Sacred geometry is a school of thought that can help us tap into a higher level of consciousness than many of us experience in our day-to-day lives. Through shapes, patterns, and symbols, sacred geometry teaches us about a divine blueprint for the creation and workings of the Universe.
In this post, weāll explore the fascinating world of sacred geometry, from its shapes, patterns, and symbols to how it appears in nature, science, and spirituality to how we can use it in our daily lives.
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“And while I stood there, I saw more than I can tell, and I understood more than I saw. For I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being.”
ā Black Elk, Oglala Lakota Medicine Man1
The riddle of sacred geometry is that it helps us to imagine something that we, as humans, canāt fully fathom.
Through the study of sacred geometry shapes, patterns, and concepts, we have a way to comprehend the metaphysical Universe.
In essence, sacred geometry uses forms and patterns to describe things that are actually formless, so we humans can envision higher states of consciousness.
As sacred geometry master Richard Heath wrote in his book Sacred Geometry ā Language of the Angels:
āThis planetary role of angels is related to the emerging destiny of human beings, whose minds hardly comprehend the scope of the enterprise they are within.ā
Essentially, there is a universal consciousness. Some describe it as God. Others describe it as Source Energy, a Higher Power, Universal Will, or Universal Wisdom. Yet, while many of us have a sense of this, itās still very mysterious to us. And some people understand it so little that they insist it doesnāt exist at all.
Long before modern scientific theory, ancient people knew this energy existed. Then and now, when we humans try to describe this Source Energy, we know that itās practically indescribable.
Spiritual teacher Wayne Dyer explained it this way in his book Change Your Thoughts – Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao:
āThe Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The Tao is both named and nameless.ā
Or, as the 19th century philosopher SĆøren Kierkegaard said,
āIf you name me, you negate me. By giving me a name, a label, you negate all the other things I could possibly be.ā
And while the āgreat unknownā is a mystery to us, when we study sacred geometry, we can raise our level of awareness, or consciousness, to a greater understanding of this divine force.
Here are some key ideas that describe important principles of sacred geometry:
Before we go into more detail about sacred geometry concepts, I thought you might be curious about where the words in the term come from. I donāt know the exact origins of the term āsacred geometryā (and I couldnāt find it in my research.) However, we do know that the word “geometry” comes from the Greek words: geo, which means Earth, and metria, which means measurement.
The āsacredā part of the full term refers to the belief that these measurements, or patterns, are divinely created.
While the āgeoā part of sacred geometry refers to the Earth, the principles of sacred geometry relate to not only the Earth but also the Universe at large.
āGod forever geometrizes.ā
ā Plato
As part of a universal framework, certain shapes and patterns can help us to understand higher spiritual dimensions.
The ancient Greeks studied and theorized extensively about how mathematics and geometry could teach us how the Universe works. In fact, they described one set of shapes as the building blocks for all of existence.
The shapes are called the Platonic Solids and theyāre named for 5th century BCE philosopher Plato, who taught his followers about these shapes and what they represented.
The ancient Greeks believed that geometry and mathematics were intrinsic to the nature of reality. And they looked for physical forms to describe metaphysical concepts.
They believed that five elements made up the world, and that each of them was represented by a shape, or solid, which they called the five Platonic Solids. Here are the five Platonic Solids and what they represent:
| Platonic Solid Shape | Name | # of Faces | Corresponding Element | Symbolic Meaning |
 | Tetrahedron | 4 | Fire | Creativity, energy, passion, action |
 | Hexahedron, or Cube | 6 | Earth | Solidity, stability, grounding, the material world, physical manifestation |
 | Octahedron | 8 | Air | Movement, expansion, intellect, communication |
 | Dodecahedron | 12 | Ether | Metaphysical energy, mystery, the harmony of the cosmos, the Creator, chi, ki, prana |
 | Icosahedron | 20 | Water | Change, fluidity, emotions, intuition |
Images: Jovan Cormac.
You can read more about the Platonic Solids in my dedicated post on the topic here.
The Greeks described the Platonic Solids as the building blocks of the Universe. However, they believed the eight-sided octahedron was the first shape that a divine creator used to build the world.
