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Post by whistler on Mar 27, 2005 6:02:48 GMT
The Cube is a symbol of much importance in Masonry. The Squares. levels and uprights and their teaching, are all present and embodied in that "Platonic Solid". A Cube is solid square; a square extended in another direction. It symbolises the three dimensions of space in which this material universe is extended. Let a cube be dropped on any level surface. The moment it comes to rest it is automatically the right way up. It does not matter which of its own six surfaces it rests as abase; instantly the remaining five perform those functions for which they are equally qualified, namely, one to be the level top, and four to be perpendicular sides. Each of the Platonic solids manifests something of this quality of balance and regularity but the Cube is the most obvious. The Cube which is the ideally shaped material of which temples, whether real ones, or symbolical and ideal, are built. It is also the fit symbol of the mystic temple, the Mason, whose ideal it should be to always "The right Way Up" to all things. Any thoughts on the cube?
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jmd
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Post by jmd on Mar 27, 2005 12:18:48 GMT
Expand the cube to infinite dimensions, and it is both cube and sphere... and each stands within that point which is equidistant to not only every point on its spherical surface, but likewise each of its vertices and faces.
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Post by whistler on Mar 27, 2005 20:22:39 GMT
Yes JMD Then to students of Kabalah the relationship by number of the "paths" of the Tree of Life, the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and the major trumps of the Tarot - in each case 22 - to the Cube, symbol of space and extension. the 22 constituent parts of the Cube are: Sides or faces 6 Edges 12 Axes 3 Central Meeting point 1 ---- 22 The Three axes of the length, the breadth and the vertical, may also be regarded as the famework, in a very real and vital sense, of the double-cubic-formed Lodge itself
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Post by Hubert (N. Z.) on Mar 27, 2005 20:57:35 GMT
Slice the cube diagonally across its faces from corner to corner, matching all corners to their respective starting points and you end up (the residue) with a perfect tetrahedron. - a four sided solid with equilateral triangle faces of equal length sides and equal angled corners 60/60/60. Place two of these tetrahedrons within one another and you have the merkaba, but that is another philosophy.
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jmd
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Post by jmd on Mar 28, 2005 1:03:56 GMT
I am not sure that the interlaced dual tetrahedral form forms the Chariot, but that would certainly be an interesting topic of discussion, especially as it may relate to the hexagrammatical shape of the Blazing Star in some Lodges (to keep the discussion within due Masonic bounds ). Another transformation of the Cube, and one used by Dürer in his Melancolia I, is by equal slicing off each vertex (corners), until an octahedron results - which is, of course, the dual of the cube.
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ruffashlar
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Post by ruffashlar on Mar 28, 2005 3:09:39 GMT
The Platonic Solids, each indicative of a Classical element (earth, air, fire and water, plus Ether): each form is the Dual of one other, except for the Icosahedron, which is its own Dual. Kepler considered the Planetary Spheres to be in fact complicated concentric interlockings of these Solids. Although why has never been explained.
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jmd
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Post by jmd on Mar 28, 2005 4:32:55 GMT
It is the Tetrahedron that is its own dual. The icosahedron is the dual of the Dedecahedron (I realise this is undoubtedly a typographical error - but thought it important to mention for those coming to read these posts without having worked on them).
The four elements have been correlated to the Platonic solids in various ways, and there is no single tradition.
Kepler also thought that this discovery (and discovery he thought it was) was his most important. If I recall, one of the guiding thoughts behind his 'discovery' was to seek an understanding between the relative distances of the planets, which the Platonic Solids, each within contained spheres, accounted for.
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Agent J
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Post by Agent J on Mar 30, 2005 9:27:34 GMT
I'm nowhere near in your league, chaps, but... I rather like the fact that when the sides of a cube are hinged back and laid flat, it forms a cross.
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Post by plewis66 on Mar 30, 2005 16:13:36 GMT
Kepler originally thought the planetary orbits were related to the Platonic solids, but later gave up his idea. He had dreamt that the heavens were a reflection of the Platonic ideal, but was enough of a scientist to throw his theory out when it didn't work.
He did, in fact, come up with the elliptical orbit scheme, which eliminated the need for epicycles.
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Post by mrmason on Mar 30, 2005 16:50:41 GMT
While the cube is part of the platonic bodies within particularly the English Royal Arch, it also plays a very important role in the Scottish Masonic Knight Templar grade. Not sure however if it is the same in England, but Toye, Kenning and Spencer used to sell minature KT cubes, for about £1.00. As for the symbolism of the cube in the Scottish KT ritual I'm afraid I can't elaborate as it has to do with a very important part of the working.
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ruffashlar
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Post by ruffashlar on Mar 30, 2005 20:32:57 GMT
Bearing in mind the ceremonial of the Royal Arch Mason Degree, think on this alchemical formula:-
V.I.T.R.I.O.L. = Visita Interiora Terrae Rectificando Invenies Occultum Lapidem
"Visit the interior of the Earth: by rectifying [putting right what must be put right], you will find the hidden stone."
Which was a double cube in shape, as was the First Temple.
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Post by a on Mar 30, 2005 20:38:33 GMT
"Visit the interior of the Earth: by rectifying [putting right what must be put right], you will find the hidden stone." Visit your inner self, by working on your deficiencies, you will find Gnosis. It is a formula, which does work, and which can be proven by experiement. Try it.
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ruffashlar
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Post by ruffashlar on Mar 30, 2005 20:42:10 GMT
"Pick a nice day, and try it."
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Post by a on Mar 30, 2005 20:47:30 GMT
A nice day!!!! took me many many thousands of hours to understand this.
Whistler sorry for the digression. Is there any way that this can be related to the cube?
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jmd
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Post by jmd on Mar 31, 2005 8:54:35 GMT
Though Kepler did later discard his perhaps 'most important' discovery, there is an aspect to it which also shaped his very framework - or at least it seems to me. Also, it is interesting that in terms of his careful analysis of De Brahe's observations lead him to first suggest not elliptical, but rather ovoïd shape, which are probably more accurate in any case, but the mathematics for which are far more complex. In terms of the Cube and its relation to VITRIOL, the Greek inscription also points in the same direction: Gnothi Seauton Relating the same to Agent J's comment, the cube, opened, leads to that deep inner sacred space, especially highlighted in the 18th.
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