PREFERENTIAL SHAPES TEST
THERE ARE 5 SHAPES FOUND IN ALL ART GLOBALLY. THEY ARE ALSO THE
5 UNIVERSAL PROCESSES OF CHANGE THAT WE GO THROUGH AS HUMAN
BEINGS. THESE PROCESSES ARE ESSENTIAL TO OUR TASKS IN LIFE.
YOU CAN EXPLORE PROCESS IN WHICH YOU ARE CURRENTLY INVOLVED
THROUGH THIS EXAMINATION. THE SAME MEANING OF THESE 5 SHAPES IS
FOUND IN 85% OF CULTURES OF WORLD; THESE ARE 5 PROCESSES THAT
ALL CULTURES WORK WITH IN ORDER TO GROWAND DEEPEN THEIR OWN
NATURE.
INSTRUCTIONS: DRAW THESE 5 SHAPES:
SQUARE, TRIANGE, CIRCLE, SPIRAL, PLUS SIGN
NUMBER ACCORDING TO PREFERENCE. 1-YOUR MOST PREFERRED SHAPE,
AND 5 YOUR LEAST PREFERRED SHAPE.
MEANINGS RELATED TO YOUR CHOICE OF POSITION
1 ST CHOICE OR POSITION-THIS IS WHERE YOU THINK YOU ARE, WHERE
YOU WANT TO BE; IT IS A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION.
#2 CHOICE– THIS IS AN INHERENT GIFT YOU HAVE THAT CAN TAKE YOU
THRU ANYTHING. IT REPRESENTS A GIFT YOU DO EFFORTLESSLY.
# 3 CHOICE- THE PROCESS ACTUALLY GOING ON IN YOUR NATURE AT
THIS TIME IS # 3 POSITION. THIS IS PROCESS OF UNLIMITED CREATIVITY
AND POSSIBILITY AT THIS TIME. IF ATTEND TO IT, IT’S THE PROCESS THAT
REALLY WANTS YOUR ATTENTION. YOU CAN EXPERIENCE UNLIMITED
CREATIVITY IF YOU WILL SIMPLY ATTEND TO IT.
# 3 IS YOUR CREATIVE PLACE.
#4 CHOICE-A PAST PROCESS, PAST EXPERIENCE, PAST CHALLENGE-ONE
THAT IGNITED YOU TO MOVE TO WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW (IN
POSITION 3). THIS IS A MOTIVATING FORCE THAT PUSHED YOU TO MOVE
TO CURRENT GROWTH PROCESS (#3), AND WHICH CHALLENGED YOU TO
MAKE CHANGE.
# 5 CHOICE–PROCESS EITHER YOU’VE OUTGROWN, MAY STILL HAVE
JUDGMENT ABOUT, SOMETHING YOU DON’T WANT TO LOOK AT
ANYMORE—# 5 SUGGESTS A PROCESS WE’RE “DONE WITH.”
UNIVERSAL MEANINGS OF SHAPES
.
I. CIRCLE-UNIVERSAL SYMBOL OF WHOLENESS, INDEPENDENCE AND
INDIVIDUATION, COMING INTO YOUR ESSENCE; BECOMING WHOLE,
INDEPENDENT, SELF SUFFICIENT. IT MAY REPRESENT BRINGING BACK ALL
LOST PARTS OF OUR SELF, COMING INTO YOUR OWN ESSENCE.
UNDERLYING MEANING –THIS IS A PLACE WHERE YOU NEED SPACE. IF YOU
HAVE MORE SPACE, THE MORE YOU’LL BE THERE; WITH LESS SPACE, THE
MORE YOU WILL TAKE SPACE.
UNDERLYING FEAR: FEAR OF ENTRAPMENT, BEING LIMITED. HIGH NEED
FOR SPACE. IF IN POSITION 3, TIME WHERE YOU ARE COMING INTO
LARGESS, TOTATLITY, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, AUTHENTICITY.
PEOPLE HERE GIVE A LOT OF SPACE TO OTHERS; REQUIRE A LOT OF
SPACE. THEY DO NOT WANT TO BE ENTRAPPED.
UNDERLYING NEED: NEED FOR CREATING SPACE FOR SELF
II. CROSS-SYMBOL IS ASSOCIATED WITH RELATIONSHIP, INTERFACE,
JOINING OF 2 TO CREATE A GREATER WHOLE, INTEGRATION ,
INTERSECTION & SYNTHESIS, WANTS TO BE TAKEN INTO ALL ASPECTS OF
OUR LIFE. SYMBOL COLLABORATION, COOPERATION, THE UNION OF 2 TO
CREATE A GREATER WHOLE.