According to their stories, the gods, or the divine Creator, formed the octahedron, which represented air. The Creator then spun it like a top. As the shape spun, a sphere was formed, which held the consciousness of the Creator.
The Creator then made a second sphere, which intersected with the first.2
These two interconnected spheres are foundational in understanding important sacred geometry concepts and symbols. Essentially, the two intersecting spheres represent origination and then expansion, or growth.
When illustrating the two spheres as a two-dimensional drawing, they are depicted in a symbol called the Vesica Piscis. (The term is Latin and it translates to āfish bladderā in English.) This leads us to the topic of sacred geometry symbolsā¦
Represented by two intersecting symbols, the Vesica Piscis is a sacred geometry symbol that appears in both the natural and human-made worlds. Here are a few examples (and Iāll go into more details on these in a separate post on this topic later.):
Thus, the Vesica Piscis is an example of a sacred geometry symbol that helps us to imagine higher metaphysical concepts, such as creation and expansion.
Another foundational symbol in sacred geometry is the Seed of Life. The theory is that the Creator spun more octahedrons into spheres, which interconnected with the others.
Hereās an illustrative concept of how the Seed of Life was formed:
Represented as a two-dimensional drawing, the Seed of Life is composed of seven interconnected circles.
The number 7 is notable because it appears in our lives in many important ways. (You can read more about these in my dedicated post on the Seed of Life.) Essentially, the number 7 represents completion and perfection.
For example, there are seven pitches in a diatonic musical scale: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. After the note G, the scale begins again.
Another notable example of how the number 7 appears is in the story of creation in the Bible in the Book of Genesis. According to the story, the Creator made the world in seven days.3
So, the Seed of Life symbol teaches us about creation, creativity, completion, and perfection.
Another sacred geometry symbol is the Egg of Life. Like the Seed of Life, the Egg of Life is also composed of seven circles. In some cases, the circles are represented as intersecting. In other depictions, they touch without intersecting.
As the name implies, the Egg of Life also symbolizes origination and creation.
Growing in complexity, next we have the Fruit of Life symbol. Composed of 13 circles, the Fruit of Life represents ascension.
For example, in music, a chromatic scale has 12 notes. After those 12 notes, the scale repeats but at a higher frequency.
In essence, the Fruit of Life teaches us about raising our frequency, or vibration, to connect to higher dimensions.
As it simultaneously repeats and ascends, it also teaches us about spiritual growth, transformation, and rebirth.
In the collection of interviews between world-renowned mythologist Joseph Campbell and journalist Bill Moyers, The Power of Myth, Campbell explains the mystical meaning of the number 13:
āThe number thirteen is the number of transformation and rebirth. At the Last Supper, there were twelve apostles and one Christ, who was going to die and be reborn. Thirteen is the number of getting out of the field of the bounds of twelve and into the transcendent.ā4
Perhaps the most well-known sacred geometry symbol is the Flower of Life, which contains the previous symbols mentioned. In fact, many people are drawn to the Flower of Life, finding it beautiful.
Indeed, the symbol has appeared in cultures around the world for centuries. Perhaps we humans are drawn to the Flower of Life because it reflects our own creation and our place in the web of life and the Universe.
Historians theorize that Leonard da Vinciās iconic drawing of the Vitruvian Man illustrates this concept: that the Flower of Life symbol teaches us that we humans are an integral part of this Universe. Some believe that da Vinci based his Vitruvian Man drawing on the symbol.
The Vitruvian Man illustration also incorporates a square overlapping a circle. The theory is that da Vinci wanted to depict the idea that human beings bridge the gap between the physical world, represented by the square, and the spiritual, or metaphysical, world, represented by the circle.
Used as a basis for the Vitruvian Man drawing, the Flower of Life symbol demonstrates that human beingsā proportions are in harmony with the building blocks of the Universe. In other words, we are also the product of intelligent design.
The Flower of Life symbol teaches us about another fundamental concept. Yes, we humans are here, in our own forms, or bodies. This enables us to have self-awareness and independence and for our souls to evolve. But the fact that there are 19 circles in the Flower of Life teaches us something else.
