general info /map

What is a map

Norman Thrower, an authority on the history of cartography, defines a map as, "A representation, /. usually on a plane surface, of all or part of the earth or some other body showing a group of features in terms of their relative size and position."* This seemingly straightforward statement represents a conventional view of maps. From this perspective, maps can be seen as mirrors of reality.

So what is a map? A map is text. John Pickles, a geographer with interests in social power and maps, suggests:

maps have the character of being textual in that they have words associated with them, that they employ a system of symbols within their own syntax, that they function as a form of writing (inscription), and that they are discursively embedded within broader contexts of social action and power.*

In this view, maps are a form of symbolization, governed by a set of conventions, that aim to communicate a sense of place.

By 2300 BC, Babylonians used clay tablets to record map-like images. ‘’

11 Oct ober 2011[Accessed on 29^th September 2011 at 20.30]

general map info

“What is a Map?” is More Relevant than Ever #TNMUC

by Matt Ball on May 12, 2011

‘“What is a Map?” is More Relevant than Ever’ was the title and topic of The National Map Conference keynoter Frederick Reuss, author of five novels, including his recent “A Geography of Secrets” that addresses secrecy in public and private life in present-day Washington. Reuss provided a layman’s perspective as a user of maps, a fan of the USGS in terms of its value to his work, and also as a romantic in terms of the use of a map as a means to unlock your imagination.

Reuss focused on the X on a map from the imagination of our youth as the location of a pirate trove, or as an X to mark our spot, or as the means to create that X in our history of surveying and mapping the unknown. He provided a rich discussion of history, the legacy of mapmaking, and the

Ball, M., (2011), 11th October 2011, [Accessed on 29^th September 2011 at 20.00].

chakra colours

Collis,D.,( 2005 ), A Beginners Guide to Chakras [Online]. Available from, http://www.holisticshop.co.uk/articles/clearing-chakras-healing,[Accessed on 16th October 2011, at 23.00]/

A Beginners Guide to Chakras

Where does the chakra philosophy come from?

The Eastern concept of chakras comes from Indian culture, specifically from Hindu philosophy. The term Chakra is itself Hindi in origin and means "spinning wheel".

The system of chakras is now used widely in the West alternative healing and spiritual practices.

The chakras are also at the root of the human aura, a magnetic field that stands outside the visible body. The aura is visible through specialist (Kirlian) photography apparatus.

Chakra balancing is a whole system of personal healing Chakra balancing is viewed as a rebalancing of energies, including physical, emotional and psychic.

We can see connections between colour healing and the chakras through various formats, the use of rock crystals or precious gem stones, which are linked with various emotional and physical conditions, with specific areas of the body. Pink or green stones relate to the heart chakra energy and can be useful for issues to do with love, caring and relationships

How many Chakras are involved and which body areas do they relate to?
The conventional wisdom cites seven chakras.

The Chakras and their associated colours and qualities

Chakra & Colour	Location & Crystal	Connected Qualities, Ideas & Functions
CROWN Violet (or Magenta)	Top of Head Amethyst, Clear quartz, high vibrational crystals	Union of divine/infinite intelligence with human nature; inspiration, spiritual will/self, idealism, perfection
BROW Indigo or violet	Centre of forehead Sodalite	Intuition, imagination, vision, clairvoyance, wisdom, devotion, concentration, creative visualisation
THROAT Sky Blue	Throat area Turquoise, blue lace agate, lapis lazuli	Communication, speech, creative writing & expression through sound; truth, knowledge, loyalty
HEART Green	Centre of chest Malachite, Jade, aventurine, rose quartz	Unconditional love, compassion, forgiveness, balance, peace, understanding, harmony, centre of the soul
SOLAR PLEXUS Yellow	Below chest Citrine, yellow agate, amber, yellow calcite	Self-esteem, willpower, confidence, warmth, humour, physical energy, nervous sensitivity, centre of human recognition
SACRAL Orange	Lower abdomen Carnelian	Sexual desire, procreation, change, joy, tolerance, harmony, adapting to new ideas
ROOT Red	Base of spine Red jasper, garnet, ruby, also hematite	Survival instinct, self-preservation, courage, grounding, material stability, vitality, passion, the power to create

how to lie with maps

Manmonier .M., (1996) .How To Lie With Maps. 2^nd ed. London: University of Chicago Press Ltd.

Chapter 1 Page 1.

Not only is it easy to lie with maps, its essential. A map must distort reality. To avoid hiding critical information in a fog of detail, the map must offer a selective, incomplete view of reality. To present a useful and truthful picture, an accurate map must tell white lies.

i never gave thiis much thought before.

