Index: The qualities of the Logoi in the Menorah (Part 1) - ‘In the Form of the Symbol the Truth is revealed’ – - The Monochord and the Harmony of the Spheres of the Pythagorean School
The qualities of the Logoi of the Menorah – Part 1
The mind of man is not allowed to understand much of the (spiritual) qualities of the Seven Lives that rule the Solar System, represented in this great Luminary of the Temple.
The reason is also that, as we have said before, every symbolism in the Temple is revealed by its exterior form, in the sense that it hides it twice.
Many people already knew what we have said so far, but I would like to explain the concept for the lesser Brothers; I ask the more advanced Brothers to be patient.
‘In the Form of the Symbol the Truth is revealed’.
There was never a sentence taken from the Temple that caused so much chaos in profane minds.
The form that manifests a symbol is within easy reach of the physical senses of those who appeal to it; nevertheless we know what turmoil of contrasting interpretations this simple operation stirs up in the mind of the ordinary man, for the lack of real interpretative references connected to the whole Tradition. And by whole we mean the complex of Traditions in eastern and western languages, up to reaching the intermediate Point where the two are summed up and synthesized in a unique language, understandable by only one man: the Initiate.
He will have access to the first two keys for interpretation. The first is connected to the form itself of symbol or concept, whilst the second is linked to the esoteric interpretation of the first key, which we could call the psychological key, using a modern term. At this point we could say that we have reached the truth hidden in the symbol. Nevertheless, knowing that the first veil hides another meaning (revealed) we should carry out another operation first.
In the three-dimensional development of any Form we will perceive the meanings of the inner Space. The invisible Geometry (occult) hidden inside the Form of the Symbol. The Soul of the Symbol (of the Geometry of the Symbol) is the Number, and it can be considered a musical note or Sound (occult). Every fundamental Sound manifests a chromatic quality (the occult color of the Forms) just like any Color manifests a characteristic (psychic Aspect reacting to that energy).
This is the Sacred Science that, connected to the Sound, manifests the Numbers; the latter manifest the Colors of the Geometry of every Form.
In a later article we will study the development of a symbol, the Pentalpha, from the Form to the Sound in Man. This example should make all we have said so far clearer.
I think it is likely that any researcher can have access to the Initiatory process through work, patience and intelligence, applying what we have mentioned above. I also believe that it can be achieved in the area of concepts, viz. in the construction of thought-Forms. I will give some reference for those who would like to deal with this issue.
By studying every (any) thought we reach the Home (the Archetype) of the Father.
With the example given we will be able to appreciate ‘infinitely’ the value of this argument and to understand; indeed we will not study it further and we couldn’t anyway inside the present discussion.
By using the same procedure of the previous investigation on symbols, we will conclude that the thought developed by the concrete mind of man, as articulated as it can be, will only have two-dimensional characteristics, even the musical ones.
This is what artists or mystics call inspiration; it leads the afflatus of the thought of the Ego to the concrete thought, obtaining the natural three-dimensional aspectthat, in its inner Space, leads from imagination to the true originality of the creative thought.
If a man had the advantage of working on the advanced plane of the mental abstract plane, he would obtain, via this first natural afflatus of the Ego, the power of synthesis, which in esoteric language is translated figuratively with ‘the Light in the Mind’. If the mind is Man still separated in himself, the Light is certainly the Ego or Soul of the Man that tends to join what is still separated in the matter.
The concept of synthesis is incomprehensible for the language of the concrete mental plane, which mistakenly translates it with the concept of ‘short resume’ of what has been said, thought, heard or seen.
If man wanted to grasp the real value of this first natural afflatus of the Ego on the abstract mind, he would consider it as the bud of the Ars Pontificia on the Plane of the Real Mind. The vertical expansion (in the metaphysical or super-mundane plane) of the Bridge leads him, segment after segment and with a gradual limitation of the use of obtuseness of the lower instruments, to achieve the Rainbow Bridge that we have already met with Mercury.
If we wanted to create a motto for ourselves, both writer and reader, we could say: the Path that leads ‘from intuition to pure Intellect’.
In the habit for the three dimensions of thought, man will be able to grasp the custom to sense the presence of finite thoughts and their qualities through the spontaneous use of the inner senses. Sight, Touch, Taste, Smell and Hearing become organs of perception much more ductile than their ‘brothers’ on the physical plane and able, moreover, to project themselves far from the point of physical presence into more and more qualified ‘Bridges’.
