John Dee, Monas Hieroglyphica: Monas and Tetractys
Commentary on Monas and Tetractys
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John Dee (1527 to 1608) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, occultist, navigator, and consultant to Queen Elizabeth I. He was also an early popularizer of applied mathematics, and was instrumental in planning the British Empire.
The above illustration from John Dee’s Monas Hieroglyphica depicts the Pythagorean Quaternary, or, tetractys. The geometry, proportions, and method of permutation are embedded in the Monas Hieroglyphica.
The text accompanying the figure reads: Of the Pythagorean quaternary, 24 possible permutations. The Pythagorean sum is 10. A complete addition of the parts yields 30.
The Pythagorean sequence above can be found, in veiled form, in many creation stories, including the Chaldaean Oracles and the Upanishads.