In the Egyptian system of hieroglyphics, the whole process of
creation is expressed by four signs: the spiral, as the symbol of cosmic energy; the
squared spiral, as the symbol of the workings of this energy within the heart of
matter; a formless mass, of self-evident meaning; and the square, as a symbol of
organized matter (19). There is, then, a duality of the greatest theoretical importance—two paths: that by which abstract energy develops towards energy as an
organizing force, and that followed by pure matter towards a state of matter ruled
by a given order. Here lies the explanation of the process of all creation in its two
most essential aspects: that of energy-content, and that of material form.