The One and the ManyÂ
Anything can be broken down into parts. Is it one galaxy or is it billions of stars? Is it a solar system or a sun with planets? Is it a single machine or a collection of parts? Some objects can even create a perceived point of unity. Even small objects have a center of mass. And larger objects can have a center of gravity. Neither of these "centers" actually exist as self sustaining points. They emerge from the objects or planets collective existence. As humans we are very similar. As the central player in our own feedback loops we place a lot of emphasis on our surface and skin of our bodies. We have an inside and an outside. And so we perceive ourselves as a single unified object in space. We all consist of a variety of biological systems and cell types that have to cooperate very closely. As a result of all this, and its intrinsic survival value, we have a unified sense of self. But even the brain has many parts and billions of cells. Navigating the bridge between the one and the many is central to the Octagod symbol. Like the trinity in Catholicism the Octagod is both one and many. This is what it's like to live in our bodies. It's one body with many parts. We are intrinsically the one and the many.
The One and the Many vs. Birth and Death and the Universe
I believe we have an intuitive bodily sense of the linked dual nature of the One and the many. The Octagod as a scientific-religious faith statement builds on this intuition. And then it takes it one step further. It makes the connection between the birth and death of your body and the birth and death of the universe. The Octagod amulet, when worn makes this connection personal. As with the centers of mass and gravity, the full sense of unity can't be achieved until all the parts are counted.
The Octagod's journey from the One to the Many
The Octagod is a creation of the human mind. It emerges from thinking about science and art. And how something from the world of science and art could be applied to issues in heraldry and religious faith statements. I think the number eight, especially as it applies to both the "coming and going" Octagod is a genuine sweet spot. But if other numbers were to be considered this is how I think it might go.
One
The circle is absolute unity.
TwoÂ
Life vs. non-life which brings us to the point about feedback. Which as I have said, in this system of thought is a kind of essence. And certainly a partial definition of life.
Three
Life, the universe and everything. This is a kind of trinity. To make this analogy clearer it would be; the holy ghost as life and feedback, Jesus as the universe, the heavens come to earth, and God as the multiverse.
Life
The Universe
and everything.
Four
The Big Bang, the Macrocosm, the Microcosm and life. The Big Bang and inflation; inflation is when I say large and small were the same, symmetrical . Then we have the macrocosm and the microcosm. And we need both to survive. WE live in a galaxy and were made of atoms. What other size could we be? I say this is the best version of the middle. And then there's life and feedback. It's interesting to contemplate the relationship between feedback and the spectrum between large and small. It's particularly interesting when you see little things getting way out of hand.
Five
The higher the number goes the more interpretations you can make. So for five I would say DNA, The Brain, the Macrocosm, The Microcosm and the Universe. This gives you your basic existence as an animal.
Six
For six I would add culture. This puts us between our instincts and our upbringing. Which in general is the human animal's main dilemma.
Seven
Seven is a traditionally lucky prime number. So I would place it around emergence. Emergence is many things, perhaps it's everything. Everything emerges naturally from laws and probabilities that build on themselves. Emergence also describes your sense of the present moment. A present moment that has emerged from the long history of the universe and the Big Bang.
Eight
The Octagod is number eight. Going from the multiverse through the Big Bang and on to the present moment.
Nine
It's tempting to say artificial intelligence should be number nine. But I say that's covered under "The Book" which is a reference to information technology. So I would say number nine is the death of the universe. The Octagod is specifically not a worship of technology. It's more about the universe and your body.
Ten and Eleven
In the upside down Octagod things have to be taken in groups. So here we would add expansion and contraction. Notice that each term is meaningless without the other. Expansion and contraction is a very general term.
TwelveÂ
And lastly I would add the death of stars, which includes the elements and states of matter. And finally the heat death of the Universe. But in the end nothing beats eight!
The "Course of Time" Miniature Golf Course
As an artist I was so obsessed with this idea of the one and the many that I built a science inspired miniature golf course. The universe can be broken down into ever smaller pieces. But I say at the end of this road is another art form . An art form I call "narrative science cartooning". Again, this is a philosophy about the body and the universe.
THE OCTAGOD is a magical totem pole of science.
