THE MAGIC OF NUMBERS

by Edward T. Bennett
With an Afterword by Roean
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.

i!
THE. MAGIC .OF .NUMBERS
BY .11JDWARD T. BENNETT
41
This appears be a IU.ndamental law of the Universe that
an original impulse of any kind finally resolves itseH into periodic or rhyth-
mical F. BARRETT, F.R:S. [1870] .
.THE. M dgic of Numbm as the Basis of all Diversity and Appar-
ent Fate is the title of a book published at Vienna in tlie year
1882. The is dated February, in curiously exact coin-
. cidence with the formation of the Society for Psychkal Research.
The writer is L. B. Hellen bach, usually designated Baron Hellen-
bach. He is. the author ... of several .other works. The only one
of these which has been translated into English, so far as I know,
is entitled, Birth and Death as a Change of Form of Perception.
The Magic of Numbers commences ;with a b_rief Preface of two
pages, and a short Introduction of six pages, the object of which
is to prevent the reader beingmisled at the outset by the quaint
title of the book, artd to indicate its purport. The following
paragraphs are not a translation of these eight pages, but are
intended, in the form of an abstract, to convey the ideas of their
as far' as possible in his own phraseology.
INTRO:hUCTORY;
If a man is quietly sitting on a bank in his own garden, he
runs less danger of misadventure than if he is engaged in any
kind of sport, or if be is taking a voyage orl the ocean, If he
ascends in a balloon be will be still more insecure, but be will
have a wider outlook. These various e:g:periences cannot be
enjoyed at the saine time. My choice is, for my reader and my-
self, to .ascend in a balloon, but it shall be a captive one. #We
' ' will not ge't)ost. In order to travel safely we will look out for a
fit place to anchor the balloon, and so not to lose our
with the earth .. We will fasten our. rope securely through the
' early chapters. Possibly after that a steady judgment may serve
tis for a connecting cord. In the later chapters we will rise still
higher, till we come to the limit where the .air is too thin to
breathe.
There are those who cannot exert their minds, because they

8 THE OCCULT. REVIEW
have not the ability. are. those who will n
0
t
1
because they
consider it needless for them to. do so. There are others who
. practically have no time, being engaged in bus,inyss and other
occupations. For none of these is this book written. It ls
intended as an incentive to those who are fond of speculation, as
a treatise on phenomena which are based on and supported by
Numbers. One thing however I must dispose of, which cannot
,conveniently be introduced into the book itself, and yet which
nuist be cleared up.
I have been reproached from friendly quarters, that, by the
tenor of my writings, I have wilfully estranged both the scien-
tific circle and the Pres$. . It is true that from my. childhood I
was taught to be courteous and considerate to '!11, not to hurt any
man's feelings, At the same time,. I 'was taught never to
submit .t<;> arrogance. It is the case that :the arrogance of the
Jhrone and of tl:].e Pulpit has found its way into Scientific Soci-
eties, and into the Editorial Chair. I therefore co.nsider it a duty
not to allow myself to be led away by any personal considerations,
and at the same time to show that although more or less slighted
by scientific. Circles, and hit hard. by the paper blows ofjoumal-
ists, it is still possible find enjoyJp.ent in the universe.. So long
;as men of sCience oppose me, not by aCtual experience, but .from
the obscurity of their own a priori arguments, I shall be bound
to expand the saying '' errare humanum .est," and to. translate it
" to err is human and scientific."
It is incumbent upon me to justify the peculiar title of this
book, in order that the reader ,may not proceed to lecture me
from a pre-conceived standpoint. The word " Magic " has been
used. for the incomprehensible, for that which is outside the
kingdom of law. No distinction has been made between the
relatively incomprehensible tricks of a conjurer, and that which
is supposed tohappen in a supernormal way, through the agency
, of good and evil demons. With none of these things have we
anything to do. I use the word. Magic" in the sense in which we
speak of a Magical glance, or of a Magical will, as of a power, the
cause of which we either do not know, or which appears to pro-
ceed from something .beyond ordinary. causes. Certain words
and certain numbers have been termed magical, because certain
properties (lave been ascribed to them whiCh do not belong to
their ordinary use. Our object is to search out .the reasons for
such beliefs. The title is thus justified. .
It is needful to state further that we have nothing to do-with
Cabbalistic trifling with numbers. What I mean will be best
P*.:

