“In the study of the law of octaves it must be remembered that octaves in their relation to each other are divided into fundamental and subordinate. The fundamental octave can be likened to the trunk of a tree giving off branches of LATERAL OCTAVEs. The seven fundamental notes of the octave and the two ‘intervals,’ the bearers of new directions, give altogether nine links of a chain, three groups of three links each. Fragments: Seven

And once dwelling on this theme he gave us a diagram of the structure of the octave in which one of the links was “organic life on earth.” “This additional or LATERAL OCTAVE in the ray of creation begins in the sun,” he said. “The sun, sol of the cosmic octave, begins at a certain moment to sound as do, sol do. Fragments: Seven

“It is necessary to realize that every note of any octave, in the present instance every note of the cosmic octave, may represent do of some other LATERAL OCTAVE issuing from it. Or it would be still more exact to say that any note of any octave may at the same time be any note of any other octave passing through it. Fragments: Seven

We at once felt that there was a great deal of meaning in this LATERAL OCTAVE. First of all it showed that organic life, represented in the diagram by three notes, had two higher notes, one on the level of the planets and one on the level of the sun, and that it began in the sun. This last was the most important point because once more, as with many other things in G.’s system, it contradicted the usual modern idea of life having originated so to speak from below. In his explanations life came from above. Fragments: Seven

Then much talk arose about the notes mi, re, of the LATERAL OCTAVE. We could not, of course, define what re was. But it was clearly connected with the idea of food for the moon. Some product of the disintegration of organic life went to the moon; this must be re. In regard to mi it was possible to speak quite definitely. Organic life undoubtedly disappeared in the earth. The role of organic life in the structure of the earth’s surface was indisputable. There was the growth of coral islands and limestone mountains, the formation of coal seams and accumulations of petroleum; the alteration of the soil under the influence of vegetation, the growth of vegetation in lakes, the “formation of rich arable lands by worms,” change of climate due to the draining of swamps and the destruction of forests, and many other things that we know of and do not know of. Fragments: Seven

But in addition to this the LATERAL OCTAVE showed with particular clarity how easily and correctly things were classified in the system we were studying. Everything anomalous, unexpected, and accidental disappeared, and an immense and strictly thought-out plan of the universe began to make its appearance. Fragments: Seven