“There is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres”
~Pythagoras
Welcome to my Live Laboratory!
If you’re reading this, it’s likely because you were sent a link to check out some of my current projects. Though it’s been quite a while since my last post, I’m now beginning to feature some of that work here. In fact, along with the research, writing, and graphic illustration work I’ve been engaged in, I’m also building some compelling apps to help demonstrate the principles of Cyclical Dynamic Music Theory. CDMT is the direct translation of planetary activity into audible musical pitches creating a coalescing soundscape of dynamic intervals.
To apply the core principle of CDMT, one must simply assign a pitch class to each 30 degree section of the ecliptic in chromatic order. This simple correspondence transforms millennia of astronomical data into literal sheet music, a film score for the arc of human existence. While the data is vast, the logic is simple and true making CDMT the perfect candidate for a software application designed to transcribe AND play The Music of the Spheres to be heard by human ears for the first time. The CDMT-MOTS Player, is a stunningly compelling proof of concept.
It is my proud pleasure to introduce The Music of the Spheres...
CDMT Music of the Spheres Player
App Description & Feature Documentation
CDMT MOTS Player is a first-of-its-kind audio-visual instrument that translates planetary motion into real-time musical harmony. Built on the principles of Cyclical Dynamic Music Theory (CDMT), this player transforms 17,000 years of celestial cycles into an immersive sonic experience—making the ancient concept of the “Music of the Spheres” literally audible for the first time.
Quick Start
- Click ⤢ to open in New Tab for the best experience
- Click
Play to begin playback - Select Harmonic Mode for a more “Musical” Experience
- Use Tempo slider to control speed (far Left = Real-Time mode)
- Click ▼ Mixer to open the control panel
- Navigate with arrow keys, type a specific date, or click/tap anywhere on timeline
- Select time ranges to focus on Inner-Planet to deep Outer-Planetary cycles
- Experiment with each Mode to find your preferred listening and viewing experience
- Set a Marker and enter your birth year to hear natal transits
- Set 2 Markers and mute the Master Track for synastry
Extended Description
The CDMT MOTS Player bridges two of humanity’s oldest systems for understanding harmony: music theory and astrology (astronomy). By mapping the 12-note chromatic scale to the 12 signs of the zodiac, planetary positions become musical pitches, and their geometric relationships (aspects) become intervals and chords.
Unlike static charts or abstract calculations, this player allows you to hear what astrologers have always described—the dissonance of a square, the consonance of a trine, and the resolution of a conjunction. Navigate through millennia of celestial activity and experience planetary cycles as evolving soundscapes, or explore your own natal chart as an intimate sonic portrait.
There is no musical or astrological phenomenon that is not present in this simple design. We have simply reiterated the wheel.
Core Innovation: Pure Sine Mode-Proprietary dual-oscillator architecture creates perpetually ascending pitch motion (inspired by the Shepard tone illusion) while maintaining harmonic accuracy. Each planet’s position generates two simultaneous pitches that cross-fade based on zodiacal hemisphere, eliminating the jarring “resets” that would otherwise occur at octave boundaries.
Harmonic Mode: While Pure Sine Mode remains the most scientifically accurate representation of CDMT, allowing the listener to hear the actual “beating” of frequencies responding to wave interference, it is not “music” to most people’s ears. Harmonic Mode uses instrument voices (and human voices) to cross that chasm that separates music from noise. Think of Harmonic Mode like Auto-Tune turning a tone-deaf cacophony into a pitch perfect choir of angelic voices.
Key Features
Professional Mixer
- Per-track volume control with real-time visual feedback (dials animate in Intervals mode)
- Stereo panning (L/R) for spatial separation
- 360-Auto-Pan mode — pitches orbit the stereo field based on zodiacal position
- Mute/Solo for isolating individual planetary voices
- Reverb Effect for more blended, atmospheric soundscapes
Time-Warp Navigation
- Variable speed playback — experience 500 Years in 500 Seconds
- RT Real-Time mode — listen to the pulse of the moment or any moment in time
- Direct Date/Year input — jump to any date from 13,000BCE to 4,000CE
- Keyboard shortcuts — ←→ (±1 year), ↑↓ (±10 years), Space (play/pause)
- Playable Timeline — Click or tap anywhere on the Timeline to play chords
Infinite Scrolling Timeline
17,000 Years of continuous playback in Real-Time, increase the tempo to listen to Centuries in Minutes!