THE: M:AGIC OF 'NUMBERS '.9
!'i>emplified by explaining to the reader the' origin of such trifling.
Orientananguages have this peculiarity, that letterS also signify
numbers. Hence it arose that all large numbers are also words.
Also the reverse; that every word is a number. Thus it is easy
to.see how, in. the Bible for instance, a deeper meaning may be
conceived than appears on the surface, if words are treated as
numbers; and o_n the other harid; if numbers are treated as words.
'!n ,this way- it was attempted:.....for example-eto show a connec-
tion between Luther and his followers, and Antichrist, from .the
letters of the_ words of the original. ,
. Although the incoherences of the Cabbalists are not inviting,
itjs impossible not to be impressed with the philosophic Spirit of
the Pythagoreans, in their view of the importance of numbers.
AriStotle perceived in number 'that which dominates ideas and
forms, the measuring staff of tile Divine Architect. The philo-
sophical spirit of this man recognized the essence of the pheno-
menal diversity which I define as signified by numbers. We
know to-day that Musical Tone; Light, Colour, Chemical Com-
biilation are to number for their mal)ifold expression.
Aristotle had only a dim of it. Butthe dominating
power of number is not confined to the perceptions of the senses.
Our task will be, in the first place, to show the significance of
Number in the different kingdoms of phenomenal diversity. A
remarkable analogy will be apparent,. for which we shall have to
seek the We shall find numberS arid groups of numbers,
which for .thousands of years have been almost objects of wor-
'ship, It will become evident that these numbers do not possess
all the significance which has been ascribed to them. But we
shall also find: that number-"'orship is not entirely without a
rational foundation. The reader _will now see that .the. subject,
although it may appear so fantastic, has a serious basis.
''-PERIODICITY.-"
The following considerations will assist in understanding the
position taken by the Author in the fir5t four chapters of his book.
A wheel.revolving below a certain velocity appears to us
stationary. A wheel revolving above_ a certain velocity also
appears to us to be at rest. Weare capable of perceiving motion
within certain limits only. Beyond, in both directions, there is
to '
Sound is limited, on one side, by the 'loWest number of vibra-
tions per second, of the air.whieh produces what is to us audible.
It is limited on the other side, by the largest number of vibrations
10
per second which produces. the highest note we can hear.. Be-
yond these limits, .. both there is to us-5Uence;
Light is limited on side, by a certain lower limit of the
number of vibrations or undulations, per :second, of the ether.
It is limited on the other side by a certain higher number. Be-
yond these limits, in both directions, there is to ufl-'-Darkness.
Then agail)., all the Poetry of Sound which we call Music""""all
Melody-is the result, or perhaps we ought to say is coincident
with, certain definite mimerical relationships between the number
of the vibrations of successive notes. Here comes in the " Magic
of Numbers."
Again, all the Poetry of Light,. which we call Colour, all the
gorgeous. colouring of sky and.cloud at sunrise and sunset, all. the
'delicate tints of di.stant mo.l\ntains and of the ocean, are the
result of, or rather we ought perhaps again to say, arecoincident
with, definite numerical relationships between the number of
vibrations in the different rays into which the ray of whiteIight
is decomposed. Here comes in more of the "Magic of Numbers."
Curious correspondences exist between Sound and Lig!!t,
between the number. of vibrations producing musical intervals
and those which produce colour. These add to the " Magic."
Professor W. F. Barrett, F.R.S., of Dublin, has been kind enough
to call my attention to a Paper he wrote under the title-'' Light
and Sound : An Examination of their reputed Analogy," which
appeared in The Quarterly Journal of as long ago as Janu-
ary, 1870. ProfesSor w"-s_ the first to. place this analogy
on a definite basis. In his paper h11-refers to the vague ideas on
this subject which had been a matter of speculation froin very
early times, and then says following considerations will
.show not only that the analogy has sqme foundation, . but that
it is far more wonderful than has hitherto been suspected." The
fascinating details cannot be quoted here. It must suffice to say
that when the wave-lengths 'of the musical intervals are compared
with the wave-lengths of the colour hitervals, a definite corre-
spondence is'seen t
0
exist. This correspondencedoes not relate
to absolute value, the colour waves being infinitely small com-
pared with the. sound waves. It consists in the ratio of one to
the other. The proportion between the different lengths of the
waves of the notes of the musical scale and of the seven colours
of the rainbow is almost identical. Another striking example
of the Magic of Numbers.
Professor Barrett says further at the end of his A
rnusical chord thus becomes both a representative picture and an
} .

THE'MAGIC OF NUMBERS 11
acoustic painting, while the rimsical sca:le is literally a rainbow of
sou:nd. It is hardly too much to say that we might possibly
translate into a musical melody, a sunset, a flower, or a painting
by a Rubens or a Raphael." . .
In four chapters dealing with what Baron Hellenbach calls
Periodicity (Die Periodicitiit) he ,discusses at length the facts on
which the above paragraphs' are based. He believes that he also
finds a similar Periodic system h:i. the science of chemistry. To
what extent the ()f the last twenty-five years into the
molecular constitution of matter, and into the nature of the
ether, have strengthened or otherwise the views which Baron
'Hellenbach puts forth with regard to Chemistry, I cannot say.
Iri the concluding paragraphs of this section of his book he makes
some interesting remarks, the substance of which I will endea-
vour to give.
In Music, or rather-in .Melody, we have found anchor for
our speculations which' strengthens our argument for the exist-
ence of Periodicity. We find a Periodicity which is the necessary
antecedent of definite diversity. We are brought to the convic
tion that the diversity in phenomenal Nature, in its different
kingdoms, is most intimately associated with numerical relatiori-
ship. The numbers are not intermixed, chaotically and acci
dentally, but are subject to a regular periodicity. The changes
and developments are also seen to be; in many cases, undulatory.
We will now make the attempt, as far as.our powers will permit,
to soar into a transcendental world, iri order to obtain a wider
view of this Periodicity.
To look into a transcendental world does not imply looking
into another world, but only to make a change in our way of
regarding the world. There is only one world, but there are
.many ways of looking at it. Only thus can lhe diversity of the
world be realized. Music is the most beautiful type of Monism
in Nature, and as we shall see later, of the course of human life I
What is it in its essence ? Nothing more than an undulatory
movement of the air. If we give the vibrations, which are per- ..
ceived from our phenomenal standpoint, a certain definite in-
tensity; they are perceived as tones. The number ofvibrations
In a given space of time, of two or more tones, determines. whether
they are in harmmiy or discord. All the innumerable varieties
of Melody are the result of relations between numbers which
evoke analogous vibrations deep in the interiorof our own selves.
We can express orlr perceptions in terms of vibrations' of tone,
nnd, vice versii, vibrations of tone will call forth certain percep
/
12 .1'1fE OCCULT REVIEW
tions in us. What immense diven;ity, intimately related to our
own life, is forth from not]ling by the. Magic of Numbers !
With colol)r .it is the same. Whether the number of vibra-
tions represents a reality, or only what we may call a phenomenal
eoin of reckoning, whether are l)ndulations of ether, or
whether the attractive power of substance is the cause, the
whole splendour of colour is a diversity which proceeds from a
very simple origin. All that we have been speaking of stands .in
a peculiar manner .. under .the sway of certain numbers and com-
binations of numbers. <
THE Mi\.GIC OF NUMBERS IN ANTIQUITY.
Following the chapters in Jielleribach's bookwhtch we have
just dealt with comes one with the above title. It is at this stage
that the. writer speaks, in the Introduction, of dispensing with
the rope which anchon; his captive balloon to the solid earth,
But it is .quite needless to do that at present. I do not propose
to enter upon the speculative or mystical part of this section of
his bo.ok, but to confine our attention to the portion dealing with
definite facts in relation to certain number$, facts, some of which
are very curious, but which belong to arithmetic, or to Easy
Mathematics, to borrow the title of a recent book by Sir Oliver
Lodge, facts about which there is not necessarily anything occult
or mystical. .
. What has been called a Tetragram '' or " Magic Square "
is as old or older than Pythagoras. Hellenbach describes it
thus :.c._It is a square composed of smaller squares,. similar to a
chessboard. In each small square. a number .is placed. 'These
numben; .are so grouped that all the vertical and horizontal rows
of figures, and the twO' diagonals, add up to the same sum. This
is the principal and most obvious feature of a " Tetragram."
There are others, as we shall see later. A Tetragram of this
nature may be constructed with any one of .the arithmetical
of numbers as .a "root." .It is convenient to make two
series, one of odd and one of even numbers, thus :-r, 3; 5, 7,. g,
etc., and 2; 4, 6, 8, ro, etc. The mode of construction, as well as
the 'properties of the Tetragrams of the two series, differ some-
what. TheTetragram consists of a square composedof as many
smaller squares, as the square of the number chosen for the
"root." Suppose,. to take one of the simplest examples, we
choose Jhe .number 3 as the root or base; Three times three is
nine. That is to say, the square of three is nine. Let us draw
THE MAGIC OF

