My Book
"In nature's infinite book of secrecy
A little I can read."
William Shakespeare
Antony and Cleopatra 1:2:7-8
You can purchase my book here, through my PayPal service which offers online credit card processing and will except the cards listed above. This is a quick and easy way to buy the book. If you do not have a PayPal account already set up, you can set one up right then. Upon processing and payment, the book will be delivered to the address of your selection. I hope you, or whoever you are buying the book for, enjoys it!
Spirals: The Pattern of Existence
by Geoff Ward
With an introduction by Colin Wilson
“A book that will become a classic of forgotten knowledge.”
Colin Wilson
Author of The Outsider (1956), The Occult (1971), Mysteries (1978), From Atlantis to the Sphinx (1997), Alien Dawn (1998), Dreaming to Some Purpose (2004)
“Intriguing and revelatory, Geoff Ward’s Spirals is a stimulating intellectual adventure. There is a great mystery at the heart of existence and the universal symbol of the spiral may be the key.”
Graham Hancock
Author of Fingerprints of the Gods (1995/2001), Heaven’s
Mirror (1999), Keeper of Genesis (with Robert Bauval, 2001), Supernatural (2005)
“I much enjoyed Spirals: the Pattern of Existence. I liked its discursive, antiquarian tone and the lessons Geoff Ward draws from his study of the spiral in nature and ancient traditions.”
John Michell
Author of City of Revelation (1972), Ancient Metrology (1981), The New View over Atlantis (1983), New Light on the Ancient Mystery of Glastonbury (1990)
Colin Wilson
Author of The Outsider (1956), The Occult (1971), Mysteries (1978), From Atlantis to the Sphinx (1997), Alien Dawn (1998), Dreaming to Some Purpose (2004)
“Intriguing and revelatory, Geoff Ward’s Spirals is a stimulating intellectual adventure. There is a great mystery at the heart of existence and the universal symbol of the spiral may be the key.”
Graham Hancock
Author of Fingerprints of the Gods (1995/2001), Heaven’s
Mirror (1999), Keeper of Genesis (with Robert Bauval, 2001), Supernatural (2005)
“I much enjoyed Spirals: the Pattern of Existence. I liked its discursive, antiquarian tone and the lessons Geoff Ward draws from his study of the spiral in nature and ancient traditions.”
John Michell
Author of City of Revelation (1972), Ancient Metrology (1981), The New View over Atlantis (1983), New Light on the Ancient Mystery of Glastonbury (1990)
“With impressive research, Geoff Ward reveals the spiral, in one form or another, in an amazing variety of contexts. He invites the reader to see it as a divine unifying clue connecting different realities, from art and ritual to biology and cosmology. The invitation deserves to be taken very seriously.”
Geoffrey Ashe
Author of King Arthur’s Avalon (1957), The Quest for Arthur’s Britain (1968), The Ancient Wisdom (1977), Avalonian Quest (1982), The Book of Prophecy (1999)
Geoffrey Ashe
Author of King Arthur’s Avalon (1957), The Quest for Arthur’s Britain (1968), The Ancient Wisdom (1977), Avalonian Quest (1982), The Book of Prophecy (1999)
“During the course of its seven turns, Geoff Ward’s engagingly written study, Spirals: the Pattern of Existence, takes us on an exhilarating journey from the insights of ancient wisdom to the cutting edge of contemporary thought, and through the helical structure of DNA to the swirling patterns of energy in the widest reaches of the cosmos. Impressively comprehensive in its scope, this mind-opening book will provide both intellectual and aesthetic stimulus to the sceptically inclined, and will strengthen the creative intuition of those who trust that there is an underlying order to the complexity of our experience.”
Lindsay Clarke
Winner of the 1989 Whitbread Prize for Fiction with The Chymical Wedding. Also author of Essential Celtic Mythology (1997, reprinted in 1999 as Lindsay Clarke’s Traditional Celtic Stories), The War at Troy (2004) and Return from Troy (2005).gif)
Lindsay Clarke
Winner of the 1989 Whitbread Prize for Fiction with The Chymical Wedding. Also author of Essential Celtic Mythology (1997, reprinted in 1999 as Lindsay Clarke’s Traditional Celtic Stories), The War at Troy (2004) and Return from Troy (2005)
“An absorbing and eloquent book on the meaning of the spiral in human and cosmic terms. Geoff Ward engagingly explores its symbolism in all its aspects, from snails, serpents, dragons, crops, labyrinths and megaliths to DNA, the Golden Section, dark energy, galaxies, the Tao and the Isle of Wight. The whole range of human knowledge from the earliest times is explored in his penetrating analysis. The result is a captivating and thought-provoking work which throws new light on the very substratum of the universe. Highly recommended for all lovers of the pulsating curve of life.