Because most map users willingly tolerate white lies on maps, its not difficult for maps also to tell more serious lies.

yes, i agree it would

Map users seldom, if ever, question these authorities, and they often fail to appreciate the map’s power as a tool of deliberate falsification or subtle propaganda.

umm ! did not realise they were used like this.

Page 2

Because of advances in low-cost computer graphics, inadvertent yet serious cartographic lies can appear respectable and accurate.

A single map is but one of an indefinitely large number of maps that might be produced for the same situation or from the same data.

quite interesting thought.

Maps, like speeches and paintings, are authored collections of information and also are subject to distortions arising from ignorance, greed, ideological blindness, or malice.

Page 3 A careless or Machiavellian choice of colours can confuse or mislead.

interesting. I dont think of maps as having lots of colour.

Chapter 2 page 5

Maps have three basic attributes: scale, projection, and symbolization. Each element is a source of distortion. As a group, they describe the essence of the map’s possibilities and limitations. No one can use maps or make maps safely and effectively without understanding map scales, map projections, and map symbols.

yes, this needs to be understood to aid reading.

Chapter 3 page 25

A good map tells a multitude of little white lies; it suppresses truth to help the user see what needs to be seen. Reality is three-dimensional, rich in detail, and far too factual to allow a complete yet uncluttered two-dimensional graphic scale model. Indeed, a map that did not generalize would be useless. But the value of a map depends on how well its generalized geometry and generalized content reflect a chosen aspect of reality.

you are here

Harmon. k., (2004) You Are Here. New York: Princeton Architectural Press.

a very inspiering book, lots of alternitive maps, I really like Roald Dahl's poem at the back of the book.

social memory

Fentress.J. & Whickam.C., (1992) Social Memory: New Perspectives on the Past. Oxford: Blackwell publishers.

Chapter 1 page 7

When we remember, we represent ourselves to ourselves and to those around us. To the extent that our ‘nature; - that which we truly are – can be revealed in articulation.

scary thought

Page 8

Memory has retreated for us more and more into the personal. It is a source of private, not social, knowledge.

no one knows what your thinking.

Page 17 &18

A ‘map’ in the sense that we are using the term, is a visual concept, a constructed or projected image, referring to and bearing information about something outside itself. It is a concept that supports the ‘memory of things’.

A mnemonic map is a visual image ... the visual expression of knowledge is more complex than the semantic.........the map would be a conceptualised image

this is the part of mapping that I find interesting.

Page 19

We are so accustomed to using words to support our ‘memory of things’ that we do not always notice that they are there. We fail to remember that we are using a medium at all.

I would not have thought of words as a medium,

Page 88

Memories tend to be remembered in the first place because of their power to legitimize the present, ..... Memories about the past can themselves change across time, but even when they do not, they will certainly be selected out of the potentially infinite set of possible memories.

selective memory.

Page 210

It is we who are remembering, and it is to us that the knowledge, emotions, and images ultimately refer.

personal memories.

We can neither know nor experience our memories unless we can first ‘think’them; and the moment we ‘think’ our memories, recalling and articulating them, they are no longer object; they become part of us.

Only by making memories part of us, first, can we share them with others.

Memory has an immense social role. It tells us who we are.

these images are untouched by the hand of any painter; these stories cannot bear a copyright.

story telling, recounting the past to the younger generation,

Page 202

Memories die, but only to be replaced by other memories.

I like thi.

feng shui

Levitt,s.,(2003), How to Map Your Bedroom with Feng Shui [online], Available from: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/feng-shui-map-bedroom-how-to.html [Accessed on 11 October 2011, at 11.45].

How to Map Your Bedroom with Feng Shui

Adaped From Teen Feng Shui, by Susan Levitt (Inner Traditions, 2003).

The ancient Chinese method of Feng Shui helps us to balance our homes and create happier, more successful lives, room by room.

At this time of year, with days growing shorter and nights getting long and chilly, we often turn our attention to the bedroom, the sanctuary where we can rest and recharge.

It’s easy to “map” your bedroom according to Feng Shui principles so you can create more harmony in the bedroom. Here’s how:

1. First, draw a roughly square outline of your bedroom on a piece of paper. The wall that has the primary entrance to your room in it should be the lower line of the square.

2. Divide the square into nine equal squares, three rows of 3 squares each.

3. Start with the lowest row of squares, that describes the areas when you first walk into your bedroom. The far left corner of the room when you first enter is the area of Knowledge. The center square relates to Career, and the right-hand square is Helpful People/Travel.

4. Now look at the central row of squares, that describes the middle of your bedroom. The far left square relates to Family/Health. The central square is the Tao, or Center, and the right-hand square is Creativity/Children.

5. Lastly, look at the top row of squares. The far left square relates to Wealth, the central square to Fame/Reputation, and the far right square to Relationships/Romance.