The Angles of 23.5, 52, 38, 30, 6.5, 72 and 18 in Art and Other Sources
Foreword
On the whole, these references have been been accepted by the majority of people who have viewed these findings and some have been fascinated and interested enough to have investigated this and have discovered some remarkable examples themselves. However there are a few who will not accept these findings; saying that this is merely the product of my own imagination; that my methods of measuring the angles must be in error and that anything at these angles is purely down to chance and not by design.
Well, surely something is either at an angle or it isn't. One doesn't have to make a 'mountain out of a molehill' over this - which is what some people have been doing in criticising these discoveries of mine and the way I have presented these findings.
For example, I could easily draw or paint an object at a certain angle if I wanted to and do numerous paintings with the same objects at the same angles; anyone could using a protractor or other measuring instrument, and it wouldn't require a scientist using the methods that my critics say they require before they accepted it so as to check to see if these objects were really at the angle I intended.
See below, the same objects in the different Vanitas paintings presented here are at these same angles time and time again - no matter how accurate one wants to be about the angle, and this consistency shows intentional design and this should be taken into consideration.
Another point that should be taken into consideration: I discovered references to this angle in a number of sources, and then - and only then - I discover that others had found them too and that there was even textual evidence which informs us that for many centuries the angle of 23.5 degrees had been encoded in various works of art and symbolism.
The following extract is from Jeff Nisbet's article Rosslyn Chapel's Darkest Secret:
"While I did not know it at the time the article went to press, I was soon informed that the 23.5-degree angle, and it's 47-degree double, are two of Freemasonry's "Cosmic Angles," according to Frank C. Higgins in his 1919 book, Ancient Freemasonry: An Introduction to Masonic Archaeology. Higgins goes on to say that these angles are also encoded on coins showing pre-Christian Phoenician temples of Cypress, ancient Greek paintings of Hermes and Ceres, as well as in the Masonic Keystone and Compass of the present day. This was, of course, in Higgins' "present day." Today's Masonic compasses are opened to 60 degrees. It is interesting, however, that the 23.5-degree angle has become a part of modern-day Masonic ritual. In a 1998 Masonic Manual and Monitorial Instructions booklet I have consulted is a section titled "Manual of the Rod," abridged as follows: "The rods are carried by the Deacons and Stewards as emblems of Office. They are carried in the performance of official duties, either directed or implied, from the sound of the gavel which congregates the Lodge to the sound of the gavel which closes the Lodge ... While they are marching, they carry the rod between the upper arm and the body, inclining it forward at an angle of 23 and one-half degrees ..." The Masonic Manual, though highly interesting in its entirety, does not elaborate on the significance of that angle, but I have been told that many Masons do in fact know that this is the angle of the tilt of the Earth. I have been unable to discover whether those same Masons know why such an angle is considered important enough to be a part of their ritual, or whether they are simply satisfied that it is".
The above is verification of my own discoveries from external sources, but my critics have conveniently overlooked this and continue to argue about methods of measuring the angles, when a simple protractor will do.
And as for lines, no matter how daft this might look, the lines are exactly at the angles referenced and so its the most direct and simple way to show that an object or feature is at a certain angle. I have tried other ways of illustrating this, but there's really no other way around it.
What's more we find most of these references in the Vanitas paintings from the 17th century and those on the theme of Arcadia. But if we were to look at another group of paintings from another period or on another specific theme or style we would not find them - especially not with the same consistency.
From an email sent to myself from friend and fellow author Andrew Collins:
"Zervan [ancient Persian statue] holds a staff, which could easily be an allusion to the earth's axial tilt, and sure enough - line up the staff from the vertical centre line of the figure and it is 23.5 degrees. Evidence like this will help your case for the importance of the 23.5 degree tilt axis in the ancient mindset."