For the moment we will stop here, but we will go back to the topic of Mind and Psyche when, at the end of the treaty, we will visit the three occult instruments of the Master Initiated to the White Freemasonry. The first of them is indeed the use of the occult abilities of the Psyche; in the most esoteric interpretation is the Masonic Compass.
Now I hope that we will be able to fully understand the true meaning of what the Initiate Plato stated in his education of the most advanced disciples.
Plato said: by focusing in seeing (method of inner visualization) the Polar Star at the center of your chest (the Cardiac Center seat of the Intellect) you will be able to understand the mysteries of the Universe.
This is the exemplary demonstration of the use of the Ars Pontificia in the Initiate.
As far as he was concerned, the Initiate Pythagoras educated his disciples, among the rest, to the science of the silent (Inner) sound, which he called the Harmony of the Spheres (of the planetary Logoi). With the use of the Monochord he was able to let them understand the Sounds of Universal Harmonics. When we will deal with the esoteric development of the Pentalpha we will also talk about this.
I am aware that neither Harmonics nor the Monochord are topics suitable to this treaty, but I think that it is important at least to take note of their existence; this way we will be able to refer to it when, either together or individually, we will reach it.
The Monochord and the Harmony of the Spheres of the Pythagorean School
Very little has been passed on from the Pythagorean School after its destruction and the persecution of its Adepts. If we ignore what has been told by some disciples expelled from the Order and then gathered in the Alexandrine School, all that’s left of the esoteric part is the use of the Monochord. As I have extensively shown in a previous work of mine see First Roll), sound-color and light are elements of a unique body that manifests itself through Vibration and Motion, in the matter as well as in the universe.
The Musical Pyramid and the Ratio of Fibonacci, just to mention two among the elements presented in that work, demonstrate precisely the interactions between the energies manifested by any kind of material and immaterial Form, of which sound-light and color are the first constituting elements.
For the moment we must only acknowledge this topic, to prevent us from having a dangerous gap in our templar culture. In order to do this I selected five images; the first is taken from Stanley’s Of the History of Phylosophy, the other four from Fludd’s De Musica Mundana, from the studies of the Philosophical Research Society, Los Angeles, California, managed by the illustrious researcher Bro. Manly P. Hall.
In this first image, Stanley shows the intervals and harmonies of the Pythagorean concept of Music of the Spheres. The interval between the Earth and the sphere of the fixed stars must be considered (although inappropriately) as a diapason, the most perfect harmonious interval.
The diagram shows the frequencies of the intervals represented by the Planets, between Earth and fixed stars.
Between the sphere of the Earth and the sphere of the Moon there is a tone. Between the sphere of the Moon and that of Mercury a semitone. Between Mercury and Venus a semitone. Between the sphere of Venus and the Sun a tone and half. Between the Sun and up to Mars a tone. Between Mars and Jupiter a semitone. From Jupiter up to the sphere of Saturn a semitone and the same interval of a semitone between Saturn and the fixed stars (of the Ursa Major).
The sum of these intervals equals the six complete tones of the octave.
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In his De Musica Mundana, which this second image is taken from, Fludds expresses the Harmonies of the Super-Mundane Monochord in the sound of 15 spheres of energy. From the eternal One Life to the seven Sacred Planets, up to the four elements of the matter in the 15 planes of the two Pyramids of the being.
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Here is the Super-Mundane Monochord in its proportions and intervals.
With this diagram Fludd shows the theory of Universal Music. The interval between the elements of the Earth and the highest sky is considered as the double octave. The lowest octave of the highest sky is emanated with the Sun; the lowest octave of the Sun is emanated with the earth.
Therefore Sun and Earth vibrate on the same octave but on different tones.
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Of the theory of Elemental Music, this fourth diagram shows the harmonious relation between the four primary elements and Pythagoras’ Harmonics. We must point out that the motion of the sonorous wave always forms a sinusoid.
This is another diagram where the Author shows the harmonious intervals in the relation of the four elements. |
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The meaning of these images appears to have no immediate use for the Brother. In actual fact the wish is that they remain fixed in his memory and then be re-discovered at the time when, at a later stage of His instruction, he will touch what the profane people call Lost Sound and he will then be able to immediately put it in the right place, in the Masonic Temple.
At the moment, the book universally and exoterically recognized as the most advanced text on the subject is the ‘Leherbuck der Harmonik’ (Science of Harmonics, Note of the Translator) by Hans Kaiser.
To all the Brothers that don’t want to wait for another work on esoteric harmonics but instead want to deal crucially with the topic of Relations within and between the three worlds, I strongly suggest that they turn to the Works of Synergetic Mathematics by R. Buckminster Fuller, a proper ‘bible’ on the matter. 
