The cache is not at the published coordinates which are for a location on the National Cycle Network Route 76 cyclepath as it follows the Bo'Ness shoreline. There is no reason to go there.
Come with me as we go on a journey of naturalist exploration, looking to see examples of a rare species - The Flummox - in the wild. Formerly kept in captivity as a side show act for the Circus McGurkus, these little puzzle-creating critters have now been freed and re-introduced to their native habitat by Flummox-rights campaigners. Opinion is divided on whether this was a good thing.
Together we will track them to their lairs and explore their struggle to re-adjust to their new surroundings, as they try to shrug off the after-effects of their captivity. You can read more about The Flummox here: GC9F205, where all the caches in the series are listed.
______________________
Cyclepathic
Flummoxes can be destructive if not cared for properly in captivity. They require various enrichment activities to make their lives enjoyable and keep their little brains active. Where they do not get these sorts of activities they tend to take out their boredom on their environment, and during their time as part of the travelling sideshows of Circus McGurkhus were often been found scribbling graffiti on the sides of their cages. At first it was thought this graffiti was just mindless destruction but their keepers eventually realised that it was more than that. They found patterns, recurring geometric shapes, and regularly appearing proportions in amongst the deluge of less interesting 'anatomical drawings'. Evidently these shapes had meaning to the Flummoxes, although it was not until one Flummox keeper did some research that it was found out how geometric shapes could convey meaning - it seems the Flummoxes had discovered 'Sacred Geometry'.
The study of Sacred Geometry ascribes symbolic and religious meanings to certain geometric shapes and certain geometric proportions. It.has its roots in the study of nature, and the mathematical principles at work therein. Many forms observed in nature can be related to geometry; for example, the chambered nautilus grows at a constant rate and so its shell forms a logarithmic spiral to accommodate that growth without changing shape. These and other correspondences are sometimes interpreted in terms of sacred geometry and considered to be further proof of the natural significance of geometric forms. Geometric shapes like the Quincunx, Fibonacci spirals and fivefold symetric shapes are represented throughout nature, and as a result these carefully crafted forms and proportions have made their way into religious art, as being associated with God's handiwork.
Geometric ratios, repeating numbers as represented in proportion, and geometric figures were often employed in the designs of ancient Egyptian, ancient Indian, Greek and Roman architecture. Medieval European cathedrals also incorporated symbolic geometry. Indian and Himalayan spiritual communities often constructed temples and fortifications based on the designs of mandala. A mandala is an Asian geometric configuration of symbols, used for the worship of deities; but also as an aid in meditation or to bestow supposed occult favours based on the principles of Hindu astrology and tantric texts.
A Slightly Confused Flummox
In the repetitive beauty of natural shapes and the patterns of heavenly bodies, religion looked for meaning, for indications of the infinite and an understanding of the world. Later, science looked for the same. This is why the early studies of physics, astronomy and biology were collectively known as ‘Natural Philosophy’ – the meaning of life, knowledge of the world through study of nature. When the European modern scientific era emerged from the Renaisance, famous scientists such as Johannes Kepler found new ways to interpret the universe through shapes, using sciences like maths and astronomy.
If it’s meaning in sacred geometry you are looking for, try looking for meaning in these mandalas.
When you have become sufficiently enlightened by contemplating these mystical shapes, you will be left with a word for each mandala. Enter them in the checker below with only a comma separating them (no spaces) per the format below:
answer,answer,answer
The checker will provide you with parking details for the cache, which is less than a mile from the published coordinates.
You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.