← Back to the Bhavas The Twelve Matchboxes — print & fold Box-card kit → A4 · margins None · Background graphics ON · 100%
Vikram’s project · sreebalakrishnan.in/bhavas

The Twelve Matchboxes

Twelve boxes, one for each bhava — the twelve houses of a life. Body and self, voice and family, courage and home, work and gain, the things you let go of. Print, fold, and fill each box with a small real object that belongs to that house. A life, held in twelve matchboxes.

TwelvematchboxesITanuIIDhanaIIISahajaIVSukhaVPutraVIAriVIIYuvatiVIIIRandhraIXDharmaXKarmaXILabhaXIIVyaya
Fold the kit
  1. Cut. Cut each piece along the solid lines — one sleeve and one tray per sheet.
  2. Score & fold. Crease along every dashed line. A bone folder or the back of a knife gives a crisp fold on cardstock.
  3. Glue the sleeve. Bend the four sleeve panels into a loop and glue the shaded flap under the lid. The comic sits on top, the name on the spine.
  4. Build the tray. Fold the four walls up; fold the shaded tabs inward and glue them behind the end walls. The quote hides in the floor.
  5. Slide & fill. Slide the tray into the sleeve. Then do the real work: drop in one object from your life that belongs to that house.
cut fold glue

Best on 200gsm+ cardstock. Print at 100% / actual size (no “fit to page”), A4, margins None, with Background graphics on so the comics and striker strips print. One house per sheet follows.

