Elementary wisdom to reflect on happiness through the philosophical art of living
The Gnosis game encourages players to explore their own views of life and happiness in life and to give them shape through words and images.
Gnosis game: a quest for wisdom!
The word gnosis is an ancient Greek word for wisdom associated with self-knowledge. With this game you develop your knowledge about the full life from within.
Against the background of classical concepts on the art of living and mythical themes, players conduct a dialogue about the meaning of a personal moment of happiness and reflect on their own life orientation. How could your view on happiness be enriched? This game offers classical perspectives on the art of living by being aware of the tragedy and shadow sides of life, to develop a vision of the full potential of the happiness of life!
ISBN: 978-90-822774-8-7 — Gnosisspel (NL) Quest for Wisdom!
The Gnosis Game offers the basic explanation of the game concept Know Yourself, specifically the Dream Game (Droomspel): Follow your Wish!
Duration: half a day, for 3 to 6 players.
ISBN: 978-94-92127-00-6 — Gnosis Game (EN) Quest for Wisdom
Dynamic game based on the philosophy of the art of living to facilitate dialogues on inclusive happiness to enrich your personal view on happiness in life
Playing Materials
Box contains:
Playing Fields:
1 Elementary Directions to Happiness;
1 Mythical Red Thread
Playing Attributes:
1 hourglass (about 2 minutes);
1 six colour dice;
2*5 Elements of Happiness;
1 CD Dream travelling and Heroic Dreams (Droomreizen en Heldendromen) with 22 songs
Playing Cards:
2*5 Cards of Elementary Paths
Working Materials:
1 Instruction Guide with
8 Fill-in form for the exercises in the game ‘My Way to Happiness’
Overview:
of the steps in the game on the bottom of the box.
Pillar 1 What is your quest?! — the playful dialogue table
Dis-covering worlds around (your) life theme’s and professional issues
Meeting the other means really letting someone in!
Together you explore the questions and ideas that arise around the issues at stake and you examine each other’s ideas, associations and experiences around them.
The dialogue ‘tablecloth’ contains symbolism for tapping into the ancient wisdom from East and West, North and South.
The playful Dialogue Table What is your Quest?!
In groups of 2 to 8 people, you can explore a personal, professional or social issue with the help of the Dialogue Guide or under the guidance of a QFWF Game and Dialogue Facilitator.
Co-creatively engaging on a quest!
The images on the dialogue table stimulate the imagination of the participants and they contain different symbolic, mythological, and philosophical wisdoms.
Two card sets, one with European and one with intercultural perspectives, facilitate a multi-perspective view of the issue being discussed.
With a small group on a Quest in four game rounds, the QFWF guide or a game supervisor helps you to discover rich meanings around sensitive issues.
The Dialogue Tables of What is your Quest? is suitable for playing in a small group: Either to play it by yourself with the help of the extensive Play Guide. Or you may do so under the guidance of a QFWF game supervisor.
One hundred percent of the money raised by the sale of all of all these games will be used in realising our upcoming QFWF educational projects, all of which are non-profit and run by volunteers.
Turn the Wheel of the Intercultural Art of Living!
Free as a Bird – Annelie van Steenbergen
The Game for Wisdom is based on mythical narratives, proverbs and intercultural symbols that encompass visions of happiness to explore your own art of living.
Twenty stories and eighty symbols from all corners of the world are categorized according to the Wheel of the Intercultural Art of Living. Through reflecting on questions and visualizations of elemental wisdom, players arrive at one of the 20 stories and are assigned to a personal path, that is mirrored in the narrative assigned by the Wheel of the Intercultural Art of Living. They then choose one of four symbols from that story as an intercultural symbolic signpost. In total, the game consists of 80 different symbols from wisdom traditions from the East, West, North and South.
How to play the Game for Wisdom
Animals from the woods ― symbol for natural wisdom
The Game for Wisdom invites players to reflect on (their own and others’) views on happiness in life through means of seven questions.
