I awoke this morning before the sun did, in tandem with the sound of birds piercing through the early hours. Everything was doused in a blanket of thick indigo colored air. I turned on the fireplace and did a salt water Neti Pot rinse. Sitting on the balcony, overlooking the incredible view, I started to think about the symbolism present in ancient cultures. It fascinates me that something can have the same basic meaning in several different cultures throughout the globe. It ties in nicely to relational psychology.
Relational psychology has fascinated me for some time now. The power of interpretation and association is evident in relational psychology. There are many great tools associated with the therapy that enhance the process of self-discovery. Relational psychology is perhaps the most famous in the main stream demographic for it’s tests and quizzes. These tests are designed to allow the subconscious to reveal the truth about ourselves to our conscious awareness. To see how this works for yourself, I figured I’d include one such quiz for you to take today. Follow along with this exercise keeping in mind that it is important to try to concentrate on how you feel about what you are describing and not just on how it looks. For example, you may describe something as a certain color because it gives you a feeling of calmness. However, another person may describe the very same thing as a different color that also gives him or her a sense of calmness. Though both people picture the thing differently, the interpretations of their answers are the same – the color, represents calmness to them.
Let’s Play A Quick Game.
Picture a desert stretching out as far far far as your eyes can see. Within this desert is a cube. Describe the cube. What does it look like? How large is the cube? What’s it made of? And where in the desert is the cube No right answers and no wrong answers. You can’t lose the game! Feel free to take a moment before you continue.
So there you are in the desert with your cube. Along with the cube, you notice a ladder. Now, describe the ladder. How big is it? Where is it in relation to the cube? What is it made out of? Again, take a moment to think before you continue.
Now within this desert that contains a ladder and a cube is now a horse. It may very well be a horse with no name. Now, describe the horse. Where is the horse? What’s it doing? Is it going anywhere or staying put?
We’re almost done. Now, you see flowers. Describe the flowers. How many are there? What do they look like? Where are they in relation to the other objects? Last question. There’s a storm. What’s the storm like? Is it near? Far? What kind of storm is it? Does it impact any of the other objects in the desert?
Answers:
Cube : The cube represents yourself. How you think about the cube reflects how you think about 
yourself. For example, you may think the cube is made of yellow stones. Yellow may give you a feeling of warmth and stone may give you a feeling of strength. Then, it means that you believe that you are a strong and warm person. The distance between you and the cube reflects your understanding about yourself. If the cube is far away, then it means that you do not feel close to your inner self. If the cube is transparent, that means you let people see through you. People can read your mind easily. The ratio of the cube to the desert is how you think about yourself in this world. The bigger the ratio, the grander you think of yourself and what you’re meant for. People who see an excessively tiny cube, feel that they are smaller than life. People with a cube that is excessively large, feel as if they are larger than life. A small ratio means that you recognize that you are just one part of this world and there are many other things out there beside you. a large ratio means you thrive on being the center of attention.
Ladder : The ladder represents your friends. If the ladder is leaning against the cube, then it means that your friends depend on you. If the ladder is supporting the cube, that means you depend on your friends. The distance between the ladder and the cube indicates if you feel close to your friends or not. Again, how you feel about the ladder reflects how you feel about your friends (e.g.. what you feel about the color of the ladder and the material it is made of).
The Horse: The horse represents you lover or ideal lover. The distance between the horse and the cube represents the closeness you have with your lover. If the horse is facing the cube it shows you want to be the focus of attention in the relationship. If your horse is closer to your ladder it might suggest you want a lover who supports your goals (you gold digger you). If the horse is tied up, then it shows the need to be controlling in a relationship. If the horse has a saddle then you feel secure with them. If the horse is free and not saddled, it means you view your lover as uncontrollable/unpredictable or someone who is very independent.
Storm: The storm represents the obstacles or problems in your life. If the storm is very intense then your problems are causing havoc in your life. If they encompass the entire desert then it means you might have some ongoing issues, which you think will take a while to resolve. If your storm is light then it means your problems don’t really upset the balance of your world. If it is outside the room it means you see your problems at a distance and they can easily be controlled.
Flowers: The flower represents kids. Some believe the number of flowers you see is either the number of children you will have or the number of children you want. The closer the flower is to the cube, the closer you feel to your children or the thought of having children. If your flower is close to the ladder then a goal in life might be to have children. Different colors also represent a variety in children (you want boys/girls of varying ages).
It’s Worth Looking Into The Meaning Of Colors Deeper, But Here Is A General List Of Color Meanings:
Black: Black is the color of authority, elegance, sophistication, and seduction. Black can also imply darkness.
White: White symbolizes innocence and purity, which is why the wedding dress is white. Doctors wear a white coat to imply sterility and cleanliness.
Red: The color of dominance, power, and sexual energy, the color red attracts attention. It is also the color of love.
Blue: One of the most popular colors, blue represents knowledge, authority, and loyalty. Blue causes the body to produce calming chemicals so it is often used in bedrooms. The color blue shows loyalty.
Green: Green represents compassion, prosperity, money, and vitality. It is a relaxing color. Many TV studios have a “green room” for people to sit in to relax before they go on the air.
Yellow: Yellow is another attention getter. While it is considered an optimistic color, symbolizing enthusiasm and playfulness, the color yellow is very difficult for the human eye to take in and can be overpowering.
Purple: Purple is the color of royalty. It represents luxury, wealth, and sophistication. It is also feminine and romantic and rarely found in nature.
Brown: Old reliable brown. Brown shows stability. It is the color of earth and reliability.
When I did the exercise, I imagined an enormous cube hovering about six feet above the ground that took up nearly the entire expanse of the desert. It was checkered like a chessboard, white and black and you couldn’t see through it. It was made of an unearthly substance that didn’t seem to be solid even though it would solidify to the touch. To me, it felt enigmatic and royal and magnificent, but unpredictable. And I was three feet away from it, about to touch it.
The ladder was made of old, weathered wood (the kind of wood that turns greyish with age). It was leaning against the cube, but in a way that made it look like it was going to fall. If felt very much like a relic from my childhood. I feel hesitant about it, like if I try to climb on it, it will either fall down or give me splinters.
The horse was sniffing the cube. It was a black Arabian horse with a wild mane, no bridle or saddle. It is the most beautiful, powerful thing I’ve ever seen. Its ebony coat was shining and it seemed totally curious and unafraid of the cube. I wanted to reach out and touch it’s neck but I didn’t want to scare it into seeing me as an opponent and attacking.
The storm was huge and in a semi circle, above the cube. It looked like it was trying to envelop the cube. It was purple and dark grey like a thunderstorm. It was imposing.
There were three flowers. One was blue and the other two were yellow. They were little, fragile looking things, like little daisies. They were growing underneath and to the right of the cube. I love the flowers. I felt like one of the yellow flowers was lonely. I wanted to cover them and protect them.
It was exciting to me how accurate it was when I took this test. If you feel inclined, post your answers to the test in the comment section!
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