Re: [tuning] Turtle Backs/Magic Squares

AMiltonF1
These figures are also widely known and used in Occult/Alchemical
circles and referred to as Magic squares. Each is associated with a
particular planet. the two below being Mercury and Mars. I have tried in
the past to pull things out of them with lukewarm results. The most
interesting was to have players play them as durations, choosing a row
or diagonal freely with the result that everyone will still come down on
the same beat every 15 or 65 beats. Much to do was done with the line
figure that result when you draw a line to the numbers in their natural
order. In turn, everything from talismans and background patterns are
refer to these magic squares without the need to write the numbers
themselves!

AMiltonF@aol.com wrote:

> Howdy tuners!
>
> I was just skimming through the math stuff on the list and was
> reminded of a
> puzzle/pattern that fascinates me. It's the old tic-tac-toe (or
> turtle back)
> number pattern that adds up to the same thing in all directions, like
> this...
>
> 8 1 6
> 3 5 7
> 4 9 2
> -------------
> 15's
>
> expanded...
>
> 17 24 1 8 15
> 23 5 7 14 16
> 4 6 13 20 22
> 10 12 19 21 3
> 11 18 25 2 9
> ---------------------------
> 65's
>
>
> It always fascinates me because of how easy it is to generate these
> matrices
> if you know the pattern. Just as long as it is square and has an odd
> length
> on its side, it works, and it is possible to generate infinitely huge
> (and
> seemingly complex (to me anyway)) matrices.
>
> It occurred to me that there are some really cool tunings in there.
>
> Has anybody done any work with something similar?
> Am I way out in left field? (I wouldn't know if i was/am)
>
> regards,
> andy

-- Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria island
http://www.anaphoria.com

The Wandering Medicine Show
Wed. 8-9 KXLU 88.9 fm

Kraig!
Thanks for the post on Magic Squares. I'd forgotten what exactly they were
called. After doing a search on those words I found a web-page that provided
info on the planetary designations (7 total, 2 being the sun and moon!). Is
there some rhyme or reason to the designations or are they completely
arbitrary?

thanks,
Andy

Andy!
I would expect so, but I have not broken this code. Possibly orbital
relations but these are not actuate?

AMiltonF@aol.com wrote:

>
> Is
> there some rhyme or reason to the designations or are they completely
> arbitrary?

-- Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria island
http://www.anaphoria.com

The Wandering Medicine Show
Wed. 8-9 KXLU 88.9 fm

Peter Maxwell Davies, via his interest in medieval mysticism and runic
esoterica of his native Orkney Islands, has used magic squares in his
compositions, often as replacement to tone row matrices, but for other
parameters too, I believe. There is a good book on his music by Paul
Griffiths that explains some of this. Also one by Mike Seabrook.

Bill

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
^ Bill Alves email: alves@hmc.edu ^
^ Harvey Mudd College URL: http://www2.hmc.edu/~alves/ ^
^ 301 E. Twelfth St. (909)607-4170 (office) ^
^ Claremont CA 91711 USA (909)607-7600 (fax) ^
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Thanks Bill. I'll check em out when I get a chance.