Monas Hieroglyphica

I'm fascinated with John Dee, the court physician to Queen Elizabeth 1, rumored to be a successful alchemist, said to have something to do with the mysterious "Rosicrucian Furor." You might remember the illuminated heptagon I made a while back, which was based on the design Dee was said to use to communicate with angels. That's how I found him. You know how you just end up places on the web? I ended up on an image of "sigils of demons." I didn't want to go there, so I Googled "sigils of angels," which led me to the heptagram, known as "Sigillum Dei Aemeth". I became interested in Dee, who bridged the worlds of the occult and Baconian-Cartesian-Galileon science : "Laying the foundation for modern science, he actively promoted  mathematics and astronomy as well as made advances in navigation and  optics that helped elevate England to the foremost imperial power in the  world. Centuries ahead of his time, his theoretical work included the  concept of light speed and prototypes for telescopes and solar panels.  Dee, the original “007” (his crown-given moniker), even invented the  idea of a “British Empire,” envisioning fledgling America as the new  Atlantis, himself as Merlin, and Elizabeth as Arthur."

The symbol I illustrated here -- quarter inch plywood about six inches high -- is Dee's "monas hieroglyphica," which he wrote a book about. The most exoteric symbolism is that it encompasses moon, sun, earth, air, fire, and water. I just like the look of it. I will post a pic of it in situ when I install it in the garden. I'm turning to the bandsaw more and more. For the larger pieces, I still prefer a jigsaw.