Poemander

Zero is the origin of all. Zero is a fundamental and irrefutable truth that contains all. All things are numbers and they all belong in zero. It has no shape, no reference point, yet it is the beginning of every coordinate. It is best depicted by circle with the undefined centre and thus the undefined diameter. Being boundless it has no size while containing every probability. All probabilities combined translate into a certainty of an absolute. Occupying such an encompassing domain, zero is not concerned with logic and proof for which numbers exist; therefore, zero is not a number. It is not affected by numbers: divide or multiply and it remains a zero, instead, like a black hole it consumes numbers big or small. Yet, bring it into the logic of numbers as a placeholder, and zero continues to transpire its might by infinitely magnifying or diminishing any number.

For something to appear you need a point of reference; however, a point is undefinably small or large, boundless, just like a zero. This hints to an idea how everything comes from zero – through a point of reference. But one point is not enough, you need at least the two for any kind of manifestation; one cannot provide reference without the other. For this reason, one on its own too is not a number. One needs two to become a number. One is a distance between point one and point two. Thus, one is depicted in Chinese and Indus Valley (Arabic) numericals by a straight line which allegorically means unity, a unit. Zero too is a unity but of an undefined unit. The difference between the one and the zero is what the difference is between the straight line and a curve, between the Euclidian and non-Euclidean geometry; the former is the manifestation of the later within a locality, or as a two dimensional representation of a spherical distance. Hence the need for a diameter, or a straight line – to represent. One is the representation of zero, like the diameter is the representation of a circle. For this reason, pi is inherently undefined as there is no direct connection between two completely different realities of a circle and a straight line, the reality of potential and the world of representations, the world of numbers. Zero is all numbers latent. One is zero manifest. One is a crowned king of the phenomenal world, it rules and declares, just like the diameter declares the size of a circle, but it needs a cohort, one is powerless on its own, it is meaningless on its own: ever thought of why king only moves one step in the game of chess? Because it is confined in one step, one move, one state, one kingdom, one world. Dividing or multiplying by one has no effect on original number, but is essential to holding their values intact.

Two refers to the polarities, opposites, twins. Two points of reference is the minimum required in obtaining the coordinate. Without the two everything is a unity where there is no need for any reference. Only when you have the two, you can compare, refer, analyze. Without the two no thought process is possible. Unity is mindless because any thought would collapse onto itself with no distance to run. Number two opens this distance, opens polarity. Therefore, number two metaphorically, is the beginning of the world as we know it: it is a marriage of Uranus, the sky, and Gaia, the earth. Number two is the dualistic quality of our reality with the pairs of opposites, which upon merging become unity. Ancients knew it too well: yin and yan, as above so below, cause and effect – among the few ways to explain the so-called opposing forces as truly a quality of one. If you dwell on one side, you are still bound by the requisites of the other, in other words, you cannot have the right without the left, the up without the down, justice without injustice, god without devil; it is nonsense to imagine one without the other. Number two is a prerequisite of sense, order, reason.

Number three is a deeper dimension of number two. It is the insight that opens a third dimension in the otherwise flat reality of the opposites. Not surprisingly, three was always associated with the intuition, insight, luck. You'll find many stories about the three brothers or the three sisters with the third always being the luckiest, the most genuine. Three has a penetrating quality of the fire with the triangle itself bearing the association with the fiery element. Starting from the ground fire is burning upwards, so is number three, rooted in reason and logic of the two, it shoots upward opening a new perspective, not by negating the logical axioms, but by offering the higher altitudes of the established principles.

Where three is the representation of space consisting of three dimensions, four is the representation of time. Since the end of the golden age, time has greater power than space, hence is the higher numerical hierarchy. Being a dimension itself, time also has a four-dimensional structure. It goes in circles, or more accurately completes a quadrant. Thus the cycle of four seasons, four yugas, four stages of life: growth, maturity, decline, death. Chinese know too well that four is death because four is a completed cycle, or the forth corner of a quadrant. This may sound at first somewhat counterintuitive, but four cardinal directions also originate from the concept of time which has an imprint on land measures (think of latitudes and longitudes measured in minutes), nautical mile, for instance, spans one minute of the latitude; meter, imperial foot and many other linear measurements are directly derived from the circumferential measurements and the arch-minutes of the dimensions of Earth. This is especially evident if you consider that square is a face of the hexahedron which relates to the earth element. Also, only quadrangle gives the sum of angles of three hundred sixty degrees which are used to measure earth's circumference or any cyclical phenomena, including time, for this matter . Four horsemen of apocalypse similarly represent time or the unstoppable eras of growth – the conquest, maturity – war, decline – famine and death. The lamb of god is the number three preceding the next four open seals of time. The unopened three seals are the unrealized and yet latent dimensions of numbers eight, nine and ten. Therefore, the lamb of god is the representation of the three-dimensional space, whereas the four horsemen unleash one by one the four dimensions of time making it all together seven, or the universe as we know it. The three remaining seals are still dormant possibilities of the universe on which we can hardly even speculate in our present state.

Cross too relates to the realm of four dividing the circle in four equal parts it symbolizes the cyclical nature of time, the merging of the end and the beginning, the greater order of the universe. These are the pagan crosses. Christian cross, however, is very different; it relates to number six (6 faces of a flattened cube). it has an inbuilt imbalance with the displaced central point, necessitating a second center and the two circles for a tangent fit. It is in fact the crux of our time symbolizing the distorted perception of reality. You can fit it in a parallelogram but not in a circle. If you circumscribe each plank you will end up with two inscribed circles smaller inside the larger bordering on one side. They form a crescent and a little cross or a star with the striking resemblance to the Islamic symbol. Not surprisingly, both are traced to the Abrahamic and earlier Mesopotamian tradition with the cubic symbolism relating to Saturn and it's hexagram (2-dimensional cube). Thus far it goes, but it resides in duality where the Christian symbol gets stuck not offering any further outlet in contrast to a symmetrical pagan cross which harmonizes itself with the square of phenomena and the circle of the world of noumena.

