Ask the Scholar

Two overlapping squares with a common diagonal create the cube in the upper diagram. The Sun is portrayed in the upper left corner, the Moon in the lower right. The four elements, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, along with their respective properties, occupy the cube's upper square. The wheel-shaped diagram in the bottom part of the page visualizes the idea that Man is a microcosm of the universe, and the universe a macrocosm of Man. Within the ring at center are the words (reading from top to bottom) "World," "Man," and "Year." The eight intersecting arcs illustrate the relationships among the parts of the world – the four elements, the four bodily humors, and the four seasons. The cross shape created by the arcs expresses Christ's role in restoring to nature its original harmony, order, and meaning, believed to have been disrupted by the Fall of Man.