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The mathematical scheme expressed in the Cosmic Tetractys has the following natural, Theosophical interpretation: Theosophy teaches that there are seven planes of consciousness (see here). The most material plane is the physical plane. This is the physical universe, the space-time continuum, revealed by the five senses and by science's instrumental extensions of them, such as the microscope and the telescope. Beyond (or, rather, interpenetrating) it are the astral, mental, buddhic, atmic, anupadaka (monadic) & adi (divine) planes.* Each plane is divided into seven subplanes, so that the seven planes have (7×7=49) subplanes. They constitute the "cosmic physical plane." Beyond them are six, still higher, cosmic superphysical planes, each composed of seven subplanes, totalling 42 subplanes. This means that the seven cosmic planes comprise (49+42=91) subplanes, where
91 = 12 + 22 + 32 + 42 + 52 + 62.
The lowest seven subplanes constitute the physical plane. There are 84 subplanes in the 12 superphysical planes, where 84 = 41 + 42 + 43 = 22 + 42 + 82. As shown in Article 16, p. 21), this has a remarkable musical analogue, for the seven diatonic musical scales contain 12 types of notes between the tonic and the octave, and their intervals contain 84 repetitions that belong to the Pythagorean scale.
Comparing this with the 91 coloured, hexagonal triangles making up the Cosmic Tetractys, we see that each such triangle denotes a subplane — a different state of reality. They are all expressions of the seven Sephiroth of Construction, as manifested in the seven cosmic planes of consciousness. This is the Pythagorean representation of the Cosmic Whole — both physical and superphysical reality. The correspondence between the seven Sephiroth of Construction and the seven planes of consciousness is not merely a formal one. The latter are the manifestation of the former:
| Physical plane (space-time) | ↔ | Malkuth |
| Astral plane | ↔ | Yesod |
| Mental plane | ↔ | Hod |
| Buddhic plane | ↔ | Netzach |
| Atmic plane | ↔ | Tiphareth |
| Anupadaka (Monadic) | ↔ | Geburah |
| Adi (Divine) | ↔ | Chesed |
This is the map of all levels of reality that embodies the hermetic axiom "As above, so below" expressed in the Emerald Tablet discussed previously. As any student of Kabbalah understands, the psycho-spiritual aspects of the Sephiroth in Atziluth (Archetypal World), Beriah (Creative World), Yetzirah (Formative World) & Assiyah (World of Action) are found in a human being, whose evolutionary journey to God spans all these planes of consciousness, taking the person potentially far beyond the realm of heaven that Western religions declare awaits the faithful and the good — even beyond the ineffable state of Nirvana that is the goal of Buddhism. All levels are mapped by sacred geometries, as they are representations of the Divine Whole. The 12 types of notes between the tonic and octave of the seven diatonic scales (see here) are the musical counterparts of the 12 superphysical planes of consciousness. The first six types of notes and their six inversions are the respective parallels of the six higher planes of the cosmic physical plane (Astral→Adi) and their six cosmic counterparts. The six Yang meridians and the six Yin meridians familiar to students of acupuncture are another parallel (see Article 32 for the analogy between the 12 types of notes and the 12 meridians).
* This is a particular nomenclature adopted by Annie Besant and C.W. Leadbeater and some later writers, such as Alice Bailey. Other metaphysical schools label the seven planes with different terminology.
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