Athanasius Kircher

Editorial Note: This is the original manuscript illustration by Athanasius Kircher who was a 17th century German Jesuit scholar. Kircher was also known as the Father of Egyptology. He was a scientist and theorized that microbes are the cause of disease and suggested effective mechanisms to prevent outbreaks of plague.

Here you will note that the numeration around the 9 pointed figure begins at 1 (apex) then 4, 8, 2, 5, 9, 3, 6, 7 clockwise.
Note that he includes a 'magic square' where all columns, rows, and diagonals add to 15 (1+5=6 or 3+3).
The centre is the 'all seeing eye' possibly referring to the Rosicrucian influences in the early 1600s.

The bottom of the plate shows the total world order, with Animal (4), Man (7), the Heavens with a geocentric solar system, flanked by angels under the ray of the nonagram with angels in all points encompassing the Triad (The Law of 3 - Father, Son, Holy Spirit) or more plainly 3+3+3 = 9, yet unmistakably, the rays of the nonagram shine onto all of creation.

Peter Martyn

The Nonagram of Athanasius Kircher