Peter Marshall
Author of Nature’s Web: rethinking our place on Earth (1992), Riding
the Wind: a new philosophy for a new era (1998), The Philosopher’s Stone: a quest for the secrets of alchemy (2001), World Astrology (2004), Europe’s Lost Civilisation: uncovering the mysteries of the megaliths (2004)
Peter Marshall
Author of Nature’s Web: rethinking our place on Earth (1992), Riding
the Wind: a new philosophy for a new era (1998), The Philosopher’s Stone: a quest for the secrets of alchemy (2001), World Astrology (2004), Europe’s Lost Civilisation: uncovering the mysteries of the megaliths (2004)
“I read Geoff Wards book Spirals and was more than impressed. The book is a stunning insight into a world both smaller and larger than most people's perceptions. Excellent work.”
Philip Gardiner
Author of What Wise Men Do (2009), Gateways to the Otherworld (2008), Gnosis: the Secret of Solomon's Temple Revealed (2006), The Serpent Grail (2005).
Some reviews of Spirals: the Pattern of Existence
Philip Gardiner
Author of What Wise Men Do (2009), Gateways to the Otherworld (2008), Gnosis: the Secret of Solomon's Temple Revealed (2006), The Serpent Grail (2005).
Some reviews of Spirals: the Pattern of Existence
"Geoff brings together a highly informative series of scientific facts to build his case that the spiral form is an underlying archetype within physical reality."
Andy Lloyd, Dark Star
Andy Lloyd, Dark Star
"A truly fascinating and mind-stretching read."
Pilgrim's Mind Body Spirit
Pilgrim's Mind Body Spirit
There is a lot to take in and think about in this book. This is not one of those books light on detail and long on padding ... with virtually every paragraph and sentence loaded with something to think about."
Mercian Gathering/Silver Wheel
Mercian Gathering/Silver Wheel
"There is a quite beautiful metaphor in the spiral being the form nature automatically graduates to, radiating out and drawing in energy forever."
readysteadybook.com
readysteadybook.com
How the universe shapes up
In my book, Spirals: the Pattern of Existence, I have tried, hopefully with success, to re-create philosophy in the ancient sense of the term, that way of stepping back from the "close-up" everyday position, and seeing the bigger picture, the noumenal pattern behind the structures of our universe.
I have leaned towards the occult, Hermetic and Gnostic traditions in attempting to uncover hidden connections and correspondences within a living universe which have been revealed throughout human history in sacred geometry, art and writings.
An important part of my aim was to attempt to unite conventional scientific thinking and these alternative traditions to suggest the possibility of a much wider and more radical science emerging from the two areas. Indeed, to suggest that we might have had such a science, working to a completely different set of principles, available to us for thousands of years, which we have allowed to fall into neglect, but which we may now revive for the world by means of what I have described as transcendental pragmatism.
Mine is an esoteric world view but one which is based on the idea of consciousness as a gestalt, a uniting human experience rather than one subjective only to the individual. Such an approach can surely only be positive, for then we can see that humankind and life itself exists because it must, and not by accident or default.
For me, the ubiquitous spiral represents the trajectory of consciousness, the shape of time and the pattern of spiritual growth. It's how the universe shapes up. I see it as an archetypal symbol corresponding to the underlying reality of nature. And as a symbol it's free of dogma - religious, political - but also a living experience. I believe that today we are starved of such symbols that can speak to us and deliver meaning into our lives. Many of the symbols we do know have lost their psycho-spiritual significance for us. Often with confused messages, they no longer resonate meaningfully within us.
Yet the spiral is the age-old intuitive symbol of spiritual development and our identity with the universe. It is found in cultures the world over and reflected in shamanism, serpent cults, dragon lore, geomancy, mysticism and ritual art and dance throughout history.
