“The whole universe is based on rhythms. Everything happens in circles, in spirals.” ~ John Hartford

The chambered nautilus shell is an important symbol of the universe. The spiral, in all its forms, is the “natural pattern of the impulse of all form and the trajectory of the movement of life” according to Robert Edward Grant. Life gives us lessons and we can observe these lessons through patterns. The spiral symbol also enables us to consider how essential movement is to the universe. We do not stagnate, we are not meant for a state of stagnation. We are meant for movement, just like how the ocean never stops moving. We, of course, need rest as humans, but the truth of movement is essential to our lives. Cultivating an intentionality around exploring the state of spirals and movement is indeed one that can make us ponder how spirals, patterns, and movement are the natural state of life.

From an aesthetic perspective, it is deeply intriguing how the nautilus shell, in particular, is a symbol of the universe. The nautilus shell is seen as an image of order amidst chaos due to its beautiful fractal spiral inside the shell. This is understood as the Fibonacci spiral. According to CNET, “the golden spiral is based on the golden ratio. Symbolised by the character φ (Phi), it’s found when a line is split in such a way that the larger part divided by the smaller part is equal to the whole part divided by the larger part — a ratio of (rounded) 1.618. The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers where the ratio of successive numbers is very close to the golden ratio.” This was discovered by the Italian mathematician, Leonard Pisano Fibonacci, of Pisa.

The spiral holds spiritual depth as well as its occurrences in nature. The Vatican has a spiral staircase, the famous Bramante Staircase. This is an intriguing example of the deeper spiritual connection that spirals hold for us. Sacred geometry is a vast topic which studies the connections between shapes and the universe. The original stairs were built in 1505, with an updated version built in 1932. It is not open to the public and the staircase was built to allow Pope Julius to enter his private residence while still in his carriage. Undoubtedly, it is an aesthetic achievement and great example of how spirals transpire from nature to the creations of humanity.

Spirals occur in all sorts in the entire universe! Perhaps the most intriguing spiral of all is that the universe’s shape itself is a spiral. Everything truly is interconnected and there are reflections of the same, in different forms, over and over again. Hopefully this revelation reminds us to recognize that we have far more in common across the board than we may realize. Believing in commonality can also lead to tolerance. Additionally, studying math beyond the “rules” or “purpose” of how we are taught math in school (or at least how math is taught in the U.S.) may needed to be re-evaluated for the philosophy of how it is first presented. There is a vital process for understanding how the answers of the universe may be right in front of our eyes. We cannot overlook how there are opportunities to opening a fantastic aperture for embracing the complexity of the universe for everyone. We are all part of the same universe.