Twelve essays at sreebalakrishnan.in/bhavas — scan or type the address on any box to read its house.
I Tanu BODY · SELF HOUSE 1 OF 12 SLEEVE — cut, fold the four creases, glue the flap into a loop G L U EI · TANUBODY · SELFITanuBody, self, the way youappear in the world.sreebalakrishnan.in/bhavas/#1 TRAY — cut, fold the walls up, glue the four tabs inside “The body has carried mefaithfully throughforty-something years ofbeing taken forgranted.”IN JYOTISHThe first house — the lagna —sets the frame for everythingelse in a chart.I · Tanu cut fold glue Then slip in one real object that belongs to this house.
II Dhana VOICE · FAMILY HOUSE 2 OF 12 SLEEVE — cut, fold the four creases, glue the flap into a loop G L U EII · DHANAVOICE · FAMILYIIDhanaVoice, family, whatsupports you — words,wealth, food.sreebalakrishnan.in/bhavas/#2 TRAY — cut, fold the walls up, glue the four tabs inside “More than anyindividual, it was thecollective that held metogether.”IN JYOTISHThe second house: speech, familylineage, accumulated resources,and the face.II · Dhana cut fold glue Then slip in one real object that belongs to this house.
III Sahaja COURAGE · SIBLINGS HOUSE 3 OF 12 SLEEVE — cut, fold the four creases, glue the flap into a loop G L U EIII · SAHAJACOURAGE · SIBLINGSIIISahajaCourage, siblings, shortjourneys, the first smallrisks.sreebalakrishnan.in/bhavas/#3 TRAY — cut, fold the walls up, glue the four tabs inside “I would not say I wasbrave. I was curious. Itturns out, in thishouse, those are thesame word.”IN JYOTISHThe third house: valour,siblings, hands, short travels,hearing.III · Sahaja cut fold glue Then slip in one real object that belongs to this house.
IV Sukha HOME · MOTHER HOUSE 4 OF 12 SLEEVE — cut, fold the four creases, glue the flap into a loop G L U EIV · SUKHAHOME · MOTHERIVSukhaHome, mother, where theheart rests. Land,vehicles, comfort.sreebalakrishnan.in/bhavas/#4 TRAY — cut, fold the walls up, glue the four tabs inside “We said yes to thefeeling even before wehad all the facts.”IN JYOTISHThe fourth house: mother, land,home, vehicles — the matters ofthe heart.IV · Sukha cut fold glue Then slip in one real object that belongs to this house.
V Putra CREATIVITY · CHILDREN HOUSE 5 OF 12 SLEEVE — cut, fold the four creases, glue the flap into a loop G L U EV · PUTRACREATIVITY · CHILDRENVPutraChildren, creativity,learning, what you bringinto being.sreebalakrishnan.in/bhavas/#5 TRAY — cut, fold the walls up, glue the four tabs inside “The seed was borrowed;the garden is mine.”IN JYOTISHThe fifth house: children,intellect, mantra, the merit youarrived with.V · Putra cut fold glue Then slip in one real object that belongs to this house.
VI Ari SERVICE · DAILY WORK HOUSE 6 OF 12 SLEEVE — cut, fold the four creases, glue the flap into a loop G L U EVI · ARISERVICE · DAILY WORKVIAriService, daily work,illness, the obstacles youwalk through.sreebalakrishnan.in/bhavas/#6 TRAY — cut, fold the walls up, glue the four tabs inside “If the sixth house hasan enemy, I have methim. He has my face, andhe is very patient.”IN JYOTISHThe sixth house: daily work,service, illness, debt, enemies.VI · Ari cut fold glue Then slip in one real object that belongs to this house.
VII Yuvati PARTNER · TRADE HOUSE 7 OF 12 SLEEVE — cut, fold the four creases, glue the flap into a loop G L U EVII · YUVATIPARTNER · TRADEVIIYuvatiPartner, marriage, trade —the people you standopposite.sreebalakrishnan.in/bhavas/#7 TRAY — cut, fold the walls up, glue the four tabs inside “I feared commitment socompletely that I nevernoticed I had beencommitting for years.”IN JYOTISHThe seventh house: spouse,partnership, trade — thedescendant of the chart.VII · Yuvati cut fold glue Then slip in one real object that belongs to this house.
VIII Randhra TRANSFORMATION · HIDDEN HOUSE 8 OF 12 SLEEVE — cut, fold the four creases, glue the flap into a loop G L U EVIII · RANDHRATRANSFORMATION · HIDDENVIIIRandhraTransformation, hiddenthings, inheritance, whatchanges you.sreebalakrishnan.in/bhavas/#8 TRAY — cut, fold the walls up, glue the four tabs inside “Occult is just theWest’s word for a hiddenpattern. I have beenreading them sincebefore I knew they had aname.”IN JYOTISHThe eighth house: longevity,inheritance, occult, suddenchange.VIII · Randhra cut fold glue Then slip in one real object that belongs to this house.
IX Dharma PURPOSE · TEACHER HOUSE 9 OF 12 SLEEVE — cut, fold the four creases, glue the flap into a loop G L U EIX · DHARMAPURPOSE · TEACHERIXDharmaPurpose, fortune, theteacher, long journeys andpilgrimage.sreebalakrishnan.in/bhavas/#9 TRAY — cut, fold the walls up, glue the four tabs inside “I am a foreigner in anIndian body, in awe ofthe Vedic system I wasborn into.”IN JYOTISHThe ninth house: dharma,fortune, the teacher,pilgrimage.IX · Dharma cut fold glue Then slip in one real object that belongs to this house.
X Karma WORK · PUBLIC HOUSE 10 OF 12 SLEEVE — cut, fold the four creases, glue the flap into a loop G L U EX · KARMAWORK · PUBLICXKarmaWork in the world,profession, publicstanding, the father’spath.sreebalakrishnan.in/bhavas/#10 TRAY — cut, fold the walls up, glue the four tabs inside “Do the work so thequestion doesn’t have tobe asked.”IN JYOTISHThe tenth house: profession,authority, honour, father,public action.X · Karma cut fold glue Then slip in one real object that belongs to this house.
XI Labha GAINS · COMMUNITY HOUSE 11 OF 12 SLEEVE — cut, fold the four creases, glue the flap into a loop G L U EXI · LABHAGAINS · COMMUNITYXILabhaGains, community, elders,the circles that hold you.sreebalakrishnan.in/bhavas/#11 TRAY — cut, fold the walls up, glue the four tabs inside “The people who changethe shape of your lifedon’t always arrivethrough doors youdeliberately open.”IN JYOTISHThe eleventh house: gains,income, elder siblings, friends,community.XI · Labha cut fold glue Then slip in one real object that belongs to this house.
XII Vyaya RELEASE · FOREIGN HOUSE 12 OF 12 SLEEVE — cut, fold the four creases, glue the flap into a loop G L U EXII · VYAYARELEASE · FOREIGNXIIVyayaRelease, foreign lands,retreat, what you let goof.sreebalakrishnan.in/bhavas/#12 TRAY — cut, fold the walls up, glue the four tabs inside “I have been quietlyleaving home my wholelife. It turns out theforeign was where I wasalways headed.”IN JYOTISHThe twelfth house: foreignlands, isolation, moksha —release.XII · Vyaya cut fold glue Then slip in one real object that belongs to this house.