Spiritual Geometry

Sacred Geometry
Geometry is an integral part of our lives. We study it in school in its theoretical form.
After that, we may consider it in patterns we see, in the proportions of buildings, and the
styling of jewelry. But outside of a classroom in high school, you may not have given
geometry much thought. And Sacred Geometry? ost people have never heard of it. !f
that includes you, get ready for a fascinating topic that"s older and more intuitive than
most people reali#e.
Since we"ve e$isted, humans have loo%ed for patterns in nature. We often see it in the
plant world, and early cultures used the geometry of plants to help divine their medicinal
and spiritual &ualities. 'he ten seeds in an apple or pear reveal themselves as two
parallel five(pointed stars when the fruit is cut across its core. 'he wild rose has five
petals. )oneybees ma%e combs, which are composed of perfect he$agons. 'he leaves
of trees present highly comple$ patterns.
'he world is full of naturally occurring geometry. )umans have been learning from this
natural geometry throughout our e$istence and our understanding of it has evolved
alongside civili#ation. *rom the beginning of recorded history, humans have understood
patterns and geometry as sacred. We still understand geometry this way, though it is
often a subconscious %nowledge or intuitive understanding for us.
Art
Artists have always used sacred geometry to describe the spiritual world. 'he simplest
and physically most stable of the geometric shapes is the triangle. 'he triangle is that
point where one dimension, the line, gives way to two dimensions, the plane. 'he
pyramids of ancient +gypt were based on the angles of sunbeams brea%ing through
clouds. 'he triangle and its three dimensional form, the pyramid, illustrated for ancient
+gyptians the permanence of the afterlife, and the constancy of the sun.
,ater, during the -enaissance, the triangle was used as a compositional pattern, with the
head of .hrist or the /irgin as the ape$, and the rest of the body forming the base of the
triangle. Similarly, the circle represents continuity and eternity0 the s&uare represents
solidity, protection, and earthly e$istence. 'his is a rich area for study, and you can find
many e$amples of the symbolism of shapes in the world around you.
andalas
'he mandala is usually associated with +astern religions, primarily )induism, and
Buddhism, although many religions understand and use their power. A mandala is a
circular design, which radiates from a center, li%e the rays of the sun. 'he designs are
often developed as prayers for a particular spiritual outcome. 'hey contain religious
symbols, figures of saints or Bodhisattvas, astrological aspects, and much other
information that is meant to influence physical reality from the spiritual plane.
andalas are also used as a teaching tool to visually place different concepts in relation
to each other. 'hey can be temporary, as the sand mandalas, which Buddhist mon%s
ma%e. 1r they can be permanent paintings, preserved and protected by the faithful.
2uring the process of ma%ing the design, the mon%s maintain a meditative state,
because the very act of creating a mandala is sacred.
South American 2rawings
3ou may have seen the ancient drawings constructed by pre(.olumbians in South
America. 'here is a giant hummingbird that can only be seen from the air. 'here is also
a mon%ey, and several other drawings, simply made of arranged roc%s and earth. 'hey
have e$isted for thousands of years, before humans had the ability to view the earth
from aircraft.
)ow did the artists ma%e these images? What significance did they have to the culture?
Who was their intended audience? 1ne can only thin% the ancients made these
drawings for the gods. 'hey are beautiful things to see, with their straight lines, and
geometric purity, balance, and proportion.
Sacred Geometry in the iddle +ast
Sacred Geometry has maintained its importance in the iddle +ast. +arly in uslim
history, the 4oran forbade realistic images of people and animals, fearing a return to
what they saw as the paganism of past religions. )owever, artists began to use abstract,
geometric patterns to beautify the houses of worship, and to represent the divine pattern
of the cosmos. 'his is why mos&ues have glorious geometric patterns inside and out.
'his is why rugs from the iddle +ast are so beautiful, and instill a sense of peace in the
room where they are placed. 'hey are the modern heirs of ancient Sacred Geometry.
.hristian Sacred Geometry
!n spreading .hristianity, many churches adopted the local Sacred Geometry into their
holy boo%s and buildings. on%s in !reland learned how to ma%e interlacing .eltic
designs, which enriched both their churches and their illuminated manuscripts. 'he
mon%s understood that the patterns were an intuitive e$pression of the wonder and
beauty of the universe, and so they adopted these designs. !f you"ve been raised in the
.hristian tradition, you are probably aware of the meaning of trinity, as both a numerical
and a spiritual e$pression.
!ncorporating Sacred Geometry into 3our ,ife
'he important thing is to respect your own spiritual outloo%. +$plore how patterns and
geometry have influenced your growth and development. Search for the Sacred
Geometry within your own tradition and the traditions of others. 'his is a very rich area
for study, and one, which has the potential to bridge gaps of understanding between
different peoples. ,oo% at your own environment for clues to how Sacred Geometry
wor%s in your own life. !t is a beautiful way to e$perience the 2ivine.
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