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.