The Ornelian Framework matters because it redefines what it means to know.

For too long, society has valued only one kind of intelligence—the kind that can be measured, graded, or proven on paper. But human understanding is far richer than that. We learn through our thoughts, yes, but also through our emotions, our bodies, our creativity, our relationships, and our spirit.

When we recognize these other ways of knowing, learning stops being something that happens to us and becomes something that grows from us.

It matters because every person deserves to see their way of understanding the world as valid and valuable.

It matters because education should awaken curiosity, not limit it.

And it matters because when we engage all parts of ourselves—soul, mind, body, and spirit—we don’t just gain knowledge.
We come alive.

The Ornelian Framework is a simple but powerful way to approach anything in life—learning, decision-making, self-reflection, or creative projects. It works by looking at experiences from multiple angles. Below are practical ways you can use it every day to make sense of the world, your energy, and your growth.

• Study smarter
  • Each box is linked to an academic subject (and astrological sign). Organize incoming information with the 16 boxes.
    • See how I do it here: https://sublime.app/itslauraalyn?section=collections
• Find truth
  • Check ideas or situations by going through each angle.
• Make decisions clearly
  • Map out all 16 of your options. Pick the best one.
• Organize your life
  • Sort tasks, projects, and thoughts by type: mental, physical, reflective, or creative.
• Understand your energy
  • Notice why you feel tired or stuck by tracking where you’re overusing or neglecting energy. They main four (analytic, somatic, reflective, narrative) need to be balanced.
• Understand society better
  • Notice what ways of knowing were favored vs. shamed. By understanding the connections, the story of civilization comes out.
• Explain yourself
  • Share feelings and experiences in a way others can actually understand.
• Explore your passions
  • Approach hobbies or projects with research, practice, reflection, and story.
• Learn from the past
  • Reflect on events from multiple angles: thoughts, emotions, actions, and bigger patterns.
• Plan projects
  • Check ideas against logic, action, reflection, and narrative to make them balanced. This also ensures you don’t get burned out.
• Understand people
  • Observe others through their emotions, actions, thoughts, and personal stories. You start to build a lot of empathy once you understand how vital the soul, mind, body, and spirit (SMBS) are in each of us.
• Spot patterns in yourself
  • Track recurring moods, behaviors, and thoughts. It helps you break out of bad habits and stops you from forcing yourself to do stuff.
• Solve problems
  • Blend gut instincts with reasoning, reflection, and story context. There is an inner resonance when the right answer is found.
• Track growth
  • Revisit experiences to see how you’re evolving.
• Journal insights
  • Pick one angle each day and note what you notice in the SMBS or life.

Think about how you use each of the ways of knowing. Or if you have a big (or small) decision to make going through each of the ways of knowing to give the other parts of yourself a say. The more you work with the chart, the more you’ll find connections within yourself.

Let’s start in the middle.

✨NESW stands for the four cardinal directions: North, East, South, and West.

• North (N): The hard but true path leads us to uncover our soul’s reason, memory, and intuition.
• East (E): New beginnings point inward, shaping the mind’s instincts, sensations, and beliefs.
• South (S): The roots anchor us, grounding our body’s energy, desire, and sense of duty.
• West (W): New connections arrive, expanding the spirit’s will, power, and imagination.

You may notice that the NESW directions move counter-clockwise. This reflects a larger principle of the Ornelian Framework: knowledge and experience spiral in all directions, mirroring the natural flow of the universe. It also highlights that within our multi-dimensional selves, contradictions aren’t problems—they’re part of how we grow, connect, and navigate reality.

Next, you’ll see I, II, III, and IV on either side of the NESW. These represent the Quadrants. Whereas the Cartesian Quadrants would begin in the West, the Ornelian Framework uses the Astrological Quadrants, which is why the first quadrant begins in the East. It is no coincidence that the Sun also rises in the East.

✨The Cartesian Quadrants (the x’s & y’s you graphed in school) are still applicable here.

• Spirit (+ , +):
  • We naturally have good energy; it only becomes “bad” when other areas are out of balance.
  • Represents connection to the universe and the flow of life.
• Soul (- , +):
  • Symbolized by the lotus in the East, rising beautifully from murky waters.
  • Carl Jung described the soul as coming from the ocean of the collective unconscious.
  • The soul’s depths are daunting; only you truly know them, and many fear what lies within.
• Mind (- , -):
  • Programmed for survival and safety; often sees threats or negative outcomes first.
  • Relies on the other three quadrants to feel secure—a challenge when society undervalues soul and spirit.
  • Highlights why many people struggle with mental health.
• Body (+ , -):
  • Often misunderstood as lustful or shameful, but is actually a magical, beautiful vessel.
  • Grounds us and houses our experience in reality.

✨ The Astrological Quadrants Explained
The houses also line up exactly with the Ornelian Framework.