Technical Specifications
- Pitch System: 360° Equal Temperament (continuous) / 12-Tone ET (harmonic mode)
- Frequency Range: Octaves 2-7 (C1 ~65Hz to B6 ~1976Hz)
- Loudness Compensation: Fletcher-Munson curve applied per octave
- Audio Engine: Web Audio API with real-time oscillator synthesis and wav playback
- Aspect Orbs: Major (0°, 60°, 90°, 120°, 180°) = 10° | Minor (30°, 150°, 210°, 330°) = 5°
- Architecture: Light-weight HTML (Browser Based) playback (Server-Based file-fetch system)
Use Cases
- Inner Exploration — Hear your natal chart, meditate on personal transits, contemplate life cycles as music
- Astrological (CDMT) Education — Demonstrate aspects, transits, and cycles as audible phenomena
- Client Consultations — Add CDMT dimension to Natal, Transit, and Synastry chart readings
- Historical Research — Contemplate the Music of the Spheres for each era as you study history
- Musical Composition — Extract chord progressions and melodies without fear of plagiarism
- Content Creation —Generate unique Royalty-Free audio for videos, podcasts, or presentations
The Theory Behind the Tool
Cyclical Dynamic Music Theory (CDMT) proposes that astrology and music theory are two expressions of the same underlying harmonic principles (Cyclical Dynamic). The 12 zodiac signs map directly to the 12 chromatic pitches:
| Sign | Pitch | Element |
|---|---|---|
| Aries | C | Fire |
| Taurus | C# | Earth |
| Gemini | D | Air |
| Cancer | D# | Water |
| Leo | E | Fire |
| Virgo | F | Earth |
| Libra | F# | Air |
| Scorpio | G | Water |
| Sagittarius | G# | Fire |
| Capricorn | A | Earth |
| Aquarius | A# | Air |
| Pisces | B | Water |
Aspect-to-Interval Mapping
Astrological aspects translate to musical intervals based on their angular distance. Because aspects can be either Separating (moving from conjunction toward opposition) or Applying (moving from opposition toward conjunction), each aspect maps to a specific interval—or its inversion:
| Aspect | Degrees | Separating Interval | Applying Interval |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conjunction | 0° | Octave/Unison (P1) | Octave/Unison |
| Semi-sextile | 30° | Minor 2nd (m2) | Major 7th |
| Sextile | 60° | Major 2nd (M2) | Minor 7th |
| Square | 90° | Minor 3rd (m3) | Major 6th |
| Trine | 120° | Major 3rd (M3) | Augmented 5th |
| Quincunx | 150° | Perfect 4th (P4) | Perfect 5th |
| Opposition | 180° | Tritone (TT) | Tritone |
This mapping reveals profound correspondences:
- Conjunction (0°) = Resolution, return to unity
- Trine (120°) = Consonance, the sweet Major 3rd
- Square (90°) = Dissonance, the tension of a minor 3rd
- Opposition (180°) = Disorientation, the tritone’s pull in two directions
Symmetrical Patterns
In both music theory and astrology, symmetrical patterns create ambiguity:
- Grand Trines (three planets 120° apart) form Augmented chords — harmonically unstable, lacking a clear tonic
- Grand Crosses (four planets 90° apart) form Diminished chords — maximum tension, every note equidistant
These symmetrical formations function as “passing” configurations in both systems—moments of heightened significance that inherently resolve into asymmetrical (and thus more stable) patterns. In drone mode, however, they induce sustained tension through this very disorientation.
Version History
Current Release
- Three playback modes (Continuous, Aspect Only, Harmonic)
- Now with Voice Options in Harmonic Mode
- Auto-Pan with animated dials
- Animated volume dials in Intervals mode
- Chord Calculator with multi-root analysis
- Fullscreen mode with responsive scaling
- Smooth volume interpolation (eliminates stepping artifacts)
Credits
Cyclical Dynamics Studios:
Concept, Theory, & Design: John Christopher Wood
Framework: Cyclical Dynamic Music Theory (CDMT)
Development: Custom-built using Web Audio API
The CDMT Timeline Tool is part of the Cyclical Dynamics project — exploring the intersection of astrology, music theory, and life cycles.
© 2025 Cyclical Dynamics