18
a square composed of nine smaller squares. Fig. L_ Then hisert
the numbers from one to nine in- the small 'sq\lares as in Fig. II.
There are eight rows of three figures each' Three hOrizontal,
three vertical, and two diagonal. Each and all add up fifteen.
Another,of the obvious peculiarities is that all the pairs of num-
bers opposite the centre oft he square add up alike. 9 +I, 7 + 3,
I,

tj
II.
9i. 2 ' -.---
8 6 7
--
. , a 1: 6
8+z, 6+4, all-ro . Aiwther peculiarity is' that if two circles
be drawn, _with the centre of the central square as centre, and the
two circumferences passing throl'lgh the centres bf the four
. ' . .
squares at the centre of each side, and the 'centres of the four
corner squares, the sum of the numbers hi the squares will be the
same. 9+7+3+I, and 8+6+4+2, both == :zo. These three
features are, with slight modifications, common to all Tetragrams.
It will be interesting to spend a little time on one of the
methods of constructing a Tetragram or "Magic Square." With
a small number such as three, it would be easy to construct
Fig. II, by a_ series of trials. But it is better to .find a system or
law. Let tis again take the n)imber three as an example. HaVing
drawn a square composed of nine smaller squares-Fig. !-,-
enlarge it by extending a small square in the centre of each side,
producing Fig. III as the result. Insert the numbers r--g as. in
IV.
Fig. III., Then fill in the numbers in_ the centre and four corner
squares, as they stand, and transfer the numbers from the four
outside squares to the vacant square on the opposite side. The
result will be Fig. lV, which will be seen. to be identical With
Fig. II. The " Magic Square " with the root five may be simi-
larly constructed,_
14 . .THE OCCULT REVIEW
As a. peculiar interest attaches to the number seven, it may
be worth while to give the details of .the.'' Magic " of that
number, especially as the three chief features. above to
v.
I
8
I I
2
1
i51
I
9
I
8
22
.
16 10
.
4
29 23. 17 11 5

80 24 18
0
12 6
87 81 25 19 1b
r:--

88
. .82
26
20 14

-
45 89
88
2'1 21
-

46 40 84 28

41 85
0
come out much more strikingly than with a very small number.
Draw a large square composed of small squares, and
enlarge it by extensions, to form Fig. V. Insert the nun'ibers
VI.
22 47
16.
41 10 85 4
-.
6
28 48 17 42 11 29
80 6 24
49118
86 12

18 81 7 25 48 19 87
88 14 82 1 26 44 20
-
21 89 8 88 2 27 46
-
46 15 40
.9
84 3 28
r-49 as in. Fig. V. Then, in Fig. VI, fili in. the. numbers as they
stand, .in the twenty-five occupied squares in. the middle of Fig. V,
Then transfer the four outside groups of numbers to the corre-
'I I
: . .'
0
THE' 'MAGIC 01<' NUMBERS 15
spending vacant squares on the opposite side. An easy way -of
doing this accurately is to cut off the four. outside blocks of
small squares each and place them on the opposite side of the
centre square. All the vacant squares will be found to be occu"
pied. The -result will be Fig. V:I.
VII.
IX:
i'
1\_2
s 4
o/
6 t'

84 8

/6
7' 8
r-..9
11).-
11 8'
r-ea
2'!f
"it
/7
14'
-
18 15 16 17 18 t9
zf
t6 t6 Vt4 24
'
19

21
r-?B
24
t8

at 22
t--.20
t8
2&
';;.-

2}
N!O 1:Jt
26
Vg
til'
r-e9'
81 Vs2

84'
s'r!- 86 8i
Va
4 88 5'

.
Let us test the_ three features we observed in the " Magic
Square " of the number three, Fig; lV. _ (r) There are sixteen
of seven numbers seven vertically, seven horizontally,
and two diagonally .. The sixteen rows .. all-add up 175. (2) The
pail'S of opposite numbers, taking -the four corner squares, and
the centre squares on each side, _all add up alike. 2:;1 +28, 4+46,
VIII.
1'r-..a 8 4 I a 7,1 s
1211s 15 C{6
17 I21,Y'22 24
25 26 aiq 28 I 29 Vso s1 s2
ss B4 s51 ssls7 B9 40
41 42/ 48
lo2l&s
.57 l/wl5sl6o 161 62

