Dialogue on existential questions with ethical perspectives
Four sets of cards accompanying the four rounds in the dialogue
The Existential play introduces philosophical and mythological perspectives for conducting a moral dialogue within a small group. In a preliminary round, one chooses who will guide the game as a dialogue facilitator. All other participants enter the game with their chosen personal dilemma, existential question or theme in life and/or in their career.
The game and dialogue facilitator ensures that in each round everyone’s problem, theme or question is addressed. At the same time, there will be a collective dialogical exploration in which players ask each other in-depth questions and reflect on the different symbols in the game that are linked to mythological and philosophical narratives.
During the four dialogical rounds, the players enrich their insights to the question or theme at stake, as well as critically examine their normative beliefs on the basis of:
the philosophy on the art of living and the good life
the morality of obedience versus the ideal of mastery in life
the morality of autonomy and makeability of life
the existential loyalty to oneself and the ability to play with a plurality of perspectives
By examining your theme in the game as a moral issue, you are introduced to ethical perspectives in a playful manner. Playing the game will not provide a univocal answer, but rather, players will spin off their problem, theme or question as a moral thread on life’s journey.
ISBN: 978-90-822774-4-9 — Existentiespel: volg je weg!
Duration: one (half) to one full day, for 4 to 6 players.
Playing material
Box contains:
4 Playing fields in the instruction guide: 1 Elementary happiness;
1 Existential motives;
1 Temple of moral riddles;
1 Inner compass;
Playing attributes:
1 colour dice;
1 hourglass of about 5 minutes;
1 whirl about
Playing cards:
2*8 Good and evil;
2*8 Mythical signs;
2*8 Philosophical signs;
2*8 Philosophical tools
Working materials:
1 instruction guide with dialogical exercises and
8 Fill-in forms (double sided)
Playing cards, fill-in form and playing attributes for the Existential Play
The Wisdom Web is dedicated to the intercultural art of living.
At its core are values of inclusion of different cultures and the beauty of being different.
At the Wisdom Web, wisdom from all over the world is collected and presented in a special symbolic way.
In this sense, collecting, arranging, developing and presenting — via the Wheel of the Intercultural Art of Living — takes place in a very unique way, emphatically distinguished and handled differently than, for example, Wikipedia and other (open source) encyclopedias do.
In doing so, the QfWf wants to contribute to intercultural connections based on the realization that these:
grow through awareness of the historical roots of cultures,
thrive on interest in other cultures and wisdom traditions and
bear fruit through encounters and cross-cultural perspectives.
The Wisdom Web continues to grow organically, with a rich palette of philosophical, artistic and spiritual expression and reflections, which concretize the Wheel of the Intercultural Art of Living.
This is accomplished thanks to the input of various QfWf-authors[1]
update 2022-07
[1] QfWf authors are authors, actors, artists, designers, drafters, photographers, illustrators, video and film makers and other producers of text, images, sound, and stakeholders who make the texts and other materials available to a QfWf-site have made.
Cultures from all over the world have symbols of natural wisdom and beauty, such as the Golden Ratio. This ancient wisdom is passed on through proverbs — for example, with a cultural expression of the Golden Rule: “What you would not want done to you, do not do so to another”, as well as in (animal) stories with a moral from the story: such as how to become as clever as the fox, the crow, the spider and the …. Also, in seasonal rituals for harvest and the solstices with light festivals in which the passage through the four seasons is celebrated in culturally diverse forms. The Quest for Wisdom seeks to gather ancient symbolic wisdom from cultural traditions from all corners of the world in order to cocreatively develop:
contemporary artistic forms as an intercultural language for the benefit of diversity and inclusion
transcultural practices for global citizenship
The artistic educational materials
By focussing on uniting principles like the Golden Ratio and the Golden Rule in culturally diverse materials, the facilitation of personal growth and community building is highlighted and transformed from the collected ancient wisdom in intercultural and (post)modern ways (Quest 1) by developing and presenting these in artistic and educational forms on the Encounter Days, through workshops and on the QfWf video channel (Quest 3) — on a collaborative Quest for Wisdom in order to:
to give a platform for the wisdom from different cultures and traditions
to enhance intercultural communication and interaction
to develop unifying transcultural practices by means of the arts and philosophies
The Golden Ratio as Quest 2 consists of an artistically designed and culturally diverse palette of materials that are grouped around particular themes; such as the wisdom taught through play, proverbs, myths and animal stories. The QfWf has developed, thanks to the collected wisdom as Quest 1 and subsidies for projects, two series of (e)books: the Animal Wisdom Collection and the Wisdom Collection. Since 2024, the three Quests are flowing together on The Golden Ratio, a digital platform dedicated to the personal and collective art of living in the cosmopolis. The QfWf hopes to realize an Intercultural Meeting House as expression of Global Citizenship as a promising future project.
