Q I Am the One that Becomes Two, I Am the Two that Becomes Four, I Am the Four that Becomes Eight, After that, I Become One Again

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Alenda Lux Ubi Orta Libertas, translated from Latin meaning “Let Learning Be Cherished Where Liberty Has Arisen"

A point, a line, a plane, a solid; a fundmental principle of geometry.

Ashlar rough and Ashlar perfect are not just two pieces of stone but a clear representation of what we’ve and what we hope to be. They symbolize Man’s moral and spiritual life.

Ashlars are a representation of the very beautiful symbol. The rough and perfect ashlars bear the same relation to each other as ignorance does to knowledge, death to life, and light to the darkness. Ashlar rough (rude, natural stone), which masonically, is a symbol of men’s natural state of ignorance and a symbol of the profane world. Ashlar perfect is already prepared (hewed, squared, polished and smooth) and as such it’s used in the building. It’s a symbol of the state of perfection attained by means of education.

In essence, in Freemasonry, it means that by means of education and the acquirement of knowledge, a man, who begins as Rough Ashlar (an imperfect stone) improves the state of his spiritual and moral being and becomes like Perfect Ashlar and makes the final journey to the Grand Lodge Above. He may leave behind a reputation as a wise counselor, a pillar of strength and stability, a Perfect Ashlar on which younger Masons may test the correctness and value of their own contribution to the Masonic order.

Ashlar etymology

The word is attested in Middle English and derives from the Old French aisselier, from the Latin axilla, a diminutive of axis, meaning "plank". "Clene hewen ashler" often occurs in medieval documents; this means tooled or finely worked, in contradistinction to rough-axed faces.

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The Chinese word "Pu" is often translated as "the uncarved block," and refers to a state of pure potential which is the primordial condition of the mind before the arising of experience. The Taoist concept of Pu points to perception without prejudice, i.e. beyond dualistic distinctions such as right/wrong, good/bad, black/white, beautiful/ugly. It is a state of mental unity which places the Taoist practitioner into alignment with the ​Tao.​​

The principle of Pu had political overtones at some points in Chineses history. During the Warring States period (485 to 221 BCE), for example, in opposition to the Confucianist championing of intrusive manipulative government, as represented by the elaborate carving of jade into intricate shapes, early Taoists championed the idea of a simple, hands-off "uncarved block of wood" approach to government. Closely connected to this was the idea of Wu Wei--effective action through non-action. To Taoists, good government and ethical life involved not exercising human willpower over one's self and others, but in quiet acquiescence to the power of the Tao.

Reninger, Elizabeth. "A Definition the Term "Pu" in Taoism." Learn Religions, Jan. 1, 2021, learnreligions.com/definition-of-pu-3182628.

Terminology

Pu can be written with either of the variant Chinese characters 樸 or 朴, which are linguistically complex.

Characters

Both 樸 and 朴 are classified as radical-phonetic characters, combining the semantically significant "tree" radical 木 (commonly used for writing names of trees and wooden objects) with the phonetic indicators pu 菐 or bu 卜.

The Chinese character pu 樸 was first recorded on Chinese bronze inscriptions from the Spring and Autumn period (771-476 BCE), and the character pu 朴 was first recorded in Chinese classics from the Warring States period (475-221 BCE).

When the People's Republic of China promulgated simplified Chinese characters in 1956, the established variant pu 朴 (with 6 strokes) was chosen to replace the traditional Chinese character pu 樸 (with 16 strokes).

One of the two (c. 168 BCE) Mawangdui silk manuscript versions of the Daodejing, discovered in 1973 by archeologists excavating a tomb, uses a rare textual variant character for pu 樸: wò 楃 "a house tent (esp. with a wooden roof)", written with the "tree radical" and wu 屋 "room; house" phonetic. The "B" text, like the received version, uses pu 樸 8 times in 6 chapters; the "A" text uses wò 楃 6 times in 4 chapters and has lacunae in chapters 19 and 57. The (c. 121 CE) Shuowen jiezi defines wo 楃 as muzhang 木帳 "wood canopy", and the (early 3rd century) Guangya defines it as choumu 幬幕 "curtain; cover". These variant words pú - *phrôk 樸 "unworked wood" and wò - *ʔôk 楃 "house tent" are semantically and phonologically dissimilar.

