Musica universalis (lit.
universal music, or
music of the spheres) or
Harmony of the Spheres is an ancient
philosophical concept that regards proportions in the movements of
celestial bodies—the
Sun,
Moon, and
planets—as a form of
musica (the
Medieval Latin term for
music). This "music" is not usually thought to be literally audible, but a
harmonic,
mathematical or
religious concept. The idea continued to appeal to thinkers about music until the end of the Renaissance, influencing scholars of many kinds, including
humanists.