the Quest for Wisdom foundation and the background for the board game of the same name developed by her, which addresses mythical-philosophical symbolism from the four corners of the world. A Greg Suffanti telling about his aquarelles for Amor Fati
series of watercolours, Chinese brush paintings, drawings and collages by Greg Suffanti, Agnes Roothaan, Louis van Marissing, Annelie van Steenbergen, Caroline Young, Nour Kayali, Klaske Rehorst, Josee Tesser, Elin Maljaars, Maya Plas & Mitra Muijen depict intercultural themes as a common thread throughout the book. (NL, EN, 2024, ISBN 978 90 441 3970 9)
The second book (Post)Koloniale wa(a)r(d)en by Fred de Haas contains layered reflections on (post)colonial history: the author mirrors the Caribbean and Latin-American identity in poetry and literature, also with poems written by his own hand. Josee Tesser has enlivened this charged history with portraits of poets and historical figures in striking and humorous black-and-white drawings. In addition, the approximately 100 clickable links to musical interpretations bring the intercultural identities of Caribbean and Latin-American peoples into experience. (NL, 2025, ISBN…..)
The editoral board of the third book Amor Mundi — Heidi Muijen, Klaske Rehorst en Robin Stemerding — documents the QfWf project ‘World Citizenship of the Street’ with art, poetry, images, raps, intercultural and philosophical reflections of the Quest for Wisdom Soul Circle how the world dream of the cosmopolis is developed into artistic forms for current contexts. (NL, EN, 2024. ISBN 978-94-92-127-198)
Hans van Rappard expertly explains the fascinating Chinese and European wisdom traditions in an intercultural-philosophical manner in e-book 4, Walking Two Roads, Accord and Separation in Chinese and Western Thought (EN. 2023. ISBN 978-94-92-127-204)
In e-book 5 Russische Zigeunerromances, Fred de Haas opens up a hitherto little-exposed genre of Gypsy Romances with its rich intercultural and historical sources. The (90!) clickable links to beautiful old and newer renditions, including the musical renditions of Fred de Haas (guitar and vocals) and Ralph Kreuter (balalaika), are surprising. (NL, RU, 2023. ISBN 978-94-92-127-211)
In e-book 6 Middeleeuwse chirurgie in woord en beeld, Marcel Reyners makes this invaluable combinations of the drawings of Şerefeddin Sabuncuoğlu (1385–1468) with the text of ‘The Method of Medicine’ of Albucasis (936–1013). about illuminated medieval surgery available to a broad Dutch-speaking audience – drawing on his years of life, travel and work experience with his richly flowing and literary pen. (NL. 2023, ISBN 978-94-92-127-228)
E-book 7, Ik ben iemand die intens leefde… — Bloemlezing: gedichten en illustraties by Marianne H.B. van Halewijn contains a large collection of poems and digitised mandalas bequeathed by the author to the Quest for Wisdom foundation. This colourful anthology expresses an intensely felt cosmic connection. (NL, 2024, ISBN 978 94 92 127 174)
E-book 8, Knipoogjes: Korte en luchtige tijdreisjes in gezelschap van Henry Bergson, consists of columns in which essential issues are light-heartedly addressed by philosopher Rosalie de Wildt. The illustrations, watercolours by Greg Suffanti, add a humorous, colourful and intercultural layer to Rosalie’s philosophical outings. (NL, 2024, ISBN 978 94 92 127 181)
E-book 9, Het duurde maar even … – Gedichten die mij raakten by Fred de Haas contains about 60 poems with translations and adaptations by about 40 poets in Creole, German, French, Galician, Papiamento, Portuguese, Spanish and Russian…. (NL, multilingual, 2024, ISBN 978 94 92 127 242)
E-book10, Eye of the Tiger – Colorful Heritage of the Far East contains a unique collection of Chinese brush drawings by Caroline R. Young, interspersed with historical and mythical stories from the Far East. (EN, 2025, ISBN 978 94 92 127 259)
The financial benefits from these (e)books and other educational materials – which are all realised by volunteers – will entirely benefit this programme and upcoming QfWf-projects.
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On the journey you explore the tension between amor fati as fate of your destiny and the freedom to shape life yourself:
As an introduction to the cosmopolitan art of living of Amor Fati’s there is a shorter play mode can encompassing a (half) daily Quest through the Quintessence Game
Whereas Amor Fati is a play for which you need up to 9 half days time, there are introductory forms to get acquainted with Amor Fati from half a day to 4 half days, suitable for individuals, groups and teams:
Also, it is possible to play Adinkra online with each other.
With Ecological Wisdom, Global Citizenship and 21st Century Skills taken from Ancient Traditions: 
