A HISTORY OF NUMEROLOGY. by Colin-M Baker and Berenice Benjelloun
|
Colin and Berenice are both graduates
of the Connaissance School of Numerology and members of AIN |
When
mankind first emerged from the animal kingdom, and started the
long journey of the evolution of consciousness, one of the first
conscious activities was to start to count. As man's intelligence
began to expand beyond instinctive behaviour and its boundaries
of the senses, numbers were born. At first this step was very
simple. and just served to differentiate one thing from another
- this is the modus operandi of the number 2, the mind begins
to recognise 'self' as one entity, and 'the other' as a separate
being. We can imagine that once the idea of a 3rd principle came
into play, everything must have expanded at a faster rate, and
gained sophistication. The concept of number and its use at any
point in history can be used to reflect the growth of consciousness
in man. So we have a constant thread which runs through all civilisations
and cultures since the time of the birth of the human kingdom.
The concept of time itself can only be realised by the use of
numbers, and the idea of history as a progression owes its existence
to the idea of measurement.
As we cast our minds back through history we can appreciate the
many different steps that have been taken on the journey-
First the simple practical function of being able to count the
objects, people, or animals, in the tribal system and then also
the rhythms and patterns of the environment itself, such as the
passing seasons, night and day, and the tides of the sea. Once
man could count he could observe these phenomena in a conscious
way, rather than just being an unconscious part of them.
Another step was then taken into the idea of ownership, and this
lead to another use of numbers, which was to measure the land
to differentiate territorial rights. The word GEOMETRY has its
roots is this activity Geo = land, and metry = measurement.
Then the creative use of sound emerged and lead to music, which
is a system of measurement of sound, rhythms and vibrations which
are part of this. Recognition and invention of a scale of measurement
in the form of the musical scale of notes, is a further development.
As we emerged from simple tribal life, numbers gave rise to systems
of all kinds, from the manufacture of utensils for everyday use,
to systems of religious belief. Specific systems of number were
developed for use in esoteric thought as well as in the understanding
of personality and psychological factors and archetypes. These
include those systems developed by the Chaldeans, the Hindus,
the Mayans, the Hebrews (Kabbala) , the Chinese (Book of Changes),
and the work of Pythagorus, amongst others.
All these Systems were originally intended to help understand
the relationship between man and his God, but in many cases were
diluted for Man's own use, for example for everything from health,
wealth, and personal prediction. Many of the systems still tend
to focus on one or other of these aspects, man's relationship
with the cosmos an the one hand, and personal prediction on the
other.
Pythagoras was a Greek master who established a Mystery School
in Italy when he was 52 years old. He was born in Greece and lived
between 582 and 507 BC, much of his life spent in study and travel.
His Mystery School taught esoteric knowledge, which included the
secret of number and vibration. The knowledge was passed down
by word of mouth and a few manuscripts. The academic teaching
rested on a foundation of Mathematics, Music and Astronomy. Much
of Pythagoras' background in Egyptian philosophy and religion
was based upon Number and Kabbalistic principle. He postulated
that the triangle was particularly important, as it was the first
complete shape, and constituted a blueprint. Thus form is preceded
by a blueprint, and each stage of this process is measured through
numbers, hence nothing exists without numbers.
Pythagoras was also responsible for a major change in music. He
invented the seven tone diatonic scale with the eighth note as
octave above the root or first note of the scale. This enabled
music to become more diverse, and some forms to be used in healing.
During this period Astrology and Astronomy were taught as one
subject. Pythagoras developed what he had learned from the Chaldeans
by surmising how the movement of the planets related to the mathematical
principles of the musical scale, and that the planets make sounds
when they move, hence the music of the spheres.
Pythagoras did not invent numerology, but took it to a new level.
For individuals he predicted the future, using their names and
dates of birth, though this was not his primary interest in the
subject.
This is a very brief look at both
Pythagoras, and Numerology more broadly, and fascinating though
it is, we are increasingly involved in the cutting edge development
of the subject being undertaken in places such as the Connaissance
School where numbers are seen as living, dynamic energy systems,
accessed primarily through intuition.