Pu_(Taoism) Wikipedia

PU TAO - PTAH

BU DAO - BUDDA

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Thrice-Greatest Hermes, Vol. 1, by G.R.S. Mead, [1906], at sacred-texts.com

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Rough translation (from French):

It is Pétamôn, himself, who tells us: "I am one which becomes two, I am)) TWO which becomes four, I am four which becomes eight, I am one after that,)) I am Khopri in Hait-berborou, I am Osiris in Khonit, I am Hâpi begotten)) of Phtah, I am this creator Râ, father of Shouî Give me, give me, Aries »jumper, give me that no evil assails the body of TOsiris. . . Petamon. Some points are doubtful in the translation, which relates to aa / wna daîni, where I see the form m ^ with the W, equivalent of n? ^, And the | -m ^, where Ton could translate: A / W ^^ A C_l y ^ l ^ û i ^^ - ^ "I am ONE in his of him" which is by itself this force which maintains the life and the power of the gods. The only issue I want to draw attention to is digital progression. It was a question of identifying the deceased with the ennëade conceived as formed of the ogdoade plus one. One who becomes two, it is Rà who has drawn from himself, by the process we know, the Shou-Tafnouit couple. Two which becomes four, it is the production of the four male gods who support the world, Heh, Naou, Kakou, Amonou, and which are engendered by the separation of Sibou and Nouît at the moment when Shou separates the sky and the earth which are the result of Sibou and Nouît. Four which becomes eight, it is the duplication of these four characters in couples, Hehou-Heliit, Naou-Naouit, Kakou-Kakouit, Amon-Amaunit. Finally, one who comes after him, that is to say after four who IS EIGHT, is the supreme leader, the one who, being added to Togdoade, transforms her into an ennead, that is to say the god Amonrâ of Tlièbes, in which are summed up all the gods listed below, Khopri, Osiris, Hâpi, Râ, the ram of Amun and Osiris.

Q the Shinto deities Izanagi and Izanami, Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi and Susanoo, and the Left and Right Eye

Izanagi and Izanami, (Japanese: “He Who Invites” and “She Who Invites”) in full Izanagi no Mikoto and Izanami no Mikoto, the central deities (kami) in the Japanese creation myth. They were the eighth pair of brother-and-sister gods to appear after heaven and earth separated out of chaos. By standing on the floating bridge of heaven and stirring the primeval ocean with a heavenly jeweled spear, they created the first landmass.

The two decided that they wished to unite—often interpreted as marriage—but their first attempt at sexual union resulted in a deformed child, Hiruko (“Leech Child,” known in later Shintō mythology as the god Ebisu), and they set him adrift in a boat. Attributing the mistake to a ritual error on the part of Izanami, who, as a woman, should never have spoken first, they began again and produced numerous islands and deities. In the act of giving birth to the fire god, Kagutsuchi (or Homusubi), Izanami was fatally burned and went to Yomi, the land of darkness. The grief-stricken Izanagi followed her there, but she had eaten the food of that place and could not leave. She became angry when he lit a fire and saw her rotting and covered with maggots. A horrified Izanagi fled, with a host of women and then Izanami herself in pursuit. After reaching the entrance to Yomi, Izanagi placed a stone across it, thus sealing in Izanami and breaking their union.

Izanagi bathed in the sea to purify himself from contact with the dead. As he bathed, a number of deities came into being.

The sun goddess Amaterasu was born from his left eye, the moon god Tsukiyomi was born from his right eye, and the storm god Susanoo was born from his nose.

In the Shintō religion, Izanagi’s bath is regarded as the founding of harai, the important ritual purification practices of Shintō.