Looking at it from a numerology standpoint, when we add the 1 and 9 together in 19, the sum is 10. When broken down further, the number is 1. The number 1 reminds us at once of our independence, or our free will. Yet, it also reminds us that we are still part of a whole, or a “oneness.” We are in union with all that is.
You can read more about the Flower of Life in my dedicated post on that topic.
The Tree of Life is another significant symbol in sacred geometry. It represents our interconnectedness between the spiritual and physical worlds, and it is contained within the Flower of Life.
The Tree of Life symbol embodies the 10 Sefirot in the Kabbalah, an ancient form of Jewish mysticism. The Sefirot represents 10 channels of spiritual practice as well as divine life force in the body.
In this way, the Sefirot are like the chakras. The keter, which means crown in Hebrew, is the crown chakra, or the first energy center, which is just above our heads.
As a sacred geometry symbol, the Tree of Life represents our own energetic field and how it is integrated with the energetic field of the Universe. While our bodies are material forms, there is an energetic field within us that transcends beyond this third dimension (the material world) and connects with higher dimensions.
Now that weāve covered some fundamental shapes and symbols in sacred geometry, there are some other sacred geometry shapes that have profound implications:
The torus is most often described as a donut shape. However, what it represents is far from mundane. Physicists and mathematicians study toroidal shapes, which appear throughout nature and the Universe, because of their special properties. For one, the torus form can simultaneously expand and contract in an infinite closed loop.
Torus shapes appear in magnetic fields, galaxies, and whirlpools. Physicists study them in quantum physics, fluid dynamics, black holes, and how energy flows.
There are some theories that the Universe is not in a continuous state of expansion but rather it’s simultaneously expanding and contracting like a torus in motion. You can read more about this in my dedicated post on the torus.
In sacred geometry, one way to describe a torus is that it’s a sphere that has a vortex at the top and bottom, with energy flowing through it as through a channel. This channel is in the shape of a hyperbola. Despite the energy flowing through it, the torus maintains its structural integrity.
A physical symbol that’s in the form of a hyperbola is the Holy Grail. The Grail is essentially a metaphor for the body of Jesus Christ. The theory is that Jesus is the channel through which the energy of God flows and then radiates outward, expanding in all directions, as from a sphere.
In essence, we are all like the channel within a torus. We can receive positive energy from higher dimensions and radiate it outward. In addition to envisioning putting positive energy into the world, this concept can be helpful in healing visualizations.
Another important sacred geometry symbol is the Merkaba. The Merkaba shape is composed of two interlocking tetrahedrons ā one pointing down and one pointing up.
The name Merkaba comes from Hebrew, in which it means āchariotā or āvehicle.ā Notably, in the Book of Ezekiel, the prophet Ezekiel describes a heavenly chariot.5
As a sacred geometry shape, the pyramid is an energy charger. It absorbs and then transmits energy. So, the Merkaba is like a double charger, which both absorbs and transmits energy.
The Merkaba represents the duality of energy to and from the physical and metaphysical worlds. So, it symbolizes our own ability to receive and give energy.
As its name implies, it represents a vehicle or our way to travel to and from the material, 3D dimension to other, higher spiritual dimensions. In essence, the Merkaba can be described as a soul vehicle.
Metatronās Cube is a sacred geometry shape thatās named for the archangel Metraton. He is mentioned in the Jewish religious text the Talmud and is recognized by Jews, Muslims, Christians, and other people of faith. Metraton is described as a messenger and scribe for God.
The sacred geometry shape thatās named for Metatron is composed of 13 equally-sized circles that are interconnected. As in the Fruit of Life, the number 13 is significant because it represents God, or the Higher Power.
Metatronās Cube embodies other fundamental sacred geometry shapes, as well as sacred geometry numerical patterns, which weāll go into below.
In essence, Metatronās Cube represents messages and guidance from angels (or enlightened beings) and your Higher Power. It also signifies Universal Will, protection, and other important qualities. You can read more about this in my dedicated post on Metatronās Cube.
There are other important shapes and symbols in sacred geometry that have profound concepts to teach us, such as the triangle, square, circle, Star of David, pentagram, cross, and others, but this is becoming a very long article, so I will cover those in future posts!
