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Many will recognize the representation of the ideal human by Leonardo DaVinci called Vitruvian Man that has become emblematic of humanistic psychology holistic health, structure, and the arts. 

Those who do not might be interested in a review of the history of this image. See Stanford University student Michael John Gorman's elaboration concerning The Vitruvian Man on a site devoted to Da Vinci.

A Structural Ideal

The title of the work is derived from the name of Marcus Vitruvius, a Roman architect in the first century BCE and author of De Architectura, and is so named because of what are described as its divine mathematical proportions (in Freemasonry, geometry is described as an expression the Great Architect of the Universe). 

In Pythagorian tradition, the circle represents the spiritual realm; the square, material existence, so the human body represented the perfect marriage of matter and spirit, which was is reflected in its proportions. 

"Squaring" refers to the human task of giving balance, context, meaning, and understanding to life - the essence of psychotherapy.

Relying on the Sacred Geometry of Pythagoras, of which Vitruvius was a proponent, temples were designed based on the proportions of the human body, which was believed to be perfect. This perfection, Vitruvius wrote, was due to the fact that the extended limbs of a perfectly proportioned human fit into both the circle and the square. In other words, as DaVinci observed:

"From the roots of his hair to the bottom of his chin is a tenth of a man's height; from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head is one eighth of his height; from the top of the breast to the roots of the hair will be the seventh part of the whole man." ~ Notebooks of Leonardo

Meaning drawn from Leonardo's sketch has transcended its origin as an exercise in proportion and an expression of philosophy, standing for the humanistic impulse of the Renaissance, a time when the ultimate concern of scholars and artists shifted from the next world to this one, and interest in the sciences came to share equal footing with religion, art, music, and literature. 

Several years ago, I e-mailed award-winning artist Nat Krate asking permission to use his feminine version of this image on my website (see below), which he very kindly gave. Mr. Krate's art has been acquired by museums and collectors throughout the United States. Other examples of his work can be seen at the Zenith Gallery and his studio in Sarasota, Florida. 

Other representations of Vitruvian Woman that can be found in Google, as well as thousands of masculine variations of DaVinci's concept by changing the gender to "man".

Personal Identification

On a personal note, I have a remote connection to Leonardo. Marquis DeLaRieux's daughter is said to have born an illegitimate child to the French monarch, Francis I (known as François d'Angoulême until he succeeded his cousin in 1515 at the age of 20), ostensibly placing King Francis in my direct paternal ancestral line. Contemporary depictions of the death of Leonardo at Cloux (now called 'le Clos-Lucé') show him in the arms of the sovereign who saved the scientific philosopher from a heretic's death. When his life finally came to an end, Da Vinci was still under the legal protectorate of the French crown.

Holistic Centeredness

In the system of astronomical symbols, Earth is represented by a globe bisected by meridian lines into four quarters; four equal lines pointing from the center to the spirits of the north, east, south, and west - or to the basic element: earth, water, air (or wind), and fire. Imagine standing on a vast plain, with nothing to block your view. The horizon would appear as a great circle. Anything on the plane could be plotted in relation to you using a simple grid composed of the x and the y axes. 

Behind the Vitruvian human is a symbol less well known yet more universally found. It is the Quartered Circle, rendered in rock inscriptions found on every inhabited continent. So widespread is the image of the quartered circle that Swiss psychologist Carl Jung recognized it as an archetype representing the Self - the very shape of the Soul. Pastoral counselor Judy Harrow used this concept to elucidate her own working theory of counseling. 

In Native American traditions, it forms the basic pattern of the medicine wheel, central to spiritual rituals. Christians have used variations of the same popular shape, usually calling it the Celtic Cross. Pagans recognize the quartered circle a symbol as transmitting energy of the Goddess, and Buddhists (and Jungians) as the basic form of the mandala. 

According to Marija Gimbutas, author of Goddesses and Gods of Old Europe, “The fourfold compositions [the cross, the quartered circle], archetypal of perpetual renewal or wholeness and the moon in the symbolism of Old Europe, are associated with the Great Goddess of Life and Death, and the Goddess of Vegetation, moon goddesses par excellence” (p. 91). 

Whether one considers da Vinci "a man of letters" by the standard of a classical education in Latin and Greek scholars or not, he must certainly have been aware of the depth of meaning in his human geometry with an understanding of his European Renaissance contemporaries and predecessors. 

Because of both its universal and personal appeal, I have adopted Vitruvian Man - considering the passage of five-and-a-quarter centuries sufficient time for a work of art to have entered the public domain - as the emblem of Choices Mental Health Counseling PLLC.  

