Creation history

4. — Further development of the Mandala of Characters.

Someday, I came across a book called “SSOTBME: An Essay on Magic” written by Ramsey Dukes. In Poland, this book was entitled — “Esej o magii, jej podstawach, rozwoju i miejscu we współczesnym życiu, S.T.C.M.O”, Published by Biblioteka Różdżkarza.

In this book, there is a scheme that is a very similar structure to the diagram of the Mandala of Characters. It is this scheme:

Above we can see a scheme from the Polish edition and below, there is a scheme from the English book.

The author of the book presents in the above scheme four elements (or tendency indicators). That is:

• Intuition,
• Logic,
• Feeling
• and Observation (or Sensation).

Besides, the author presents following thinking methods:

• Artistic,
• Religious,
• Magical,
• and Scientific.

Relations between elements and thinking methods the author is describing in this way.

The above theory has some connections with Ancient system and Jung’s typology. It means in Ancient systems we have four Elements: Fire, Water, Air and Earth. And Jung’s typology is distinguished four functions: Thinking, Feeling, Intuition and Sensing.

Author of the above theory is using term “elements” to Jungian functions.

For me, here is interesting one fact. Elements and functions are basic parts in both theories.

Next, to both theories are added other four parts. Jung among others is calling them—attitudes. In above theory they are called—thinking methods. About thinking methods we can read in above quotation. Jung described these parts in his book “Psychological Types”. He is calling them among others as: general attitudes, adaptive-defensive mechanisms, or forms of psychological reactions.

So, we have differences in naming. But the general principle in both theories is actually the same.

Then, I think, I can include some ideas from above theory to the Mandala of Characters.

However, the position of individual elements in the above scheme is slightly different from the Mandala of Characters. It means, the above scheme is reversed according to the diagram of Mandala of Characters. So, therefore, I changed the position of individual parts from the above scheme. And I put these parts in this way that everything fit to my previous considerations about the Mandala of Characters.

Please look at the diagram below.

So, we have:

• 4 elements (or tendency indicators): Intuition, Logic, Feeling and Observation (or Sensation), and
• 4 methods of thinking: Artistic, Religious, Magical, and Scientific.

Next, I added above elements and methods of thinking to the diagram of the Mandala of Characters. Please look at the diagram below.

Particular methods of thinking, that is, Religious, Artistic, Scientific, and Magical, may seem a little strange. It is because thinking is usually associated with Logic and Science. Other terms, such as Artistic, Religious or Magical, are not too often associated with methods of thinking. But if simultaneously with thinking we use other terms like consideration, contemplation, deliberation, speculation, etc., we can think wider about this. Then we can speak here about a process. The process of dealing with information or data. So, I think we can say here about pieces of information which we are processing in our minds. Then, also we can say about the transformation of pieces of information. Or metamorphosis, metabolism, etc. of information or data.

So, let’s try to briefly determine what these terms mean, according to the above scheme.

The Scientific method of thinking.

As we can see in the above diagram, it is a combination of Logic (or Thinking) and Observation (or Sensation). So, it is thinking based on:

• experience;
• something concrete, hard facts;
• what can be indisputable stated through senses, or by using instruments;
• thinking based on proven and checked scientific theories, and confirmed during appropriate experiments;
• etc.

The Religious method of thinking (believe, faith, trust, conviction, persuasion, focus, attention, attitude, etc.).

It is a combination of Logic (or thinking) and Intuition. It is like assuming that right and proper are certain things, matters, statements, laws, etc. Or they are even so right that they are indisputable. And if so, it means that we can follow them in our life. We can behave appropriately to them. Thus, the religious method of thinking is trust or believe that something is (or will be) as we have assumed.

An example of religious thinking can be, for instance, the so-called dogmas. We have dogmas in Christian religion or in ancient philosophy. Dogmas simply speaking are right and true, and for example, they can be based on the authority of someone who delivers these dogmas. In typical life, we are dealing with swearing, promises, contracts, habits, etc. Also, I think that the word “habit” or “tradition” well reflects this way of thinking. It is because it is a combination of logic and prediction. And prediction leads us to use Intuition, as well. So, if we follow Logic and prediction, we can, for example, think:

• that “so far, that place where we live was safe, then it will be the same in the future”,
• that “this way of working has always worked well, then it is definitely good”,
• etc.

Often, such thinking is associated with too high optimism or ambition. It is because, if we believe that something is right and good, we should follow it.

The Artistic method of thinking.

It is a combination of Intuition and Feeling. It is an assumption based on our feeling that something is appropriate, nice, ugly, good, right, etc. For example, based on some of our sympathies or antipathies, some things are valuable for us, and others are not. This kind of thinking is guided by things or ideas that evoke some feelings (negative or positive).

So, it is an act of giving opinions about anything in our environment. It is also thinking based on the opinions of others in our surroundings. Or with some opinions resulting from the culture in which we live. Such us, for example, tradition, fashion, works of art, etc.

This thinking, therefore, is closely related to the valuation of everything around us. And, in turn, we can bring valuation into a judgment of all kinds. Like, judging in court and in sport; being a juror or critic in artistic and fashion matters; being a stylist; decorator; counselor; a connoisseur; expert; adviser, consultant, etc.

