How to Draw Sacred Geometry: Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Tools and paper setup

• A compass that holds its opening while you turn it.
• A sharp pencil and a straightedge. The straightedge is for guide lines and the connections in Metatron's Cube.
• Paper with a firm backing. Draw lightly so repeated compass placements do not tear it.
• An eraser and a fine pen if you want to ink the finished drawing.

For a first attempt on A4 or US Letter paper, try a radius of 20 mm. Center the drawing on the sheet. The 19-circle Flower of Life will span 120 mm at that radius; the larger Fruit of Life construction below will span 200 mm, so use a 15 mm radius for that one if you want more margin.

You do not need a protractor. The equal-radius circle intersections establish the six directions.

Nine steps from two circles to the Seed of Life

Call the first center O and the compass radius r. Keep that opening unchanged through all nine steps. Label the six points on the first circle A through F as you work clockwise.

In the diagrams, teal marks the circle being added, violet rings mark the compass center, and dashed lines are construction guides. Click any diagram to enlarge it.

View all nine compass steps on one sheet

1. Step 1

   Mark the center and a guide line

   Put O near the middle of the sheet. Draw a faint vertical line through it, leaving room on every side for the pattern.

   

2. Step 2

   Draw the first circle

   Set the compass to r and draw a circle centered at O. Label the top intersection with the vertical guide A.

   

3. Step 3

   Draw the second circle at A

   Move the compass point to A without changing its opening. Draw a complete circle. Its overlap with the first circle is the Vesica Piscis. Label the right-hand intersection of the two circles B.

   

4. Step 4

   Draw at B and locate C

   Center the compass at B and draw another circle of radius r. It intersects the original O circle at A and at one new point farther clockwise. Label that new point C.

   

5. Step 5

   Continue to D

   Draw a circle of radius r at C. On the original O circle, its new intersection beyond B is D, directly below O.

   

6. Step 6

   Continue to E

   Draw at D with the same radius. Its new intersection with the original circle, beyond C, is E on the lower-left side.

   

7. Step 7

   Continue to F

   Draw at E. Its new intersection with the original circle, beyond D, is F on the upper-left side.

   

8. Step 8

   Close the ring

   Draw the final circle at F. It should pass through A and E. You now have seven full circles: the one at O and the six centered at A, B, C, D, E, and F.

   

9. Step 9

   Check before inking

   Each outer circle should pass through O. The six outer centers should lie on the first circle and be one compass radius apart from their neighbors. If the pattern closes neatly, ink the circles you want to keep and erase the guide line after the ink dries.

   

The seven-circle design is the Seed of Life. The compass stepping uses the same geometry as inscribing a regular hexagon in a circle. You can join A through F with a straightedge to see that hexagon.

Extend the Seed of Life into a Flower of Life

Keep the seven circles and their center labels. You need twelve new centers, all outside the original O circle. Keep r unchanged when drawing each new circle.

View the complete construction on one sheet

1. Step 1

   Start with seven circles

   Keep the Seed of Life with center O and outer centers A through F. Keep r unchanged for each new circle.

   

2. Step 2

   Add six circles along the rays

   Draw faint lines from O through A, B, C, D, E, and F. On each line, mark the farthest intersection with the circle centered at that letter. Each new point is 2r from O. Draw a circle of radius r at each of these six points.

   

3. Step 3

   Add six circles between the rays

   The circles centered at A and B meet at O and at a second point outside the original circle. Mark that second point. Repeat for B and C, C and D, D and E, E and F, then F and A. Draw a circle of radius r at each of those six between-ray points.

   

4. Step 4

   Count nineteen circles

   Count 1 central + 6 in the first layer + 12 in the second layer = 19. If you want an outer boundary, draw one centered at O with radius 3r. It touches the outermost circles and is separate from the count of 19 equal circles.

   

The second layer is not a set of twelve centers equally spaced on one large circle. Six lie 2r from O; the other six lie closer to O, at √3r. Using the actual intersections prevents the pattern from drifting.

Read about the Flower of Life or compare the symbols and their meanings.

Draw the Fruit of Life and Metatron's Cube

Start on a fresh sheet or use a very light extended grid. This construction is larger than the 19-circle Flower of Life. Use O and the same six rays through A to F.

View the complete construction on one sheet

1. Step 1

   Mark distances along six rays

   With the compass set to r, step outward along each ray from O. Mark positions at r, 2r, 3r, and 4r. The straightedge keeps the marks on the ray; the compass transfers the distance.

   

2. Step 2

   Draw the thirteen Fruit of Life circles

   Select O plus the 2r and 4r marks on each of the six rays. That gives 1 + 6 + 6 = 13 centers. Draw a circle of radius r around each selected center. Keep the other construction marks light.

   

3. Step 3

   Connect one center to the other twelve

   Choose one center and use a straightedge to join it to each of the other twelve centers. The diagram shows one set of connections before the full network is added.

   

4. Step 4

   Connect every pair

   Repeat for the remaining centers, keeping a numbered list so you do not miss a pair or redraw a connection. There are 13 × 12 ÷ 2 = 78 pairwise connections; some lie along the same straight lines and overlap. This network forms Metatron's Cube.

   

Decide whether to retain the circles, the straight-line network, or both before inking. The picture suggests projected solids, but a resemblance alone does not establish the exact proportions of every Platonic solid. Our Metatron's Cube guide discusses the form.

When the pattern does not line up

View all four drawing checks on one sheet

Keep one radius

Every small circle should use radius r. A larger outer circle makes the surrounding petals uneven.

Place the needle on the intersection

Use the exact crossing at B. A small shift moves the new circle away from A and C.

Check that the ring closes

The final circle centered at F should pass through A and E. A gap is a reason to recheck your compass setting and earlier placements.

Use both sets of outer centers

The Flower of Life adds six centers at 2r and six at the square root of 3 times r. Putting all twelve on one ring changes the pattern.

Once the construction closes, try filling alternating regions, changing line weight, or repeating the design as a border. Choose colors for the contrast and rhythm you want in the drawing.

Print the guide and keep practicing

Download the free four-page sacred geometry drawing reference for the four illustrated construction sheets. To save the complete article as well, open your browser's Print command and choose “Save as PDF.” For a separate fivefold construction, use our pentagram tutorial and its free printable sheet.

The free Mandala Maker lets you experiment with symmetry and export patterns in your browser. It is a design tool, so its presets do not replace the compass instructions above. Find more experiments on the tools page.

For numbered constructions and practice pages, our Drawing Sacred Geometry workbook is a separate 38-page paid PDF.