The

Metaphysi
cs
of

Music
and

Harmony

MetaphysicalBasisofHarmonyandMusic
OctavesinLight,SoundandTime
Numerology,CosmicSignificanceofNumbers
Unity,Duality,TrinityandotherSacredNumbers
PolarityofMatterandSpirit
Man'sPlaceintheUniverseandNextStepForward
HarmonicTheoryinColor,Music,AstrologyandLife

Cycles,OctavesandtheirReflectionsinReality
Thereisacuriousrelationshipbetweenharmonicanddisharmoniccontentofmusicandnumbers.This
samerelationshipoccursinmusic,colors,andotherphysicalconcepts.ItseemsasiftheCreatorcreates
patternswithinpatternsandillustratesconceptsthroughnumbers.Manypatternsthatappearinoneplace
arerepeatedinanother.Weseethisfactthroughoutlife.Timeandmusicbothhavelowerandhigher
octaves.Theoctavesoftimespanaday,ayear,andalifetime.Forexamplethetimesofthedayandthe
seasonsoftheyearcanbecomparedtothestagesofalivingentity.

TimeOctavesfortheDay,Year,andLifeCycle
Morning

Noon

Afternoon

Midnight

Spring

Summer

Fall

Winter

Youth

Maturity

Middleage

OldAge

LowerandHigherOctavesofTime
Thusweseethecycleoflifeisrepeatedinminiatureintheyear,andevenduringasingleday.Strangely,
astrologicalpredictivetechniquesuseexactlythisconceptinreverse.Theastrologicaleventsofthedays
followingbirthimpactthepersoninthecorrespondingyear.Theastrologerexaminestherelativepositions
oftheplanetsofthesolarsystemwithrespecttotheearthforthedaysfollowingbirth.Theruleisayearfor
eachday.Forexamplethegoodandbadaspects(ieanglesbetweenplanets)occurringXdaysfollowing
birthwillshowupinthesamenumberedyearofthesubject'slife.ThusifMarsformsanexact180degree
anglewithSaturnonthe33rddayafterbirth,the33rdyearofbirthwillbesimilarlyafflictedwiththisevil
ormaleficaspectbetweenthetwoplanets.Hereweseeineffectthereflectioninahighertimeoctaveofan
eventoccurringinthelowertimeoctave.Thisrulehasbeenfollowedforcenturiesbyastrologerswhohave
madeastonishingpredictionsbasedonitsuse.Unfortunatelyallthedynamicsofastrologyarenotyet
knownsothescienceofastrologyissomewhatlimitedtoday.

OctavesinLightandSound
Octavesappearinmanyplaces:time,themusicalvibrationsofsound,andintheelectromagneticspectrum
(infrared,visiblelight,ultravioletlight,andbeyond).Inmusic,thedoublingofsoundfrequencies
representsanoctave.Thefrequencyofthehighestnoteinanoctaveisexactlytwotimesthefrequencyof
thelowestnoteintheoctave.WithinanoctaveweprogressthroughthesevenmusicalnotesC,D,E,F,G,
A,BandarriveatCagainoneoctavehigher.Thereisastrikingsimilaritybetweenthemusicaloctaves
andtheoctavesoftheelectromagneticspectrumthatweseeasvisiblelight.Justasinmusicwithit'sseven
notes,wecommonlysaythatthereare7distinctcolorsinthespectrumoftherainbow.

The7NotesoftheOctavesofLightandMusic
Red

Orange

Yellow

Green

Blue

Indigo

Violet

ProminenceoftheNumbers7&12inMusicandTime
Aninterestingasideistheprominenceofthenumbers7and12inmusicandtime.Therearesevenwhole
notesintheoctaveand12halfstepsintheoctave.Wealsoseetheprominenceofthesesamenumbersin
ourtimedivisions12hourseachofdayandnight,7daysinaweek,12monthsintheyear.

DivisionoftheOctavebyTwo=Disharmonic
Whenwedividetheoctavesofmusicandcolorintointervalswefindanotherinterestingphenomenon.If
weconsidertheoctavesascircleswefindthatpointsontheoppositesidesofthecirclesaredisharmonic.
Thusinviewingthestandardcolorwheelwherethecolorsarearrangedaroundacircle,weseethatifwe
taketwooppositecolors,wesaytheyclash.Forexampleblueandorange,orpurpleandyellow.

HalfOctaveDivisionsintheColorWheel

Oppositesidesofthecolorwheel
(outerrim)arehalfanoctave
apart.Thesecombinationsare
saidtoclashorbemutually
disharmonic.