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.
The Animal Wisdom Collection aims to unlock cosmopolitan and ecological wisdom from cultural traditions worldwide. It consists of an intercultural storytelling programme, developed from the artistic and philsophical presentations on this theme at the Meeting Days 2019-2021 and the QfWf-project for the development of a digital intercultural lesson on fables worldwide and the website Animal Wisdom, honoured by the Fund Zuidoost i.c.w. Prince Bernard Culture Fund. The aim of the Animal Wisdom Programme is to show the beauty of cultural diversity of animal stories from all corners of the world on the one hand and, on the other hand, the cultures uniting cosmopolitan and ecological values expressed in the fables. Developing the ‘elemental’ wisdom that transcends the boundaries of cultures is the focus of this series of (e)books.
Caribean stories on Nanzi the Spider – Mirelva Romano
The natural power that animals embody — attributed to animals in fairy tales, legends, myths, and other stories — show this elemental wisdom known to cultures worldwide. It is a symbolic form of wisdom, holding up a mirror to humans on how to shape the good life in the cosmopolis. These cultures transcending values in stories offer a perspective beyond value relativism and power politics by mono-cultural, polarizing and oppressive ideologies on the world stage.
QfWf-Authors and artists have collected animal wisdom stories worldwide from various genres. They have processed these stories in new and appealing and artistic forms. In doing so, they introduce readers both to cross-cultural wisdom in a variety of genres as well as to stories (traditions) from specific cultural regions.
Heidi Muijen and Greg Suffanti
EN, 2022
ISBN: 978 94 921 27 105 177 pages, pdf Purchase: Wisdom of Animals
This e-book explains the QFWF storytelling program.
It unlocks the philosophy behind the Intercultural Wheel of Animal Wisdom.
This e-book contains 20 animal stories from four cultures: Snake, Salmon, Raven, Lion and other (mythical) animals are always highlighted from the North, South, East and West.
Sninniq Wild Woman – story of the indigenous Northern American people – Greg Suffanti
In all the stories, original works by visual artists — Caroline Young, Chrisje Ronde, Greg Suffanti, Louis Van Marissing, Nour Kayali, Robin Stemerding and Veronica HuisintVeld — express the wisdom that these animals embody. Just like the photos by Adri de Groot, Gea Smit, Heidi Muijen, Johann Gomes, Joke Koppius, Laurens Gomes, Maike Stegeman, Marie-Claire Marx, Miny Verberne and Moniek Steggerda.
Due to the appealing stories and artistic forms, this animal wisdom drawn from all over the world, feeds the soul very directly – even without having to decipher the symbolism – and in addition, reflections by Dr. Heidi Muijen on all stories provides food for reflection on how animals as strange birds, smart foxes and courageous lions can develop ‘global citizenship’.
This book is available in a Dutch version and in an English version
Buddha as an Animal
Greg Suffanti
EN, 2022
ISBN: 978 94 921 27 075 61 pages, pdf Purchase: Buddha as an Animal
The third eBook is Buddha as an Animal, as Originally Told in the Jatakamala by Arya Shura, and features classic Buddhist stories retold by Greg Suffanti. Several stories are in poetic form and one can be heard as a rapversie!