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Amaterasu, in full Amaterasu Ōmikami, (Japanese: “Great Divinity Illuminating Heaven”), the celestial sun goddess from whom the Japanese imperial family claims descent, and an important Shintō deity. She was born from the left eye of her father, Izanagi, who bestowed upon her a necklace of jewels and placed her in charge of Takamagahara (“High Celestial Plain”), the abode of all the kami. One of her brothers, the storm god Susanoo, was sent to rule the sea plain. Before going, Susanoo went to take leave of his sister. As an act of good faith, they produced children together, she by chewing and spitting out pieces of the sword he gave her, and he by doing the same with her jewels. Susanoo then began to behave very rudely—he broke down the divisions in the rice fields, defiled his sister’s dwelling place, and finally threw a flayed horse into her weaving hall. Indignant, Amaterasu withdrew in protest into a cave, and darkness fell upon the world.

The other 800 myriads of gods conferred on how to lure the sun goddess out. They collected cocks, whose crowing precedes the dawn, and hung a mirror and jewels on a sakaki tree in front of the cave. The goddess Amenouzume (q.v.) began a dance on an upturned tub, partially disrobing herself, which so delighted the assembled gods that they roared with laughter. Amaterasu became curious how the gods could make merry while the world was plunged into darkness and was told that outside the cave there was a deity more illustrious than she. She peeped out, saw her reflection in the mirror, heard the cocks crow, and was thus drawn out from the cave. The kami then quickly threw a shimenawa, or sacred rope of rice straw, before the entrance to prevent her return to hiding.

Amaterasu’s chief place of worship is the Grand Shrine of Ise, the foremost Shintō shrine in Japan. She is manifested there in a mirror that is one of the three Imperial Treasures of Japan (the other two being a jeweled necklace and a sword). The genders of Amaterasu and her brother the moon god Tsukiyomi no Mikato are remarkable exceptions in worldwide mythology of the sun and the moon. See also Ukemochi no Kami.

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The word tsunami (pronounced tsoo-nah'-mee) is composed of the Japanese words "tsu" (which means harbor) and "nami" (which means "wave").

Depiction of Susanoo, God of Storms and Sea

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Sahu (or sao, or Sah, or Sahoo, or Shahu). is a surname found in India. The meaning of the term "Sahu" may change from region to region. The term generally means "businessman" or "moneylender". It means "gentle" in the Jhelum region and "patient" among Jats. - Google search for "sahu meaning".

Sahu/Orion depicted at Dendera

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Susanoo's name is variously given in the Kojiki as 'Takehaya-Susanoo-no-Mikoto' (建速須佐之男命), 'Haya-Susanoo-no-Mikoto' (速須佐之男命), or simply as 'Susanoo-no-Mikoto' (須佐之男命). He is meanwhile named in the Nihon Shoki as 'Susanoo-no-Mikoto' (素戔嗚尊), 'Kamu-Susanoo-no-Mikoto' (神素戔嗚尊), 'Haya-Susanoo-no-Mikoto' (速素戔嗚尊), and 'Take-Susanoo-no-Mikoto' (武素戔嗚尊). The Fudoki of Izumo Province renders his name both as 'Kamu-Susanoo-no-Mikoto' (神須佐能袁命) and 'Susanoo-no-Mikoto' (須佐能乎命). In these texts the following honorific prefixes are attached to his name: take- (建/武, "brave"), haya- (速, "swift"), and kamu- (神, "divine").

The susa in Susanoo's name has been variously explained as being derived from either of the following words:

The verb susabu or susamu meaning 'to be impetuous,' 'to be violent,' or 'to go wild'

The verb susumu, 'to advance'

The township of Susa (須佐郷) in Iishi District, Izumo Province (modern Shimane Prefecture)

A word related to the Middle Korean 'susung', meaning 'master' or 'shaman'

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Q the Seven Sages of India, Ursa Minor and the Indian Peacock

The Saptarishi (from Sanskrit: सप्तर्षि (saptarṣī), a Sanskrit dvigu meaning "seven sages"; Sapta or Saptan - cognate with Latin Septem - seven, Rishi - sage(s)) are the seven rishis in ancient India, who are extolled at many places in the Vedas and other Hindu literature. The Vedic Samhitas never enumerate these rishis by name, though later Vedic texts such as the Brahmanas and Upanisads do so. They are regarded in the Vedas as the patriarchs of the Vedic religion.

