It is said that symbols used in Masonry both conceal and reveal. In the Fellow-Craft (2nd) degree of Blue Lodge Masonry candidates are introduced to the symbol of a winding staircase consisting of three, five, and seven steps. There has been a tremendous amount of writing that describes the meaning behind this symbol. In every instance these descriptions define each group of the steps as having separate areas for consideration.
The group of three steps are said to reflect the three stages of life: youth, manhood, and old age. They also allude to wisdom, strength. and beauty.
The five steps are said to represent the five orders of architecture are Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite. And, within each order of architecture certain characteristics are said to be represented. These steps are also said to represent the 5 senses.
The seven steps allude to the seven Sabbatical years, seven years of famine, seven years in building the Temple, seven golden candlesticks, seven wonders of the world, seven wise men of the east, seven planets; etc.
I submit that his symbol conceals more than it reveals. Here is a little math that seems to indicate that more is hidden behind the 3, 5, and 7 numbers. If you have MS Excel, this math becomes easy to do.
First Computation: Take any group of consecutive numbers and individually divide them by 3, then 5, and then 7. Sum the results for each consecutive number. As an example, here is the result for the number ‘2’
a. 2 / 3 = .66667
b. 2 / 5 = .4
c. 2 / 7 = .2857143
d. Summation =1.352381
The difference between each consecutive result (summation) will always be .676190476……
Second Computation: For any numbers where steps ‘a’ through ‘c’ (above) were performed:
a. divide the result obtained for step ‘b’ by step ‘a’ (in this example we used the number ‘2’ and the results for step ‘b’ and ‘a’ are .4 and .66667) The result, regardless of what number was used in the first computation will always be 0.6
b. divide the result obtained for step ‘c’ by step ‘b’ (in this example we used the number ‘2’ and the results for step ‘c’ and ‘b’ are .2857143 and .4) The result, regardless of what number was used in the first computation will always be 0.714285714285714.
c. Add the numbers together from this computation (a and b immediately above) and the result will always be mankind’s early understanding of the approximate value of pi divided by 10 +1 or (22/7/10) +1, or 1.31428571428571. Or, perhaps more aptly stated the result minus 1, times 10 = the early understanding of the value of pi. This could also be stated as: “The result times 10, minus 10 equals pi”.
Third Computation: In the last sentence of the First Computation we found that the results between two consecutive numbers always equaled 0.676190476….
a. If we deduct the result of step ‘a’ of the Second Computation (0.6) from the difference that exists between two consecutive numbers ( 0.676190476) we get 0.076190476
b. If we add the result of step ‘b’ of the Second Computation (0. 714285714285714) to the difference that exist between two consecutive numbers (.676190476) we get 1.39047619047619.
c. When we subtract the result of step ‘a’ (immediately above) from the result of step ‘b’(immediately above), we again get mankind’s early understanding of the approximate value of pi divided by 10 +1 or (22/7/10) +1, or 1.31428571428571. Or, the result minus 1, times 10 = the early understanding of the value of pi. Also as: “The result times 10, minus 10 equals pi”.
I really don’t know what all of this means (other than it’s too cold outside to work in the garden !)