Three-section orbs

[ReneZ]

Interesting. Has anyone come up with a good reason for the curves/spirals on the VM version?  I’ve wondered if they have something simple like motion behind them, because 4 curved spokes intersect with the earth, and 4 to the heavens. Oresme’s BNF Fr 565 text talks about his unique idea for the time that the earth turns on its axis as opposed to just the heavens turning. Perhaps the VMS author was making a point not just about Aristotlean ideas but putting an Oresmean “spin” on his diagram. Just a guess on my part, but would be interested in this idea and others about this detail.

For me that is the key question and I have no good ideas.

The resemblance with the Armenian MS (Schoenberg LJS 443) may be coincidental. The latter has several spirals with different numbers of arms and a preference for them to curl in the opposite direction.
This also has all spokes extend from the same level. 
Furthermore, the way in which the spirals in the Voynich MS connect to the nebuly line is intriguing, if it is intentional.
The top one is clearly an extension of one of the bulbs, but for the others this is not the case.

I like your suggestion that it may refer to question of the rotation of the Earth vs rotation of everything outside.
This is something that Aristotle addresses, coming to the conclusion that the Earth cannot be rotating.

In that case, the Voynich illustration seems to suggest that they both rotate.
This is a new idea as far as I am aware, and I already like it.