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John Worrell Keely and Musical Numerology PDF
John Worrell Keely and Musical Numerology PDF
I wrote the article Musical Numerology in 1970 and published it in Denver, Colorado in a book called Kosmon, a book
created by myself and two other people. It was in this book that I first published my findings about the duochord and
proclaimed that rock and roll music was taking a downward turn.One day, after we had started distributing the book
to local bookstores, I received a letter from a young man who lived nearby and wanted to meet the author of this
article. I went to see him and looking around the one-bedroom apartment, I saw that everywhere there were large
pieces of white paper on which he had been making mathematical calculations: on tables, chairs, and taped to all of
the walls. He was ecstatic, "I had to meet the author because I have applied what was stated in the article to every
known science and found that the same formula proves itself in every case." I went back a week later to discuss the
matter with him more thoroughly , but the apartment was empty and he was gone. Now after 23 years, I have revised
the article, and am publishing it again on DoveSong.Com. I hope this information can be as useful to others as it was
for this young man and has been for me. I believe that musical scales and harmony are based on alchemical realities
that can be proved by math. Math demonstrates the formation of the laws of the universe, and music, color, and all
manifestation follow the same laws.
Don Robertson, May, 2003
********************************
To our knowledge, there is no religion on the earth that does not incorporate some kind of symbolic use of
the quantities three and seven.
Our objective is to illustrate some of the mysterious relationships between the quantity three, the quantity
seven, and what these quantities have in common with the basic physical structure of the universe.
The direct relationship between three and seven is as follows:
If we have three objects, which we will call 1, 2, and 3, we will observe that the absolute number of
different combinations of these 3 objects is 7;
that is, we may arrange them in no more than seven different combinations, regardless of the order in
which they are arranged.
Combination 1
1, 2, 3
Combination 2
1, 2
Combination 3
1, 3
Combination 4
2, 3
Combination 5
Combination 6
Combination 7
There are three primary colors in the color spectrum, plus four more natural colors that are created from
the combinations of the three colors similarly to the three objects above.
All colors that exist are either :
a) One of the primary colors, or
b) A resultant mixture of two or three of the primary colors.
The primary colors cannot be created by mixing other colors, so they are rather special.
The three primary colors are red, yellow, and blue.[1]
The natural, or secondary colors are those colors that are created by mixing equally the three primary
colors according to the chart above.
The resultant seven natural colors the colors of the rainbow, a naturally occurring phenomena that can be
created using a prism to break down light.
They are arranged in the spectrum as follows:
Red
Red
Orange
1, 2
Red, Yellow
Yellow
Yellow
Green
2, 3
Yellow, Blue
Blue
Blue
Indio
1, 2, 3
Violet
1, 3
Red, Blue
Thus we see that the color spectrum is based on the relationship between 3 and 7.
There are three primary tones of the musical scale and seven natural tones:
The Musical Scale
C
1, 2
C, E
2, 3
E, G
1, 2, 3
C, E, G
1, 3
C, G
The notes that correspond to the primary colors are C, E, G: the major triad, which is the most important
chord in music, and the groundwork of the scale.
It is important to realize the correspondence between the colors of the spectrum and the notes of the
scale, as the musical scale is based on the same principals of nature (the natural overtone series) and it
has been adapted in some form or another most all cultures.
There are three root-position triads contained in the major scale (C,D,E,F,G,A,B). These are:
The major triad that is based on the correspondence with the primary colors (C, E, G) and two
minor triads, based on three of the natural, or secondary, tones (D, F, A and E,G,B).
Major and minor triads are the fundamental underpinnings of harmony used in the music of Western
cultures.
Shocks
While teaching in Russia during the first world war, Gurdjieff described something about octaves that had
not been publically known before. He stated that there were two places in the octave where retardation of
the vibrations takes place.
These places are between the notes E and F and between the notes B and C. These are the two places
on the keyboard where there are no sharp or flat note (black) keys between the white keys.
Octaves, according to Gurdjieff, develop according to whether or not these places where retardation of
vibrations take place are filled.
In the right development of these octaves, these places are filled by the energy of octaves that run in
parallel to the given octave.
This process of filling in Gurdjieff calls a shock. Processes, institutions, laws and other things all progress
through time according to the law of octaves, and therefore these two shocks in the octave are a part of
the development process.