Five is the number of man, or a human as we now are obliged saying to preclude the misinterpretation of the word so simple. This obligation I, however, am prepared to neglect not out of disregard to the better half of humanity but out of impossibility to following every whim and demand of the increasingly impatient subjects. So, being above the three and the four, man has a rule over three-dimensional space, yet is locked within the layers of time. Man has created numerous machines to move about the three dimensional space, but has failed to come up with anything suitable for time-travel. The reason being, man is lacking the overview of time like he has of the space. Man, as he is, cannot disintegrate himself from the whirlpool of time in order to obtain his bearings. For time-travel, the same technique is not suitable, it requires a different kind of vehicle, and man is too clumsy in his present state to fit into this vehicle.

However, it would be incorrect to say that man has absolutely no control over the time: interlocked with the space, time is not separate from the first three dimensions of existence, so there is multitude of situations where people can experience the distortions of time flow within their 'normal' parameters. Just take air travel: one can depart eastward with the sunset and arrive to another destination at sunrise of the next day after only have travelled for a few hours, whereas those left at home are still asleep in their beds; alternatively you depart westward, at sunrise, to arrive after some good ten hours of travel with the same sunrise in a completely different destination – now tell me if this is not a time-travel? Number five is potential, like a glass half full or half empty. So is man having potential in the order of cosmic hierarchy. Vitruvian man is a clear representation of a perfect match between the human body and the geometry of the square and the circle. Square, the earth element and is the 'framework' where man is a 'cross'. Circle is a universe where man is a pentagram, or a 'star', the quintessence (5th element) and the aether, so to say.

Six is insight and intuition, like three, but on a deeper level – mirror reflection. Depicted with the two inverted triangles, six harmonizes and magnifies the dualistic quality of number two and the sharp perspective of number three (3 X 2). Properties of number six are seeming almost magical from the height of the five. Six is halfway through the dimensions of time and thus can transcend layers impenetrable to preliminary numbers. For its extrasensory abilities it is associated with the third eye or the sixth chakra. Six also means wisdom for its ability to merging the opposites. Man, on level five, is capable of reaching out to his surrounding numbers, four and six.

Seven is the crown of our world, it sits atop the time and the space. Man has no reach to it; therefore, being also the seventh chakra, it is depicted above the head. Anyone reaching for it must have abandoned the personality and the human attributes altogether. For this matter it was mentioned that a camel may pass through the eye of a needle but 'rich man' will not enter the kingdom: seven is this kingdom and the 'rich man' is any man or woman 'rich' with possession of human's ego or personality. Camel, may have loads of carriage and the humps, but the animal hasn't got the ego thus not burdened with a particular shape and will pass through the 'gateless gate'. Seven, similarly to number three, is associated with luck, but on a higher level and rightly so because luck is beyond reach of the mind. You can use reason to deduce chance by understanding the probabilities, but you cannot use reason to deduce luck. A cube has six sides, yet seven is necessary to complete the structure of a manifested world and if you roll two standard dice, the combination of seven has the greatest probability of any number despite seven by itself doesn't exist on any individual face of the dice. Seven notes, seven colors, seven classical planets, seven days of the week, seven heavens, seven archangels, seven roman numeral glyphs, the list can go on: all relate to an accomplished structure!

Deviating slightly from the topic, I should mention that the above structure is carefully preserved by number one hundred thirty seven as the mathematical reciprocal of fine structure constant. No matter which measure you use, this constant reveals itself throughout the known and unknown universe, from the atomic valencies to the speed of light. One hindered thirty seven is a physical limit of the universe just about on any level of beingness. Not surprisingly, this number seems to 'hold' the universe together with 'one' being the principal of manifestation, or active versus latent; 'three' is the three-dimensional space containing 'fire' or the 'incipient spirit'; 'seven' is an accomplished sequence containing three dimensions of space and four dimensions of time. Eight and nine are outside of known and unknown universes in the realms still latent, thus 137 is itself a complete measure and all encompassing constant of our world. This constant does not expand or contract until (or from) it is 'introduced' to the realms of eight and nine. Those realms, however, are outside of our universe in space and/or time. They lie dormant in the depths of black holes and outside of the big bang.

It is rather pointless trying to expand on the eight and the nine, nevertheless:

Eight is associated with the continuum, infinity and thus with the transcendence. It is above space-time, yet it is still based in duality. Eight immortals of Chinese lore are resonating with the same concept of the infinity of the eight. Mortal or finite forms can only reach seven at their highest. Interestingly enough, the story of a Snow White and the seven gnomes can very well be based on this Chinese legend, meaning nothing less, but an initiation into realm of immortality and the transcendence of the eight.

Nine is inaccessible altogether even on subjective plane. It is an absolute in numerical form, so to speak. Having such a fine and potent structure, nine esoterically, not only transcends matter, but in fact touches the divine. Add all numerals 1 to 8 and you get 36, which itself is 9 (3+6). Take a sum of angles from any polygonal and you can divide it by 9 ( for instance 4 X 90 degrees of a square gives 360, which is divisible by 9, same with any other polygon). In essence, 9 belongs to the objective realm of a circle, achieving absolute singularity across any plane or form. In layman terms, eight is infinity and nine is absolute.