69

41
28'!-!9'
82 34 88
40 26
813t
17

v48/

114
11'!.-Y7
8
X
5 4 62 6-(s /
62 68

f'2,.J(tsl48
28129 l7so
-
39 85
86 37 27
81 88
21 20

24
12l1s

61 lao 6 1 2
64
4I+9. IJ+37, all = so. More than this, theadjacent pairs of
numbers, taken
0
bliquely across, all add up to the same figure.
For instance, 47+3, 5+45 . 35+IS, zg+zr, all =so. And not
only so, but_ this also applies to the inner squares of numbers.
(3) In Fig. VI concentric circles may be drawn, the common centre
'l'HE OCCULT REVIEW.
being the centre of the whole square. The circumferences of the
successive Circles go through the centres of successive rings
of rings of four squares each, and three rings of
eight squares each .. The sum ofthe numbers irteach.ring of'four
squares is roo, and the sum in each ring of eight squares is 200.
We will now turn to the series of even numbers, 2, 4, 6, 8, ro,
etc. Let us take 6 and 8.as examples and construct their "Magic
Squares." Draw two,sqtjares consisting respectively Of ,36 and
64 small squares. fill in tl;le numbers consecutively; and draw
lines diagonally, as indicated, producing Figs, VII and VIII.
The ,numbers in. squares, the centres of "Yhieh within' the
diagonally drawn lines, remain in their existing positions, In
respect of the. six squares outside the: diagonals on'. each side, 24
fn all, in Fig. VII, one remains in the same section, me!J'ly' shifting
its atid tl(e other five are transferred.'to the 'opposite sec-
tion. In respect of the squares the diagpl)als in Fig.VIII,
48 in all, two remain. in the same section merely shifting their
places, and the bthers are transferred to the opposite section.
The law governing the redistribution in the case of even n.umbe<s
seems complicated .and obscure. Figs.- IX and X show tl)e
''Magic Squares,_. of six and eight respeGtively. The first and
third of the three features we observed in. the series. of odd num-
bers are equally striking in respect of even numbers, .but the
second fe'ature does not appear to be so
(To be contznued;)
TilE OF NpMBERS
BY El>WARD .T. BENNETT
PART II
. MATHEMATICAL.
READERS of a mathematical tu:in may be interested in a more
abstract method of exhibiting the main features of the " Magic.
Squares " of the arithmetical series of numbers-I, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,_
7, 8, etc. .
let nrepresel).t any number. We will call it the root number
of tl).e square. The following formulre will then be found to

n +I
(n+ n) + 2
(n' + n) + 2
(n
2
+I) X 2
=The Root Number,, .
. = The number of _small squares forming the
" Magic Square." . .
=The sum of pairs of opposite numbers.
= The sum of the 11Uil).bers in l!llY'one row.
= The sum of \)J1 the numbers in the square.
= The sum of the numbers in eac)l concentric .
circle.
(n -I) x (n + 2) =The "LeadingNumber" ("DieLeitzahl"). '
These seven formulre hold _good for hoth odd and even numbers.
When n is an odd number, the following also hold good :-.
(n + I) + 2 =The centre number of the square; '
(n + I) + 2 also =The number of inside nu.mbers (in form-
(n- I) + 2
ing the square).
:.... The number of outside numbers (in form-
ing the square).
When n is an even number the first of these last three formulre
is substituted by :-
(n + I) x 2 =The sum of the four centre numbers of
the square.
In this case also, the second and third of these last three formulre
have no application. .
Purely mathematical considerations have probably been
carried as far as most readers will.care to follow, but there are
other developments which may possess some practical interest.
From what Hellenbach himself says, and from his references to
antiquity, it might be supposed that the number of "Magic
" .
I
..
';'
'.
j'
I
' l
THE MAGIC OF NUMBERS 79
Squares " which can conveniel).tly be studied is very small. lt
would seem as if there were only nine " Magic Squares " consist-
ingof IOOsmallsquareS Of less, each with one single set of numbers,
the "roots" being the arithmetical series z-ro. Beyond this the
squares of successive numbers increase so rapidly as to. become
impracticable. Hellenbach tells us that one enthusiast worked
out the Tetragrams up to that for 26 ( This involves 6J6 small
squares and as .many different numbers. If the number of
XI.
1 1 1
1

17 16

6 1
-
r;-1
8

- --
,.
8

11



... ,...,

,a
7."
--
10 12 18

8 8

. -!--'-+
16

.18

16
,.


10 8 .
1
. r
:1_
a :-a
_,.
-- 18

10
. '


H



-
.-

11
'"
6

2 '1- .
-
+-+
..

8 17
+
0
'

10 14 4

9


1 lls,
8
--
6

. '



8 1 '8 .
6. 10 11

18 8

16
+---+

8

.
NOTE.-Each arrow in
the two
following figures
indicates
senes w1th an mfimte number of terms.
a
" Magic Squares " of reasonable dimensions were very few, the
facilities for study would be small, aild symbolic interpretation
would be restricted to very small compass ..
. Therejs, however, no such limitation. The number of " Magic
even of the smaller dimensions, is infinite. Let us tak:e
a base line starting from o and representing simple arithmetical
succession. Along it 'we. can construct our series of "Magic
Squares." At o ei:ect'a vertical line with an ascending successio'n
of numbers, as in. Fig. XV orr each horizontal line above the
80 . TI'IEOCCULT REVIEW
base line <;onstruqt a series of squares and fill thni with nuffibers
as shown in the diagram, that is, adding one, everywhere. Silties
of '" Magic Squares " are thus obtained which 111.ay be continued
infinitely. '
Again, instead of placing the arithmetical series of numbers
along our ba.Se line, suppose we start with the " Magic Square ''
of3, and multiply the number in each s.mall square by 2,.3, 4, etc.;
we get a series of .new " Magic Sq';lares " along our base. line
XII,
1 1 1
t& ao, 9 19 .. tt
1- 18 at r- 1 aa 81 -
19 & 1& 91 8 81
8& 1 91
T T I
I I I
9 19

