Divine Patterns/The Art of Noticing

 One thing I have come to love is something deemed by the internet and authors alike as the "art of noticing." This really amounts to, for me at least, sitting somewhere and taking the time to observe minute details that make up the world around us. Whether that comes from the pattern on the floor tiles, the differences in individual blades of grass, the different shapes and shades of the clouds, how the classroom lights reflect off of the windows, noticing is something you can do anywhere at any time, and something I adore when I'm feeling disconnected or need some grounding. In such a digital world where your attention is the most sought after currency, doing something meditative such as this is the perfect way to reclaim your attention and energy, and for me it's something of a small act of rebellion against the constant vying for my attention by Big Screen™. 

As someone who is interested in these small details, and also someone who finds almost anything and anything to be sacred, I have a special interest in the concept of sacred geometry. This can be defined as categorizing certain geometric patterns and shapes as sacred, and has roots in the study of nature. Sacred geometry also applies to the specific ways that shrines, churches, and places of worship are constructed, along with symbols such as the mandala, which we discussed in class. While this concept is also rooted in mathematics, I find it fascinating that mathematics are too a reflection of the natural world, and are as much a study of the earth as they are abstract concepts. I take specific interest in the spiral, as its one of the most recognized shapes within sacred geometry and the natural world. The spiral, according to naturalists and mathematicians alike, is the most common and most efficient shape in nature. The spiral shows up in nautilus shells, fern growth, galaxies, and mathematical concepts such as the Fibonacci sequence/the golden ratio. I don't think it's any coincidence that one of the most prevalent mathematical concepts exists everywhere throughout nature. I highly recommend diving down the rabbit hole of spirals as sacred geometry, it is one of my absolute favorite concepts. (The sacred spiral will absolutely be my next tattoo)

As in the Hindu belief of seeing the divine in imagery, I love being able to see the divine in parts of everyday life. Better understanding how they become concepts that we use to attempt to explain the world around us is human nature, which I lean into willingly.