Φ Phi is seen as a principle of beauty and harmony. It represents a grand design throughout the universe, of which we are inseparable from.
What is Phi, Φ, and φ ? –
The greek letter φ or Φ (phi) represents what is known as “the golden mean”. The golden mean is a mathematical proportion that expresses the way nature forms and grows, and is present throughout all levels of the universe, from the smallest atomic particles into the spiral of the milky way galaxy.
It is actually quite simple – You arrive at the golden mean when you use additive summation in a series; this is when you add the previous two numbers in a series to get the next number. The most common example of this in nature and mathematics is what is known as the Fibonacci series.
Ex. 0,1 (0+1=1)
0,1,1 (1+1=2)
0, 1, 1, 2 (1+2=3)
0, 1, 1, 2, 3 (2+3=5)
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5 (3+5 = 8)
When you divide the last two numbers in this sort of additive summation series, you will arrive at or very near to the proportion that is known as the “golden ratio”, This ratio is 1:1.618, and equally 0.618 : 1. This works easily with the “fibonacci series” above, however it will also apply to any numbers in a series of additive summation.
example A – 2,4,6,10,16,26,42,68,110,178
178 / 110 = 1.161818
example B – 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34
34 / 21 = 1.6190
To represent the fibonacci series geometrically, we can square each number and find that we come up with something known as the “golden rectangle”.
We can see this everywhere when we look closely : from the spiralling of pinecones and sunflowers, to the branching of trees as well as the bronchioles inside your lungs. If you take the measurement from the tip of your finger to the first joint, compared to the second and third joints, your hands follow golden proportions.
Visually, phi is beautiful. The closer any form is to this divine proportion, the more attracted we are to the visual harmony of it. It is present in architecture, music, technology and design, as well as in the faces and features we consider to be beautiful.
An artist may naturally use the harmonic proportion of phi in his work without even trying, because of it’s flowing and balanced beauty.
An equally important property of Phi is that using the ratio creates proportional self-similarity.
That means that each part is the same proportion to the previous and the latter.
This is known as “fractalization”.
A fractal is when you can follow a design down to the tiniest part of it and each part of it looks exactly like the whole. There are many amazing examples of fractal artwork and videos available on youtube and elsewhere. Below we can see the fractalized structure of this romanesco broccoli.
This all has a very deep meaning. “As is above, so below” – The same patterns, formula and expressions of nature are found at the quantum and cosmic levels, so does this mean that the entire universe is one, infinitely large and small fractalized vibrational pattern? It very well could be.To us, this means undoubtably that there is harmony embedded with each cell of our bodies, the same harmony that is present in the largest galactic bodies of the universe. We are all connected by this, and it is incredibly beautiful.
We chose Phi to represent the message of this film. The message is that we are growing and evolving through this harmonic rate, and the next stage in the development in our minds will be the sum of what came previous. As above so below is phi, and it means that each part is a replica of the whole : if we want to see change in our world, we must first seek change within ourselves. We have the same resonant harmony that is present throughout the universe within each part of our bodies, and we are not anything separate from it. This is what we really, truly are, and as soon as we begin to tune into the harmony of this we will find the lines that separate us will dissolve. Phi represents our evolution.