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Article OST THE SYMBOLISM OF THE EQUILATERAL TRI... ← Page 5 of 7 →
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Ost The Symbolism Of The Equilateral Tri...
merely the material element , but the central fire , or principle of vivification . The double triangle wias the symbol of the physician , the purifier or trajasniuter of the earthy and corporeal into the celestial and spiritual form . This employment of the symbol poiuts to the cosmogonie system of the Pythagoreans , who placed the central fire , lana tov ttuvtoq , the principles of all life , in the centre of the universe : and this central fire was itself the universal soul , the
selfexistent , eternal cause of all things . It is unnecessary to enter at any length into the subject of the Pythagorean doctrine of numbers , the very leading statement of which- —viz ., that numbers have a real existence- —is so difficult of comprehension . It is sufficient for our purpose to show that the
equilateral triangle , considered as an emblem of the Deity , represents in numbers neither 3 , 6 , nor any product of 6 , but the number 10 . This was universally lield by the ancients to be * the most perfect number , containing in itself all other numbers , of which it was the circle and completion . It is a triangular numb er , and wben its units are disposed in an equilateral triangle , each side of the
triangle is 4 . The number 4 was held by the Pythagoreans in peculiai ? esteem , as a perfect number , containing in itself all other numbers ; for 2 + 2 and 3 + 1 are = 4 ; and 4 + 1 ¦ . " .== ; 6 ; 4 + 2 = 6 , & c . The decad , or 10 , which contains the sum of the four first numbers , 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10 ,- was said to comprehend all musical and arithmetical proportions , and to be the most perfect boundary of number One of the sayings attributed to Pythagoras was , " Know ye not that 1 , 2 , 3 , and 4 , are 10 , and our oath ?"
The fact that , in the harmonic system of the Pythagoreans and those who follow their views respecting the harmonies of numbers ( that is , the whole body of the ancient philosophers ) , the decad , or number 10 , was disposed so as to represent an equilateral triangle whose side Avas equal to 4—and that the equilateral triangle was the symbol of the various properties belonging to the decad—disposes of the supposed connection between the equilateral triangle and the number 666 ; as between this latter number and the decad there is WV / .. * / ^ ~ - ~
«^ V * X ^ W * ~ , « ^ V , W ,, V ~ X * w «* M .,, . WVJ . *^ ^ ~ no harmony of proportion . It remains to inquire whether the triangle of three equal sides can be held to have represented the notion of a triune divinity . The units of the decad , placed in the form of an equilateral triangle , necessarily have one unit at the apex , two in the next place , then three , and four at the base . These numbers , so disposed ,
represented : —1 , the monas—the self-existent , the cause and source of all emanation ; 2 , the dtmd—the logos , or intellect , the first manifestation of the monas ; 3 , the triad , the demiurgnis , or creative power * , and 4 , the hosmos , or manifestation of forms in the universe—universal
nature : and the whole together forming the decad , or 10 , the most perfect number , which contains all the unities in itself , and is itself equal to 1 , the Great Cause into which everything returns and resolves itself . The same idea is visible in the Eabbinical philosophy ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Ost The Symbolism Of The Equilateral Tri...
merely the material element , but the central fire , or principle of vivification . The double triangle wias the symbol of the physician , the purifier or trajasniuter of the earthy and corporeal into the celestial and spiritual form . This employment of the symbol poiuts to the cosmogonie system of the Pythagoreans , who placed the central fire , lana tov ttuvtoq , the principles of all life , in the centre of the universe : and this central fire was itself the universal soul , the
selfexistent , eternal cause of all things . It is unnecessary to enter at any length into the subject of the Pythagorean doctrine of numbers , the very leading statement of which- —viz ., that numbers have a real existence- —is so difficult of comprehension . It is sufficient for our purpose to show that the
equilateral triangle , considered as an emblem of the Deity , represents in numbers neither 3 , 6 , nor any product of 6 , but the number 10 . This was universally lield by the ancients to be * the most perfect number , containing in itself all other numbers , of which it was the circle and completion . It is a triangular numb er , and wben its units are disposed in an equilateral triangle , each side of the
triangle is 4 . The number 4 was held by the Pythagoreans in peculiai ? esteem , as a perfect number , containing in itself all other numbers ; for 2 + 2 and 3 + 1 are = 4 ; and 4 + 1 ¦ . " .== ; 6 ; 4 + 2 = 6 , & c . The decad , or 10 , which contains the sum of the four first numbers , 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10 ,- was said to comprehend all musical and arithmetical proportions , and to be the most perfect boundary of number One of the sayings attributed to Pythagoras was , " Know ye not that 1 , 2 , 3 , and 4 , are 10 , and our oath ?"
The fact that , in the harmonic system of the Pythagoreans and those who follow their views respecting the harmonies of numbers ( that is , the whole body of the ancient philosophers ) , the decad , or number 10 , was disposed so as to represent an equilateral triangle whose side Avas equal to 4—and that the equilateral triangle was the symbol of the various properties belonging to the decad—disposes of the supposed connection between the equilateral triangle and the number 666 ; as between this latter number and the decad there is WV / .. * / ^ ~ - ~
«^ V * X ^ W * ~ , « ^ V , W ,, V ~ X * w «* M .,, . WVJ . *^ ^ ~ no harmony of proportion . It remains to inquire whether the triangle of three equal sides can be held to have represented the notion of a triune divinity . The units of the decad , placed in the form of an equilateral triangle , necessarily have one unit at the apex , two in the next place , then three , and four at the base . These numbers , so disposed ,
represented : —1 , the monas—the self-existent , the cause and source of all emanation ; 2 , the dtmd—the logos , or intellect , the first manifestation of the monas ; 3 , the triad , the demiurgnis , or creative power * , and 4 , the hosmos , or manifestation of forms in the universe—universal
nature : and the whole together forming the decad , or 10 , the most perfect number , which contains all the unities in itself , and is itself equal to 1 , the Great Cause into which everything returns and resolves itself . The same idea is visible in the Eabbinical philosophy ,