World's Oldest Complete Torah Scroll Found by Italian Professor

Carl Linnaeus in his work Systema Naturae in 1758 assigned to the Indian peafowl the technical name of Pavo cristatus (means "crested peafowl" in classical Latin).

The earliest usage of the word in written English is from around 1300 and spelling variants include pecok, pekok, pecokk, peacocke, peocock, pyckock, poucock, pocok, pokok, pokokke, and poocok among others. The current spelling was established in the late 17th century. Chaucer (1343–1400) used the word to refer to a proud and ostentatious person in his simile "proud a pekok" in Troilus and Criseyde (Book I, line 210).

The Greek word for peacock was taos and was related to the Persian "tavus" (as in Takht-i-Tâvus for the famed Peacock Throne). The Ancient Hebrew word tuki (plural tukkiyim) has been said to have been derived from the Tamil tokei but sometimes traced to the Egyptian tekh. In modern Hebrew the word for peacock is "tavas". In Sanskrit, the peacock is known as Mayura and is associated with the killing of snakes.

Wikipedia

The peacock was a symbol of immortality because the ancients believed that the peacock had flesh that did not decay after death. The Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras wrote that the soul of Homer moved into a peacock, perhaps reflecting on the importance of the centuries-old popularity of the Greek poet.

The overall meaning of Peacock in Native American culture is self-confidence, self-esteem, dignity, refinement, knowledge, sexuality, pride, and beauty. According to some myths, in history, lore, and legend, the peacock symbol carries omens of nobility, guidance, holiness, watchfulness, and protection.

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The peacock is the national bird of India. In Hinduism, the peacock serves as a mount for Skanda, the god of war. Numerous traditions, especially in southern India and Sri Lanka also relate it to local deities, representing for example the power of thunder.

Many of India’s folk dances show steps inspired by the peacock courtship dance. A popular belief of Hindu countries argues that when the peacock unfolds its tail it is a sign of rain. In ancient Greece, it was the symbolic bird of Hera, the most important Greek goddess of Olympus, legitimate wife of Zeus and goddess of women and marriage.

As they say, Hera commissioned Argos, a giant with a thousand eyes, to watch one of the lovers of her unfaithful husband but was killed by Hermes.

In Rome, princesses and empresses took the peacock as their personal symbol. In this way, the peacock passed to Christian symbolism strongly related to the Great Goddess so it is not difficult to understand his positive connection with the Virgin Mary and the delights of Paradise.

In the Christian religion

In the Christian religion, it is considered a resurrection symbol of Christ because in spring, Easter time, the bird changes completely of plumage. It is not usually represented with its tail deployed as it is an image that suggests vanity, a concept contrary to charity and the humility of the message of Christianity.

You can see mosaics of the fourth century with this figure in the church of Santa Constancia, in Rome, as well as in some Christian catacombs.

At the time of King Solomon, his fleet of Tarsis ships carried cargoes of “gold and silver, ivory, and monkeys and peacocks” on their three-year journeys. (1 Kings 10:22) Although some of Solomon’s ships traveled to Ofir (possibly, in the Red Sea area; 1 Kings 9:26-28), in 2 Chronicles 9:21 the transportation of the mentioned cargo is related – including the peacocks – with the ships that “went to Tarsis” (probably in Spain).

Therefore, it is not known for sure where peacocks were imported. It is argued that these beautiful birds are native to the SE. from Asia, and abound in India and Sri Lanka. There are those who believe that the Hebrew name (tuk · ki · yím) is related to the name tokei, “peacock” in ancient Tamil. Solomon’s fleet could have acquired the peacocks when they made their usual route and stopped at some commercial traffic center that had contacts with India.

Q the Song of Thirteen Postures, the 8 Trigrams, the Traditional Five Elements of Tai Chi and the Three Treasures

The Bagua or Pakua are eight symbols used in Taoist cosmology to represent the fundamental principles of reality, seen as a range of eight interrelated concepts. Each consists of three lines, each line either "broken" or "unbroken", respectively representing yin or yang, 0 or 1 forming binary numbers 000-111 (0 to 7). Due to their tripartite structure, they are often referred to as Eight Trigrams in English.