It is sung how the Bodhisattva, reborn as Dhritarashtra, king of the geese, spread the wondrous Dharma….
Read how a woodpecker, rabbit, buffalo, elephant and other wise animals from the east also embody Buddhist virtues!
In addition, Greg has illustrated the stories with his watercolours.
This e-book contains all of the stories from the Mahayana Buddhist Jatakamala Narratives in which Buddha is represented as an animal.
InEnglish
Caught in the Cosmic Web — Ghanaian Folk Tales in the Twenty-First Century
Kofi Dorvlo and Louise Müller
EN, Akan/Twi, and Ewe, 2022
ISBN: 978 94 921 27 112 130 pages, pdf Purchase: Caught in the Cosmic Web
and
Gevangen in het Kosmische Web — Ghanese Volksverhalen in de 21e Eeuw
Heid Muijen and Johann Gomes
NL, Ewe en standard Akan/ Twi, 2022
ISBN: 978 94 921 27 028 circa 140 pages, pdf Purchase: Gevangen in het Kosmische Web
Ghanaian stories about the spider Anansi and other African animals. Twenty Animal stories straight from the modern oral tradition, put in writing for the first time by Dr. Kofi Dorvlo… can be found in the 4th and 5th e-book! With an introduction by Dr. Louise Müller. Josee Tesser’s cheerful illustrations bring the old Ghanaian stories to life for today’s readers with her refreshing and artistic interpretations.
As experts in African Studies, Louise Müller and Kofi Dorvlo shed light on how the spider Anansi, when encountering other animals, demonstrates both his wit and criticism of the greed, stupidity and arrogance found in human society.
Two trilingual e-books:
English, standard Akan/Twi and Ewe — and
Dutch, standard Akan/Twi and Ewe.
Jewels of Indian Folklore ― Blurring and Blending of Cultures
Nivedita Yohanna and Greg Suffanti
EN, 2022
ISBN: 978 94 921 27 136 173 pages, pdf Purchase: Jewels of Indian Folklore
The sixth eBook contains 20 traditional Indian stories: some are retellings by Dr. Nivedita Yohana and Greg Suffanti of stories from, among others, the classic Panchatantra — from the ancient Hindu Vedic tradition.
In addition, Nivedita and Greg, inspired by this old storytelling tradition, have created a number of original stories themselves. Enjoy the timeless wisdom, which is reflected in the coexistence of animals, with difficult confrontations between a jackal and tiger, the servitude of the camel, the arrogance of the young tiger and the witticisms of a monkey. Each ‘moral of the story’ has been brought to the fore with practical and fun exercises for students and reflections on the virtues that the animals represent.
Together, the authors illuminate the meaning of these stories and their roots in the Vedic tradition.
Nour Kayali’s original drawings and oil paintings and Greg’s watercolors depict the mythical wisdom of these animal tales.
In English.
Madagaskar, Land van Orale Cultuur, Lemuren en Kameleons
It was English and Norwegian missionaries who were the first to record their folktales, before Madagascar became a French colony in 1895. In few similar countries was there such a wealth of oral tradition in all its forms.
Dr. Marcel Reyners takes us along in the 7th e-book to a series of Malagasy animal stories. Such as the story of the healing of the king’s only daughter, which provides a fascinating explanation of why the locust serves as food for the chameleon.
Illustrated with animal and embroidery pictures by Malagasy women, and with original illustrations by Mirelva Romano and watercolours by Greg Suffanti.
In Dutch.
Purchase of Educative Materials
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.
The Quintessence game is a card game with wisdom from all corners of the world for practicing the art of living as a global citizen. The name refers to the intercultural symbolism of the natural elements and literally means the fifth element or the ‘quinta essencia’.
The goal is to have meaningful conversations in a small group on the basis of three described game forms and card readings with the 20 playing cards.
Duration is one hour to half a day per game form.
1. QUINTET
Wisdom from all corners of the world
Cultures from all corners of the world know the elements of nature as the basis of existence and as symbolism in mythical stories. In African, European, Indian and Native American wisdom traditions, these are earth, water, air, fire and an energetic and spatial element, the ether or quintessence.