OrangeBlue,anexampleoftwo
colorsahalfoctaveapart

PurpleYellow,another
disharmoniccombinationof
opposites

HalfOctaves,thenumber6,andDissonance
Thishalfoctavedissonanceoccursbothincolorsandinsound.IfwetakethenoteCandadvanceway
uptheoctave(ie6halfstepsupward)wearriveatthenoteF#.IfweplayCandF#togetherwefindthe
combinationharshanddisharmonic.Oddly,ifwegojustonestepfurtherandplaythenoteCandGwe
findtheintervaltobeverypleasantandharmonic.Andsowefindthattheinterval6(exactlyonehalfthe
octave)isdistinctlydisharmonic.Inmetaphysicsthenumber6oftenrepresentsevil(thedevil=666)while
goodthingsoftenareseveninnumber(suchasthesevenArchangels,sevenregents,sevensistersofthe
Pleiades,etc).

1=UnityandHarmony,2=OppositionandDissonance
Takingoppositesidesoftheoctaveorcolorwheel,isequivalenttodividingtheoctaveby2.Aswehave
seen,dividingthemusicorcoloroctavebytwoproducesdisharmoniccombinations.Thenumber2has
connotationsofdissonanceandconflict.Thenumberonebyitselfisperfect,whole,atpeace,andself
contained.Butthenumbertwoimpliespolarity,opposition,conflict,tension.
Inthebeginningtherewasonlyone,theunmanifestcreation,waitingasthecosmiceggforthetimeof
creation.Whencreationbegan,theOnedifferentiatedintoTwomatterandspirit.Really,spiritandmatter
aredifferentstatesofthesamethinglikeiceandliquidwater,asphysicsandrelativityhave
demonstrated.Matterisinertia,weight,potential,anddarkness.Mattermustbeimbuedwithspiritwhichis
energy,movement,light,andpotency.Theflowofcurrentbetweenthepositiveandnegativepolesofthe
universe(spiritandmatter)isthecurrentthatdrivesforwardcreation.Thepolarityofspiritandmatteris
thebasisofmanifestedcreation.Beforecreation,allthespiritualorAtmicsparkswereunifiedintoasingle
entity.Duringmanifestation,theatmicspiritfindsitselfcoatedinsheathesofeverdensermatterandloses
itssenseofidentificationwiththeoceanofspirit(ParamAtma)fromwhichitemerged.Theembodied
Atmaisbombardedwiththesensualstimuliofmanifestationwhichittakesasrealityandthusitforgetsits
purespiritualstatus.ItthenconsidersitselftobeasingleentityapartfromalltheotherAtmicspirits.It
becomesanindividualizedwaveontheoceanofexistence.ThejourneyofevolutionproceedsastheJivaor
embodiedAtmaexperiencesthepairsofoppositesofmanifestation.ForexampleinmanifestationtheJiva
experiencesalternatingstatesofcoldorheat,hungerorfullness,gainorloss.Theseunitsofindividualized
lifemustevolveandexperienceembodimentforeonsthroughsuccessiveformsuntileventuallyrealizing
onceagainthattheirtruenatureisspiritandthattheyarereallyonewiththeoceanofspiritfromwhich
theyemerged.AseachembodiedAtmaregainsthisknowledgeinthestateofenlightenment,theindividual
mergesbackintotheunityfromwhichitemerged,nolongeridentifyingitselfwithanyspecific
individualizedform.

Exampleof
Dissonance
Turning
HarmonicIn
the
Cosmic
HarmonyCD

ReflectionsoftheDualityPrinciple
Duringmanifestationthepolarityofspiritandmatterisreflectedsymbolicallyinmanyways.

ThePolaritiesofDuality(ManifestedState)
Male

Female

Positive

Negative

Spirit

Matter(Mater)

Father

Mother

Sperm

Egg

Light

Shadow

DualityandthePairsofOpposites

InmetaphysicsDuality(thenumber2)isthedeeplyengrainedbeliefthat"IexistapartfromtheCreator".
Thisisourfundamentalhumanpointofviewevenifweareconvincedintellectuallythattheentire
universeandeverythinginitisnothingbutGod.Inthestageofduality,weexperienceandsufferthepairs
ofoppositesoftheuniverse(hotcold,gainloss,pleasurepain,etc).Symbolicallythisaspectofdualityis
showntousinthedisharmonichalfoctavesoflightandsound.Coincidentally,inastrological
phenomenon,anytwoplanetsforminga180degreeangle(halfcircle)withtheeartharealsosaidtobe
disharmonicorinoppositionandtheworstattributesofthetwoplanetsareaccentuated.

