The three extremities of the Earth
This is certainly one of
the strangest aspects of Martines de
Pasqually’s teachings: the Earth is triangular
(see section 73 of the Treatise, referenced in the
primary sources). In fact,
according to Martines, not only the earth but also
the entire universe and the bodily shapes of all its
inhabitants - including you and I - are triangular.
This flies straight in the face of several passages
of the Scriptures (Ez 7:2, Rev 7:1), but as I will
show, there is a catch, as always, in understanding
what Martines is really talking about.
As Martines teaches,
To come to think of it, Martines might have a point: our ‘profane’ 4 geographical quadrants really only mean anything on our planet...“the division in four parts is only a convention between men without any divine participation, it can only be wrong and misleading [...]” (section 108). The universe can be divided in three parts, the perceptible, the visual and the rational: “what proves us that the universal creation can only be divided in three parts is that one cannot find in it the quadrature of the circle, or the division of that circle in four parts” (108).
But that is not all: the triangularity of creation is really a statement about its nature, and its function. A few hints are given by Martines’ references to the Scriptures. Indeed, Adam, who was supposed to remain in charge of all creation, had three male sons, and when Abel was killed, Adam remained in the West, whilst Kaïn was sent to the Southern and Seth to the Northern extremities of the Earth. Likewise, Noah sent his three sons to the three parts of the Earth,
There are several levels of meaning here. Two aspects are to be considered. First, that this has to do with the arithmosophic context of the number three in Martines’ teachings (see the Institute Eleazar’s lesson on numbers). Second, that the material universe being a consequence of the two falls mentioned previously, it cannot bear an eminently divine number such as 4 since it results from the loss of a direct link to God by the prevaricators.“Cam to the South, Sem to the West and Japhet to the North” (108).
Thus, three is the number that presides over the formation of the universe, as can be found in the terrestrial, celestial and supercelestial immensities of temporal (and temporary) creation. Three is the number of elements: earth, fire and water - these are not physical elements as such, but rather precursors to matter. It is the interaction between those three elements that produces matter, the universe as we see and touch it, and therefore space and movement, life and physical death through its full development over time. This is the part of the temporal universe that natural sciences such maths, physics, chemistry, biology, etc. study. Indeed, our planet may be a tiny speck of dust in the material universe, but the entire universe itself is just a speck in God’s Creation. Indeed, if the physical universe is ultimately measurable, what does is count for when compared to infinity?
Still, our universe may be ‘small’, it isn’t meaningless. The fact that the material universe interrupts our direct link with God means that we, and all its inhabitants are in exile, as discussed in previous posts. Thus, the function of the temporal universe is to serve as a prison and a barrier between the rebellious spiritual beings and God’s immensity. There is a full on fight to bring the rebels back to God. Our universe is indeed a major battle field, and Adam’s posterity is a crucial player in it.