SACRED GEOMETRY
By Janet Cowan
Spring 1999
Sacred geometry is customarily regarded as having one of the following meanings: (a) describing certain shapes that were often used in the design of sacred buildings, such as temples and cathedrals; or (b) having to do with geometric forms that possess elegance or mathematical beauty. This project brings a different focus to these traditional definitions by including a special understanding of the process of creation. The project is a computer-generated color animation video, created using Lightwave 5.6 software, which illustrates the relationships among different geometric patterns regarded as sacred in both ancient and modern teachings. The video shows the evolution of these forms, beginning with the void of formlessness and continuing through the creation of a single point, a sphere, a circle, and a 19-circle pattern called the flower of life. Four of the five Platonic solids are then shown as evolving from the flower of life pattern. The accompanying script describes the metaphysical meanings of the symbols from the viewpoints of several philosophical and religious traditions, focusing mainly on Judeo-Christian and ancient Egyptian teachings. The review of related literature includes the three components of visualization, evolution, and the objects of sacred geometry.