The trigrams are related to Taiji philosophy, Taijiquan and the Wuxing, or "five elements". The relationships between the trigrams are represented in two arrangements, the Primordial (先天八卦), "Earlier Heaven" or "Fu Xi" bagua (伏羲八卦), and the Manifested (後天八卦), "Later Heaven," or "King Wen" bagua. The trigrams have correspondences in astronomy, astrology, geography, geomancy, anatomy, the family, martial arts and elsewhere.

The ancient Chinese classic, I Ching (Pinyin: Yi Jing), consists of the 64 pairwise permutations of trigrams, referred to as "hexagrams", along with commentary on each one.

Many philosophies and traditions around the world believe in similar elements. They tend to focus on about five specific ones. Here is a look at the five elements in Chinese, Japanese, Buddhist, Greek, Babylonian, and European alchemy.

Babylonian 5 Elements

wind
fire
earth
sea
sky

Medieval Alchemy

The number of traditional elements in medieval alchemy varies from 4, 5, or 8. The first four are always found. The fifth, aether, is important in some traditions. Sulfur, mercury, and salt are classical elements.

air
fire
water
earth
aether
sulfur
mercury
salt

Greek 5 Elements

air
water
fire
earth
aether

Chinese 5 Elements - Wu Xing

wood
water
earth
fire
metal

Japanese 5 Elements - Godai

air
water
earth
fire
void

Hindu and Buddhist 5 Elements

Akasha is the equivalent to Aristotle's aether, in the Greek tradition. While Hinduism traditionally recognizes five elements, Buddhism typically only the first four "great" or "gross" elements. Although the names are different, the first four elements roughly translate as being air, fire, water, and earth.

Vayu (wind or air)
Ap (water)
Agni fire)
Prithvi (earth)
Akasha

Tibetan 5 Elements (Bon)

air
water
earth
fire
aether

Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "What Are the 5 Traditional Elements?" ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/what-are-the-5-traditional-elements-607743.

By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

Updated August 12, 2019

Note: The binary marks below in the bagua represent a sort of "on/off" switch. There are three lines in the number. If the line is broken, that position represents zero. If the line is solid, it is one. Fire is 101 (five in binary code) and water is 010 (2 in binary). But when you combine the two into a six digit number, you get 101010 (binary for 42). It's possible, and I would even say likely, that this explains the importance of the number 42 to ancient Egyptians.

Taoist and Chinese alchemist pictured creating steam/water vapor using the trandional elements fire and water, the creation of tea.

The Three Treasures

Main article: Three Treasures (traditional Chinese medicine)

Internal alchemy focuses upon transforming the bodily sanbao "three treasures", which are the essential energies sustaining human life:

Jing 精 "nutritive essence, essence; refined, perfected; extract; spirit, demon; sperm, seed"
Qi 氣 "vitality, energy, force; air, vapor; breath; spirit, vigor; attitude"
Shen 神 "spirit; soul, mind; god, deity; supernatural being"

According to the 13th-century Book of Balance and Harmony:

Making one's essence complete, one can preserve the body. To do so, first keep the body at ease, and make sure there are no desires. Thereby energy can be made complete. Making one's energy complete, one can nurture the mind. To do so, first keep the mind pure, and make sure there are no thoughts. Thereby spirit can be made complete. Making one's spirit complete, one can recover emptiness. To do so, first keep the will sincere, and make sure body and mind are united. Thereby spirit can be returned to emptiness. ... To attain immortality, there is nothing else but the refinement of these three treasures: essence, energy, spirit." (tr. Kohn 1956, 146). When the "three treasures" are internally maintained, along with a balance of yin and yang, it is possible to achieve a healthy body and longevity, which are the main goals of internal alchemy (Ching 1996, 395).

Jing

Neidan practice

Jing "essence" referring to the energies of the physical body. Based upon the idea that death was caused by depleting one's jing, Daoist internal alchemy claimed that preserving jing allowed one to achieve longevity, if not immortality. (Schipper 1993, 154).