Certain mathematical patterns also help us to understand the sacred geometric blueprint, which then helps us to envision the energy patterns of higher dimensions. Here are some examples:
The Golden Ratio is a mathematical formula that is manifested throughout the natural world as well as in human-made structures, such as art and architecture.
In mathematics, the Golden Ratio is an irrational number that is approximately equal to 1.618. In other words, itās a ratio of 1 to approximately 1.618.
A Golden Ratio occurs when you add two unequal numbers together, and the sum of those two numbers has a ratio of 1.618 to 1 when that sum is compared to the larger of the first two numbers.
The relationship of the two parts in the Golden Ratio has special properties that many people consider beautiful and balanced. For example, it appears in the bloom of a rose and in seashells. And art historians believe that Leonardo da Vinci applied it to his painting of the iconic beauty the Mona Lisa.
You can read more about the Golden Ratio in my post about the Golden Ratio in sacred geometry.
The Golden Ratio is closely related to another mathematical pattern that appears in sacred geometry, which is the Fibonacci Sequence.
Discovered by the Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci in the early 13th century, the Fibonacci Sequence describes a sequence of numbers in which each number in the sequence equals the sum of the two preceding numbers: 0 + 1 = 1, then 1 + 1 = 2, 1 + 2 = 3, and so on. Notably, the sequence goes as follows: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, and continues infinitely.
As you progress in the Fibonacci Sequence, the ratio of the two consecutive numbers increasingly approaches the relationship of the numbers in the Golden Ratio: 1.618.
Like the Golden Ratio, the Fibonacci Sequence has beautiful representations in nature, where it appears in spiral patterns, such as in galaxies, a nautilus shell, the curling tail of a seahorse or a chameleon, the face of a sunflower, and many other ways.
The presence of the Golden Ratio and the Fibonacci Sequence suggest a harmonious order to the Universe.
Itās worth noting that the spiral is another important symbol in sacred geometry. (And I promise to cover this one in detail too!) It represents the idea of something small growing and expanding in a logarithmic fashion.
An example of this on Earth is a social movement that starts small and then gains momentum. We can also view it as a symbol of our own evolution. As living beings, we become more enlightened and we help others to become more enlightened. They, in turn, help even more people become enlightened, as so on.
Fractals are geometric shapes that, when split, produce smaller versions of the original shape.
Physicists study fractals to understand and model complex, irregular patterns and structures in nature and the Universe, which cannot be described by traditional geometry or science. They also study them to explore the properties of chaos and nonlinear systems in the Universe.
Because fractals split and create smaller versions of the original, on a symbolic level, they represent a microcosm that is a mirror reflection of the macrocosm.
Fractals are dynamic and chaotic. And yet, within them, we recognize patterns, which many people find beautiful. From Buddhist statues to psychedelic artwork, many people are mesmerized by fractals.
In fact, one type of fractal, called Mandelbrot fractals, has been described as the āthumbprint of God.ā When they are turned a certain way, they look like a representation of Buddha.6
Fractals are yet another sacred geometry concept that reminds us of the divinity that flows through our Universe as well as our intuitive understanding of it.
In fact, fractals teach us a profound concept that not only are we part of the Universe but that it is in each and every one of us. In essence, you are the āUā in Universe:
“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.”
ā Chief Seattle
Another fundamental concept in sacred geometry is the understanding of a universal framework that is like a web or net that connects everything in the Universe but that can also separate the physical and metaphysical worlds.
Hindus and Buddhists describe this concept as Indraās Net. According to Hindu mythology, the god Indra cast a giant net over the cosmos, which helped to maintain order.
At each node, or vertex, in the net is a jewel or a drop of dew with a mirror-like surface that reflects all of the other jewels or droplets.
In Hindu and Buddhist beliefs, the Net is a metaphor for the interconnectedness of the Universe, including our place within it. Some describe the nodes in the Net as spirit cores, or souls. While separate, each spirit core affects all of the others.
Another example of how ancient societies were well aware of higher planes of existence, the ancient Egyptians also wrote about a cosmic net of which everything was a part and which also separated the physical and metaphysical worlds. In ancient Egyptian society, Netters were trained and enlightened people who could move freely āthrough the net,ā or between these worlds.7
You can read more about this in my dedicated post about Indraās Jeweled Net.
