The septenary appears frequently, particularly in religious writings, myths and fairy tales. It indicates a sevenfold divine-spiritual influence.
And this is reflected here on earth in many different ways, also in old settlement structures in Europe.
Why are we interested in the septenary? We repeatedly come across the emphasis on seven. It appears frequently in religious writings, myths and fairy tales. What is behind it? There must be a meaning to the content of this phenomenon, which is rarely revealed to us. When I read the article on The Seven Rays (authors: Helmut Mende, Gunter Friedrich) in LOGON I found an example of a deeper explanation. This text touched me, as I myself live with two other septenarial thought systems that coincide in their meaning with the sevenfoldness of the rays. And then I also found access to the article in LOGON by Ursula Korb about the deeper meaning of the numbers under the title Numbers tell the story of life.
My other septenarial systems are on the one hand, the seven types of district and, on the other hand the teaching of the seven chakras. In the early 70s I worked on an urban planning research commission for the city of Munich to analyse the 60 old village centres in the urban area. I noticed that some of the village centres that particularly appealed to me consisted of seven different types of district. I realised ten years later when I came into contact with the ancient Far Eastern chakra system that these seven types had something to do with the spiritual world.
The principle of the seven types of district dates back to the Middle Ages. It still characterises many old places and is occasionally even used today. It was applied from the subconscious, because the actions that are controlled by the seven usually arise unconsciously. Most of my architectural projects bear the septenarial stamp. This also applies to the residential project in which I live with my family. The district types show a system that consists entirely of symbolic images. In this way it meets the need of the soul, which thinks in images.
Now there is also the fact that my wife works as a sound therapist according to the above-mentioned chakra theory. This theory can be used to treat mental and physical illnesses. The chakras are etheric-soul energy centres in the human body. The chakra theory originates from India and is more than 4000 years old. Some psychologists believe that about 90 per cent of human behaviour is influenced by the subconscious, so we should not be surprised that the cosmic septenary is reflected in various phenomena of human life.
The One
During the urban planning survey mentioned above, I noticed that old village centres were often built near areas that were difficult for people to enter because they were islands, steep slopes or boggy ground. Munich lies on the Isar, which was originally a natural river. It is said that in the beginning there were the paths, and Munich was founded with the construction of a bridge over the impassable river. From the bridge, the main economic route leads westwards through the city.
The first urban development area is therefore the little-touched origin and the approach on the path or line. The line is the first geometric dimension. You can also look at the number one, which consists of the line. This distinctive form of the line helps when analysing the cultural documents of history. For here there were phases of consciousness in which works of art were broken down into lines. Also in architecture the line then played a role. The music was monophonic and in one line. You have to include this in the image “Origin and Path”.
The I belongs to the One. The first phase corresponds to the time of childhood. I want to be first. I want to be noticed. There is a certain power of thinking involved, and a very first endeavour to achieve the task that accompanies people throughout their lives: Know thyself. Now comes a special feature of the One. It has a relationship to Seven. This means that the relative elementary of the One comes into balance through the soul-spirituality of the Seven. The One is characterised by primal trust, the Seven by the trust in the higher world. With this description I have actually already dealt with the meaning of the first chakra.
The first chakra is the root chakra. It is located at the bottom of the pelvis and connected to the ground via the legs. The root chakra includes the will to live, serenity, the need for security, a sense of reality and groundedness – the connection with the forces of the earth. As the chakra theory is also a therapy system, the incorrect postures play a role. One can say that the lack of these positive qualities or their exaggeration or a behaviour contrary to them lead to damage to the quality of life.
The Two
The second district type is something that can be described as a landscape park. It appears in the old villages with areas that are not used for agriculture. Perhaps such areas are occasionally flooded. They are often at the water’s edge, at the edge of roads and forests or on the outskirts of villages, but which usually have a high ecological value. These areas are used socially for rituals [recreation?] or public festivals. Of course, people also move around here purely private. In the cities, green parks belong to this type.
The two has to do with the second geometric dimension, the area. In times when the two has great significance, works of art move from the line to the area. Music also becomes broader, more polyphonic, calmer. There are myths and a preoccupation with love in literature. The area is length times width, it’s about relationships. The cipher two used to be written like Z which shows the two poles.
They are also characteristic of the second chakra, which is called the sacral or sexual chakra. It belongs to the area of youth. In this phase, there is a commitment to spiritual values and life goals. Joie de vivre and creativity also prevail. There is a growing interest in the opposite sex. The Two is the You, the relationship to everything. It is the relationship between man and woman, but also the relationship with nature, the built environment, to culture and to the higher principles of life. Similar to the One, there is a correspondence to a higher chakra, to the 6th chakra, the so-called “third eye”.