Gurdjieff stated that if development continues without the shocks being filled in, then the line of
development constantly changes.
The way he described it, if octaves as a principal of nature develop unimpeded, the development looks
as if it is proceeding along a straight line, but every time one of the two points in the octave is reached
where a shock occurs, even though development of the process that the octave represents appears to be
progressing forward along a straight line, the development of the process actually jogs a little, causing
what would be compared to a jog in the line.
The development continues and after the progress through the series of octaves has gone on for a
particular amount of time, what was considered to be development along a straight line has actually turned
into a development in the opposite direction! Further continuation will bring the development back to the
same direction that it started in. This is actually a full duty cycle, or one full revolution on a spiral.
The law of octaves, with this intrinsic circular motion generating a spiral, governs all activity and shows
how organizations, religions, and governments -- if allowed to develop without conscious knowledge
concerning the application of the filling in of these shocks -- always develop into something that is
opposite to what was originally intended.
1/7 = .142857
2/7 = .285714
3/7 = .428571
4/7 = .571428
5/7 = .714285
6/7 = .857142
Of course 7/7 equals 1
Studying the numbers that result from our division is a fascinating process.
We find that we have a reoccurring sequence of numbers that is present in every case!
This is the sequence 7142857142857.that continues on and on ad infinitum.
.142857142857142857 etc.
7/1.00000000000000000
The numbers that are not in the sequence are 3, 6, and 9. When a they are connected, the result is
a triangle. The numbers 3 and 6 are the shocks.
By applying the color spectrum and musical notes to the enneagram, we have the following:
When asked why one shock correctly appeared between the E and the F, but the other, instead of
appearing between B and C, appeared between G and A, Gurdjieff stated that this demonstrated the
nature of the shock that occurred when passing from one octave to the next.
He also said that every completed whole, every organism, is an enneagram, but that each of these
enneagrams does not have an inner triangle (3,6,9).
142857 is the working of the corporeal scheme, the triangle is the presence of higher elements in the
organism. This inner triangle is possessed by plants, for example, from which come our drugs: hemp,
poppy, hops, tea, coffee, tobacco.
When any number is added to nine, the sum, added horizontally to one significant figure, always equals
that same number (also added horizontally to one significant figure).
Examples:
8 + 9 = 17 and 1 + 7 = 8
6 + 9 = 15 and 1 + 5 = 6
36 + 9 = 45 and 4 + 5 = 9 and 3 + 6 = 9
When any number is multiplied by nine, the product added horizontally to one significant figure, always
equals nine.
Examples:
9 x 7 = 63 and 6 + 3 = 9
9 x 12 = 108 and 1 + 0 + 8 = 9
Casting Out Nines
Further use of horizontal addition is applied in a mathematical process that is called casting out nines.
The sum of any number added horizontally is equal to the remainder of that same number when it is
divided by nine. Thus, to cast out all nines from a number, add it horizontally:
Example: 16,378 = 1 + 6 + 3 + 7 + 8 = 25 = 7
If you were to divide 16,378 by 9, you will find that the remainder is 7.
We see that by horizontal addition of the sums, in each case, we always end up with nine. If we now take
each number from one to eight and multiply it by numbers 1 through 9 we will see some interesting
numerical patterns develop.
We will start with the first line from the circle above:
8x1=8
8 x 2 = 7 (16, or 1 + 6 = 7)
8 x 3 = 6 (24, or 2 + 4 = 6, and so on)
8x4=5
8x5=4
8x6=3
8x7=2
8x8=1
8x9=9
We end up now with a sequence of 876543219.
A similar sequence is produced by doing the same thing with 1.
This sequence is the reverse of the other:
1x1=1
1x2=2
1x3=3
1x4=4
1x5=5
1x6=6
1x7=7
1x8=8
1x9=9
This is how this sequence looks on the circle:
Notice that this sequence was generated by the numbers 8 and 1, the two numbers at the top of the
enneagram.
The number series that resulted from these two was the same, however one series is the reverse of the
other. For 8 we have: 876543219, and for 1 we have 12345789.
To be completely the opposite of each other, the second series would have had to have been 987654321,
but interestingly enough, this isn't the case.
Now we will generate another pair of sequences using seven and two, the next set of numbers in the
enneagram.