18 88 1 . 11 8'1 9
f-
1-

1 11 16

18 88 18 81 89

11

.18

19 88 6 ..
I
. I
I

9
8 8 18

12 8'1 8. 18
..
8

8 & 'II-
8 10 14 ....
9 16 at
1-
11
:_oo
"

8 1 8 18 8 18 84 8 18 88
"'4
84
x'B

"I
(Fig; XII.). If now we combine what we have done in Fig. XI.
with this, we get . new ascending Series of squares, each series
continuing of the same size, and possessing the satne properties.
Again, if instead of taking longer steps, we take shorter ones
along the. base line, if we _advance by, tenths instead of whole
nUl)lbers, and combine what we have done in Fig. XI., we :get
Fig. XIII. Elimmate the decimal point by multiplying all the
numbers by ten, and obtain a whole set of new series.
i;
''
TIJE MAGIC OF NUMBERS 81
Bqth these \a.St va,riations may be multiplied by taking other
multiples and other fractions., The same processes inay also 'be
o::arried out with the' original " Magic Squares " of other
Thus without exceeding squares, of say .25 small squares, . and
Without getting to large . indiVidual the . number of
"Magic Squares" which may be is illimitable, Some
curious repetitions of the same numbers. will occur, but these are
few and far With a little ingenuity, a square With any
XIII.
1 1 1
'1'1 1 1'1 6'1 ' '1'.9 1 2'2 7'8 1 2'8 6'8

... +'8
6'1 .8'1 10'1
r-
6'8 8 a tO'
r-

8'8 10'8
-
--
11'1 4'1 9'1
11"2
9'2 11,"8 4'8 9'8
I I I
8"1.- 11'1 4'1

tt.a ... 6'8 11'8

-
""'--
6'1
_7"':1_
9'1
r
r-
,e,s.
..
1m
F

1'2, 9'2 1'8
a.t,
..
toa 8'8 8'8 10'8 ss 8'8
,
I I _l
+I
8'1 10'1 a:-1 8'8 10'8 8'8

10'8

r-
,;;,;;
-
1- 4'1 0'1 8\1 4'8
oa,
8'8 4'8 6'8 6'8
o1
8'1 7'1 o:a
aa:
1'8
0:0
8'8
-:;;a
.
I
:
I I

o a
4'1 8'1 8'1 4'8 8'8 2'8 4'8 9'8
a8
-
8
-.-r.;-
-
--. r--
"-
8'1 6'1 1'1 8'8 6'8 1'2
r-
6'8
8
-r--
8'1 1'1 6'1 1'8
8'8 1 6 o2

118

+, ..
+ .
+a
desired number oi numbers in. the centre, .or with any desired
nuinber as the leading one (Leitzahl) may he obtained. The
search for symbolism, and the discovery of what Hellenbach c!llls
Periodicity, if it thus be, greatly facilitated. . '
Beyond this a,gain, if we imagine our horizdn.tal and veuical
lines extended in both direCtions, otlr 'zero poiilt in Fig. XL form-
ing a <;entre, and if, instead of a,dding, we subtract. along the tw()
lines leftward and downward, we have a fourfold diagram, one
82 THE OCCULT REVIEW
only o .which has been included in our previous
ations. An idea of. it is. given in Fig. XIV. In the. quarter
}l)arked I we have to deal with the numbers of simple arithrrietic
only. In. II and III we have a soniewh,at confusing. mixture of
+ and - quantities, and in IV wehave entered into a wholly
negative region. But, .in all four, an infinite number of serieS
stretch out before us, all with an infinite nurriber of terms, con
sisting of squares of numbers possessing the same principal features.
XIV.
+3-1
+2-
,
+1

-2 J I
-1-
IY
II
-2--'