1. Zurvan, (Ancient Persian) - not at 23.5 degrees as Andy suggested but at 23 degrees as we would come to expect
Vanitas
2. Vanitas by Edwart Collier (17th Century)
3. Vanitas. by D. Whitting (1630)
4. Portrait of Lady Trompe O'Leil by Edwart Collier (17th Century)
5. Vanitas (Unknown)
6. Vanitas (Unknown)
7. Vanitas (Unknown)
8. Vanitas (Unknown)
9. Vanitas by Elsie Russell (late 20th Century)
10. Vanitas (unknown) The book is also opened at 23.5 degrees. It begins at 23.5 but then it curves.
11. Vanitas (Unknown)
12. Vanitas by Bailly (17th Century)
A curious painting this, and one that I'm sure would be difficult for anyone to accept because according to the obvious 52-degree alignments made by the angle of the instrument, the tuning head of the instrument and the base marked by the top of the round table, it contains a pyramid complete with 23.5 degree angles in the correct places as per my discovery, (See Here) and both intersecting at the location of the King's Chamber. The 23.5-degree angles are determined by the positions (1 and 2) of the two yellow linear objects (instruments?) and also the bubbles (3 and 4) - the large bubble marking the apex of the pyramid. We find the left 53-degree angle is aligned with the right side of the bubble (5). The positions of all the bubbles indicate that there may be other significant alignments in this painting . One in particular is the 6.5 angle of the recorder in the foreground and of course a line from the apex to the intersection of the two 23.5-degree lines (King's Chamber) is 6.5 degrees.
Arcadia
13. Arcadia
14. Masonic Tracing Board. (The dagger held by the 'Hand of God' symbolises a comet)
15. Alchemical Drawing
16. L'Apparition by Gustav Morreau. We see here Salome and the floating radiant head of John the Baptist. Salome is pointing at 23.5 degrees - a line that indicates the 'cut line' that divided the head from the body. Could this symbolism refer to the notion that the tilt of the earth's axis, meant that the "body" (creation on earth) had become severed from the Godhead that resides in heaven - the Ecliptic Center?
17. Christ breaking down the gates of Purgatory. French, 13th century. Drawing after a miniature in a manuscript. Perhaps a coincidence but the cross is at a perfect 52 degrees.
St Catherine
Following are comments made by writer and researcher Jeff Nisbet on the Graham Hancock Messageboard. It was Jeff who first alerted me to these references in the paintings of St Catherine:
"St. Catherine is supposed to be the patron saint of the Sinclairs of Rosslyn Chapel fame, and this fact has been used to debunk the carvings on Rosslyn-related graveslabs as being not Templar-related, just simply St. Catherine-related.St. Catherine's body was broken on the wheel, and then she was beheaded.
In the Caravaggio painting Catherine is depicted alive, while the wheel has been broken. The wheel MAY relate to Hamlet's "Mill" wheel, or the wheel of precession, and the mythos of the Templars show a preoccupation with disembodied heads, i.e. the head of John the Baptist.
I have source documentation that Scotland's "Operative" Masons, shortly BEFORE the Protestant Reformation, took some very strange steps to distance themselves from the Baptist -- steps that were taken, for the record, on April Fool's Day."
18. St Catherine. We find that the earliest references to the obliquity angle of the earth is often 23 degrees.
19. St Catherine Enthroned. 17th Century
This image was sent by Blythe Viatrix who writes:
"If you take a good look at the bottom part of the painting (remember this is dated 16th century) please note on the left corner at the bottom, leaning by the little black book, the symbol of the masons (it's clear) the compass and the square, all that is missing is the G in the center. But it's very obvious. Were the Freemasons around then?"
20. St Catherine Enthroned. Close-up of the objects matching the exact angles of the lines
21. Another Painting of St Catherine
22. . . another
More comments from Blythe Viatrix:
"The square and compass still there, oh more cleverly disguised but still there. Dominant colors here are gold, black and red. Royal secrets. The plume (doesn't look like a feather...a palm frond??) is on her left hand as it is in the older painting. But in the older painting it is black. In this one it is golden. Close to the square and compass there is a slip of parchment with black lettering on it".
23 . . . and another. This is St Catherine and St Anthony of Padua
Many thanks to Blythe Viatrix and Don Barone for finding these paintings of St Catherine
Masonic Drawing
24. Masonic Drawing showing all the Significant Angles
25. Newspapers, Letters and Writing Implements
on a Wooden Board c. 1699. Edward Collier.
