The Number Phi

The study of Mathematics is one of the oldest and most important academic fields known to man. It was first generated even before writing emerged to organize and compare known truths of the earth and of the universe, as well as discover new patterns. It has since developed into a complex system of numbers and formulas that allow us to delve deeper into our planet’s natural harmony, advance technologically, and spawn a conjecture to essentially every question man has asked at one point or another. Numeracy is infinite, and there is no end to mathematical discoveries in sight, though through all of the progress and expansion of the realm of this discipline, there has been one true consistency: 1.618.

This might seem to be just a random number, but 1.618, the number known as Phi, is much more than that. Known as the Golden Ratio, the Divine Proportion, as well as numerous other soubriquets, Phi is the most prevalent number found in nature. In actuality, 1.618 is a rounded form of the true Phi, which equals one plus the square root of five, divided by two. Despite Phi’s function as nature’s primary numeric building block, there still remains the question as to why this number is what it is.

You might know that the chief symbol of the Goddess and the Sacred Feminine is the Pentacle, as well as a key type of Amulet used when invoking Magick. It is a five-pointed star (with the drawing lines still intact) within a perfect circle. Regardless of how large the Pentacle, the radius of the circle, divided by the distance between one of the star’s internal points and the nearest point on the arc of the circle will always equal 1.618. Additionally, in the Fibonacci sequence, where each proceeding number is the sum of the previous two (beginning with two ones), the quotient of two adjacent numbers will approach this golden ratio, without ever exactly equaling it. To write it numerically, the sequence starts off 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34. 5/3 = 1.67; 8/5 = 1.6; 13/8 = 1.625; 21/13 = 1.615. This trend would continue to the infinite number in the Fibonacci sequence.

There are many other examples which illustrate the significance of the mysterious Phi in nature. Within the honeybee community, the number of female bees to male bees equals Phi. The diameter of opposing spirals of sunflowers seeds amounts to 1.618. The list goes on: the architectural dimensions of the Greek Parthenon, the pyramids of Egypt, and even the modern U.N. building in New York. Even musicians such as Beethoven and Mozart used the Divine Proportion in their compositions. These discoveries concerning Phi, led to another very important unearthing by Leonardo da Vinci in the late 15th Century. In his sketch, the Vitruvian Man, da Vinci placed a human inside of a perfect circle, rather than a five-pointed star, but came up with similar results. Our bodies are even built following the proportional ratio of Phi.

When you have time, try this out. Measure the length from the shoulder to your fingertips (arm extended), and then divide that number by the distance between your elbow and fingertips. Then measure from your hip to the floor, and divide that by the distance between your kneecap and the floor. You can continue this in bigger or smaller terms, with your height divided by the distance between your bellybutton and the floor, or even just with your thumb – its entire length divided by the joint to the tip. What number do you come up with?