Qi

Qi or ch'i is defined as the "natural energy of the universe" and manifests in everyone and everything (Carroll 2008). By means of internal alchemy, Taoists strive to obtain a positive flow of qi through the body in paths moving to each individual organ (Smith 1986, 201).

Healing practices such as acupuncture, massage, cupping and herbal medicines are believed to open up the qi meridians throughout the body so that the qi can flow freely. Keeping qi in balance and flowing throughout the body promotes health; imbalance can lead to sickness.

Shen

Shen is the original spirit of the body. Taoists try to become conscious of shen through meditation (Smith 1986, 202).

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“Golden Elixir is another name for one’s fundamental nature. There is no other Golden Elixir outside one's fundamental nature. All human beings have this Golden Elixir complete in themselves: it is entirely realized in everybody. It is neither more in a sage, nor less in an ordinary person. It is the seed of the Immortals and the Buddhas, the root of the worthies and the sages.”

Liu Yiming (1734-1821)

Q the Rod and Ring Symbol, the Shen Ring and Omega

The Rod and ring symbol is a symbol that is depicted on Mesopotamian stelas, cylinder seals and reliefs. It is held by a god or goddess and in most cases is being offered to a king who is standing, often making a sacrifice, or otherwise showing respect. The symbol dates from the Sumerian Renaissance to the Neo-Assyrian Period, and is commonly explained as a coil of measuring string and a yardstick. Other theories are that they are a shepherd's crook and a nose rope, or that the ring is no rope at all.

The best known example of the symbol is seen on the Code of Hammurabi stela. The most elaborate depiction is found on the Ur-Nammu-stela, where the winding of the cords has been detailed by the sculptor. This has also been described as a "staff and a chaplet of beads". There is discussion whether the Ur-Nammu-stela is showing the same thing.

Scepter, throne, and ring: Enuma Elish

The myth of Inanna's descent to the nether world describes how the goddess dresses and prepares herself: "She held the lapis-lazuli measuring rod and measuring line in her hand."

In tablet IV of the Enuma Elish, the rod and ring symbol is referenced as:

"They rejoiced, and they did homage unto him, saying, "Marduk is King!"
They bestowed upon him the scepter, and the throne, and the ring.
They gave him an invincible weaponry which overwhelmeth the foe."

Symbols that appear similar

The Egyptian Shen ring has an identical resemblance.
The Greek goddess Nike uses a different type of investiture symbol for the victor in the sporting races, a wreath of laurel, or a wreath of olive branches, but she is depicted with a ring, a rigid circle.
The Faravahar, the symbol of Zoroastrianism, also holds a ring.
The Egyptian Ankh has a vaguely similar form but is used in very different contexts.
At the 6th century B.C.E. archaeological site of Cancho Roano, located near Zalamea de la Serena, Badajoz, Spain, a large feature in the shape of the rod and ring symbol was modeled into the floor of the innermost chamber of a Tartessian temple.
This symbol also bears a resemblance to an ancient rune called a Thurisaz or thorn, which means "frost giant" or "giant".

- Wikipedia

Notes: Potential depiction of the measurement of the position of the sun and the moon on the horizon?

Q the Beginning

It can be seen that the Genesis 1:1 triangle (and its constituent parts) together with the mysterious triangular number 153 figure prominently in the 18 piece 5778 jigsaw. The overall picture is a tolerable illustration of the miraculous catch of fish outlined in John 21. The three pieces representing the sky total 1998, which is the gematria value of "In the beginning God created the heaven..." from Gen 1:1, whilst the 1088 trapezium (the boat upon the waters) matches the gematria value of Psalm 145:17.

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The separation of light from darkness, as governed by α, is intrinsic to the creation story. It is the subject of the Bible's fourth verse, and this verse has profound implications. Not only does it have a gematria value 1776, but the mysterious 137 also makes an appearance. Word 37 in the Bible starts with letter 137. This occurs in the exact verse which describes the function of the fine structure constant, which has a gematria value of 1776.