Oneness: Everything is Connected

"The Last Supper" by Leonardo Da Vinci, 1495-98, Tempera on gesso, pitch, and mastic, Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan. Image in the Public Domain.

 Happy New Year!  The start of a new year is always considered a new beginning and many people make resolutions or resolve to change or transform in some way in the forthcoming year.  This new year is especially favorable for your personal transformation because the energies of the universe are supporting you in your endeavors!

“Everything is connected to everything else”.  ~ Leonardo Da Vinci, Rennaissance Man

Today’s date (01-01-11) is considered by many to be a very significant and auspicious date.  You may have noticed a lot of 1’s in the date and the number 11!  You can either look at it as four ones (1111) or two sets of eleven (11:11).  Numbers are not just numerical expressions of a certain quantity or numerical value, they also contain spiritual significance and meaning.  The number one is considered the primary number and it’s essence and vibration is new beginnings, oneness with life, creativity, self-development, progress, independence, and unity.  Eleven is considered a master number and has more potential than single digit numbers.  It’s essence and vibration is associated with visionary abilities, metaphysical faculties, spirituality, healing, intuition, and enlightenment. 

Numerology

“…and so the ancients assumed the number PHI must have been preordained by the Creator of the universe.  Early scientists heralded one-point-six-one-eight as the Divine Proportion”.  ~ Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code

Some people may be thinking numerology is whoo-whoo stuff and disregard it, and I must say I can be quite skeptical about such things myself.  If you start researching numerology it becomes more and more evident that there is significance and depth to what appears on the surface as just a mere idle pursuit or entertainment.  Think about it, you can’t escape numbers:  the minute you come into the world, your time of birth is recorded, along with your date of birth.  We all have a social security number, and like it or not, we are all concerned with the numbers in our bank balance.  Whenever you enter or leave a country you have to present your passport with your date of birth, passport number etc.

Most people consider Pythagoras, a philosopher and mathematican who lived and taught in southern Italy in the sixth century as the founder of numerology.  However, numerology is a very ancient practice that predates Pythagoras and has roots in ancient China, Greece, Rome, and Egypt – all civilizations that made great contributions to their respective societies and the world at large.  Pythagoras believed that order is created out of chaos through numbers and that universal reality is mathematical.  Numerologists believe that all things, including abstract ideas can be converted into numbers that have specific meaning. 

Leonardo, Numerology and “The Last Supper”

“Without mathematics there is no art”.  ~  Luca Pacioli

Leonardo da Vinci is considered a” Renaissance Man”, because he was a genius in both art and science.   He continues to inspire people even today centuries after his death.   His masterpiece “The Last Supper” contains many hidden symbols.  I’m not going into every little detail about the symbols (it makes for some interesting research if you are interested in such stuff!) but I am going to comment on the golden ratio, and the numbers one and eleven in this painting. 

This painting gives an overall sense of Oneness because throughout the composition Leonardo used the principle of the golden ratio or what was known during the Renaissance as “Divine Proportion” (also known as PHI or the number 1.618).  When an artist uses this compositional device in the structure of an artwork it ensures a sense of balance and beauty that is based on mathematical principles and universal design.   Therefore such an artwork intrinsically appeals to people because it resonates deeply within them and gives a sense of wholeness or unity.

The number one is evident in this painting because the focal point of the painting is Jesus in the center – a single figure.  Also many consider Jesus the “One” or the one true savior.  To the right of Jesus in front of the pillar one of the apostles points one finger upwards and this also resembles the number one.  A finger is also known as a “digit” which also means “number”.  So this gesture references the number one.  This painting is also a perfect example of one-point perspective, and everything in the composition directs your eye towards Christ’s head in the middle. 

The number eleven is also hidden in this painting.  If you count the rectangles in the background, the total equals eleven.  You could also argue that the two pillars behind Jesus form a large number eleven.  There is a balance of eleven visible hands on the right and eleven visible hands on the left side of the central figure.  If you add the digits on Jesus’s outstretched hand, an apostles’ hand, and the other apostles’ upright pointed finger in front of the right pillar, you get eleven.  This painting depicts Jesus sharing his last meal with his twelve disciples.  He informs them that he knows one of them will shortly betray him, even though they all react to such news with horror (12 apostles minus 1 traitor = 11!)

Oneness

“All differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything”.  ~ Swami Vivekananda, Indian Spiritual Teacher

When people talk about Oneness they don’t mean they are dreaming of a new utopian society where everyone is the same and there are no cultural differences.  How boring!  Quite the exact opposite – from my understanding Oneness means that we celebrate our differences and diversity but at the same time see that we really are all connected to each other.  What one person does really can make a difference!

Even science has a theory that seems to support the idea of Oneness – the Butterfly Effect.  This  refers to the idea that a butterfly’s ‘s wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that could  eventually change the path of a tornado or delay, speed up or even prevent the occurrence of a tornado in a certain location. 

May you find “Oneness” in 2011 and best wishes for a year filled with health, wholeness, peace, love, and unity!

What are you willing to do to experience “Oneness” during 2011?

Do you see the connections in all of existence?

Will you use the vibrations present in the new year to evolve and transform or remain stagnant?

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