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EYE OF THE HORUS

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The Eye of Horus

In ancient Egypt the Eye of Horus was an important symbol that represented both knowledge and power. Each part of the eye stood for a certain fraction. The whole eye altogether was a shorthand representation of the higher mathematics that enabled the building of pyramids. The Eye of Horus was also a basic corner-stone of Egyptian religious and spiritual beliefs.

The mathematical importance of the Eye of Horus was first recognized by the modern world with re-discovery in 1858 of The Rhind Mathematical Papyrus, an ancient Egyptian mathematics text for apprentice scribes. This papyrus tells us that the hekat was their unit of volume, used for measuring grain or flour (about 4.8 liters) to divide among the people. For smaller amounts, the hekat could be progressively halved to give 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32, and 1/64. These are known as the "Horus-eye fractions" because they are written with symbols that resemble the parts of the right eye of the falcon-headed god Horus, also known as the "wedjat-eye".

In Egyptian mythology, the eye of the god Horus was consumed by Seth, the fearsome dog-headed god of chaos. Later it was restored and made whole by the ibis-headed god Thoth, the mythical originator of mathematics, who "did this with his fingers".

In modern mathematics, these fractions form what is known as a convergent geometrical progression of six terms, with the first term equal to the common ratio. The Egyptians understood that the sum of the series equaled 63/64. For them the missing 1/64 represented the realm of spiritual power that intangible quantity that was required to complete the whole; the invisible power that underlies, infuses, and influences everything in the universe.

In ancient Egypt, the Eye of Horus was considered to be a symbol of great power, very useful for protection. The people wore it on amulets to fortify their bodies, placed it on the bows of their boats for celestial guidance, and painted it in pairs on their coffins to allow the deceased to see in the afterlife. Our own present-day "Rx" has its origins in the Eye, and is used by modern doctors and pharmacies everywhere to symbolize our current protections against life's perils.

WE CAN adopted the Eye of Horus as its symbol in homage to this great founding civilization, and in recognition of their understanding that little is possible without the influence, wisdom, and guidance of the ever-present, yet unseen 1/64th. For us, it answers clearly the proverbial question: "Is the glass half-empty or is it half-full"? The glass is always full.