TwoBecomesThreeTheReflectioninMatterofCosmicCreation
Theunionofspiritwithmatterinformproducesconsciousness(theSonaspect).Theentirehumanprocess
ofreproductionandbirthisladenwithreflectivesymbolsoftheCosmiccreation.Duringtheprocessof
creation,themalefemalepolarizationoccurs,inturnreflectingthepropertiesofspiritandmatter
respectivelyasthemaleandfemalepoles.
Symbolically,ManasaspeciesrepresentstheSonaspect(thefecundationofmatterandspirit),because,of
alltheanimalforms,theindwellingGodorAtmicconsciousnessismostfullypresentinthehumananimal.
ManrepresentsthehalfwaypointbetweenthetinyatomofmatterandtheCosmicAtomoftheuniverse.It
issaid:

TheWholeCreationGroaneth...
awaitingthecomingoftheSonsofGod
Thatisbecausemaninthecollectivesenseliterallybecomesthe"handsandfeet"ofGodontheEarth
planethemiddlegroundofmanifestationbetweenthemicrocosmoftheatomandthemacrocosmof
galaxiesandgalacticclusters.WhenfullyDivinized,theindividualhumanbecomesaninstrumentofthe
DivineonEarth,carryingouttheDivinepurpose.Asaspecieswearestillinanevolutionarystagebutwe
areonthevergeofthenextgreatleapforwardwhichistorealizeinthecollectiveconsciousnessourdivine
heritageandtorefocusfrompersonalintereststoDivineinterests.AstheprojectedaspectofGodinmatter,
ManbecomesthemiddleentitybetweenSpiritandMatter.Inthisthreesomewefindthetrinityofthe
Christianreligion:Father,Son,HolyGhost.MatteristheHolyGhostbecauseitistheshadow(ghost)of
spiritandismatterconsistingoflivingatomsandimbuedwithalltheintelligencethatemanatesfromthe
Creator(hence,forexample,thecomplexcrystalformsandatomicbondingformingmoleculescapableof
reproducingthemselves).InVedicthoughtthetrinityisspokenofintermsofthestagesofthecyclic
appearancesofthemanifesteduniversespunoutfromtheOneentitycalledBrahman,Brahmamandother
varioustitlesbydiversereligions.Brahmanissaidtobeabove,below,behindandwithinallmanifestation.
IntheVedas,thethreestagesofthemanifesteduniverseareidentifiedascreation(Brahma),preservation
(VishnuorMahavishnu),destruction(ShivaorRudra).ThesestagesmayalsobedenotedasGeneration,
Organization,DestructionwhichintheirentiretymakeuptheOneG.O.D.

TheTrinityofManifestation
Spirit

Consciousness

Matter

Father

Son

HolyGhost

TheTrinity,Number3,TrinesinMusicandColor
AswehaveseentheOnedifferentiatesintotwowhichinturnproducesthree.Thenumberthreeis
consideredagoodandbeneficialnumber.Inthecolorwheel,colorsseparatedbyonethirdofthevisible
octave(asopposedto1/2theoctave)nolongerclash,RedBlueforexample.Inastrology,iftwoplanets
formathirdofacirclewiththeearth(ie120degreefromoneanother)theaspectisconsideredtobe
beneficial.Infactthetrineasitiscalled,ismorebeneficialthananyotheraspect.InGeometry,athree
sidedobjectformsarigid,stableshape.Inmusic,notesonethirdofanoctaveapart(ie4semitonesorhalf
tonesapart)areveryharmonic:thecombinationofCwithEforexample.

TrinesinColor,Music,andAstrology

Colorsonethirdoctave
apart(ie120degrees
aroundthecolorwheel),
aremutuallyharmonic
Red/Yellowfor
example.

Anexampleofonethird
octaveinthemusical
scale,theharmonic
intervalCtoE

Anexampleofonethird
ofacircleinastrology.In
thisinstance,the120
degreeaspectformed
betweenSaturnandMars
isconsideredtobringout
thebestintheplanetary
influencesofthese
traditionallymalefic(i.e.
unfortunate)planets.

TrinesinMusicandtheMajorChords
Inmusic,themajorchordsarehappyandauspicioussoundingandarefullyharmonic.Theminorchords
areconsideredsadsoundingandhavedissonantelementsinthem.CMajorisusedpossiblymorethanany
otherchordandoftenappearsasthefinalchordofamusicalpassage.ThechordofCmajorconsistsofthe
notesC,E,G,andCofthenextoctaveup.IfwelookatthisintermsofhalftoneswefindwestartatC,go
uponethirdoctave(4semitones)furthertoEandthenuponefourthoctave(3semitones)toG.

WecannumberintervalsoftheOctave(showninpinkbelow)bycountingfromC(zero)tothenextC(12
stepsaboveC).

IfweexaminetheCmajorchordusingtheseintervalnumberswefindthefollowing.

IntervalAnalysisofthechordCMajor
NotesintheChord

HalfnotesfromC

12

Intervalbetweennotes

N/A

CMajorasthePrototypicalPythagoreanTriangle
Noticehowtheintervals(i.e.numberofhalftonesbetweennotes)ofthemajorchordinsemitonesis4,3,
5.HerewehavetheperfectPythagoreantrianglewithabaseof4,aheightof3andahypotenuse
(diagonal)of5.