Link to this note on FACEBOOK

“Nobody can acquire honor by doing what is wrong”

- Thos. Jefferson

By TOM RUE

As municipal Historian for the Village Monticello, concerned parent, homeowner, taxpayer, and community activist, I have good news!

First, and most important, thanks to the united efforts of caring community members and parents, the Monticello Gymnastic Club will continue unabated. Controversy erupted last week when deputy manager John LeGreci's announced that village youth programs were being shut down because of an alleged lack of insurance coverage, when in fact full coverage existed all along.

Because I have not confined myself to a corner of musty books as our highly paid "managers" would wish, Village Manager John Barbite informed me tonight he plans on "dismissing" me from my unpaid, volunteer post as Village Historian.

I immediately thanked Mr. Barbarite for his public tirade against me and others by name during his report to the board. His objection to comments on the web supporting youth programs, open government, and simple honesty show his true character.

I will take this dismissal as the highest honor John Barbarite is capable of giving. It was sad to see how he lost it in public at tonight's meeting, screaming he would oust me from my unpaid job because he says I make him and the Village look bad for calling history in the making as I see it.

The only words I spoke during tonight's meeting were when I observed that "management" does not seem to be accepting direction from the Board of Trustees regarding a major Broadway economic development project, and the "special counsel" (the Trustees are denied a corporate Village Attorney) appears to take direction from management rather than the board.

Smiling, I reminded Mr. Barbarite that he knows I am not one likely to be enticed into silence by an honorary title. If, in the future, after he has been fired yet a third time, or when he retires, or shuffles off this mortal coil, should I survive him in this life, if the fates allow, I would be pleased to serve again as a municipal Historian.

Over my 25 years in public service, I have found countless satisfying ways to volunteer my free time without pay in government, human services, and matters of the spirit. However, when it comes to twisting my perspective of past or current events to fit someone else's selfish demands, my ethics will not permit this.

I have been pleased to serve Monticello as a volunteer in this capacity. But to be removed for advocating on behalf of the community, and for personally supporting my wife as an elected public official (whom Mr. Barbarite openly despises and repeatedly disrespects, despite her superior position to him both in hierarchy and intellect, seemingly in part due to her gender and ethnicity), is no disgrace. I base this on sworn depositions of multiple people, some of whom are suing Mr. Barbarite in Federal court for violation of civil rights, as well as on the heartfelt convictions of my wife, Carmen Rue.

It has been an honor to serve the Village of Monticello as Historian. I wish to acknowledge former Manager Zachary Kelson for entrusting me the appointment. Mr. Kelson served the Village well during his tenure and deserved far more thanks than he received. But should anyone be surprised at that, given who we are working with?

I have accomplished more than any other Monticello historian since Mr. and Mrs. Smith who served for decades as a husband-wife team. Still, I have kept extremely busy over the last year - responding to public inquiries (actually something that I have done for years anyway, due to the quantities of local historical material on my website (tomrue.net), hosted on my own server, at my own expense, which I will continue to do.

Family and Local History Studies was my undergraduate major for the first two years of my higher education. It has been and will remain my avocation. I have what a former Monticello Village Manager described, roughly 15 years ago, as an extraordinary "sense of place" and love for this community, especially as a non-native.

I have the greatest respect for the generosity of the good people of Monticello, and it is to these folks that I have dedicated my pictorial history, entitled "Monticello", now in production, slated to be released on November 1st. This book casts Monticello's past in a very positive light, and gives hope for a better future. I believe local sales of the book will be successful, and will benefit our community.

Sullivan County Soldiers and Sailors Monument, erected 1896, moved 1972. YNN TV.

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"No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. "

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To: Monticello Village Manager, Mayor, Trustees, Attorney, Clerk, and Others Whom It May Concern:

Following is an historical summary of residency requirements placed on past appointed Village Managers. Historically, the last person prior to one recent brief occupant of the office who was fired at the end of December, to be “permanently” appointed by the Board of Trustees as Village Manager who lived inside Village limits at the time of his hiring as Manager was Robert Norris of Lake Street, some 21 years ago in 1998.

At the reorganizational meeting of the Village of Monticello Board of Trustees held on Monday, April 6, 2009, a relatively minor item of business was the appointment of Tom Rue as Village Historian. The last time a Village Historian was named was 2004, in an appointment made by then Village Manager Richard Sush. To the best of my knowledge, based on a review of minutes, the Village Historian position appears to have been vacant since 2005.

1/13/2009