Yao Numbers and the Tree of Life

The following animation is a graphical depiction the nine species of "Yao Numbers," a concept introduced in Ta Chuan, the Great Treatise.  It displays the nine families in forward and reverse sequence.  It is the so-called Fu Xi (also, xiantian) diagram rotated 45 degrees CW.  We suggest that these nine families are analogous to the "Nine Worlds" surrounding Yggdrasil, the Teutonic Tree of Life.
  

The animation appears to depict a signal initiated at one pole (congruent with the realms called Hel and Asgard in the Teutonic tradition), propagated through the medium, then confirmed by the receiving pole.  Conceptually, it bears  resemblance to a common depiction of Yggdrasil, the Teutonic Tree of Life with its "Nine Homeworlds."  


From the poles  the signal passes through either group of three hexagrams with pairs formed by complementarity or "separated pairs".  These are congruent to the planes called Bright Alfheim & Dark Alfheim in the Teutonic scheme. The  purported power of these realms is to mediate between the worlds of Asgard and Midgard:

There is also a transitional world between Asgardhr and Midgardhr, where the energies of the former are transmitted to the latter world. This realm is called Alfheimr (world of the Elves), and is characterised by the higher aspects of light and air (equivalent perhaps to the occult conception of the Etheric planes). In this world, the highest energies of the human world mix with the lowest energies of the Gods. Beneath Midgardhr (the physical world) is a corresponding region intermediate to Midgardr and Hel, called Svart-Alfheim (world of the black elves). In this region are found the mysteries of earthly manifestation, represented by the dwarves.  

Teutonic Cosmology by M. Alan Kazlev

In most detailed depictions of the Tree of Life, a formation comprising a central node bounded by a group of four nodes (q.v. quincunx) is present.  In this presentation, the largest and central of the five families comprises twenty hexagrams, each with three YIN and three YANG lines, and each having yao-number <180>.  This node is congruent to Teutonic Midgard, the home of Men.


The four groups surrounding the central group have {sizes} and <yao numbers> as shown: ({6} <172>, {12} <176>, {12} <184>, {6} <188>).
The congruence of these groups to the Teutonic tradition is less clear than the others.  The candidates are: Jontunheim, Vanaheim, Niflheim, & Muspelheim.

The following crude table displays the 64 hexagrams and the nine yao-number "families" into which they fall, the quantity of hexagrams per family, as well as yao-numbers and line-analysis (#YIN lines and #YANG lines) for each hexagram.  Wen pairs are shown within parentheses where possible.


0 YANG,6 YIN <144> { 1} [2]*
2 YANG,4 YIN <168> { 3} [27 29 62]*
5 YANG,1 YIN <172> { 6} [(9 10) (13 14) (43 44)]
4 YANG,2 YIN <176> {12} [(5 6) (25 26) (33 34) (37 38) (49 50) (57 58)]
3 YANG,3 YIN <180> {20} [(11 12) (17 18) (21 22) (31 32) (41 42) (47 48) (53 54) (55 56) (59 60) (63 64)]
2 YANG,4 YIN <184> {12} [(3 4) (19 20) (35 36) (39 40) (45 46) (51 52)]
1 YANG,5 YIN <188> { 6} [(7 8) (15 16) (23 24)]
4 YANG,2 YIN <192> { 3} [28 30 61]*
6 YANG,0 YIN <216> { 1} [1]*


*indicates Wen pairs formed via complementary opposition; Wen pairs of this nature fall into separate families.

Teutonic Cosmology

Teutonic Cosmology
by M.Alan Kazlev




The pre-Christian Teutonic cosmology of the Yggdrasil Tree defines the various worlds (there being nine in all) on the basis of vertical, existential, and horizontal parameters
(the following account is based on Kvelduf Gundarsson, Teutonic Magic, (Llewellyn, 1990, pp. 1-6)).

The vertical dimension has the world of the Gods (Asgardhr - equivalent to the Kabbalistic Atzilut and Beriah) above, the underworld (Hel, from which presumably we get the Christian term) below, and the Earth plane (Midgardhr) in the middle.  