These revolve around themes of the art of living:
To which natural element do you feel connected most (earth, water, air, fire, ether)?
Is your attitude to life more towards being proactive or go-with-the-flow?
Which elemental motto gives direction on your life’s path?
Which strong quality encourages you for further development and which weaker quality do you want to develop more?
In which direction are you heading as your path to happiness?
See how a narrative envisions your path in this direction, according to the Wheel of the intercultural art of living;
Which intercultural symbol from this story, assigned by the Wheel of the intercultural art of living, would you choose as a signpost for your personal art of living?
Would you like to receive the full story and the symbol by mail in order to tap into the meaning of the symbolic signpost – possibly in a conversation with a Quest for Wisdom foundation counsellor?
Please contact us for free: info@questforwisdom.org
Heart, symbol of being open and listening to your own heart
The aim of the Game for Wisdom is to review the particular course you’ve taken in your life (and career) as seen from the perspective of (inter)cultural mythological and philosophical wisdom.
The symbolism of the game forms a valuable mirror, which can be further explored through dialogue for the development of the intercultural art of living individually, as well as of a peer group or family, or as a work or sports team.
Professional use of the Game for Wisdom
Are you interested in using the game in a professional environment yourself? Inquire about possibilities:info@questforwisdom.org
Pillar 1 Know Yourself — the Mythical-philosophical Board Game
The game board of Know yourself!
Know thyself is a mythical-philosophical game concept.
The game board consists of five circles, corresponding to themes and game rounds. In total there are seven game rounds, with an intake round and a finishing round. Each round is dedicated to a particular theme of the art of living ― such as authenticity, ups and downs in life, how to deal with crises, meaningful encounters and finding your destiny ― helping the participants to find a good course in their (working) life.
A journey through a landscape full of images of happiness and tragedy
With a small group ― family or friends, work or sports team ― you make a journey through the landscape of images on the game board, which is full of symbolism and philosophical perspectives on the art of living, and the tragedies and happinesses of life!
Although each participant makes the journey across the game board individually, with their own choices determining their path in the game ― just as everyone undertakes the life journey alone ― you still travel together as a group. The dialogues with each other and surprising perspectives on the Playing Cards and Playing Fields stimulate thinking outside the box and help the players to find a good course in their own (working) life.
Variants of the Board Game Know Yourself
Playful exercises for the art of living
Around the board game there is space for meeting and fun, wonder and discovery.
There is space for the playful exercises in the philosophical and practical art of living: the art of giving meaning to life!
The art of living is the art of ‘becoming who you truly are’, through encounters and dialogues as crucial ingredients! These you will cocreate in a small group around the board game on your mythical-philosophical journey, by finding your way through the labyrinthine landscape.
Given the complexity of Knowing Yourself, the game concept has been thematically developed into five smaller game forms; There is also a philosophical variant, in which the mythical and philosophical backgrounds are elaborated upon in the Instruction book and on the Playing Cards.
Thematic mythical-philosophical games:
Elementary wisdom and the pursuit of happiness — Gnosisspel: both in Dutch and English: Gnosis Game: Quest for Wisdom!
Masks in living encounters — Masquerade Game: Meeting Strange Others!
Follow an inspiring role model on your ‘path of a hero’ — Hero Game: play yourself! (also as outdoors activity; and as an activity for kids)
Passion as wisdom on elementary paths of research — Compassion Game: the Good Life!
Follow your wish through a mythical-philosophical landscape of the art of living — Dream Game: Follow your Wish!
Imagine your vision on life in the mirror of philosophical perspectives — Vision Game: Visualize your Inner Compass!
The different forms of the board game Know Yourself are suitable to play in a small group, guiding you with the help of the extensive Game Instructions or under the guidance of a QFWF counsellor.
One hundred percent of the money raised by the sale of all of the products will be used in realising our upcoming QFWF educational projects, all of which are non-profit and run by volunteers.
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.
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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:
