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Background Reading:

 

General:

 

A Beginner’s Guide to Constructing the Universe:  The Mathematical Archetypes of Nature, Art and Science, a Voyage from 1 to 10, Michael S. Schneider

 

Quadrivium: The Four Classical Liberal Arts of Number, Geometry, Music, & Cosmology, 2009, Wooden Books, content by Miranda Lundy, Daud Sutton, Anthony Ashton, Jason Martineau

 

Sacred Geometry: Philosophy & Practice, Robert Lawlor, 1982, Thames & Hudson

 

The Power of Limits: Proportional Harmonies in Nature, Art & Architecture, György Doczi, 1981, Shambhala Publications Book Summary available on my website:  https://www.nancycastille.com/secret-power-of-limits

 

Sacred Geometry, Miranda Lundy, 2001 Wooden Books – one of the sections of Quadrivium only focusing on Sacred Geometry

 

How the World is Made:  The Story of Creation According to Sacred Geometry, John Michell with Allan Brown, 2009, Inner Traditions

 

Time Stands Still:  New Light on Megalithic Science, Keith Critchlow, 2007, Floris Books

 

The Hidden Geometry of Flowers:  Living Rhythms, Form and Number, Keith Critchlow, 2014, Floris Books, Book Summary available on my website:  https://www.nancycastille.com/secret-geometry-flowers

 

Article about the life of Keith Critchlow, Pattern Seeker Extraordinaire

https://besharamagazine.org/remarkable-lives/keith-critchlow-a-life-well-lived/

 

The Geometry of Art and Life, Matila Ghyka, 1977, Dover Publications

 

Platonic & Archimedean Solids, Daud Sutton, 1998, Wooden Books

 

 

Golden Ratio/Phi:

 

The Golden Ratio:  The Divine Beauty of Mathematics by Gary B. Meisner, 2018, The Quarto Group

 

The Golden Ratio:  The Story of Phi, The World’s Most Astonishing Number, Mario Livio, 2002, Broadway Books, Book summary available on my website:  https://www.nancycastille.com/secret-page-phi

 

Art and Architecture:

 

The Painter’s Secret Geometry:  A Study of Composition in Art, Charles Bouleau,1963 Allegro Editions

 

Beauty, Memory, Unity:  A Theory of Proportion in Architecture and Design, Steve Bass, 2019, Lindisfarne Books

 

Celtic Pattern: Visual Rhythms of the Ancient Mind, Adam Tetlow, 2013 Wooden Books

 

Infinite Measure: Learning to Design in Geometric Harmony with Art, Architecture, and Nature, Rachel Fletcher, 2013, George F. Thompson Publishing

 

The Elements of Dynamic Symmetry, Jay Hambidge, 1926, Dover Publications

 

Music and Harmonics:

 

Math and Music: Harmonious Connections, Trudi Hammel Garland and Charity Vaughan Kahn, 1995, Dale Seymour Publications

 

The Monochord in Ancient Greek Harmonic Science, David Creese, 2010, Cambridge University Press

 

The Harmony of the Spheres:  A Sourcebook of the Pythagorean Tradition in Music, Joscelyn Godwin, 1993, Inner Traditions International

 

Islamic Geometry:

 

Islamic Patterns:  An Analytical and Cosmological Approach, Keith Critchlow, 2017, Thames & Hudson

 

Arts & Crafts of the Islamic Lands:  Principles, Materials, Practice, Edited by Khaled Azzam, 2013, Thames & Hudson, first paperback edition 2021

Book summary available on my website:  Hand-on Geometry Books:

 

Medieval Platonism and Architecture:

 

Universe of Stone:  A Biography of Chartres Cathedral, Philip Ball, HarperCollins Books, 2008

Book Summary available on my website:  https://www.nancycastille.com/secret-universe-of-stone

 

Chartres and the Birth of the Cathedral, Titus Burckhardt, 2010, World Wisdom Books

Book Summary available on my website:  https://www.nancycastille.com/secret-chartres-birth-cathedral

 

Rose Windows, Painton Cowen, 1979, Thames & Hudson

 

Gothic Cathedrals and Sacred Geometry, George Lesser, Alec Tiranti Publishing, 1957

 

Platonism and Pythagoreanism:

 

The Golden Chain:  An Anthology of Pythagorean and Platonic Philosophy, edited by Algis Uždavinys, 2004, World Wisdom, Book Summary available on my website:  https://www.nancycastille.com/secret-page-golden-chain

 

The Wisdom of Hypatia:  Ancient Spiritual Practices for a More Meaningful Life, Bruce J. MacLennan, Ph,D., 2013, Llewellyn Publications, Book Summary available on my website:  https://www.nancycastille.com/post/the-wisdom-of-hypatia-book-summary

 

The Oracles of Apollo:  Practical Ancient Greek Divination for Today, John Opsopaus, Ph.D., 2017, Llewellyn Publications

 

