Http://www.carlosmartorell.net/map

— Ursula K. Le Guin, from “A Rant About ‘Technology’”

The Musica Universalis (Harmony of the Spheres) - Ratios of Orbital Distance and Orbital Periods. Musica Universalis (Music of the Spheres) is an Ancient Philosophical concept that regards Proportions in the movements of Celestial bodies of the Sun and Planets as a Form of Musica (the Medieval Latin name for Music). This “Music” is not literally Audible, but a Harmonic and Mathematical relationship between our Star and it’s Satellites. This design is inspired by theory and writings taken from Johannes Kepler’s “Mysterium Cosmographicum” (The Secret of the Universe) where he explored the relationships of Harmonies in our Solar System and sought to uncover the “Music” therein. In this graphic, the Circles represent Orbital Resonance, which occurs when two Planets have an Orbit that are a simple Integer Ratio of each other. For example, consider the Orbits of Earth and Venus (8 : 13), which means the two Planets arrive at almost the same position after 8 Earth Orbits and 13 Venus Orbits. The underlying Circles represent relationships of Orbital Distance as calculated from each Planets semi-minor Axis - which is the shortest length in a Planets elliptical Orbit around the Sun. What is most striking, is that the mirrored structure that arises in the semi-minor Axis between: - the first and last for Planets (both 4:1) - the last and first Planets (both 25 : 1) - and the fourth Planets as counted in from the 1st and last (25 : 4) - Mars from Mercury, and Saturn from Pluto In this view of the semi-minor and Orbital Resonaces overlaid, the whole Solar System takes on the appearance of a carefully Mathematically Balanced ballet of Harmonic Relationships and shared Proportions. In some instances the Ratios and Relationships depicted here are reputed to be very accurate (in terms of Cosmological distances which are vast) coming close to 99.8%.

I Just Heard the Universe Sigh, Shana Tugbert, 1976

The basic tenets of alchemy:

1. The universe has a divine origin. The cosmos is an emanation of One God. Therefore All is One.

2. Everything in the physical world exists by virtue of the Law of Polarity or Duality. Any idea can be defined in relation to its opposite, such as: male-female, light-dark, sun-moon, spirit-body, and so on.

3. Everything in the physical world is composed of Spirit, Soul, and Body: the Three Alchemic Principles. (In alchemy, these are called Mercury, Sulfur, and Salt.)

4. All alchemical work, whether practical laboratory work or spiritual alchemy, consists of three basic evolutionary processes: separation, purification, and recombination.

5. All matter is composed of four archetypal energies—the four elements of Fire (thermal energy), Water (liquid), Air (gas), and Earth (solid). The knowledge and skillful use of these four energy types is an essential part of alchemical work.

6. The Quintessence, or “Fifth essence,” is contained within the four elements but is not one of them. It is one of the three essential Principles, also called the Philosophic Mercury.

7. Everything moves toward its preordained state of perfection.

Israel Regardie, The Philosopher’s Stone: Spiritual Alchemy, Psychology, and Ritual Magic

Wire Mother

Rudy Rucker, Geometry, Relativity, and the Fourth Dimension

The very notion of culture is an artifact created by bracketing Nature off. Cultures — different or universal — do not exist, any more than Nature does. There are only natures-cultures, and these offer the only possible basis for comparison. As soon as we take practices of mediation as well as practices of purification into account, we discover that the moderns do not separate humans from nonhumans any more than the totally superimpose signs and things.

[…] Absolute relativism presupposes cultures that are separate and incommensurable and cannot be ordered in any hierarchy; there is no use talking about it, since it brackets off Nature. As for cultural relativism, which is more subtle, Nature comes into play, but in order to exist it does not presuppose any scientific work, any society, any construction, any mobilization, any network.

—Bruno Latour, We Have Never Been Modern

Place: the Harmonic Palace, a Bardic College research facility