How the map works
Arani Soul Map is a short questionnaire for self-knowledge. It looks at one question: which ways of meeting the sacred draw you most right now?
What the map looks at
The map looks at nine paths. None is higher or deeper than another; they are simply different ways in. By “the sacred” we mean whatever feels sacred to you, with or without religion.
- Stillness & Contemplation: silence, meditation, quiet attention.
- Faith & Prayer: a relationship with God or with whatever you hold sacred, through prayer, worship and trust.
- Nature & Earth: the sacred in the living world and the seasons.
- Body & Energy: breath, movement and the body as practice.
- Symbol & Imagination: myth, art and symbols.
- Psyche & Healing: inner work, dreams and growing through old hurts.
- Service: care for others as a spiritual practice.
- Wisdom & Inquiry: questions, study and honest doubt.
- Universal Mind, Intention & Synchronicity: a greater mind that connects things, work with intention, and meaningful coincidences. These are ideas that draw people, not claims about physics or promises of results.
How it works
For each statement you choose how much it draws you, even if you have never tried it. If a statement is unclear, you choose “I’m not sure what this means”. The map then shows how close each path is to you, in groups (“closest to you”, “also close”, “quieter for now”), and draws them as petals.
Your answers are worked out in your browser, and neither they nor your result are sent anywhere. In this beta, the only thing that can be sent is your comments, and only if you tick the consent box and press “Send comments”. More about this is in Privacy.
If one path stands out, you get its archetype: an image from nature with a short description, strengths, a place to grow and a small practice. If two or three paths are almost equal, you get a bridge between them. If many paths are close, you get a wide resonance. If none draws you strongly, you get a quiet map. Each of these is a real result, not a better or a worse one.
What the map does not do
- It does not measure how spiritual, good or advanced you are. There are no grades, no totals and no comparison with other people.
- It is not a medical or psychological test, and it says nothing about your health.
- It does not decide anything for you. Nothing is unlocked or taken away because of your result.
- The archetype is a door, not a box. You are always more than one word.
Why there are no grades or percentages
A short questionnaire is never exact. Small differences between paths often come from chance: the day, your mood, how a word sounded. Grades or percentages would suggest more precision than there is, so the map shows groups and shapes instead. The numbers in each group only show the order: the paths your answers leaned toward more come first. They are not a measure, and where your answers were almost the same, the order means nothing.
You can take it again
Take the map as often as you like. Your result can change with the seasons of your life, and that is part of the point.
Where the statements come from
The statements are written for Arani from a description of each path, so that they do not copy any other test. Before the map is public, independent experts check this and rate every statement, and the map is tested in a pilot study. The descriptions you read are written in advance by people; nothing is generated from your answers.
A research version
This is an early research version. The statements, the paths and the way the map is drawn may change as we learn.