Marko Pogačnik (born 1944) is a Slovenian artist and author.
Pogačnik was born in the Upper Carniolan town of Kranj. He studied at the Academy of Arts of the University of Ljubljana where he graduated in 1967. Between 1965 and 1971, he was part of the neo-avantgarde artistic movement OHO (in which Tomaž Šalamun and Slavoj Žižek also participated). From the 1980s he embraced a holistic vision of art. He claims to have developed a method of earth healing similar to acupuncture by using pillars and positioning them on so called ‘lithopuncture’ points of the landscape[1].
In 1991, he designed the official coat of arms of the newly constituted Republic of Slovenia. In the year 2006, he joined the Movement for Justice and Development led by Janez Drnovšek, the President of Slovenia at the time.
He lives and works in the village of Šempas in the lower Vipava Valley. In the last decade, the town of Nova Gorica, in which municipal territory he resides, has commissioned a number of public monuments to Pogačnik, most notably the monument to the 1000 years of the first mention of Gorica and Solkan, which stands in the town’s central public square.
GEOMANCY
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Based on the principle of multidimensionality, the modern geomancy is teaching how to perceive landscapes and environments as composed of several visible and invisible levels and how to behave accordingly. Mainly we consider relevant the following four dimensions:
Vital energy network composed of energy centres (Earth chakras), energy channels (ley-lines, acupuncture meridians) and energy fields (aura).
Consciousness of places and landscapes consisting of innumerable information units called nature spirits and elemental beings. They embody the soul consciousness of Gea, the Earth.
Material body composed of mountains and seas, valley and rivers, plants and animals, also human beings, including our cultural creation. Seeing it in the context of pluridimensionality, different forms of landscapes, trees, rocks etc. are to be considered as a direct expression of the Earth being.
Landscape temples represent the spiritual level of the Earth composed of divine qualities embodied by different places and landscapes.The knowledge of modern geomancy can be used in the area of nature protection, landscape and architectural design, planning of motor ways, in Earth healing etc.
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The word “Geomancy” comes for the Greek name of the Earth Soul, “Gea” and the Greek word “mantein”, which means interpreting, also reading an oracle.
In this sense geomancy means interpreting of visible and invisible dimensions of places and landscapes, so that a holistic (pluridimensional) understanding of their true essence can emerge in our consciousness.
EARTH HEALING
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Since our modern culture is building large civilization structures expanding all over the globe, and at the same time ignoring the multidimensionality of the Earth, the life base of the planet is under threat of destruction. This realisation led me to create different methods of protecting and restoring the invisible levels of life which I simply call Earth healing. It is an approach alternative to the scientific ecology, which is taking care only for the material body of the Earth. With methods similar to acupuncture and homeopathy it is possible to intervene with the vital, emotional and spiritual levels of places, cities and landscapes and work on restoring or balancing the subtle levels of life.
My work is consciously based on art as complementary to science. Instead of the head-orientated view of the modern science, I try to promote a heart centred approach to the Earth, nature and the human essence, based on personal experience and transpersonal insights. The knowledge called “geomancy” functions as base for my explorations and for practical work. (See chapter on geomancy!)
Having experience in land-art and other forms of conceptual approach to art, derived from my work with the OHO group (1965-1971), I developed a method of Earth acupuncture that I call “lithopuncture”, plus different methods of Earth healing work that can be done by groups.
LITHOPUNCTURE
Lithopuncture is similar to acupuncture of the human body. Like the human body, the Earth is also a living organism with energy centres and interconnecting veins of energy – which one can understand as acupuncture meridians. By “touching” permanently the acupuncture points of a landscape through stone pillars, it is possible to get some positive and healing effects within the respective environment.
I call this method “lithopuncture” – from “lithos”, Greek for stone, and “punctura”, Latin for a stitch. Lithopuncture basically means positioning stone pillars on acupuncture points of a place or a landscape. The pillars have, as a rule, a pattern – a “cosmogramme” – carved upon their surface, which reflects the spiritual identity of the corresponding site and brings the consciousness level of the place into the work. In urban environments, where a stone pillar would represent an obstacle, a round bronze plate with an engraved sign is laid into the pavement on the site of an acupuncture point. Lithopuncture and creating cosmogrammes are methods that are not reserved for my work. I teach them and there are artists world-wide who implement these methods of Earth healing and environmental balancing in their work.
Lithopuncture circle process
Lithopuncture Circle is a composition of stones with carved cosmogrammes and following characteristics:
1. The place for the Circle was chosen according to its geomantic characteristics that ensure the proper functioning of the circle.
2. The preparation process is a vital part of a Lithopuncture Circle. It runs through a longer period in which the participants teach and learn the basics of geomantic approach to the Earth organism, widened perception, the language of cosmogrammes and the skill of stone carving.
3. The cosmogrammes developed and carved by participants should relate to the whole matrix of life, including different nature kingdoms, the elemental, spiritual and angelic worlds, to social, political and environmental issues important for the given place, etc. They can also anchor the relationship of the Lithopuncture Circle to some chosen places.
4. Once erected, a Lithopuncture Circle could be a place for group rituals, for individual vision quest or meditation and for networking.
What could be done
Be attentive to perceive a possibility or a need to create a Lithopuncture Circle. Use Life Web as a path of communication. Different projects should be interconnected.
It needs to create a fund for financing the projects. A special account will be arranged for that purpose.
Attune to the purpose, see what is truly needed. Be aware that the perfect function of a Lithopuncture Circle does not depend primarily of the chosen stones and designed cosmogrammes, but of the love quality invested into the process of its creation.