The Magical method of thinking.

It is a combination of Feeling and Observation (or Sensation). In this case, we can evoke changes in our environment using our feelings and senses. This is, therefore:

• having all sorts of influences;
• doing different kinds of impressions;
• creating pressure; making an impact;
• creating various types of aura or atmosphere around oneself,
• etc.

For example, we can show different kinds of emotions and guide them in this way that people around us will behave in the way we expect. We can do it, for instance, by:

• suggesting specific solutions with the help of appropriate advises;
• “coloring” or exaggerating opinions and relationships;
• behaving with the proper attitude and emotional tension (such as being nice or unpleasant, being “charming”, being separated, and so on;
• etc.

Further, Magical thinking also can be connected with making various kinds of pressure and blackmail.

A certain type of pressure and blackmail may also be the creation of so-called self-fulfilling prophecies. It means, creating appropriate visions that events that may occur will have a beneficial or harmful effect. Thanks to such visions it is possible to achieve what we expect. For example, we can achieve this, that someone under the influence of our visions, will do something that will fit our expectations. That, in our opinion, someone will make decisions and will act appropriately.

Based on Jung’s typology, the above terms we can also use to describe Thinking, Intuition, Feeling and Sensing.

So, the above factors (or elements) can be divided into two pairs of opposites:

Intuitions and Sensing—in these two ways impressions or information come to us:

• Sensing
  Conscious perception or sensory perception—through senses.
• Intuition
  Unconscious perception or extra-sensory perception—through the effort of memory or as a sudden “inspiration”. That is, intuition is not triggered by senses.

Thinking and Feeling—in these two ways we combine and manipulate impressions or information which we got through Sensing and Intuition.

• Thinking (Logic)
  So-called conscious logical thinking or rational thinking. This way of processing impressions or information is based on material or widely recognized facts. Something that can be stated, proved, described, named, etc.
• Feeling
  So-called unconscious logic. Or, I think, we can say extra-logic or extra-rational thinking. It is a way of processing impressions or information beyond logical thinking. It is something that we can feel, that we can like or dislike, we can be impressed or unimpressed, we have sympathy or antipathy to it, it is harmonious or inharmonious, etc.

I think I can use here the quotation which I used earlier in this article when I was describing Jung’s psychological types.

• S—Sensing—tells you that something exists.
• T—Thinking—tells you what it is.
• F—Feeling—tells you whether it’s agreeable or not.
• N—iNtuition—Tells you whence it comes and where it goes.

At this moment of my creation of the Mandala of Characters the book „SSOTBME: An Essay on Magic” was making me sure and inspired me more than before to continue my work. Many ideas which are included in this book, come together with ideas which I gathered while creating my Mandala. That is, they are covered with many ideas taken from Jung’s typology and Ancient System. Therefore, the terms from this book I will further use while developing the Mandala of Characters.

One of the goals I set for myself was to find simple and clear names for particular types of characters. And my next step in creating names was quite simple. I just change the kind of numbering.

Above, I used numbers. It means, in the beginning, I was inspired by Enneagram. So, it was easier for me to use digits from 1 to 9, which are used in the Enneagram. Enneagram has 9 types which are marked as digits from 1 to 9. But in the Mandala of Characters, there are 12 types of characters. So, to these 9 digits taken from Enneagram, I added three numbers. That is 10, 11 and 12.

In the further stage of developing the Mandala of Characters, I also decided to use numbers. But I arranged them in the sequence analogous to the numbers appearing on the clock face. I thought it was a good idea. It is because the clock face is deeply rooted in culture. Also, it is rooted in our habits. Everyone knows where the particular numbers (that is hours) are exactly on the clock.

So, I used numbers like on the clock face. But to distinguish my numbering from Enneagram numbering, I used different digits. It means, in Enneagram are used Arabic numerals. So, I used Roman numerals. The disadvantage of the solution was that it made it difficult for anyone who knows Enneagram. It could cause the confusion them. It could be hard for them to learn where Enneagram types are placed? Among other things, later I changed this solution. However, at this point in the development of the Mandala of Characters, I came to the idea of using Roman numerals. I am presenting this solution in the diagram below.

In the above diagram, twelve types of the Mandala of Characters are marked with Roman numerals. The Enneagram types are labeled with Arabic numerals.

Now, based on the above scheme, I can briefly describe individual types of the Mandala of Characters. And briefly say what they are?

• I — Anger, Intuition, Air, Art, Judging.
• II — Shame, Feeling, Water, Art, Judging.
• III — Shame, Feeling, Water.
• IV — Shame, Feeling, Water, Magic, Influence.
• V — Sorrow, Sensing, Observation, Earth, Magic, Influence.
• VI — Sorrow, Sensing, Observation, Earth.
• VII — Sorrow, Sensing, Observation, Earth, Science.
• VIII — Fear, Thinking (Logic), Fire, Science.
• IX — Fear, Thinking (Logic), Fire.
• X — Fear, Thinking (Logic), Fire, Belief.
• XI — Anger, Intuition, Air, Belief.
• XII — Anger, Intuition, Air.