Oxfordshire Artweeks celebrated its 40th year in 2022 and the turnout to all the art exhibitions in May was incredible! Thank you to everyone that came to The Spice of Life, behind the Spice Lounge restaurant in Summertown. It was wonderful to be able to exhibit 'Porthole', 'Sun Light Codes' and 'Sacred Geometry Bots' from my Spring Collection - Circular exploring the sacred geometry of the circle and colour symbolism, as well as some older favourites.
0 Comments
The Logo Decoded by Lora Starling Amazon Books
'Logos connect us to the heart of the brand. I have always specialised in corporate design, focussing on the logo at the core of the brand message. The design of the logo is so much more than a pretty face simply identifying a business from its competitors. The allure of the brand comes from identity and the things that people use to identify themselves, their gang, their kingdom, their company, etc. They use symbols and emblems, designs and motifs, colours, words and noises to make their identity specific and agreeable to those whose respect they want, and need. They are creating their brands. The process is an emotional thing, and emotions run deep as they say. In fact these emotions of identity are so powerful and run so deep they touch the soul. If design is one of the important parts of creating and expressing identity, then it makes sense to start designing from the soul outwards, rather than from the surface inwards.' Wooden Books |
Recommended Reading this week are the beautifully illustrated titles by the Wooden Books imprint, of which there are currently over 60. They publish a wide range of short taster books on sacred geometry topics and related subjects. Plus the beefier 'Quadruvium' and 'Sciencia' pictured here. Wooden Books specialises in 'age-old' topics. It won Best Non-Fiction Series at the 2007 New York Book Fair. It's series of titles continues to grow. Most of the books are written by John Martineau, founder of Wooden Books. His MA project focussed on geometry and harmony in the solar systems. It was then the basis of his 'Book of Coincidence'. |
Watkins Publishing
978-1-78028-008-0
Recommended Read this week is 'The Secret Language of Astrology' by Roy Gillett, published by Watkins Publishing. Lavishly illustrated primer for anyone who wants to start their journey into astrology. It even includes links to an AstrolableA' website created exclusively for the book, enabling you to create a detailed birth chart for yourself, or for family or friends, with advice on interpretation. |
| | | |
John Blake Publishing (Metro Books)
978-1-86066-112-9

The author, William R Harston, is a journalist who writes the Beachcomber column in the British newspaper the Daily Express and is an accomplished chess player. He played chess competitively from 1962 to 1987, with a highest Elo rating of 2485. Randomly, during his time as a PhD student at Cambridge, Hartston became the first person to stack the pieces from an entire chess set on top of a single white rook.
For many years Harston has been a TV commentator for chess tournaments, such as the BBC Play Chess, and other TV credits. He is involved in a number of creative areas, running competitions in creative thinking for The Independent newspaper and the Mind Sports Olympiad. Harston has numerous book titles to his name, a large number of which are about chess. | |
Watkins Publishing Ltd
978-1-78028-386-9
Recommended Read this week is 'Celestial Geometry: Understanding the Meanings of Astronomical Sites' by Ken Taylor, Watkins Publishing Ltd, 2019. Ken Taylor's extensive research explores over 60 archeological sites, some well known and others less so. Each site 'enshrines remarkable achievements' of ancient astronomers around the world. A fascinating book linking the Earth to the Heavens using mathematics and sacred geometry. There is the occasional mention of the various sites' uses, rites and ceremonies. More detailed specifics about the sites, such as materials used, is not really covered. Nevertheless the book is excellent! |
He has written 6 books and has co-authored a further 6 in partnership with his wife Joules. Titles include:
Early Heaven Oracle (Rider,2002 )
Tarot for Today (London House, 2000)
Werewolves (2009) and Ghosts ( 2010) for Spruce.
| |
Thames and Hudson
978-80500-810347

