Well isn't that something! And once again, we discover a shared coincidence connecting us both to the figures that we chose for our Geomancy sites. I feel like we've been here before. :-)
Regardless of the ultimate truth of the origins of Geomancy, I find it quite amazing that-- as long as one looks at one hemisphere at a time, at least-- a Geomancy chart doesn't just resemble a tetractys. Mathematically speaking, each half IS a tetractys, with the Witnesses each being a top point. It's just that the three figures per tetractys which are not traditionally included in a geomancy chart are the ones mathematically superfluous to the end calculation of the tetractyses' point. *IF* that's the origin of Geomancy, it's quite reasonable that they would get cut out for the sake of simplification.
At the very least, it's a rock-solid answer to the Geomancy beginner's question of "Why don't you add Mothers 2 & 3 also?" But it might mean much more than that.
(I must admit I'm still sore at JMG's response. He'd gotten several Magic Monday questions over the years asking if there was any relationship between the tetractys and Geomancy. I actually demonstrated an actual mathematical equivalence... and he said all I did was insert a whole bunch of extra figures.)
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Regardless of the ultimate truth of the origins of Geomancy, I find it quite amazing that-- as long as one looks at one hemisphere at a time, at least-- a Geomancy chart doesn't just resemble a tetractys. Mathematically speaking, each half IS a tetractys, with the Witnesses each being a top point. It's just that the three figures per tetractys which are not traditionally included in a geomancy chart are the ones mathematically superfluous to the end calculation of the tetractyses' point. *IF* that's the origin of Geomancy, it's quite reasonable that they would get cut out for the sake of simplification.
At the very least, it's a rock-solid answer to the Geomancy beginner's question of "Why don't you add Mothers 2 & 3 also?" But it might mean much more than that.
(I must admit I'm still sore at JMG's response. He'd gotten several Magic Monday questions over the years asking if there was any relationship between the tetractys and Geomancy. I actually demonstrated an actual mathematical equivalence... and he said all I did was insert a whole bunch of extra figures.)