7x1=7
7x2=5
7x3=3
7x4=1
7x5=8
7x6=6
7x7=4
7x8=2
7x9=9
2x1=2
2x2=4
2x3=6
2x4=8
2x5=1
2x6=3
2x7=5
2x8=7
2x9=9
Again we have a resultant series of numbers where one is the opposite of the other.
For 7 we have 753186429, and for 2 we have 246813579.
As is the case with 8 and 1 above, both series always ends with a 9!
Also, the reverse series is one number off from the original.
This series of numbers is one that skips every other number.
Now we will generate another pair of sequences using five and four:
5x1=5
5x2=1
5x3=6
5x4=2
5x5=7
5x6=3
5x7=8
5x8=4
5x9=9
4x1=4
4x2=8
4x3=3
4x4=7
4x5=2
4x6=6
4x7=1
4x8=5
4x9=9
When we look at these, we see again that we have the same kind of pattern where the series from the
second set is the opposite of the first, however offset by a single number, and that both end in 9.
The series for 5 is 516273849 and the series for 4 is 483726159. This series of numbers is one where
three numbers is skipped each time.
Finally we will take a look at the sequence generated by the two shock values three and six:
6x1=6
6x2=3
6x3=9
6x4=6
6x5=3
6x6=9
6x7=6
6x8=3
6x9=9
3x1=3
3x2=6
3x3=9
3x4=3
3x5=6
3x6=9
3x7=3
3x8=6
3x9=9
Interestingly enough, the number 6 yields a series of 639, 639, 639, and the series from 3 yields the
opposite: 369, 369, 369. Who says the universe isn't the result of mathematics!
We have now horizontally multiplied each number from 1 to 9 by the numbers 1 through 9 and
have arrived at a series that is in each case has been illustrated using the enneagram circle, the
circle with 9 points.
The numbers 1,2,4,5,7, and 9 are the numbers found in the period (142857). When we look at the tables
that we have just created using these numbers (that is the tables for "8 and 1", "7 and 2", and "5 and 4")
we can see that a series of numbers has been created in each table.
For example, in the 8 table, the results from horizontally multiplying 1 through 9 by 8 resulted in a
pattern (reading down the sum column) of 876543219 and the results from horizontally multiplying 7 by 1
through 9 is the sequence 753186429.
Now, taking the third, sixth, and ninth numbers in each of these series, we discover that we have a
repeating sequence of either 639 or 369. These are the "inner triangles" of each one of these sets
8x1=8
8x2=7
8x3=6
8x4=5
8x5=4
8x6=3
8x7=2
8x8=1
8x9=9
1x1=1
1x2=2
1x3=3
1x4=4
1x5=5
1x6=6
1x7=7
1x8=8
1x9=9
7x1=7
7x2=5
7x3=3
7x4=1
7x5=8
7x6=6
7x7=4
7x8=2
7x9=9
2x1=2
2x2=4
2x3=6
2x4=8
2x5=1
2x6=3
2x7=5
2x8=7
2x9=9
5x1=5
5x2=1
5x3=6
5x4=2
5x5=7
5x6=3
5x7=8
5x8=4
5x9=9
4x1=4
4x2=8
4x3=3
4x4=7
4x5=2
4x6=6
4x7=1
4x8=5
4x9=9
order: 639
order: 369
order: 369
order: 639
order: 639
order: 369
We will now show each number and the order of its series.
This order, as you have just seen, was determined by the inner triangle of each series (the points of 3, 6
and 9 on the circle) and number present at those point turn out to be either a sequence of 639 or 369.
639 represents energy moving counter clockwise and 369 is the energy moving clockwise.
For purposes of demonstration, we will fix polarity designations to the 639 and 369.
We will call 369 positive and 639 negative.
The numbers 3, 6 and 9, not being part of the periods, we will call neutral (=):
Note
Number
Order
Polarity
369
639
(shock)
369
639
(shock)
369
639
123456789
8-1
+-=+-=+-=
135792468
7-2
+=-+=-+=639639639
6-3
(all neutral)
159483726
5-4
+-=+-=+-=
[1] It is noted that modern theory of colors has adapted new colors to represent the subtractive domain of
primary colors, and some writers go so far as to dispute the standard primary colors, but we stand by what
we have written: red, yellow and blue are the primary colors.
For more information about modern color theories, see: http://www.goatrance.de/mahak/colors.html
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/light/U12L2d.html