Re: Voynich Ms

["Dana F. Scott" <dfscott@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Robert Zoller,
     Thank you very much for your reply and offer to assist with questions
concerning Astrology. I will forward you questions and observations from the
Voynich internet group relating to Astrology.

Regards,
Dana Scott

Robert Zoller wrote:

> Dear Dana Scott,
>
> I am happy to share with you whatever thoughts arise regarding the Voynich
> Ms and its cipher. I have had a passing interest in cryptography and the
> Voynich Ms since reading Brumbaugh's Most Mysterious Manuscript some years
> ago. I have not really addressed the subject with any attention until now,
> however, and certainly don't have the key to the cipher.
>
> Anent your speculation about some characters of the cipher text being
> astrological, I should say that there would be nothing outlandish in this
> idea, per se. However, I doubt that you will find quincunx symbols in the
> Voynich. The ms is certainly Medieval, wouldn't you agree? But the quincunx
> aspect was introduced into Western Astrology by Kepler, if I'm not mistaken
> (17th century). Perhaps more likely would be to see the inverted V as
> representing the cone of light radiating from a star. Cf On the Stellar
> Rays, by Al-Kindi; R. Bacon's remarks about the stellar light as the active
> agent in astrological influence (if memory serves, he was influenced by
> Thabit ben Qurrah). There is a tradition of this concept (light as
> astrological influence) in astrological literature-cf John Dee's
> Propadeumata aphoristica trs by Heilbron and Schumaker. Also cf Kepler de
> certioribus fundamentis astrologiae and Placidus' Primum Mobile. The
> inverted V also shows up in alchemical symbolism associated with gold, sun
> etc. It also shows up as the Compasses in Masonic Symbolism.
>
> I'm sure just about every cryptanalysis technique has already been applied
> to Voynich and that the attempt to identify specific cipher characters is an
> effort to shed any light (pardon the pun) upon the pesky problem. Perhaps
> the date, authorship and origin of the ms can be known from the characters
> themselves. From reading the webpage I gather that the date is approximately
> known but not much else- other than its transmission from the 19th century
> to date.
>
> I am happy to participate in any way I can with this project. If I can be of
> any assistance, please contact me.
>
> Bob Zoller
> _________________________________________________________________________
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