NOTE.-It would be. easy, on a !?heet of draWing-paper, with tl_l.e
help of the earHer Figures to construct a diagram with a portion of each
quarter filled .in, in detail,
We cannot, in this article, go further in these directions. The
claim, however, seems almost to"be justi!i,ed, Jhat the idea of
number may thus be from that i>f a one-dimensional
infinitl, line, into tl)at of a two-dimensional infinite suif8.<;e;
Baron Hellenbach in his book gives no indicatioll-'that eithedi.e,
or tlui ancientsto whom he' refers, were acquainted with these
extensions of the construction of "Magic Squares;" or that an
infinite number of " Magic Squares " of moderate size can thus
be constructed and studied With facility. . .
.I
..
THE MAGIC dF NUMBERS l 83
. . . -. ,.
The literature of " Magic Squares " is scattered i\nd. not very.
accessible. In vol. xv. of theEncyolopaedia Britannica (nint!l
edit. 1:883) is au article in which references are given to various
writers on the subject, mostly ancient. References to several
modem writers Will be. foqnd in the Subject Catalogue in the
British Museum. Major P. A. MacMahon,. F.R.S., read a Paper
before the. Royal Society in rgo4, in which he defines " Magiy
Squares," and describes their properties. An abstract of the
is given in the Proceedings of.the Society. A sm,Ul .volume
o:f, thirty-two pages, entitled M agio Squares, by Tll.omas S.
Barrett, a Fellow of the Royal Society, and a Mem-
ber of the London Mathematical Society, was publis)led in r8g3.
It _contains much ,as to the different modes of their formation,
and the varied properties . they possess. .But so far as I have
been able to ascertain, nothing has been published as to their
construction simple as. the preceding quotations from Hellen-
bach's book. Arid I hav;e not met with any indications of .the
ways in which the number of such squares of small dimensions
may be multiplied indefinitely; illustrated more clearly than
by Figs. XI. to XIII.
Additional importance is 11:owseen to be given to the "remark-
able alternative" with whiCh.Hellenbach maintains we-are con-
fronted, and which is stated in his own words in the next para-
graph.
THE LATER CHAPTER!! .
It Is quite impossiQle, within. the limits of this article, even if
It would be interesting and prolitable-concerriing which thei:e
would be very diverse opinions,-to follow Baron Hellenbach
through the remaining of his book. Some o;>f the titles
are.: "The Growth of Man and the Number Seven," "Apparent
Fate," "The Periodic .Oscillations of the Soul," "Phenomenal and
Transcendental Measure of Time." All I can do is to quote, or
give an abstract of, a few sentences, .illustrating the tone of the
. writer's r)J.ind, and the drift.of his arguments. I11 the Tetragqun,
or ''M<tgic Square," he adnl,its he .. ha5 not been able to ljnd
anything .more than a graphic presentation of what he ten:ns the
Periodic System. He has 11ot been able.to gai!l anything beyond
this, that it is a faithful expression of Periodidty. Bu,t, he says,
"I am no IeamedProfessor, who ,looks of his own
knowledge as the limit of all knowledge.". And he
we are face to face with" this remarkable alteroative" :-"Either,
the ancients were acquainted With Periodicity-'7(but ii. is iJtcom-
THE OCCULT REVIEW
pre)lensible ):)ow they can have attained such knqwledge in the
then state of sdenee)_;_ar; they had no knowledge ofit ; and in the
:latter case, the Tetragrammust possess othe_r properties, of whicl:i
we are igrlorant." _ .
Pursuing this idea, Hellen bach says that the belief has been
forced upon him that the n)llllber .nine an<l its .Tetragram were
intimately connected with his own life .. He devotes several pages
in illustration of this. He says he is compelled to. ask a .series of
questions:-" Could it that such and suc)l.coillc
cidences. manifested themselves ? . Then he remarks : each
<lividual coinCidence inay have bee_n accidental, but is it conceiv-
able that all taken. togetherwere acCidental ? After developing
these ideas, he' finally says :_;_" It is absurd to seek a horoscope
in a Tetragram. But it is_ worthy of. profound thought to con-
sider the question-Is it possible thaf the manifold character of '
htttnanity is developed with a relationship to law, analogous to t}Je
mamfold ci).aracter of the development of all-that which is per-
-ceiyed by- our senses ? " . .
Heilenbach also considers that both historical and
rary evidence .absolutely demonstrate that a power of prev!sicin
i11to .the future a real existence. He adduces some -of the
evideli'Ce which is to him convincing, including a facsimile of a
-photograph of a Turldsh Ms.," which seems to have a curious -
history. .
Against facts of suCh a kiud, he says, the opinions of academies
-of science are valueless; He maintains that there does exist a
mode of observatiojl which enables events to be known hours and
years beforeibeir occurrel!Ce. Arid, on the other hand, that there
is a power of perceiving what is past. . Tjlat we cannot .exercise
such powers ordinarily, no more disproves their real existence thah
the inability of a Polynesian or of a dog to comprehend our mode
-of telegraphic .diSproves its reiJ]ity. Various
illustrations which Baron Heilenbach brings forward differ much
- in force aiJ.d in importance. _For instance, an invalid' leaving his
and going to the Window, may again see what he saw a few
mimttes before on.the road in frcint qf him ; and by looking in_ the
opposite dirtlction he inay see. what he would have seen later from
his' bed.. More suggestive are some-remarks on the reflectionin a
. mirror, which, as Hellen bach points out, is a mode of presenting a
tbree..dimensional 'Yorld jn a tw<HJimensional form. _
following two paragraphs give the substance of the closing
passages ofthe book :- _ , . . .. _ .
"While I consider speculations as to the of human life
(
'
! \ '
. i
\
i
I

THE MAGIC OF NUMBERS 85
which are founded on the symbolism of the Tetragram vain and
unfruitful, at least in most cases, the question-' Why am I in
this world ? ' is by no means an idle one. I have already referred
to Schqpenhauer's dictum, that Fate may possess an objective
correspondence, and a subjective conformabllity to that which
exists. In my view, every man '1\as the power of determin-
ing to work iri both directions. The preponderance in different
individuals may be in one direction, or it may bein the
other. . .
. " The labourer who works in a coal-mine, or throws up a dike,
or cultivates the land, renders .a service to the community. And
if he cares for the welfare o'f his descendants, he will still find
sufficient scope for the development of his character, and his life
on this planet will n:othave been purposeless. The position of the
more intelligent classes is surrounded with greater difficulties.
In the. office; in trade, on the Exchange, or as an Editor, thework
is not always such as brings blessings with it. But, on the other
hand, the opportunity exists, by the ver}r coinp!ication and variety
of the activity, to gain rich experiences. Worst off of all, is the
rich man of whom the Scripture speaks,.who finds it hard to enter
the Kingdom of Heaven. Evensucha man may lead a
.life as a landed proprietor, or .a merchant. But the chief 9ccupa-
tion of these so-called happy mortals, or at .least of the majority
. of them, is to devise means for kiJling Late going to bed,
a late some kind of exercise. in order to get an appetite
for a late dinner, then the. theatre, then some of the night
devoted to cards-how can anything that is worthy crystallize
from such a round ? .How many fine talents of mind and spirit
have I not seen perish in this way ! It is only the changes of
fate, .and the lessons of experience, that enable . man to find his
way in the kingdom of symbolism, to discover the hidden me.an-
ing, .and to act in accordance therewith.:'
. As has been already remarked, it is no part of the purpose of
this article to enter into the region of mere speculation. The
object is to bring forward facts, and to allude. to, or to indicate
the possibility, thatothers may be discovered affording. a basis for
legitimate speculation, and for the scientific use of the imagination.
It is conceivable that we ma:y be thus led into fields of knowledge
that we are as yet unacquainted with. Somi.d, light and colour,
and to some extent the of chemistry also, bear certain analo-
gous and numerical relationships to each other, which it is im-
. possible to look upon as accidental, and as to which our knowledge
is, to say the least, very imperfect.
86 THE OCCULT REVIEW
IN CoNCLUSION.
The considerations which have engaged our attention lead. to
a realization of the truth of the four imniortallines in Alexander
Pope's Essay on Man, in a more definite manner than possibly the
poet himself ever .consciously intended.
"AU_ Nature is but .Art unkhown to -thee."
The word Nature must be interpreted inthe widest possible sense,
as 'including all phenomena. The correspondence which we find
existing between different classes of phenomena leads us to a belief
in bne great Artist.
" All Chance, Direction- which canst nOt see/'.
Hellenbach calls special attention to his use of the phrase
"Apparent Fate" ("Die Sclleinbare Fatum "). He evidently
believes that what we call Fate and Chance are the results of our
limited point of view. He adduces various illustrations to show
that this must almost certainly be so.
''All Discord, Harmony not understood.''
. This is more difficult to realize to believe. But it is still .
more difficult to believe that Harmony and Discord are two real-
ities of equal nature, and 'not that their actual relationship is akin
to that between Light and Darkness. Light and Darkness,
and Harmony and Discord in sound, ar:e the results of differences
in the rapidity of vibration.
In the fourth line we approach a higher kingdom which we
shall not venture to. enter :
. I
" All partial Evil, universal Good."
. ( . . .
.. . These four lines carry us on to a magnificent very
far removed froin a cold Pantheism> Modern Scie.nce and Phil-
osophy are making more and more apparent every day, that:
'
1
All a:re but parts of one StupendoUs
Whose Bodr Nature is, and God the Soul." .
I
c I i
..

