If pattern is the logic of our intuition and fractals are our language then shapes are perhaps the words that make up that language. Each and every shape you see around you conveys information because each shape is one way for things to be joined. The alignment of how we join with others, or with the world around us, can tell us a lot about what is going on.
Stop and think about this for a moment. You’ll realise you have a sense of what I mean even if you haven’t got the words for it (though I hope this blog will give you some of words to put to your innate understanding). Here are some basic shapes and some of the empathic, rather than mathematical, information they convey. Stop and consider each of these shapes, especially your reaction to them. Fractals are created from basic shapes repeated over and over again. By considering the basic shapes and what they convey you can begin to understand a little more of what each fractal is saying, and so your intuition can take that one step closer towards being conscious intuition.
A straight line – joins two things together in a direct way. It is stable, clear and direct but it is also static.
A triangle is more interesting as it introduces a third element. This third element could be either stabilising or destabilising, depending on the relationship. It opens up a line to new possibilities.
You can think of a heart-shape as a special kind of triangle. Two of the corners are curved as they draw towards each other, rather than pointed, and the third remains as it would in the triangle. What does this suggest to you? That the closeness of the first two points allows the energy of the third to express itself in new ways?
Squares are seen rarely in nature. This in itself is interesting as it is the one shape we humans reproduce over and over again – along with its cousin, the rectangle. Squares are a ‘grown up’ version of the straight line. They hold each corner in a static relationship. Perhaps this is why we like them. They give the sense that we know what’s going on, but squares are so rare in nature that it reminds me of how we’ve recently realised that, for all of our science, we’ve only been studying about five percent of the Universe. We’re not even sure where the other ninety-five percent of the Universe is and what it’s made up from. We may like squares but they’re not that natural. You may think immediately of cliffs but they’re usually so eroded they’re not true squares. The only true square in nature I can think of is the pyrite crystal. Interesting that pyrite is called ‘fool’s gold’ and that gold has been regarded for centuries as both a symbol and a holder of value. Perhaps it’s time for us to realise that static relationships hold, at best, only fleeting value?
Circles are far more common in nature than squares. They have both a centre as well as a diameter, which allows them to have an outward, radiant expression while maintaining the core of themselves. Circles cover every angle and so come closest of the linear shapes to the connectivity of true consciousness. In sacred geometry the circle is considered to be the most powerful and complete shape.
Spirals are a special kind of circle. It’s more of a curve, and an open curve at that. It’s a curve in which every revolution is larger than the one before. The exact relationship of each curve to the previous one is ruled by the Fibonacci sequence, a kind of mathematical fractal, so naturally this is a shape we enjoy at Fractology. Consider what the spiral suggests. Each revolution is more expansion than the one before yet the centre is always maintained. This shape is a wonderful visual expression of the process of true personal and spiritual growth.
There are more shapes, and definitely more complex shapes that are made up of combinations of these basic shapes. Yet when you begin to consider each shape and what it means, what it supports and what it doesn’t, it will help your intuition become more conscious. Spend a little time each day looking around you and observe what shapes there are in your environment. What does that tell you about where you are?
Sacred geometry grew out of the study of the basic kinds of shapes I’ve been talking about here. The understanding of fractals came from topology, the study of shapes. Fractology is a further development of that as it enables us to understand the pattern-based logic of our intuition. As you observe how you respond to the shapes that make up your day you’re building a foundation for your intuition to grow.
