In this episode, Trish and Rob MacGregor sit down with Polina Rud, a doctoral candidate in Art History at Moscow University who holds a master’s degree in International Relations. Polina is an art historian and curator whose work bridges the gap between ancient symbolic systems and modern therapeutic practice. We explore her transformative new book, The Cosmic Game of Snakes and Arrows, a modern oracle based on the 10th-century Indian “game of knowledge,” Gyān Chaupaṛ. Polina reveals how this ancient board game serves as a “rehearsal” for life, using dice rolls to navigate the heights of spiritual expansion and the depths of “snake” encounters. From her roots in Russia to her life in Mexico City and Argentina, Polina shares how these archetypal “silent puppeteers” govern our choices and how we can use this intuitive tool to find resilience in a world of chaos.