In this game, the goal is to have a conversation as a group around the wisdom spells while placing a quintet on the table together.
2. WHOSE QUEST?
In all corners of the world, the labyrinth appears as a symbol of the journey of life, which is symbolized as a meandering path around the center. According to mythical wisdom, there the path
The labyrinth, a transcultural symbol
and purpose, life and death, above and below coincide in the generation-spanning life cycle.
The aim of the game is to explore an issue by letting the wisdom spells speak and thus enrich the issue into a quest. The introducer chooses cards from the fan on the table as needed and explores with the company the hidden eye, heart, spiral and hand power in the wisdom proverb by addressing everyone’s wisdom (of pathos, ethos, mythos and logos) in combination.
3. ORACLES
Angels and Bird Wisdom – Nour Kayali
Cultures from all corners of the world know creatures that mediate between humans and the world of gods and spirits, such as angels, shamans, ancestors, demigods and mythical beasts. The mythical connection of the four cardinal directions, four elements of nature, four seasons, etc., by seeing analogous patterns, forms the basis for the art of oracles.
The aim of this game is to obtain advice on a personal question (wish or problem) with wisdom from the four cardinal directions. To this end, an oracle is chosen from the circle of players to appeal to the wisdom of the group by interpreting the drawn card as an oracle spell in the light of the question.
World Cafe conversations with the Quintessence Game
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.
Each year, the Quest for Wisdom foundation develops an intercultural programme around a socially relevant theme to realize its goal of promoting the art of living as global citizens. We present the Golden Ratio programmes both through various (artistic and digital) media, and in live encounters.
Fresh from my liver bubbles the feeling that these initiatives are essential for a society, bottom-up encounters, where humanity appears in difference.
Warmheartedly,
Personal communication, 4th of April 2019
Global Citizenship of the Street: 2023-2024
Greg Suffanti telling about his Migrant-Aquarelles
In our Report on an experiment “Global Citizenship of the Street” the development of our QfWf-project has been described as an triptych in three phases. The first phase consisted of remembering the colonial past of slavery by means of research and essays by Fred de Haas. This author adds historical and intercultural background to the deplorable facts, as well as the beauty of Caribean poetry and music, reflecting the transforming intercultural identities. Josee Tesser made drawings on the different themes, with a touch of sharpness and humour. The result is a book to be published in 2025 as (Post) Koloniale wa(a)r(d)en as a coproduction with Garant Publishers. The collecting constructive ingrediënts and the world dreams of Global Citizenship by the
Indigenous Surinamese group Wehpokamanong Presentation Amor Mundi 28 sept.2024 OBA
QfWf-Soul circle with painting, singing, dancing and other (inter)cultural expressions was documented in the book Amor Mundi (phase 2). Another ingredient we have explored, consists of Art Dialogues around the board-game Know Thyself, interculturally developed in try outs into Amor Fati, game and book, also highlighting the Wheel on the intercultural art of living. These books helped to develop an intercultural programme to be shared with social groups and partnering organizations in an experimental way. It resulted in two events in the fall of 2024: communication through artistic expression with the Ukrainian refugees, living at the Regenbooggroep and for global citizens of the street in the Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam, located in Weesp and Reigersbos (fase 3).
QfWf-Regenboog Paradijsvogel-Kosmisch Ei – Camile Smeets
In this way the QfWf-project group presented Art as a means to wonder and organized a travelling exhibition around Amor Mundi and the presentation of the book and game Amor Fati ― playful wisdom for the cosmopolis. In 2025 more stories, practices and dreams of global citizens will be gathered and published on The Golden Ratio. The intercultural artistic programme was a cocreation with collaborative partners Culturele Droomwevers and Curinesa, autonomous artists, like Camile Smeets — who made together with the QfWf-projectgroup a ceramic statue of the Rainbow Paradise Bird with Cosmic Egg — as well as with the indigenous Surinames Cultural Group in Weesp Wehpokamanong, who is dedicated to transfer the cultural heritage to younger generations.
