The Sequence of Numbers 243 



which expresses all the contrasts in Nature day 

 and night, health and sickness, heat and cold, 

 light and darkness, etc. it yet was recognized as 

 intimately connected with harmonic sound, " be- 

 cause by doubling the number of string vibrations 

 in a given unit of time another tone is produced 

 which sounds like the first, but differs in pitch 

 the octave higher." 



Five was called " the nourisher," the generat- 

 ing and fostering sound ; for it was believed that a 

 fifth was the first of all intervals which could be 

 sounded; and also it contained the first feminine 

 or even number (2), and the first masculine or odd 

 (3) . Pythagoras discovered that the fifth and the 

 octave of a tone could be produced on the same 

 string by stopping at two-thirds and one-half of 

 its length respectively. This gave the law that 

 harmony depends upon numerical proportion, and 

 the discovery is believed to have led to his whole 

 philosophy of number. 



The Ogdoad or eight symbolizes the eternal 

 and spiral motion of all things from the atom to 

 cycles, and is symbolized in its turn by the cadu- 

 ceus. It manifests the regular in-and-out-breath- 

 ing of the Kosmos under the direction of the 

 " eight great gods " that is, the seven Builders 

 or Kosmic Dhyan Chohans (identified with the 

 " Seven Spirits," the " Voices," and the " Seven 

 Angels of the Stars ") , and the Holy Spirit, whence 



