Patheos

BuddhistCatholicContemplativeEvangelicalGeneral ChristianHinduJewishLatter-day SaintMuslimNew VisionsProgressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Patheos

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube

agora

The Shape and Nature of Energy

Last updated on: January 7, 2015 at 8:46 pm   by Adrian Monogue

The Shape and Nature of Energy 2015-01-07T20:46:30+00:00 Adrian Monogue

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Fusilli pasta lying down by Roger Karlsson. Image via http://www.free-photo-gallery.org/

I recently discovered an article on radio waves that really got me thinking (Here is a more scientific article). It’s a fascinating article about how a simple change in shape of the  wavelength changes exactly what we are able to do with the wavelength and the direct effect of those changes. Basically, the article states that by making an adjustment to how the radio waves are transmitted, they are able to stack more of them on top of one another. Instead of a straight transmission, by adding a spiral to the transmission dish they are able to transmit a greater amount of data.  Essentially, they took a straight piece of pasta and spiraled it like a piece of fusilli pasta (pictured above) instead. I thought that this was a simple but ingenious change. And then it hit me!  EUREKA!!  How would a simple change like this effect energy used within the craft?

There are those that say stuff like Science and Paganism are two entities that don’t really mesh well. I am not one of those. I enjoy using the two devices to prove one another. In fact my favorite definition of magic is from The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. It defines magic as “the Science of the Control of the Secret Forces of Nature”. So this idea opened up a lot of doors for me. I am still imagining all of the possibilities of how altering the way I send forth energy in a cone of power, or a how using a spiral candle vs a straight one might effect the potency or out come of my candle magic. Perhaps a group of people could even mimic the experiment in the article and layer cones of power on top of one another and send them in one single, beautiful, transmission of energy and will. I certainly think it is worth the time to experiment!

And while I began to ponder and pontificate about all the various ways I could use this, I began to wonder something else. Spirals and energies are not such a new concept to Paganism. The Fibonacci sequence creates a spiral (also see  golden spiral) by drawing circular arcs connecting the opposite corners of squares in the Fibonacci tiling. This is also similar to spiral of the nautilus shells. One such example is how I was taught to place my altar within the circle when the altar could not be placed in the exact center, say due to a fire pit or maypole. I was taught that we place the altar within the circle in the  same hemisphere as the dominant magnetic pole (North for Northern Hemisphere, South for Southern.) From there we would work out the golden spiral formula to determine the exact placement of the altar (whenever possible).  This way the altar would intersect the golden spiral within the dominant hemisphere.

After this,  I began to wonder what other shapes with in nature might have a significant impact like the spiral on energy work.  One of the things that I thought was interesting is how plant’s leaves grow in the Fibonacci sequence to better be able to grab and utilize the energy of the sun. I began to look for other shapes and stumbled across the torus and the website of the Thrive movement. Their page about fundamental patterns was very similar to many of the diagrams I had seen drawn for the description of energy patterns within ritual.  The section on fractals seems to mirror the hermetic axiom of “As Above, So Below. As Below, So Above.” even.

It makes sense that the torus shows up at every scale, because we seem to live in a fractal universe. “Fractal” means that the same patterns are repeated at all scales, whether you look through a microscope or a telescope. When you look at a small part of a fractal, it has a similar appearance to its full shape. Mountain ranges, river beds, plants and lightning discharges are familiar examples.

To me, nature is a theophanic representation of the divine. It is a very real and physical manifestation of it.  It speaks to us in the language of symbols which we try and interpret through our faith and the natural sciences. I wonder what we will learn if we keep an open mind willing to hear what nature has to say. After all, symbols are the language of our subconscious.

 

 

Sources:

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/120803-vortex-radio-waves-could-boost-wireless-capacity-infinitely

http://iopscience.iop.org/1367-2630/14/3/033001/article

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibonacci_number

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_spiral

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theophany

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_spiral

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torus

http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/youngnaturalistawards/2011/aidan.html

http://www.thrivemovement.com/the_code-fundamental_pattern

 

 

 

Magic or Magick

Nature

Science and Research

Theology, Ethics, Philosophy

Energy work

Nature

Pagan

Paganism

science and myth

Previous Post



March 7, 2012

Dear Jasmine: Coming out of the Broom Closet

Next Post



March 14, 2012 Framing, Limbaugh, Pagans and Christians


Browse Our Archives

Select a Category A Lakeside Hearth Adventures in Wortcunning Alone In Her Presence Arts, Crafts & Cooking Birthing Hereditary Witchcraft Book of Blackbirds Book Reviews Born-Again Witch Cauldron, Sword, Spear, & Stone Cermony and Liturgy Columns Community Dandelion Seeds Dear Jasmine Druid Thoughts Editor's Picks Everyday Pagan Family & Household Practice Family Traditions Full Frontal Magic Gateway Goddess Guest Articles Happily Heathen Health and Wellness Hearth of Hellenism Heathen Woman Hills of the Horizon History Holidays Horse Goddesses Interfaith Interviews Irish-American Witchcraft Jewish Witch Lamp & Labyrinth Letters from Midgard Literature, Media, Film, Music Loop of Brighid Love, Sex & Relationships Magic or Magick Making Light Naturalistic Traditions Nature News Outside The Circle Pantheisticon Politics Prayers, Poems, Blessings & Stories Queer Femme Mystic Queer of Swords Recipes Ritual and Practice Science and Research Seekers and Guides Seeking the Grail Socially Responsible Magic Spear of Athena Star Made Witch Syncretic Electric Technology The Blooming Staff The Busy Witch The Cartomancer The Crow's Nest The Dance of Pagan Recovery The Hearth of Hellenism The Lady's Quill The Other Side of the Hedge The Path of She The Rantin' Raven The Witches Next Door The Zen Pagan Theology, Ethics, Philosophy Tree City Witch Urban Earthwitch Wayfaring Woman Witch on Fire Wyrd Words

Select a Month January 2026 March 2025 December 2024 June 2024 April 2024 March 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 August 2023 July 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012


Follow Us!

Follow Us on Facebook



TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said, "Even the wind and the waves obey him!"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Jesus' disciples John the Baptist The Roman governor The Pharisees

Related posts from Agora

Pagan

Simple Witchery: To Keep Silent

Agora

Pagan

Simple Witchery: Leaning On The Four Pillars

Agora

Pagan

Simple Witchery: Take Pause

Agora

Pagan

Pergamum Unfurled: Magic with the Greek Gods (Book...

Agora

TRENDING AT PATHEOS Pagan

What do the Gods Look Like?

I was recently chatting with someone on Instagram. She asked me what...

My Blogging Style

While there are many people who share their results, the end of...

The Odyssey

On July 23, I saw Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey which is Homer’s...

Work in progress

As I write this two big events have just finished up. One...

Restoring the Watershed of Divine Love

Perhaps cooperation is not something we manufacture through legislation, ideology, or moral...

Pray Like A UU

Many UUs don’t pray because of bad experiences in a previous religion,...

view all Pagan blogs

Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Copyright 2008-2026, Patheos. All rights reserved.

Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In

Follow Patheos Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube