The Alchemical Canvas

Redefining Strategic Planning Through Esoteric Metaphors in Dynamic Entrepreneurship

Abstract

In an era of accelerating market volatility and complexity, conventional strategic tools such as the Business Model Canvas (BMC), Design Thinking (DT), and the Lean Startup (LS) framework have reached epistemological and practical limits. While these rational approaches provide descriptive clarity and iterative rigor, they often collapse under the weight of uncertainty, leading to what this paper identifies as the Static Trap and Ritual Trap—a failure of dynamic intentionality and psychological coherence in entrepreneurial decision-making.

                To address these limitations, this study introduces The Alchemical Canvas, a novel conceptual framework that redefines strategic planning through esoteric metaphors. Drawing from Gareth Morgan’s theory of organizational metaphors and Jungian archetypal psychology, the framework integrates three symbolic instruments: The Grimoire (organization by intent), The Sigil (concentration of strategic intent), and The Magnum Opus (transformative endurance). Together, they provide a lexicon for cultivating systemic coherence, radical clarity, and psychological resilience within organizations navigating chaos and transformation.

                The Alchemical Canvas proposes a paradigmatic shift from rational description to symbolic prescription, emphasizing manifestation over iteration and transformation over optimization. By operationalizing dynamic capabilities through metaphorical logic, this paper contributes to the emerging intersection of neuroentrepreneurship, symbolic management, and strategic cognition. The study concludes that integrating symbolic and esoteric thinking into strategic management offers a more sustainable model for organizational evolution in conditions of extreme uncertainty.

Full Article: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17351850