26. Newspapers, Letters and Writing Implements on a Wooden Board c. 1699. Edward Collier.
27. Vanitas (Unknown)
28. Knight in Battle (Unknown) Why would these angles appear in an image of war and conflict? Are we being told that it was/is believed that the tilt of the earth's axis reflects the same imbalance in human consciousness?
29. Teniers's "La Tentation de saint Antoine".
The Crossbeam of the Cross is angled at 23.5 degrees - which is typical considering the fact that I have found this to be a recurring motif in various paintings of the Crucifixion. The book resting on the skull is also 23.5 degrees. Again this is a recurring motif: either the skull or some object touching the skull or in close proximity will be at the angle of 23.5 degrees. We find that the large book is angled at 23.5 degrees, and its not surprising to find that the book resting against it is leaning at 52 degrees - also 38 (90 - 38 = 52). The left edge of the small book resting in the foreground is also 52 degrees.
I'm not surprised to find this in this painting by Tenniers. The objects leaning at these angles cannot be a coincidence; a splendid example of the recurring pattern we find in the paintings from this period.
UPDATE: 11:11:07
The Upright "John Gesture" and 23.5-degrees discovered together in Poussin's paintings!
My own interpretation is that this gives us two positions relating to the earth's axis - upright, and the 23.5 obliquity (tilt) angle which the axis is at right now.
31. The Sacrament of Baptism by Poussin (1642)
Comment from writer and researcher Jeff Nisbet on this detail in an email dated 15/Nov/2007: 'I feel it's important to draw attention to the guy with the blue loincloth, on one knee, in the left side of the detail, who seems to be reacting to both angle references, his hand held as though shielding his eyes. The guy with the 0-degree finger and the guy with the 23.5-degree finger are staring at one another, as though they share a single conversation. The oldest person in the composition, and the youngest, are respectively praying and clinging. I find despair in those two -- as if there is no hope! To the right of the old guy's bowed head and praying hands is a figure dressed in blue, walking into the scene out of the dark shadows of the far distance. This is a painting within a painting, and diminishes the symbolism of the rest of the composition by comparison.'
32. Detail from The Sacrament of Baptism showing the two recurring gestures. Note that the thumb of the figure in blue is also at 23.5 degrees which gives the perpendicular angle to the figure pointing at 23.5 degrees
34. Detail from Ordination showing more clearly the angles of the fingers
Alchemical Imagery
35. Alchemical Drawing
UPDATE: 19:11:07
23.5 Degree Reference in a Painting relating to Alchemy
Writer and researcher Jeff Nisbet sent me an image of a painting entitled Christina of Sweden (1626-1689), and asked me to measure the angle of the wooden staff Cristina is holding and also what her horizontal left arm was pointing at.
36. Christina of Sweden (1626-1689)
"The Rosicrucian elements that were to surface in Italy, however, appear to have grown out of a purely alchemical interest where the transmutational operations promised a future restoration of the "golden age" and was best expressed in poetry".
UPDATE: Dec, 2007
A Baptist-related 23.5-degree angle found in Leonardo Da Vinci's Madonna and the Yarnwinder
I have David White to thank for this find. David sent me an email asking me to check this painting by Da Vinci.
David also posted me this webpage See here:
37. Madonna of the Yarnwinder. Leonardo Da Vinci (c. 1501)
Here's a quote from the Webpage:
"Baby Jesus, gazing aloft, and clutching an object powerfully suggestive of the staff of St. John the Baptist, appears to be quite slyly showing us the up-pointed index finger of Mercury/Hermes (Gianbologna, Botticelli) perhaps signaling the first part of that famous universal Hermetic motto “As above.” Meanwhile, the Virgin Mary, equipped with a rather broad and sturdy hand for her dainty frame (perhaps suggestive of the Alchemical Androgyne) is showing us a similar downward hand gesture to those we see in Raphael’s School of Athens, and in Leonardo’s Virgin of the Rocks, possibly signaling the other half of that same Hermetic motto “So Below.”