Treasure Mapping

If someone says to you that it would be a great idea to create a Treasure Map, I’m sure you would immediately think of pirates, gold dubloons and a parrot saying "Pieces of Eight!"? The process of Treasure Mapping doesn't have Johnny Depp in it (sadly) but it still documents a path to hidden gold. The gold in this type of map is the gold of achieving your desires and dreams and this is not always money.

When I first heard of treasure mapping I thought that there could be no way the technique could work, it was simply a way of reminding you of all that you do not have. Besides, wouldn’t it just increase avarice and envy?

Not so. Visualising your dreams to make them reality is a method of employing your natural emotions to power both yourself and the cosmos to make them manifest. It focuses you, it reminds you of what you already have and it helps you to figure out your life path. It also works. If employed correctly it will also allow your subconscious mind to show you what you really do desire and need: and that's not always an easy thing to determine.

Treasure-mapping can be employed for anything that you need or want – love, wealth, happiness, career – the list is endless. So if this all sounds great to you, you will be wondering what the catch is, or how difficult it is going to be. Treasure-mapping is remarkably easy.

Look at the clean piece of paper and be aware that this is going to be a representation of your life path (obviously not in it’s entirety!). Think of all the wonderful things you already have – health, children, a roof over your head, love, the sun, the birdsong in the garden – whatever inspires you. Think for a moment of where that all comes from – whether you believe in a god, goddess, both or neither, it all comes from somewhere. Even if you resort to thanking the universe itself: be thankful. Now think of a way you can express those thanks and make this the border of your paper.

For example, my own beliefs are nicely categorised by the Grecian 'snake of the world' Ourobouros, who eats his tail but is renewed. He represents the never-ending circle of life, death and rebirth and reminds me of my own version of deity. My map has Ourobouros as a border, encircling my hopes and keeping them safe.

You may choose a simple line around your paper, or one made of hearts to represent divine love – I’m sure you get the picture!

Now make the paper yours and the map on it yours. Cut out your name, first and last will do, in type from any of the magazines. Don’t write it, the type retains it as a pictorial image, which is more powerful than a written one. Choose letters and colours that appeal to you. Next, choose the phrase that motivates you most, keep it simple. If you can find a picture that portrays your phrase, that will work even better. My map has the phrase ‘Seek and ye shall find’ because I believe that most things we enjoy on the path of life are those we’ve found for ourselves, albeit with perhaps a little divine intervention! You must select a phrase that really means something to you.

Look through your piles of magazines very carefully and cut out any that you have an emotional reaction to. The phrase emotional is important – don’t pick the make of car that you would really like, pick the picture that best emulates how you would feel if you had that car! This is especially important if you are treasure-mapping love on your plan – you must pick pictures that portray how you would like to be treated in a relationship, what values you would like to share and so on. Avoid picking a particular person that you recognise or desire – allow the map to make sure you get someone that is perfect for you in all ways, not just looks. All items should be chosen to portray how much you want something – never choose a picture that portrays how you will get it. Put aside all the images you have chosen. You may need to go through the magazines again before you are done, or you may find that you can discard some images.

You can treasure-map for health, (pick images that in your opinion best reflect what it’s like to be perfectly healthy), wealth (choose a picture of a bill that you need paying and cross through it; rather than a wad of notes) and career (pick a picture that best shows how you would feel if you had the perfect job) to name but a few things. You can also treasure-map for particular items if you wish. Only choose items that you really, really want (i.e. that make you feel emotional when you think about having them).

Now you can put items onto your map, sticking them carefully from left to right in the order of the item that you are most likely to be able to obtain (that X-box) up to the item that it will probably take longest to obtain (the Villa in France with it’s own private beach, jetty, motor-boat and accompanying millionaire film-star). Think carefully about how happy you will be when you achieve your goals, look at each picture as you place it and really get fired up about how good you will feel when you have it.

When you have made your map and you are happy with it, bless it in any way you feel appropriate. A simple ‘Thank You for what I am about to receive’ will do. Notice that this phrase assumes you will get it. This is important, don’t choose a phrase to thank a deity for listening and hope they might sort it out – choose one that thanks the deity because they already have sorted it out. ‘Ask and you shall receive’ is the catchphrase - not ‘Ask and you’ll get it sometime, maybe, if I can be bothered’.

Lastly, put the map somewhere where you will frequently see it and be reminded of all that you wish for and all that you have achieved. If your family will laugh at the idea, keep a private place for your map, but one you will visit often. Enjoy the emotions when you see it, but let it go the rest of the time. Trust in the universal power of abundance and see it come true!

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