Animal wisdom-programme ― narratives for both young and old
The Fonds voor Zuidoost has — in collaboration with the Prins Bernard Cultuurfonds — provided the QfWf in 2020 a small grant to support her programme on intercultural storytelling Animal Wisdom, espcially during the Corona lockdown:
“Fund Amsterdam Southeast is unanimously enthusiastic about your project. Although they think the project is ambitious, they find it a worthy initiative. They like how you use this project to introduce children to the multicolored multicultural society.
In the eyes of the neighbourhood committee, you are making an important intercultural contribution that can be used in many schools.
There is confidence in the organization and in the lessons that have already been developed.
They welcome your digitization and wish you good luck.”
Tekening Nour Kayali 2021 voor Animal Wisdom
The Interculturele Storytelling Programma was to be presented as an intercultural lesson for students in which animal stories from the four corners of the world were gathered. Its goal was to transform examples of the old storytelling traditions into educative artistic forms for actual contexts and the young generation, in order to let them discover both the beauty of cultural diversity, as well as transcultural paterns between the divers storytelling and wisdom traditions. During the Corona lockdown the artistically developed materials were gathered on a specially designed website Animal Wisdom. On it you wil find Animal Stories from different cultures, such as the Great Goose Rap from the Buddhist Jatakatamala tradition, as well as information on their (inter) cultural and historical context.
An Intercultural lesson
The wisdom of the octopus is a symbol for Animal Wisdom — Chrisje Ronde
The intercultural lesson on Animal Wisdom serves as an example and intercultural perspective, to be developed further into educative modules for (world-) citizenship; both for primary and secondary schools. The educative materials are presented through different media and arts, to stimulate the imagination and to show how narratives and symbols of animal wisdom, such as the intelligence of the octopus as well as of the fox and of the spider Anansi, transcends cultural borders. The intercultural Animal Wisdom programme shows colourful unity wthin the diversity of cultural traditions.
The project was presented in 2021 in the Library of Amsterdam South-East with two workshops with an introductory and follow up programme:
Workshop 1: When Animals Narrate Cultures …
Workshop 2: Animals as Wisdom Seekers
Worldwide animal stories convey both wisdom about animal coexistence, promoting ecological awareness, as well as serving as a mirror for human society. As such they call attention to issues of diversity and inclusion in education. To this end, there has been a spinn of to the intercultural animal wisdom teaching module, resulting in the QfWf-series of (e)books. The Animal Wisdom series is generic in scope so that it can be applied in many educational contexts – such as secondary education and (higher) education. An Animal Wisdom game is under construction.
Purchase of educative materials
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.
Game for wisdom ― the Wheel of the intercultural art of living
The first project of the Quest for Wisdom consisted of the development of the Game for Wisdom in the year of her foundation in 2016. The core of this game was the Wheel of the intercultural art of living in order to categorize the mythical stories, symbols and proverbs from all corners of the world without ranking them in a way suggesting cultural superiority.
To play the game, you are invited to explore your vision on happiness by means of seven questions, confronting you with met different visions from cultures from all corners of the world. As a result the Wheel of the intercultural art of living is leading you to one of the 20 stories and 80 symbols that are integrated in this game.
QfWf-podcasts en more on The Golden Ratio
Mitra Muijen
De QfWf presents on her digitale platform The Golden Ratio Podcast Every year the QfWf-theme on the intercultural art of living is discussed with an expert in the field or other global citizens with wild hair in an authentic way.
In order to spread the Quest for Wisdom mission on global citizenship, more digital and educative means are developed to reach the younger generation, such as games and animaties. Our goal is to enhance opennes for cultural diversity and inclusion as part and parcel of the 21e-century capabilites in education.
A concept for an (digital, hybrid or face-to-face) game, introducing the intercultural storytelling programme Animal wisdom — Animal Wisdom-pranks.
Fenix and the art of transformatie – Nour Kayali
Due to the application for funding from the KNAW Pilotfonds Wetenschapscommunicatie door Wetenschappers the QfWF is building a network with researchers from the University Leiden and the African Research Institute of Óbudai University in Budapest, Hongary.