Thecircumferenceofthetriangleformsthewholeoctave(4+3+5=the12semitonesoftheoctave).
Rememberfromgeometrythatthesumofthesquaresofthetwosidesequalsthesquareofthehypotenuse
4X4+3X3=5X5.

HarmonicContentofIntervals
Ifweselectanynoteandthenmoveupxnumberofsemitonesandselectasecondnote,andthensound
thetwonotesatthesametimetheywillproduceaharmonicordisharmoniceffectononeanother
dependingonthenumberofsemitonesseparatingthem.Wecangraphtheharmoniccontentofthevarious
intervalsbetweentwonotesbyarrangingtheintervalshorizontallyandlettingtheharmonyordisharmony
thatresultsbysoundingthesetwotonesbeshownbyapointaboveorbelowthehorizontalline.

Thegraphappearsasfollows.

NotethemostdissonanttonesarewhentwonotesareveryclosetogethersuchasCandC#(C#istheblack
keyaboveC).CandD(separatedbytwosemitonesoronesixthofanoctave)soundedtogetherarealso
dissonantbutnotquiteasmuch.Anintervalof3seemstobeneutraltoslightlydisharmonic.Theintervals
4,5,and7areincreasinglyharmonicbutnotethatwhenwehittheinterval6(onehalfoctave),the
combinationssoundsdistinctlydisharmonic.Againthenumber8dropsbelowthelineasadisharmonic
interval.
Playingjusttwonotestogetherformsasimpleintervalbetweenthetwonotes,butwhenwesoundathird
tone,thenitalsoformstwonewintervalcombinationsbetweentheothertwonotes.Forexampleinthe
threemainnotesoftheCMajorchord,wesoundC,E,G.CtoEis4steps.EtoGis3steps.CtoGis7
steps.

IntervalsintheCMajortriad
C

3
7

Allthechordsinthecommonlyuseddiatonicmusicalscalerepresentvariouscombinationsofthe12
intervalsintheoctave.Aswehaveseen,allthemajorchordsarebasedontheintervals04712.The
minorchordsare03712.Nomatterwhatkeyyoustartwith,ifyoucountupthenumberofintervals
betweennotes,youcandeterminewhatnotestoplaytoformanyparticularchordusingtheintervalpattern
forthatchord.Foreaseofplaying,somechordsarecommonlyplayedbydroppingoneormorenotesdown
oneoctaveforexampletheC6thchordcanbeplayedCEGAorGACE.

Herearetheintervalsofsomeofthemorecommonmusicalchords.Theexamplenotesshownareinthe
keyofC(thestartingposition)buttheintervalvaluesapplytoallotherkeysaswell.

TableofIntervalValuesforCommonChords
Major

12

Minor

Eb

12

Seventh

Bb

10

MinorSeventh

Eb

Bb

10

MajorSixth

MinorSixth

Eb

Diminished

Eb

Gb

Augmented

Ab

12

SymphonyofLifeParallelsMusic
Bylookingattheintervalsinthechordsyoucanseetherelativeharmonicanddisharmoniccontent.Most
musicusesavarietyofharmonicanddissonantelements.Oneparallelbetweenlifeandmusicisthat
perfecthappiness,likeperfectharmonyseldomexistsforlong.Musicandlifeconsistofperiodsof
happiness(harmony)intermixedwithsadness(dissonance).Manifestationexposesustothepairsof
opposites.Birthanddeatharisesimultaneously.Inotherwordsdeathistheinevitableeffectofthecause
birth.Wewouldn'tknowlightwithoutdarkness.Wecanneverknowpleasurewithoutalsoexperiencing
pain.Wewouldn'tappreciatehappinesshalfasmuchaswhenweexperiencediseaseandthenhavethat

discomfortorlackofeasesuddenlyremoved.Whenwehearasequenceofchordsweappreciatethe
dissonantelementsasinterestingandwhentheysuddenlyturnharmonicasonanending,itcreatesan
inspirationalfeeling.Someintervalscryoutforresolutionasforexamplewhenweplaythe011interval
wesenseitisjustshortofthefullharmonicoctavesowefinishbymovingto012anditcreatesasenseof
harmoniccompleteness.Playingasequenceofchordssomehowstirsthesoulandevokesfeelingsburied
deepwithinus.Musicaddsafurtherdimensiontolifejustascolorsdo.Wecouldlivequitefunctionallyin
ablackandwhiteworldoraworldwithoutmusic.Thepresenceofbothisanotherofthecallingcardsof
theCreator,enrichingthequalityofourlifeexperience.Inthefinalsojournofourearthjourneywemove
tosoundtheharmonicchordsoflove,serviceandcompassionandresolvethesymphonyofourhuman
careerintotheOceanofExistence,Knowledge,Blissfromwhichweindividualizedsolongago.

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