Copyright Robert N. St.Clair

University of Louisville

There is also a transitional world  between Asgardhr and Midgardhr, where the energies of the former are transmitted to the latter world.  This realm is called Alfheimr (world of the Elves), and is characterised by the higher aspects of light and air (equivalent perhaps to the occult conception of the Etheric planes).  In this world, the highest energies of the human world mix with the lowest energies of the Gods.  

Beneath Midgardhr (the physical world) is a corresponding region intermediate to Midgardr and Hel, called Svart-Alfheim (world of the black elves).  In this region are found the mysteries of earthly manifestation, represented by the dwarves.

In addition to this vertical continuum of being is the horizontal dimension.  This is defined by boundaries.  The ocean separates the human world (Midgardhr) from the outer worlds (Utgardhr) around it, while Midgardhr (literally the "middle enclosure") is itself distinguished from the inner world of the Gods (Asgardhr).  This cosmology is modelled on the neolithic farmstead (gardhr) which divides the inner social space (innangardhs) from the uncontrolled, unknown, dangerous outer space (utangardhs).  Obviously this is in turn symbolic of the Jungian model of the psyche; the safe secure ego or conscious self in the middle, and the vast, dark, unknown unconscious without.

In this cosmology there are four utangardhs (outer worlds) around and beyond the middle or earth world (midgardhr).  Each corresponds to a particular elemental nature, and is inhabited by particular races of beings.


To the east is the world of Jotunheimr, inhabited by various races of giants.  This is characterised by the element air, and so is a frosty rocky world lashed by violent winds and storms.


To the west is the more benevolent world of Vanaheimr, associated with the element water, and inhabited by the Vanir, gods of fertility, riches, and joy.


In the north is Niflheimr, the world of primal ice, and to the south is Muspellheimr, the world of primal fire.  The inhabitants of these worlds would be totally destructive, due to their pure elemental nature, if released into the innangards or inner worlds.

Wheel Cross: Navigation Tool of Antiquity

Its overall appearance is reminiscent of the comic book character "X-Men" insignia (a cross within a circle); less recently, of a religious symbol.  Wikipedia's article on religious symbols provided the first pointer (below right) but symbols.com provided clear confirmation of this symbol's place within our overall field of investigation:

The wheel cross, sun cross, Odin's cross or Woden's cross. Nordic Odin and Teutonic Wotan or Woden was the supreme god of the Nordic religion before Christianity. Odin was the god of art, culture, warfare, and the dead; depicted as an old, one-eyed man with two ravens as his intelligence agents and messengers.  

Sun Cross 

 The structure  is one of the first non-pictorial graphs to appear when humankind was on the threshold of the Bronze Age. It is common on rock carvings. It appears in ancient Egypt, China, pre-Columbian America, and the Near East. From the facts available it seems as if  is associated with the wheel, not so much with its invention as with its revolutionary effect on the existing society. In ancient China this sign was associated with thunder, power, energy, head, and respect. 

This figure is also known as the gamma cross, as the Greek letter 'gamma' appears four times within the circle, radially rotated.  It is shown to play a prominent role in the Norse, Egyptian, Chinese, and pre-Columbian culture.  Perhaps excepting the Egyptian, this observation is consistent with our thesis that the religion of these cultures is based on representations the Tree of Life. 

The sun cross embodies several notable features: the circle, the right angle, the line segment, and the point.  These figures are all associated with measurement, surveying, mathematics, Platonic geometry, and Freemasonry.  Another feature is the fact that the sun cross can be reassembled into the Ankh cross, by remaking the Greek cross into a Tau cross, and placing the circle atop.

Crichton Miller's research on the Celtic cross convincingly demonstrates its use in antiquity as an instrument of spherical/nautical navigation based on the impeccably-supported theory that working models of the true Celtic cross embody a weighted rotating wheel.  as the circular portion. Moreover, the Celtic cross was used as a tool of determining longitude and latitude.  That Wotan's wheel cross and the Celtic cross bear both a figurative and literal resemblance is worthy of remark.