Medieval Views of the Cosmos: Picturing the Universe in the Christian and Islamic Middle Ages, E. Edson & E. Savage-Smith, 2004, The Bodleian Library

 

Homage to Pythagoras: Rediscovering Sacred Science, edited by Christopher Bamford, Lindisfarne Books

 

Measuring Heaven:  Pythagoras and His Influence on Thought and Art in Antiquity and the Middle Ages, Christiane L. Joost-Gaugier, 2006, Cornell University Press, Book Summary available on my website:  https://www.nancycastille.com/secret-page-measuring-heaven

 

Pythgagoras and the Pythagoreans:  A Brief History, Charles H. Kahn, 2001, Hackett Publishing Co., Book Summary available on my website:  https://www.nancycastille.com/pythagoras-kahn

 

The Lost Masters:  Rediscovering the Mysticism of the Ancient Greek Philosophers, by Linda Johnsen, 2006

Book Summary available on my website:  https://www.nancycastille.com/book-report-lost-masters

 

The Pythagorean Plato:  Prelude to the Song Itself, Ernest G. McClain, 1978, Nicolas-Hays, Inc.

 

Medieval History:

 

Mysteries of the Middle Ages:  The Rise of Feminism, Science, and Art by Thomas Cahill

 

The Medieval World:  Europe 1100-1350, Friedrich Heer, 1998, Welcome Rain Publishing

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Math, Science and Spirituality

 

Is God a Mathematician? by Mario Livio, Simon Schuster, 2009

 

Exploring the Invisible: Art, Science, and the Spiritual, Lynn Gamwell, Princeton University Press, 2020

 

 

Hand-on Geometry Books:

 

Ruler & Compass:  Practical Geometric Constructions, Andrew Sutton, 2009 by Wooden Books

 

Drawing Geometry: A Primer of Basic Forms for Artists, Designers and Architects by Jon Allen, 2007 Floris Books

 

Drawing Geometric Solids:  How to Draw Polyhedra from Platonic Solids to Star-Shaped Dodecahedrons,2015 Päivi Halmekoski, Sympsionics Design

 

Islamic Geometric Patterns, Eric Broug, 2008, Thames & Hudson

 

Geometherapy:  Mastering the Art of Process, Stephanie June Ellis, 2019, published by Stephanie June Ellis

 

Websites:

 

https://www.constructingtheuniverse.com

 

A great resource maintained by Michael S. Schneider, lots of interesting links and rabbit holes to go down. One can also order Michael’s workbook series, which offers step by step hands-on exercises in geometry in art, literature, and architecture. Schneider is also the author of the invaluable resource “A Beginner’s Guide to Constructing the Universe”

 

https://www.nancycastille.com/sacred-geometry

My website page featuring the artwork that I have done along my Sacred Geometry journey.

 

https://www.drawingislamicgeometricdesigns.com/artists-and-tutors

A wealth of resources and links can be found here.  Tutorials on Sacred Geometry are offered.

 

https://artofislamicpattern.com/online-classes/online-course-archive/

Many classes available

 

https://adamwilliamsonart.com

Many excellent online tutorials available from Adam Williamson

 

https://www.theartofprocess.art

Excellent tutorials and books available from Stephanie June Ellis

 

https://www.samiramian.uk

Many excellent tutorials available in Islamic design from Samira Mian

 

https://linktr.ee/ClarissaGrandi?fbclid=IwAR1c1dcMuvHojvt3caGwmGzvF-dG1Jmv_0Jz3I9N7-EcQP2r_eYge-PPr60

Many tutorials and activities available from Clarissa Grandi

 

https://www.youtube.com/c/ArthurGeometry

Youtube tutorials on simple geometric constructions

 

https://www.youtube.com/c/dearingwang

Youtube tutorials on geometric constructions

 

https://www.youtube.com/user/Vihart

VI Hart is a hilarious and creative mathematician.  She has many videos available on cool things in math.  

 

https://princes-foundation.org/school-of-traditional-arts/open-programme

The Prince’s Foundation: School of Traditional Arts

 

https://www.temenosacademy.org

Great resource for essays, courses, and lectures on Platonism, extensive Lecture archive available, founded by Kathleen Raine and Keith Critchlow

 

Videos:

 

My hour-long talk on Harmonics and Architecture, prepared for a group visiting southern France with Dr. Kayleen Asbo

https://www.nancycastille.com/post/2019/09/01/harmonics-and-architecture

 

A 1-hour and 47 minute talk I gave to my women’s group on the subject of “Geometry: Shrine of the Divine”

https://youtu.be/54W_c9ocK0Q

 

The venerable Keith Critchlow speaks on Sacred Geometry and Chartres Cathedral

https://youtu.be/6V1qwLOUKrI

 

Chartres Cathedral: A Sacred Geometry (2003)

https://archive.org/details/ChartresCathedralDVDROM2003/Chartres+Cathedral.mkv

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