the balance of forces between the two. The system as a
whole has an important property, a certain type of self-
generated creative stability. Using the components of
the gyroscope as an outline, and with the aid of a few
pictures and some contemporary dreams I'll present a
brief synopsis of some universal symbols related to the
mythological background of the Sundance motif.
      Beginning with the axis, we have the universal symbol
of the Tree of Life, which may symbolize creation, the
human psyche as a growth process, or the line of
communication between Heaven and Earth. From
earliest times, the Tree of Life has been pictorially
portrayed with people standing around it, perhaps
tending to its needs. Often in these pictures, there is
above the tree either the sun, a winged figure, or a
winged figure within the sun, symbolizing perhaps the
source and goal of the fertile inspiration that gives rise to
the tree.

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