Afterword
by Romeman
The New American Cyclopdia, ed. by G. Ripley and C.A. Dana, p. 518, published in 1859, states: "Arithmomancy depended
upon the secret operation o numbers and ma!ical s"uares, and the numerical #alue o letters$ it %as practised by the Chaldeans,
and ormed a part o the doctrine o the &ytha!oreans, 'eo(&latonists, and cabalists."
http:))boo*s.!oo!le.com)boo*s+id,1-..AAAA/AA01p!,&A518
2he boo* entitled The Occult Sciences by the Re#. 3d%ard 4medley, -. Coo*e 2aylor, the Re#. 5enry 2hompson, and 3lihu
Rich, published in 1855, elaborates on these points as ollo%s:
AR.25676A'C8,
2o %hich head belon!s the ma!ical operation o numbers and ma!ical s"uares, is deri#ed rom the doctrines o the
&ytha!oreans and &latonists. .n estimatin! these doctrines, it must be remembered that all mo#ement, proportion,
time, and, in a %ord, all idea o quantity and harmony, may be represented by numbers: hence, %hate#er may be
attributed to the latter, may also be e9pressed by numbers, as the si!ns o occult #irtues and la%s. .t is *no%n to
philosophers that the mo#ements o nature are rhythmical$ physicians ha#e obser#ed this in the periodicity o
diseases$ and the appointment o the se#enth day as a 4abbath, has added a reli!ious obli!ation to this la% o
nature. 2he three, the ten, and the twelve are also members o %ell *no%n import, and one is the most di#ine o all,
as e9pressin! the unity o God, and the comprehension o all thin!s in perect harmony. 2he use o numbers in
di#ination has assumed many curious orms. .t may suice to mention here the Gematria, or irst di#ision o the
Cabbala, %hich teaches ho% to cast up the letters o particular %ords as numerals, and to orm conclusions rom the
proportion bet%een the sum o one te9t and the sum o another. 2his method con#erts the :ible into a boo* %ritten
solely by numbers, and some curious results are obtained, probably as near the truth as the rabbinical astrolo!y
;see note to Geomancy<. 4ome curious properties o perect, amicable, and other numbers ha#e been elucidated by
the late &latonist, 2homas 2aylor. 2he most #aluable remains o anti"uity connected %ith this sub=ect are contained
in the >Chaldean 7racles> o ?oroaster. @or the #arious arran!ements o ma!ic s"uares %e may reer to a curious
%or* entitled > /an#on(3(.slam AsicB$ or, the Customs o the 6oosulmans o .ndia,> by 0aur 4harree. 2he
&ytha!orean doctrine is noticed by 3nnemoser, %ho "uotes some interestin! passa!es rom &lato on this sub=ect.
http:))boo*s.!oo!le.com)boo*s+id,8DCCAAAA6AA01p!,&ADE8
G376A'C8.
Geomancy, rom t%o Gree* %ords, ge, the earth, and manteia, di#ination, is an art connected %ith astrolo!y, and is
called by an old %riter on the sub=ect, "the dau!hter, and abbre#iation thereo." An ancient method o practisin! it
%as by castin! pebbles on the !round, rom %hich con=ectures %ere ormed much the same as rom the chance lines
or dots made on paper$ in later times, scratches made in the earth %ere ound to ans%er the same purpose. 2he
Arabian Geomancy, said to ha#e been irst practised by Almadul, %as more recondite, bein! ounded on the eects
o motion under the crust o the earth, the chin*s thus produced, and the noises or thunderin!s heard$ its
oundation %as the do!ma o Aristotle, that "the mo#in! o the hea#en is e#erlastin!, and is the be!innin! and
cause o all inerior mo#in!s." 2he essential principle o !eomancy, in %hate#er orm practised, is the lot or chance$
it is ully described by Cornelius A!rippa, and as it determines the scheme o the hea#ens %ithout the necessity o
astronomical obser#ation, it may be considered a royal road to astrolo!y. A amous proessor o Geomancy, in the
si9teenth century, %as one >6aister Christopher Cattan,> a translation o %hose %or* %as published by 4parry in
1591. .n the ollo%in! century the art is !raced by the name o -illiam 7u!htred, a distin!uished mathematician,
and minister o the Church o 3n!land, %ho died in 1FFG. @or a !eneral idea o the method, %e may reer to the
%ell(*no%n >:oo* o @ate,> said to ha#e been in the possession o 'apoleon, and translated ;the title(pa!e a#ers<,
"rom an ancient 3!yptian 64. ound in the year 18G1 by 6. 4onnini, in one o the royal tombs near 6ount
Hybicus, in Ipper 3!ypt." 2he !eomantic i!ures obtained by inspectin! the chance lines or dots %ere supposed to
represent a certain situation o the stars, and the di#iner then proceeded as in astrolo!y, as i the coni!uration o