• I. First Quadrant (Houses 1–3):
  • Focuses on the self, identity, and personal development.
  • Energy is more individual and private, emphasizing early life, family, and foundational experiences.
• II. Second Quadrant (Houses 4–6):
  • Focuses on home, roots, daily routines, and habits.
  • Emphasizes personal security, self-care, and building stability through internal and practical structures.
• III. Third Quadrant (Houses 7–9):
  • Focuses on relationships, partnerships, and interaction with others.
  • Energy moves outward, emphasizing connection, collaboration, and shared experiences.
• IV. Fourth Quadrant (Houses 10–12):
  • Focuses on career, public life, spirituality, and collective awareness.
  • Energy is more external and aspirational, integrating personal growth into the wider world.

The sixteen ways of knowing can be grouped into four sections. The four in white above and bold below are the ✨quadrant leaders which are linked with the gateways of self. The other twelves are linked with astrological houses and signs in order.

• Analytic Knowing (Mind)
  • Experiential Knowing (Aries)
  • Cultural Knowing (Taurus)
  • Empirical Knowing (Gemini)
• Somatic Knowing (Body)
  • Emotional Knowing (Cancer)
  • Playful Knowing (Leo)
  • Embodied Knowing (Virgo)
• Narrative Knowing (Spirit)
  • Relational Knowing (Libra)
  • Revelatory Knowing (Scorpio)
  • Participatory Knowing (Sagittarius)
• Reflective Knowing (Soul)
  • Rational Knowing (Capricorn)
  • Archetypal Knowing (Aquarius)
  • Spiritual Knowing (Pisces)

In the outer corners of the inner (white) squares, you’ll see ✨ABCD in order from the inner most to the outer most gateway of self.

• A: Soul (Awareness): Begin with inner awareness and intuition; understanding your deepest self forms the foundation.
• B: Mind (Discernment): Next, analyze and make sense of your awareness; the mind organizes intuition into understanding.
• C: Body (Expression): Then, manifest understanding through action; the body grounds and expresses knowledge in the physical world.
• D: Spirit (Connection): Finally, expand outward to connect with others, the universe, and the flow of life; spirit integrates personal growth into the larger whole.

However, if we look at the ✨ Elements (the triangular symbols), the order is reversed. Astrologically, the pattern is fire, earth, air, and water. It is repeated three times. It can also be observed in the Ornelian Framework (OF) through the colors of the outer squares.

1. Fire (⚡ / 🔺) – Action, initiation, and energy
   • Fire represents the spark, the will, and the drive to begin. It’s outward-moving and dynamic, the first step in any process: starting, creating, igniting.
   • The Fire Signs are (1) Aries, (5) Leo, and (9) Sagittarius. They can be found in Purple.
2. Earth (⛰️ / 🔻 with a line at the base) – Structure, stability, and manifestation
   • After the spark of Fire, Earth grounds that energy into something tangible. It’s about building, materializing, and making ideas concrete.
   • The Earth Signs are (2) Taurus, (6) Virgo, and (10) Capricorn. They are Brown on the OF.
3. Air (🌬️ / 🔺 with a line through the top) – Mind, communication, and understanding
   • Once a foundation exists, Air allows us to think, reflect, and analyze. It represents abstraction, ideas, and connecting the parts into coherent understanding.
   • The Air Signs are (3) Gemini, (7) Libra, and (11) Aquarius. They are Pink.
4. Water (🌊 / 🔻) – Emotion, intuition, and integration
   • Water comes last to integrate everything emotionally and intuitively. It absorbs, adapts, and harmonizes the preceding elements, bringing flow and depth.
   • The Water Signs are (4) Cancer, (8) Scorpio, and (12) Pisces. They are in Blue.

Why this order:

• It mirrors the natural process of creation and experience: spark → build → understand → feel.
• Fire starts the process, Earth makes it real, Air interprets it, Water internalizes it.
• It also moves from external initiation (Fire) to internal reflection and flow (Water).

• ✨ Mode of Knowing
  • How you engage with reality
  • Envision each bold word followed by “knowing.”
    • i.e. Reflective Knowing, Emotional Knowing, Embodied Knowing, etc…
• ✨ Core Function/ Life Theme
  • What naturally emerges in your life when you engage that way
  • Each CAPS word
• ✨ Disciplinary Lens/ Academic Subject
  • The formalized field where that approach and its outputs are recognized, studied, and taught
  • lowercase words
• ✨ Gateways of Self
  • How the knowledge is received
  • italicized words
  • only the inner (white) squares have it listed but each square is associated with the interplay of the gateways of self
    • 1. body x mind (read as the body of the mind)
    • 2. spirit x mind
    • 3. soul x mind
    • 4. spirit x body
    • 5. soul x body
    • 6. mind x body
    • 7. soul x spirit
    • 8. mind x spirit
    • 9. body x spirit
    • 10. mind x soul
    • 11. body x soul
    • 12. spirit x soul

Fun Fact: this is how the OF was originally formed. I wanted to understand how the SMBS could be fully integrated in the self. To do that, I had to understand the interplay of them with each other.