VMs: Re: Meaning of Pisces?

[Rene Zandbergen <r_zandbergen@xxxxxxxxx>]

GC wrote:

> I know this has all been discussed before, but
> recently it was
> pointed out that the VMS zodiac begins with Pisces,
> and for some
> reason I can't get that out of my mind.  Three
> things come to mind
> about Pisces:
> 
> 1.  The vernal equinox (New year) occurs at a time
> when the sun is
> passing through the constellation of Pisces.

The Vernal equinox (an imaginary point where two
imaginary great cirles in the sky crosseach other)
is moving through the zodiac, and this feature was
known since antiquity. Still, without any exception
known to me, all lists of zodiac constellations
start with Aries. The writer of the Voynich MS
_must_ have known this, so he must have deliberately
started with Pisces. 
Why?
I agree with GC that this is a very significant
question.
The _constellations_ of the zodiac aren't really
that important. After all, there are not 12 but
13, and even if one ignores the 13th (Ophiuchus)
the remaining 12 are not all 30 degrees wide.
The ecliptic is divided into 12 pieces of 30
degrees each (with one Voynich MS nymph per
degree), and the part stretching from the Vernal
equinox eastward is called (the sign of) Aries.
The Voynich MS is undoubtedly concerned with the
signs of the zodiac, not the constellations.

I used to think that perhaps the Voynich MS
could be written by George of Trebizond,
a man who lived in the right time, had the right
type of knowledge, and probably had the right
type of mindset (especially as he was getting 
older).
He was born under the sign of Pisces (a fact
he did not like, and wrote about).

> 3.  (not so sure about this one) Before calendar
> reform, the New
> Years fell within the zodiac month of Pisces, not
> Aries, off by 11
> days?

Before the reform, the Sun would be in the point of
the vernal equinox on a day called 11 March (give
or take a day). This doesn't help us either way.
 
Perhaps the word 'March' in the circle is the
clue (I'm just putting forward one hypothesis
here, not more). I recently found that the names
of the zodiac signs in Vedic (Hindu) astrology
corresponds to the names of the months. Now 
unfortunately I do not know if this is 'ancient'
Hindu astrology, or a more modern esoteric art.
In any case, 'March' corresponds with Pisces
(Pisces=Meena in the English transcription).

It would be quite reasonable to start with
March (since the equinox is in March) and this
could lead to the start with Pisces.
Pure far-fetched speculation, I have to agree,
especially since there is doubt whether the
month names were written by the original writer
of the MS.

Cheers, Rene



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