Why the snowflake?

It is said that no two snowflakes are exactly the same. The snowflake symbol reminds us that, just like snowflakes, no two humans beings are exactly the same. We all have different experiences, strengths and weaknesses. We are shaped by our history, and even though we have much in common, each one of us is unique.

Human beings are pattern matching animals. We perceive and understand the world by matching to patterns in our brains, both instinctive and learned. One of the first patterns many people experience at school is that of a snowflake - beautiful in its simplicity and symmetry.

Sometimes we can get frozen or stuck in a pattern which does not work well for us. An understanding of human givens can provide the energy required to transform any harmful pattern into a more fluid form - "melting the snowflake" - allowing us to become unstuck, more adaptable, more fulfilled, more being human. We may then want to create new, more positive and useful patterns - letting the water recrystalise.

Water is essential for life and just like us it can exist in different forms. The snowflake can remind us of the delicate and changeable aspects of our nature. In both the snowflake and the drop of water each part is affected by the rest, even though their forms are so different.