05-01-2025, 12:58 PM
Folio 70v of the Voynich (cypher) manuscript contains the astrological depiction of Pisces (fishes).
Said depiction is surrounded by an inner ring of 10 naked females reclining horizontally with the lower half of their bodies in cylindrical tubs.
There is also an outer ring with 19 naked females standing vertically with the lower half of their bodies also in cylindrical tubs.
All females are having multi-pointed stars on a string.
Assuming that the manuscript originates from the Republic of Venice, one couldn't help but notice that the New Year in Venice in medieval times was on the 1st of March.
Since 9 of the reclined females in the inner ring and their stars are oriented counterclockwise (except for one, oriented clockwise and sharing the same tub with another female but from the opposite side of the tub), one could possibly interpret the reclined females and their stars in the inner ring as the days in the first decan of Pisces at the end of February. The only reclined female oriented clockwise could possibly depict 29th of February in a leap year.
Here the interpretation could be that the females are reclined to show that they represent past days from the previous month of February.
The stars of all 19 females in the outer ring are oriented clockwise. Here the interpretation could be that the females are standing upright to show that they represent forthcoming days of the remaining 2 decans of Pisces with respect to the New Year in Venice on the 1st of March.
The scheme looks like this:
- first decan of Pisces in February (9 females reclining counterclockwise);
- a female reclining clockwise (29th of February in a leap year); and
- forthcoming second and third decans of Pisces in March (19 standing-up females with stars oriented clockwise).
Note that folio 70v seems to be the only astrological folio where females are oriented in opposite directions (clockwise or counterclockwise).
Said depiction is surrounded by an inner ring of 10 naked females reclining horizontally with the lower half of their bodies in cylindrical tubs.
There is also an outer ring with 19 naked females standing vertically with the lower half of their bodies also in cylindrical tubs.
All females are having multi-pointed stars on a string.
Assuming that the manuscript originates from the Republic of Venice, one couldn't help but notice that the New Year in Venice in medieval times was on the 1st of March.
Since 9 of the reclined females in the inner ring and their stars are oriented counterclockwise (except for one, oriented clockwise and sharing the same tub with another female but from the opposite side of the tub), one could possibly interpret the reclined females and their stars in the inner ring as the days in the first decan of Pisces at the end of February. The only reclined female oriented clockwise could possibly depict 29th of February in a leap year.
Here the interpretation could be that the females are reclined to show that they represent past days from the previous month of February.
The stars of all 19 females in the outer ring are oriented clockwise. Here the interpretation could be that the females are standing upright to show that they represent forthcoming days of the remaining 2 decans of Pisces with respect to the New Year in Venice on the 1st of March.
The scheme looks like this:
- first decan of Pisces in February (9 females reclining counterclockwise);
- a female reclining clockwise (29th of February in a leap year); and
- forthcoming second and third decans of Pisces in March (19 standing-up females with stars oriented clockwise).
Note that folio 70v seems to be the only astrological folio where females are oriented in opposite directions (clockwise or counterclockwise).