four.
it's a composite number. mathematically it is the first number that can be obtained from multiplying numbers other than itself and one. looking around us, the simplest solid - a tetrahedron, is composed of four sides. that's as basic as it gets.
there are four rivers in the garden of eden; we generally think of directions as the four cardinal points - north, south, east west; a year has four seasons; a month has four weeks; time is considered the fourth dimension; there are four states of matter in the universe; there exists four fundamental forces as we have learnt in physics; and there are exactly four causes in nature as outlined by aristotle.
four thus pushes us to make use of synergy, and to think outside the box. maybe it says something about the collective strength of individuals that will eventually come together to be part of a bigger picture. whatever it is, it's complex:
four.
+listening to: ten zen men by neil zaza
Monday, July 7
| 4 |  |
Sunday, July 6
| 5 | |
five.
it's a sensual number. one of the fundamental factors that define us as living beings is that we seek active feedback in the forms of our five senses. they deliver to us pleasure, pain and make us feel connected as a part of something larger than ourselves.
the five fingers on each of our hands; the five petals on roses; the five permanent members who sit on the UN security council; the five pillars of islam and subsequently the custom of praying five times a day; the perfect shape to a five-point star; the ancient chinese belief of the five basic elements of which everything that exists is made up of; the five lines which makes up the modern musical staff.
the number five then exudes openness, and maybe mixed in with a bit of an adventurous spirit. the message is more than obtrusive - push yourself to the limits:
five.
+listening to: fly away by lenny kravitz
Saturday, July 5
| 6 | |
six.
it's a beautiful number. in every sense of the word it possesses grace and harmony, the number of faces on any cuboid. mathematically it's the first of its kind - itself the sum of its divisors. they call it the perfect number. perfect, indeed.
in christianity, it's said that god created man on the sixth day; the star of david has exactly six points; six-six-six, the number of the beast; one of the most beautiful instruments created by man, the guitar, has 6 strings; bach composed six brandenburg concertos; in cricket, a ball which clears the boundary without bouncing akin to a homerun is called a six; the six degrees of separation between any two persons on earth.
is it perfection that i'm seeking? or eternal happiness? i don't know. for now i shall just do everything to the best of my abilities. beauty is in the eye of the beholder:
six.
+listening to: footsteps by pearl jam
Friday, July 4
| 7 | |
seven.
it's a sacred number. seven days in a week, the seven phases of the formation of this earth as outlined in genesis. the seven wonders of the ancient world, the neutrality of it as seen in pH 7, clearly it's something special.
the seven virtues and deadly sins in christianity; the seven last sayings of jesus on the cross; the seven doors to heaven and hell in islam; the seven external cavities on your head...
it's ambivalence perhaps signifies that there's always a darker, more sinister side to everything there is. so then, i shall proceed with caution:
seven.
+listening to: new millennium by dream theater
Thursday, July 3
| 8 | |
eight.
it's the lucky number? at least us chinese think so. it comes as no suprise then that my absolutely favourite band in the world, dream theater, decided to pay homage to the number of eight by putting out their eighth studio release aptly named octavarium. there also happened to be just eight tracks on that album. coincidence?
an octave has eight notes in it, itself an infinite cycle merely repeating endlessly by transcending to the next level with the same notes; even though billiard in its most common manisfestation, namely the eight ball version, is played with fifteen balls, the most important ball (also placed in the centre of the rack) of all is the eight ball; hence the facination with the magic eight ball as a way of telling the future; the appearance of eight apparitions to macbeth; the inclusion of the number eight in 4 8 15 16 23 42 , ring any bells?
if you look at it in the classical sense, the form of the number eight takes on the shape of a knot - the knot of infinity. the infinitely fun memories, the infinitely painful losses, and the infinite possibilities of things to come. infinity awaits:
eight.
+listening to: i walk beside you by dream theater
Wednesday, July 2
| 9 | |
nine.
it is an ephemeral number. remember the time when we used to have nine proud planets in our humble solar system?
a cat has nine lives; in middle earth there were nine rings of power given to man; jesus healed ten people suffering from leprosy, and nine didn't even bother to thank him; beethoven left this world after he finished composing his ninth symphony; nine justices sit on the US supreme court that oversees the sacred judiciary process.
nine is a number laced with esoteric traits, seemingly letting itself be linked to coincidences as if by a twist of fate, and it is also one nearer to the end:
nine.
+listening to: who did you think i was by john mayer trio
Tuesday, July 1
| 10 | |
ten.
it's a profound number. it's also the title for one of my favourite albums by a brilliant, brilliant band called pearl jam.
you and i both have ten fingers on our hands; when people first sent the culminations of all that we had been into space, they started the countdown at ten; whenever people decide to demolish something, they also happen to begin their count at ten; the most common number system used today is based on the number ten and it takes ten lunar months to bring a baby from conception into this world.
ten is a higher octave of the number one and signifies an end of an important cycle in which a change in circumstances will soon be forthcoming. so ten, then, is the beginning of the end, an end which i dread as much as i am looking forward to.
so be it, here it goes:
ten.
+listening to: when you got a good friend by robert johnson
