Quintessence: On The Relationship Between Venus, Phi and Five

Quint-essence, literally means fifth essence or fifth element. The word quintessence is also related to the word quintessential of similar origin which is defined as representing the most perfect or typical example of something.

The five (5) is the number of the macrocosm of human experience. As we will uncover more deeply, it is also related to various sacred geometric proportions. One of them is the infamous golden ratio, or Phi (Φ), whose proportion is based on the square root of 5. The golden spiral, as seen below, has a growth factor of Φ. The relationship of the number Φ and growth is also visually apparent when we look at many plants, flowers and animals, and as such the 5 in the context of the golden spiral is the number of solar growth. Outside of the golden ratio, the 5 plays a role in our physical and spiritual bodies: our material bodies are made up of 5 appendages (the head, the two arms and two legs), we have 5 fingers on each hand and 5 toes on each foot, and we experience the world primarily through the 5 senses of touch, hearing, sight, smell, and taste.

The ‘5’ is the number of experience, as the fifth element adds the layer of essence to the material world. The etymology of the word essence is from Latin essentia meaning "being". Originally, the essence character of something was mainly used in the context of perfumes; it was the “ingredient which gives something its particular character". The 5 is the essential character of a being. The 5 makes the world worth experiencing, through