This post was inspired by a book I read a month ago entitled The Second Half of Life: Opening the Eight Gates of Wisdom, by Angeles Arrien.

In one section of the book, she speaks of 5 univeral shapes that appear in all art around the world and which are: the square, the circle, the triangle, the plus sign or equidistant cross and the spiral.

Before I proceed here is a little game we can play: draw these shapes on a piece of paper then number them from 1 to 5 according to preference, 1 being the most favourite, 5 the least favourite, (and don’t give it too much thought).

Now stop reading and do it then come back to the post.

The fascinating thing is the way these preferences are explained. In all the fairytales of the world when there is a riddle to solve, the answer is never the first or the last answer, it is the middle one, so where you really are is your number 3. And here are the symbolic meanings of every shape:

The triangle is the symbol of vision and wisdom

The circle is the symbol of wholness, individuation, coming to one’s essence. It is also the need for space

The square is the symbol of stability, solidity, security

The plus sign is the symbol of coming together, the need for interaction

The spiral is the need for growth, diversity and change.

To find out how these different positions impact on eachother I am inclosing a link that explains everything at the end of the post.

For me when I read this my mind drifted to the Ka’ba, and what its cubic shape symbolises: The square. According to Angeles Arrien, those attracted to the square are ready to build, to implement a plan and to manifest ideas. I thought that the square is then a symbol of practical concrete thinking, of the scientific approach that leads to action. But within the Ka’bah is the black stone, this mysterious entity that we greet and kiss because we were ordered to. I kept wondering what could this image be, and what came to my mind was that it was the essence of faith: that we have to believe in the signs of God, and these signs are concrete, everywhere around us, science leads us to them. However, and it is a big however, science has its limitations, it can only describe what is seen. But the minute we say that this amazing creature must have a creator, we have left the world of science to the realm of the intellect. The black stone is this unseen world, al-Gaib, which a solid base of knowledge can only point to.

The movement we make around the ka’ba combines the circle and the spiral, both our individuation and our growth lie in the mastering of the two concepts the Ka’ba represents, acquiring knowledge while being mindful of God.

I bow to the magnificence of God’s wisdom, that leaves such room for creativity and interpretation.

I also wonder if these five shapes could be married with the five foundations of Islam but the task was a bit too much for my humble knowledge and abilities.

So I leave you with these shapes and thoughts and the link to their interpretations.

Click to access the_five_universal_shapes_handout.pdf