The Geometry of Nature – Sacred Geometry
“Mathematics is the alphabet with which God
has written the universe.”
Galileo
Discover the underlying power of geometric patterns in our new blog series. In this first part, we will guide you through some the building blocks of sacred geometry and explain the spiritual meanings behind them. In the upcoming articles, we will introduce some of the more complex geometrical structures.
Square wave is a unique piece of kinetic design inspired by the Fibonacci sequence, the basic structure that is the makeup of every living thing. Ivan Black takes inspiration from nature for his art and utilizes simple forms to create something magical. This is how sacred geometry works: it uses the power of simple shapes and turns them into aesthetically pleasing patterns, in the same way as a Square Wave sculpture turns and catapults into mesmerizing structures while in motion.
Our brain is hardwired to prefer these patterns in nature and our eyes tend to gravitate or rest on proportions which are the essential rules of sacred geometry. These pleasing patterns create a reaction to beauty in our minds. To understand how these patterns are so mesmerizing and why they are interpreted as powerful, we must first have a look at the foundational forms at the base of these structures.
Circle - The Wholeness
Circles are the most common shapes found in nature and therefore they have an extensive meaning varying from culture to culture. It is a powerful symbol of wholeness and unity, but according to some beliefs, it also means divine energy. A circle is without sides or corners
and this geometric shape send signals about oneness, life, and continuity like no other form.
Why is the circle the perfect shape
The circle in itself is just the outer expression of its center. The center point from which every point of the circumference is at the same distance from the middle. This middle means beginnings and the circle itself is the effect. We know that this middle point is key to draw a circle, it is the core that everything surrounds to. Circle is a perpetual symbol without end or beginning, like the cycle of life. The middle point signifies God, the beginning of everything.
Something that is very fascinating about circles is that all other geometric shapes can be determined from a circle with the use of a compass and a straight edge. Therefore patterns that are based on circles are endless and so are circles infinite in the meaning.
In nature, we see circles not only as a shape, but there is a cycle of everything. We breathe in cycles, the nature lives through circles, even time goes on in circles. Circles are truly fascinating to study and are the center focus of alchemic symbolism.
Square - the Stability
A square is all about firm foundations and it is the symbol of stability. The four sides relate to materiality in meaning, and it also reminds us of objects often found in nature, such as the four poles, or the number of seasons, but it is even found in the four Aristotelian elements of natural power: water, earth, wind and fire. In religion, it often has similar meanings to the cross symbol, although squares enclose a volume, which makes them ever more solid.
Squares often represent a start of a plan and a square foundation can provide a solid base to many structures: it has fixed straight lines that show a lack of being flexible. Architectural blueprints are usually squares or rectangles.
A square can also symbolize settling down. Throughout history, nomadic folk would wander around and set up their temporary dwellings as spheric tepees or tents. Once they began to settle down and form villages, they started thinking in terms of structures made of squares for their permanent buildings. In Buddhism and in the eastern religions, the square represents the physical plane, the Earth. Stupas represent the spirit of an enlightened Buddha and are always built on square foundations because they are more sturdy and solid to build on.
“GOD GEOMETRIES CONTINUALLY”
PLATO
Golden Ratio - The formula of perfection
A square is all about firm foundations and it is the symbol of stability. The four sides relate to materiality in meaning, and it also reminds us of objects often found in nature, such as the four poles, or the number of seasons, but it is even found in the four Aristotelian elements of natural power: water, earth, wind and fire. In religion, it often has similar meanings to the cross symbol, although squares enclose a volume, which makes them ever more solid.
Squares often represent a start of a plan and a square foundation can provide a solid base to many structures: it has fixed straight lines that show a lack of being flexible. Architectural blueprints are usually squares or rectangles.
There is something that ancient Greek architecture, Renaissance paintings, Beethoven’s Fifth or the Twitter logo have in common: the golden mean is an important rule in art and design from the early ages onward. It’s almost a subconscious attraction to things that are following the golden ratio, but it is not merely an aesthetic value. The golden mean is inherent in everything from seashells to even the shape of sound waves: it is deeply woven into the patterns of nature. Although the sequence was described by Fibonacci, Greek architect Philiad studied the ‘phi’centuries earlier to create the perfectly constructed facade of the Parthenon.
The Golden Mean, or ‘Phi’, as Mathematicians call it, is the ratio between number pairs in the Fibonacci series. When a line is divided into two parts and the longer part(a) is divided by the smaller part(b), is equal to the sum of (a) + (b) divided by (a), which both equal 1.618. This is the Golden ratio that appears in science, mathematics, art and architecture.
Some think that the golden ratio is evidence that nature is inherently perfect, and that when mankind strays away from the natural law, sickness and imbalance occur. We know since the age of Da Vinci’s drawings that the human body also illustrates the divine ratio. What they recently discovered though, is that our body is based on the golden proportion at an atomic level, in fact: it makes up the pattern that life itself is programmed on: the DNA molecule shape is also based on the additive rule of the Fibonacci numbers. Knowing this, makes it easy to imagine why every living thing in the world is showing this pattern on a visible scale and beyond. The golden means it is a phenomenon without beginning or an end. It is a geometric code that makes our world an infinite universe.
It is fascinating how the organic shapes in nature are made with mathematical precision. By understanding the laws that the universe is built upon, it is not hard to see how geometric and organic reaches together. Mathematics is a magical source of inspiration; logic can unleash creativity in us. The two sides of the brain work in perfect symbiosis. (in case you were wondering or had any doubts: the golden ratio is also found in the human skull and in our brains!).
Make sure to follow our blog and read the upcoming articles in which we will discuss the
history of geometria sacra, and learn more about complex sacred patterns.
