Eadem mutata resurgo. These three words surround a spiral on Jacob Bernoulli’s memorial in Basel. They mean “Although changed, I will rise again the same”. [1]
He wanted a shape and a few words to say something about what would remain of him. It’s a wish that’s easy to understand, even without knowing the mathematics.
The spiral Bernoulli chose
Bernoulli studied the logarithmic spiral and admired the way it keeps its shape as it grows. Mathematicians call this self-similarity. He named it Spira Mirabilis and wanted it on his memorial, beside the Latin motto. [1]
The words also had a religious meaning. On a funerary monument, they suggested resurrection. The University of Basel notes that Bernoulli offered several readings of the figure in his writings. [2]
There’s a curious detail in the finished monument, now in the cloister of Basel Cathedral. The spiral carved there is an Archimedean spiral, rather than the logarithmic one he wanted. [2]
Two different spirals
With an Archimedean spiral, each full turn takes you the same extra distance from the centre. With a logarithmic spiral, that distance grows by the same factor each time. The gaps between its turns get wider. It was this second curve that fascinated Bernoulli. [3]
What the words can mean today
Starting again can take time. You leave a place, a person or a way of life you’ve known for years. For a while, even familiar things may feel different.
“Although changed, I will rise again the same” makes room for what you’ve been through and what still feels like you. A wish that keeps returning. The pleasure of making something with your hands. A decision you’re finally ready to make.
That’s where the phrase connects with Sirendipity. The spiral on the back of La Moneta carries the thought we’ve given it: changing while staying true to yourself. You can wear the piece through a change, even before you’ve found the words to talk about it.