MYSTERIES OF THE EQUILATERAL TRIANGLE - HIKARI Ltd

24 History
Figure 1.43: Alchemical Symbols
Alchemy is an ancient practice concerned with changing base metals into
gold, prolonging life and achieving ultimate wisdom. In particular, alchemy is
the predecessor of modern inorganic chemistry [154]. Alchemy has been widely
practiced for at least 5,000 years in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, Persia,
China, Japan, Korea, the classical Greco-Roman world, the medieval Islamic
world, and medieval Europe up to the 17th Century. (Isaac Newton devoted
considerably more of his writing to alchemy than to physics and Mathematics
combined! [328]) The alchemical symbols for the four elements (Earth, Wind,
Air and Fire) are all composed of equilateral triangles (Figure 1.43).
Figure 1.44: Scientology Symbol
Fascination with the equilateral triangle persists to this day. The Church
of Scientology [207] was founded by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard in
1953 based upon his principles of Dianetics [187]. It counts among its adherents
the movie stars John Travolta and Tom Cruise as well as the musicians Chick
Corea and Edgar Winter. The Scientology Symbol is the letter S together
with two equilateral triangles (Figure 1.44). The upper (KRC) triangle symbolizes
knowledge, responsibility and control while the lower (ARC) triangle
symbolizes affinity, reality and communication.