the stars really %as such.
Another mode o di#ination by stars, dierin! both %ith astrolo!y and !eomancy, %as practised by the Cabalists.
2he stars #ertical o#er a city or nation, %ere so united by lines, as to orm resemblances o the 5ebre% letters, and
thus %ords %hich %ere deemed prophetic. 2his %as the rabbinical astrolo!y, and it %as a #ery plausible adaptation
o the occult meanin! attributed to 5ebre% characters and roots, united to the traditional belie that the stars %ere
themsel#es !ods, or the abodes o deceased heroes. 2he "star o your God" occurs in the prophet Amos, ;#. EF<, and
:urder remar*s that the rise o a ne% star, or the appearance o a comet, %as thou!ht to portend the birth o a !reat
person$ also, that the !ods sent stars to point out the %ay to their a#ourites, as Jir!il sho%s, and as 4uetonius and
&liny actually relate in the case o 0ulius Caesar. As or the 5ebre% letters, they constantly i!ure in schemes o
ma!ic, e. !. the potent
%hich coners its spell on the ma!ical *nie, and on the shield o Da#id.
http:))boo*s.!oo!le.com)boo*s+id,8DCCAAAA6AA01p!,&AD1K
@or 2homas 2aylor>s %or* on numbers, see his Theoretic Arithmetic, 181F http:))boo*s.!oo!le.com)boo*s+
id,Ju8DAAAA6AA01printsec,rontco#er
2homas 2aylor %as also the translator o 2he Chaldean 7racles. @or these, see 2he Classical 0ournal, in %hich they %ere printed
in three parts:
&art . ;December 181L<
http:))boo*s.!oo!le.com)boo*s+id,JooMAAAA8AA01p!,&ADDD
&art .. ;6arch 1818<
http:))boo*s.!oo!le.com)boo*s+id,2@8Gd7?4-8oC1p!,&A1E8
&art ... ;0une 1818<
http:))boo*s.!oo!le.com)boo*s+id,KD!MAAAA8AA01p!,&AEKD
7r see -. -ynn -escott>s #ersion o 2he Chaldean 7racles, based on 2aylor>s translation
http:))%%%.sacred(te9ts.com)eso)coN)inde9.htm .
Qanoon--!slam" Or# The Customs o$ the %oosulmans o$ !ndia by 0aur 4hurree is a#ailable here
http:))boo*s.!oo!le.com)boo*s+id,lG.md"ECd*GC1printsec,rontco#er or in a later translation entitled Qanoon--!slam# or
The Customs o$ the %ussulmans o$ !ndia by G. A. 5er*lots http:))boo*s.!oo!le.com)boo*s+
id,F1AbAAAA8AA01printsec,rontco#er .
0oseph 3nnemoser>s &istory o$ %agic is in t%o #olumes, translated by -illiam 5o%itt:
Jol. .:
http:))boo*s.!oo!le.com)boo*s+id,12tJAAAA6AA01printsec,rontco#er
Jol. ..:
http:))boo*s.!oo!le.com)boo*s+id,N!CuN'E?RtoC1printsec,rontco#er
Geomancy is described in the 'ourth (oo) o$ Occult *hilosophy, %hich is attributed to 5enry Cornelius A!rippa ;%hose 2hree
:oo*s o 7ccult &hilosophy, issued in recent years in a modern edition by Donald 2yson %ith commentary, are on -. D. Gann>s
Hist o :oo*s or 4ale<$ the ourth boo* is online here:
https:))archi#e.or!)details)cuD19EKGGFL18L5L
4cans o The Geomancie o$ %aister Christopher Cattan Gentleman are a#ailable at:
http:))%%%.scribd.com)doc)EK1DKL18)2he(Geomancie(o(6aister(Christopher(Cattan(Gentleman
http:))boo*s.!oo!le.com)boo*s+id,3tLm4aCu40AC1printsec,rontco#er
The Oracle or (oo) o$ 'ate by 5ermann Oirchenhoer is online at Goo!le boo*s:
http:))boo*s.!oo!le.com)boo*s+id,ir81AAAA6AA01printsec,rontco#er .
As re!ards sources mentioned in the t%o(part article by 3d%ard 2. :ennett abo#e, the ollo%in! are a#ailable online:
H. :. 5ellenbach>s +ie %agie der ,ahlen, also mentioned by :ennett, is here in the ori!inal German at:
http:))boo*s.!oo!le.com)boo*s+id,D4*CAAAA/AA01printsec,rontco#er
http:))boo*s.!oo!le.com)boo*s+id,ynDM0D/DnF*C1printsec,rontco#er .
-. @. :arrett>s article on "Hi!ht and 4ound" in 2he /uarterly 0ournal o 4cience, 0anuary, 18LG, mentioned in the t%o(part
article by 3d%ard 2. :ennett, is online here:
http:))boo*s.!oo!le.com)boo*s+id,u133AAAA8AA01p!,&A1 .
6a=. &. A. 6ac6ahon>s "6a!ic 4"uares and other &roblems on a Chess(:oard" %as published in Jol. 1L o 'otices o the
&roceedin!s at the 6eetin!s o the 6embers o the Royal .nstitution o Great :ritain http:))boo*s.!oo!le.com)boo*s+
id,e8c'A/AA.AA01p!,&A5G .
A'ote to Reader: 2his ile has been ormatted in "landscape" #ie% ;%ith pa!es short up and do%n and lon! !oin! across<, rather than the
traditional or "portrait" #ie% in order to accommodate the ormat o the scanned ima!es. 2he boo*s lin*ed abo#e may be seen by readers in the
Inited 4tates, %here they are in the public domain. Readers outside the Inited 4tates may ind that Goo!le boo*s bloc*s display o some scans,
%hich is a policy they adopt to a#oid possible copyri!ht inrin!ement in places %here such boo*s may still be in copyri!ht.B