The Universiteit Leiden has published on the QfWf-projects in her online news. On the Annual Meeting Days of 2020 and 2021 more Animal Wisdom content is developed with storytelling, dance, play, music and art.
Please, take a look at the QfWf-video-channel withanimations and videos.
Platform for the QfWf yearly theme — Global Citizenship
QfWf-event on Global Citizenship
The QfWf has launched the digital platform De Gulden Snede in 2024 in order to present the development of the — by the Cultural Participation Funding honoured — project “Global Citizenship of the streat”: through different artistic media and channels the QfWf develops a yearly intercultural programme on a social relevant theme. In 2024 the QfWf-projectgroep created an artistic programme, to give voice to intercultural perspectives and an harmonizing view against the hardening migration policies by contrasting their own positive experiences of intercultural encounters. This was done in words, images and music, expressing the central idea and value of inclusion, embodied in a ceramic sculpture: the Rainbow Bird of Paradise with the Cosmic Egg.
Quo vadis: Becoming who you are
Hey you, being on two feet, wandering around the world … Dazedly dividing Mother Earth into mine and thine: Is this commandment of possession mayby theft and the greatest venom by which you have to prove with a document to be a human ‘citizen’ in order not to be treated as undocumented stranger and pariah?
Beyond the boundaries of the nation-state lies the cosmopolis: there, all beings-with-a-heart-that-can-bleed are welcomed and are asked for their names and stories, sitting around the fire with connecting scents, transcultural spices and honey wine in colourful company, where you as stranger and ‘other’ are welcomed.
World citizen where are you? As a fugitive from inner affairs in danger of losing the most precious thing, that is covered by status and power You split the world into friends and enemies, us and them, and your heart becomes hard – yet you feel a nomadic yearning for paradise with melancholy and sorrow.
Angela Gilds draagt voor in OBA Reigersbos
The 2025-theme is “Practices of Global Citizenship“, in which artists, philosophers and professionals highlight their practices and visions as global citizens through artistic expressions, blogs, podcasts and videos. The launching of the programme took place on Saturday afternoon, the 25th of January 2025, at the Amsterdam Public Library Reigersbos. With the reopening of the Amor Mundi travelling exhibition of artistic expressions on Global Citizenship, as well as the book presentation of Amor Fati! The QfWf-Soul Circle celebrated global citizenship with many stakeholders from the circles around the Quest for Wisdom foundation, together with visitors of the library: in presenting the QfWf-book with Playing Wisdom for the Cosmopolis the quintessence was stressed of seeing each other as humans instead of state(less) and (un)documented persons. Angela Gilds from the intercultural project group and the QfWf Editorial Board:
The indigenous Surinamese cultural group Wehpokamanong
“World citizenship is open communication between people without judgment. Dignity toward each other, knowing that no matter how different we are, we are in connection with each other and can share this feeling together. Getting to know each other, transferring knowledge and experience, recognizing and acknowledging each other’s qualities. Beautiful journey to undertake together.
Last year was a wonderful year with several workshops aimed at connecting with each other through the art of living. Yodeling, modeling, painting, word art, dance, singing. A rich experience that we will continue and pass on this year. Let your light shine. You are unique!”
Practices of World Citizenship will be highlighted with visual and musical expressions, philosophical and professional perspectives. Contributions for The Golden Ratio in 2025 are forthcoming by Angela Gilds, Chiquita and Michel Odjo Seymonsen, Erik Hoogcarspel, Giovanni Rizzuto, Greg Suffanti, Harm Jaap Hartmans, Mitra Muijen, Nivedita Yohana, Tycho Muijen, Wim van de Laar and more wisdom seekers from the QfWf circles.
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
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Heidi Muijen 
Heidi Muijen and Greg Suffanti
Greg Suffanti
Kofi Dorvlo and Louise Müller
Heid Muijen and Johann Gomes
Nivedita Yohanna and Greg Suffanti
Marcel Reyners