UNDERLYING MEANING: WHEREAS THE CIRCLE IS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH
NEED FOR SPACE, THE CROSS SYMBOL HAS A HIGH NEED FOR QUALITY
TIME SHARED (NOT QUANTITY TIME) FOR EXAMPLE, YOU MAY FIND
YOURSELF ASKING “WHAT TIME ARE YOU GONNA BE HOME?” WHEN DOES
STAFF MEETING BEGIN”? THE CROSS IS ABOUT RELATEDNESS AND NEED
FOR RELATIONSHIP.
THIS POSITION REPRESENT GREAT NETWORKERS, COLLABORATORS,
TEAM MEMBERS.
UNDERLYING FEAR: FEAR OF LOSS, FEAR OF NO RELATEDNESS.
UNDERLYING NEED: NEED FOR CONNECTION, COLLABORATION, QUALITY
TIME SHARED WITH OTHERS
III. TRIANGLE-UNIVERSAL SYMBOL ASSOCIATED WITH SEARCHING,
SEEKING, QUESTING, DREAMING, ENVISIONING, GOAL SETTING.
MOUNTAIN IS NATURE’S TRIANGLE. ANCIENT SYBOL IS ASSOCIATED WITH
THE VISIONARY, SEEING THE POSSIBILITIES.
UNDERLYING MEANING: SEARCHING, SEEKING ONE’S DEEPER NATURE. IT
MAY REPRESENT REVISIONING NEW GOALS, RE-DREAMING, RE-DIRECTING
UNDERLYING NEED: HAVING THEIR VISION SHARED IN SOME WAY. CAN
PEOPLE HERE SEE POSSIBILITIES IN WHERE THE COMPANY CAN GO,
WHERE TEAM CAN GO AND WHAT THEY MIGHT DO IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS.
UNDERLYING FEAR: NO MORE DREAMS, NO MORE VISIONS.
IF YOU HAVE TRIANGLE IN POSITION 3, IT’S TIME TO RE-DREAM, SET NEW
GOALS, MAKE PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR, SEARCH AND SEEK AND
IMPLEMENT DREAMS YOU MAY HAVE.
IV. SPIRAL-SYMBOL ASSOCIATED WITH GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
AND HIGH NEED FOR CHANGE AND VARIETY. IF IN POSTION# 3, IT IS A
TIME OF GROWTH AND CHANGE AND TRANSITION.
UNDERLYING MEANING: HIGH NEED FOR VARIETY AND DIVERSITY.
UNDERLYING FEAR: THINGS WILL BE TOO DULL OR ROUTINE. PEOPLE IN
SPIRAL PROCESS WILL CREATE CHANGE TO ELIMINATE BOREDOM OR
ROUTINE; CREATE CHAOS SO THINGS WILL BE A LITTLE MORE
INTERESTING AND LESS BORING. MAJOR SYMBOL FOR ONE WHO HAS A
HIGH CAPACITY TO DO MULTIPLE TASKS AT SAME TIME, WHO LOVES
VARIETY; DIVERSITY, DIFFERENT TASKS—ALL KEEPS THEM FLOUISHING.
UNDERLYING NEED: HIGH NEED TO HAVE RICHNESS AND SUBSTANCE.
V. SQUARE- UNIVERSAL SYMBOL FOR STABILITY, FOUNDATION SETTING.
WHERE YOU SEE A SQUARE, SOMETHING IS BEING DEEPLY SECURED,
INTERNALLY OR EXTERNALLY.
UNDERLYING MEANING: MOST ASSOCIATED WITH ALIGNMENT OF WORD
AND ACTION. THINGS GET DONE; HIGH PRODUCERS, MANIFESTERS.
CHILDREN IN SHAPES TEST WILL OFTEN PUT SQUARE IN FIRST 3 POSITIONS
BECAUSE CHILDREN WANT THE ALIGNMENT BETWEEN WORD AND
ACTION AND WANT THINGS TO BE STABLE, SOLID AND SECURE.
UNDERLYING FEAR: NOTHING WILL GET DONE; NOTHING WILL HAPPEN.
WE’LL SPEND A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT THINGS BUT NOT DOING
ANYTHING.
UNDERLYING NEED: THERE IS IMMEDIACY ABOUT MANIFESTING THINGS
AND LEAVING A LEGACY AND GOOD USE OF TIME; IT COMES WITH THIS
SHAPE.
SOURCE: ANGELES ARRIEN
Signs of Life: The Five Universal Shapes and How to Use Them
Provided by : Mary H. Howerton, Ph.D.
Mary Howerton Consulting, Inc.
mary@maryhowertonconsulting.com (704) 650-0945