As "re-volution" or "re-evolution", the spiral progression is symbolic of the transpersonal route to that higher level of consciousness which is sought by all esoteric and occult systems. Paralleling these inner movements of the psyche, which indicate the transformative and the integrative, are movements in physical space: the vortex, or involution, representing an opening or re-awakening; the circumambulatory, as utilised in mazes and labyrinths; and oscillation, the movement back and forth between dualities. The circumambulatory and oscillative suggest the mandala, a symbol of wholeness, while the spiral and the vortex point to dynamic growth and metamorphosis.
Now, we may think that, as the spiral is simply everywhere in nature, it points to a certain intelligence underlying the existence and development of the universe, and our consciousness of it. It is spiritual experience that seems to put us in touch with this intelligence through our consciousness, or sometimes altered states of consciousness.
I'd like to think my book reveals the full significance and prevalence of the spiral form in nature and human culture, embracing as it does anthropology, molecular biology, zoology, astronomy, quantum physics, Jungian psychology, earth mysteries, religion, philosophy and the wisdom of the ancients.
I have leaned towards the occult, Hermetic and Gnostic traditions in attempting to uncover hidden connections and correspondences within a living universe which have been revealed throughout human history in sacred geometry, art and writings.
An important part of my aim was to attempt to unite conventional scientific thinking and these alternative traditions to suggest the possibility of a much wider and more radical science emerging from the two areas. Indeed, to suggest that we might have had such a science, working to a completely different set of principles, available to us for thousands of years, which we have allowed to fall into neglect, but which we may now revive for the world by means of what I have described as transcendental pragmatism.
Mine is an esoteric world view but one which is based on the idea of consciousness as a gestalt, a uniting human experience rather than one subjective only to the individual. Such an approach can surely only be positive, for then we can see that humankind and life itself exists because it must, and not by accident or default.
For me, the ubiquitous spiral represents the trajectory of consciousness, the shape of time and the pattern of spiritual growth. It's how the universe shapes up. I see it as an archetypal symbol corresponding to the underlying reality of nature. And as a symbol it's free of dogma - religious, political - but also a living experience. I believe that today we are starved of such symbols that can speak to us and deliver meaning into our lives. Many of the symbols we do know have lost their psycho-spiritual significance for us. Often with confused messages, they no longer resonate meaningfully within us.
Yet the spiral is the age-old intuitive symbol of spiritual development and our identity with the universe. It is found in cultures the world over and reflected in shamanism, serpent cults, dragon lore, geomancy, mysticism and ritual art and dance throughout history.
As "re-volution" or "re-evolution", the spiral progression is symbolic of the transpersonal route to that higher level of consciousness which is sought by all esoteric and occult systems. Paralleling these inner movements of the psyche, which indicate the transformative and the integrative, are movements in physical space: the vortex, or involution, representing an opening or re-awakening; the circumambulatory, as utilised in mazes and labyrinths; and oscillation, the movement back and forth between dualities. The circumambulatory and oscillative suggest the mandala, a symbol of wholeness, while the spiral and the vortex point to dynamic growth and metamorphosis.
Now, we may think that, as the spiral is simply everywhere in nature, it points to a certain intelligence underlying the existence and development of the universe, and our consciousness of it. It is spiritual experience that seems to put us in touch with this intelligence through our consciousness, or sometimes altered states of consciousness.
I'd like to think my book reveals the full significance and prevalence of the spiral form in nature and human culture, embracing as it does anthropology, molecular biology, zoology, astronomy, quantum physics, Jungian psychology, earth mysteries, religion, philosophy and the wisdom of the ancients.
Geoff Ward
Spirals: the Pattern of Existence by Geoff Ward is published by Green Magic Publishing ISBN 0 9547 2309 0. You can buy the book direct from Mysterious Planet for £9.99 plus £2.75 post & packing.
►Do you have a family history or another important story that needs to be written, could you do with sound advice on creative writing, do you have a manuscript or webpages that need editing or proofreading, or need help with English studies including essays, coursework and exams? Author and journalist Geoff Ward has a Masters degree and a BA (Hons) degree in English, a teaching qualification, and many years of valuable experience in the UK media. He’d be happy to help you at reasonable rates. You can get in touch with Geoff through the Contact page of this website.