Francs Huxley (1923 - 2016) was an anthropologist and botanist with diverse interests and a lifelong interest in shamanism and the altered states of consciousness often experienced by sacred 'healers'. In the 1950's his pioneering fieldwork among the Urubu people of the Amazon basin and his book 'Affable Savages' (1956) resulted in new personal reflective approach to the study of culture, rather than objective. He was also an activist for indigenous peoples, founding Survival International with fellow anthropologists. Survival International provides a platform for exposing genocide, violence, slavery and exploitation.
Works of interest The Invisibles: Voodoo Gods in Haiti (1969), he describes his encounter with possession, magic and psychic healing. The Way of the Sacred (1974) he expands this personal perspective on healing to include the study of myths, religious rites and sacred symbolism. With his fellow anthropologist, Jeremy Narby, he co-edited Shamans Through Time (2001), a collection of five centuries of writing on the subject. Tribes of the Amazon Basin in Brazil (1973), identified groups threatened by Brazilian economic expansion and described the sad impact on their religious, spiritual and psychological health and wellbeing. | |
Harper Perennial
978-0-06092-671-7

Another book that is a readable and informative introduction to sacred geometry. Schnieder focuses on the drawing/construction of the geometric principles created by 0, 1 to 10, sequentially. He includes relevant quotes, examples in nature, the human body, myths, art and architecture. Plenty of interesting material about each of the numbers but he does not draw any conclusions.
Calling himself 'an educator and writer who encourages a love of learning' on his website Schnieder provides numerous workbooks and CDs about 'the intersections of mathematics, nature, art, science and culture'.
| | |

Recommended Read this week is Malcolm Stewart's (1939-) 'Patterns of Eternity - Sacred Geometry and the Starcut Diagram', published by Floris Books.
This is a classic sacred geometry text, well researched, insightful, covers a lot of ground, includes plenty of examples from many cultures. If you are serious about understanding the mathematics of sacred geometry then this needs to be in your library.
Stewart proposes that the Starcut Diagram has very interesting mathematical properties and that it could possibly be the source of the ancient number system used to build ancient sites.
Malcolm Stewart's varied career includes - priest, singer-songwriter, editor and book jacket designer, UN project co-ordinator, NGO relief-aid and refugee organiser, freelance artist and stained glass designer, lecturer and author.
| |
MACROmedia Press
978-1-88813-807-8

Recommended Read this week is 'Cymatics' by Hans Jenny (1904 - 1972). It is a primer for understanding the history of the field of cymatics (physics of sound), the geometry within sound waves and their creative influence. Probably best to read this first before last week's Recommended Read 'Interference Theory'.
Even our early ancestors knew that sound and its impact on us at a cellular level were highly important. Our depth of our understanding of the science of cymatics grows every day. The significance of sound in the creative process and its influence on us is becoming more mainstream since Jenny's early work. John Stuart Reid's cymascope has contributed significantly to this field.
I have included a couple of YouTube videos at the end of this blog for those of you who are new to the subject. These stunning geometric patterns are like animated mandalas.
This original hardcover edition now seems to be a collectible item and secondhand copies are quite expensive. It is currently reprinting and is due out March 2022 - Floris Books.
| | |
AuthorSharing my passion for archetypal symbolism, especially sacred geometry, in nature, the Arts, sciences, philosophy and society. |
Archives
May 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
May 2021
March 2020
August 2019
June 2019
March 2019
January 2019
November 2018
September 2018
August 2018
May 2018
April 2018
January 2018
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
January 2017
December 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
Categories
All
Africa
Alchemical Art
Ancient Sites
Archetypal Symbolism
Architect
Art
Artist
Art Techniques
Astrology
Bio-Architecture
Book
Book Review
Books On Geometry
Circle
Classical Elements
Collective Consciousness
Colour
Colour Symbolism
Crystals
CymaScope
Cymatics
Dowsing
Egypt
Emotions
Energy
En-plein
Exhibition
Feng Shui
Flowers
Geometry
Geometry In Nature
Geometry In Sound
Grids
Guided Visualisation
Healing
India
Insights
Klimt
Life Figure
LiterArties
Mandala
Mantra
Meditation
Mind Body Spirit Events
Mixed Media
Music
Nature
Numbers
Numerology
Oxfordshire Artweeks
Painting
Pattern
Plant
Portrait
Puja
Purple
Recommended Read
Sacred Geometry
Sacred Site
School Visit
Sound
Sphere
Spiral
Spirituality
Spirituality In Art
Squares
Squiggle
Sri Yantra
Symbolism
Tantra
The Gateway Series
Triangle
Trinity
Trip
Visualisation
Watkins Publishing Ltd
Workshop
Writing
Yantra
YouTube
Zen