The Three
The third district type consists of the agricultural and horticultural areas. This is about concrete yields that we need for food. All yields are three-dimensional and by the connection of the Three with the Five, which is about the buildings, the three-dimensional form is confirmed once again. In the third state of human life, adulthood, it is the task to create concrete values to maintain the life of the family with the children.
The three-dimensional is evident in historical times, which seek the concrete, the tangible in the culture, in all cultural media. In art, beautiful and perfect sculptures are created, and painting becomes very three-dimensional and perspectival. Music develops to be more figurative and expressive. Literature continues to unfold into texts for the theatre and opera. In philosophy, power and individuality play a role here. The shape of the number three shows the round plasticity.
This brings us to the third chakra, the solar plexus. It is located in the abdominal region. Here we can speak of decision-making ability, independence and self-empowerment. It also includes the joy of work and success. The three is characterised by the quality of strength or, in the negative case, of weakness.
The Four
The fourth district type is the centre of a building complex. This also includes the paths and other squares. This is the place that connects everything. A feeling of togetherness only arises when the square walls are closed. This is also the big difference to the current type of development which consists almost entirely of free-standing buildings, so that a square effect cannot arise. Relationships, however, show the communal, neighbourly and the love between people. One would like to think here also of peace and healing. Normally we do not experience a fourth dimension. But we can talk about the three dimensions being linked with each other. This can be seen as a kind of holistic realisation on the biological level.
In the phases of individual life, we come to the old person, who hopefully is characterised by special wisdom. Old age points to an end. But there is also a hint of a new beginning in the Four. The shape of the cipher four contains the cross. The horizontal axis symbolises the worldly and the vertical axis the cosmic axis. In the medieval town there are usually two axes: the “horizontal” axis from east to west is the economic one; on the “vertical” axis from south to north are social, spiritual and administrative institutions.
With the chakras, we are at the heart. It is the central organ that connects everything and supplies it with energy. The characteristics described for the centre of the town also apply to the chakras. This is about warmth of heart and harmony.
The Five
With the Five the actual buildings are signified, it embodies the four cardinal points and the dimension of height. It is about economic, sustainable, healthy building and harmonious, human-centred forms. Each shape also makes a profound psychological statement. Recognising this is an essential task of the Five. Those who take such meanings into account can plan a suitable living environment for themselves. In the the Middle Ages, houses touched each other, which expressed the proximity of people to each other. It was only in the modern era that we came to the detached house, which is a sign for individualism. So we have the third dimension again. With the chakras we are at the throat chakra. It’s about learning, the realisation of ideas and good, open communication.
The Six
I refer to the inner garden as Six. Similar to the Two, it is an area. However, this area is not as open as the Two, but rather protected from view, i.e. an inner area. And we are dealing with inwardness, with intuition. In the Middle Ages, there were indoor gardens like this in town and village houses. In churches and monasteries, it is the cloister. Such inner gardens can be also found in the mystical, democratic phase of antiquity. This form probably survived until Roman times.
In a communal settlement, such an inner garden protected from view is important. Genuine communality is also exhausting. To strengthen the individual in the Middle Ages and in my settlements each main dwelling had or has such an inner garden.
With the chakras we are at the “third eye”. This is the real sign of spirituality. The spiritual closeness to our fellow human beings, empathy and tolerance are nourished here. It is also about wisdom, realisation and awareness. The 6th chakra is close to the 2nd and 4th chakras. This can also be seen in the numbers, because the 6 is 3 x 2 and the 4 is 2 x 2.
The Seven
In the district types, the Seven is a sign of attitude to life. Previously characteristic were church towers, minarets and pagodas. Today, it is skyscrapers, symbols of materialistic values, which emphasise the attitude of the population. With this shape, the first dimension, the line, is shown again: In contrast to the One, not as a path to be taken in the “below”, but as an upward pointing sign of completion. The highest chakra – the crown chakra – is about being uplifted and the connection to heaven.
Concluding remark
The mostly unconscious realisation of the septenary in the settlement structure shows that influences from higher levels were at work here. A deeper meaning of life expressed itself. It enriches life and prepares a conscious connection between the earthly world to the cosmic reality.
Reference:
Theodor Henzler, Geschichte des Bewusstseins und der Kultur. Basis einer neuen Gesellschaft (History of Consciousness and Culture. The basis of a new society), 2017
