Sacred geometry

A sacred geometry is a feature of most folk mathematics, many forms of theology, and of some theories of philosophy of mathematics. Typically, such a geometry is deemed to be beyond any algebraic description, and perhaps beyond human comprehension. Geometry as understood in mathematics and as symbolically represented in algebra are thought to be a projection or approximation of the sacred.

Certain naturally occurring shapes and forms are mysteriously pleasing to the human eye; the swirl of the nautilus shell, crystalline mineral formations, patterns found in snowflakes and flowers, and the proportions of the human body. These geometrical forms are the inspiration of sacred geometry, and have been used in the design of many paintings, sculptures, buildings and sacred shrines.

The term "sacred geometry" is used by archaeologists, anthropologists, and geometers to encompass the religious, philosophical, and spiritual beliefs that have sprung up around geometry in various cultures during the course of human history. It is a catch-all term covering Pythagorean geometry and neo-Platonic geometry, as well as the perceived relationships between organic curves and logarithmic curves. Plato's "ideal forms" were one example of this conception.

Other examples of sacred geometry include the Kabbalic Tree of Life, the Buddhist Mandala, Catholic Labyrinth – a feature of some cathedrals, the Chinese Feng Shui, the Golden Mean or Phi, the Pythagorean tetraktys, the endless knot, the vesica piscis, the Taiji, the Taijitu, the Yantra.

See also

• sacred dance
• symmetry
• golden ratio
• harmony
  • sattva

External link

• Mid-Atlantic Geomancy
• Sacred Geometry Home Page by Bruce Rawles
• Sacred Geometry: The Architecture Of The Universe
• Sacred Geometry of Islamic Mosques
• Geometry in Art & Architecture
• Dodecahedron by Jason Martineau

Further reading

• Robert Lawlor. Sacred Geometry: Philosophy and Practice (Art and Imagination). Thames & Hudson, 1989. ISBN 0500810303.