“A human being is a part of the whole, called by us āUniverse,ā a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.
Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.”
ā Albert Einstein8
In modern physics, we are beginning to understand that what we previously thought of as empty space, or dark matter, is actually not nothing. Albert Einstein discovered that there are properties to this ānothingnessā and that it contains an unimaginable amount of energy.
We have also come to understand that this dark matter and dark energy is connected to everything else in our Universe. We donāt fully understand dimensions above those of space and time. However, physics theories, such as quantum physics and string theory, lead us to believe that higher dimensions exist, even if we donāt fully understand them yet from a scientific perspective.9
In addition, the scientist Nikolai Tesla, who studied Eastern traditions, understood that there is an invisible energetic field that runs through everything.
In the study of cymatics, which is the science of visualizing audio frequencies, the physicist and musician Ernst Chladni discovered that vibrations cause physical matter to organize itself, or to create geometrical forms.
Chiadni discovered that certain vibrations created distinct patterns. For example, vibrational patterns created forms that resembled a tortoise shell, a leopardās spots, and grooves and curves that resembled the surface of a human brain or coral.
Water, in particular, is highly susceptible to vibration. As plants, animals, and we humans are primarily made of water, we are also affected by vibrations.10
Thus, vibrations, or waves, have played an important role in the development of physical matter in the Universe, including us.
There is a saying that āMusic heals.ā We can see how sound healing techniques can actually have an effect on our bodies and minds.
As well, we can understand how creating vibrations, even from thought waves in our minds, can have an impact on the matter and energetic fields around us.
Itās important to mention that our own planet as well as the countless others in the Universe are part of this vast geometrical framework.
Ancient cultures, from the Egyptians to the Mesoamericans, Europeans, Asians, and many others understood geometric relationships between the Earth, the sun, the moon, and stars. And they built spiritual temples and other structures according to their understanding of power spots on Earth and invisible energy grids.
The topic of sacred geometry in architectural structures is a huge topic in and of itself, so Iāll have to save that for another post!
Even the study of astrology is based on geometrical relationships. While itās considered a silly pseudo science to many, when studying sacred geometry, itās easy to understand why so many people are intrigued with the topic.
āThe goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the Universe, to match your nature with Nature.ā
ā Joseph Campbell
Sacred geometry is vividly manifested in the natural world in countless ways. Through self-organizing and adaptive processes, nature finds efficient ways to thrive and exist, and in ways that we often find fascinating and beautiful. For example, we see sacred geometry in nature in:
All life on Earth and formations in our Universe carry geometric codes that exhibit the interconnectedness of everything.
Some might say ā Thatās just science, it has nothing to do with divinity. But if we can agree that everything in the Universe is connected, and we can agree that love is a more powerful force than hate, perhaps thatās all we need to know.
āStop acting so small. You are the Universe in ecstatic motion.ā
ā Rumi
Sacred geometry teaches us that energy is the source of all physical manifestation and that vibrational energy can influence physical matter. In this way, we can imagine how our own thoughts have the power to influence outcomes.
Concentrating on certain sacred geometry shapes and symbols, such as imagining or drawing them, can help to focus the mind, deepen your meditative state, and align yourself harmoniously with higher dimensions in the Universe. In fact, those who use the geometric designs in mandalas and Sri Yantras (which Iāll cover in another post) utilize them for the same purpose.
Training the mind and adjusting your brain waves to move into more meditative states takes practice. However, understanding that there are higher dimensions of consciousness, which sacred geometry teaches us about, is a great way to start tapping into the unlimited potential of your own mind. (I will go into more detail about how sacred geometry can be used in meditation and manifestation in a future post!)
Studying the shapes, symbols, and patterns in sacred geometry can provide us with a pathway to higher consciousness and spiritual awakening.
As we align ourselves with the natural rhythms of the Universe, we can experience greater harmony and balance in our lives. This can also empower us further to contribute positively to the world.
Hello. Thanks for visiting UniGuide. My name is Kristen and I started UniGuide as a tribute to nature, animals, and spiritual exploration. I hope you enjoy your experience here!
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2 Responses
thanks for this clear intro to sacred geometry
You are welcome, Thanks for visiting!