The Zodiac Cipher

The Giza Sphinx (courtesy of P. Wallace)

 

   Unknown to most astrologers, the 12 signs of the zodiac describe the occurrence of a highly energetic celestial explosion and, by means of constellation pointer stars, indicate that this outburst originated at the core of our Galaxy. The signs convey this explosion concept through the use of metaphor.  Each sign, through its personality descriptions and set of associated attributes, portrays a specific universal principle taking place in nature.  Just as the letters of an alphabet form an intelligible word when sequenced in the proper order, so too, these universal principles, when properly sequenced, relate a science of how ordered form (in particular matter and energy) are spontaneously born into existence.  This is quite impressive since it is only in the latter half of the twentieth century that modern scientists have discovered this same science of structural self-organization!

      But the sequence in which the constellations are ordered along the ecliptic (that shown in the box below), is not the order that properly presents this science.  The zodiac was designed as a cryptogram that challenges us to discover how to rearrange the order of the signs.

Aries Taurus Gemini Cancer Leo Virgo Libra Scorpio Sagittarius Capricorn Aquarius Pisces

+ - + - + - + - + - + -

c f m c f m c f m c f m

 

Question: If this message was so important to convey, why didn't the authors of the zodiac constellations arrange the zodiac signs so as to properly express their science of matter-energy creation?  Why did they require that the recipient would have to rearrange the signs from the order they were presented along the ecliptic?

Why the zodiac's message was constructed as a cryptographic puzzle: A message framed in terms of universal symbols may be conveyed from one culture to another even when there is an inherent barrier to linguistic communication.  By casting such a message in the form of a cryptogram, one that includes a "cryptographic check" mechanism that signals the recipient when he has correctly deciphered the message, the transmitting civilization thereby provides a way for the recipient to understand that he has correctly interpreted this symbolic message, since there is no possibility for direct communication between recipient and sender.  In this way the inherent vagueness of symbolic communication may be greatly reduced. Because the goal of this kind of cryptogram is clarity, rather than obscurity, it is sometimes called an anticryptogram.

      This technique has been used in modern efforts to send out extraterrestrial communications such as the Pioneer 10 space plaque cipher. The same technique may be used in trans-temporal terrestrial communications (timecapsule messages) like the zodiac cryptogram, where information is conveyed over many millennia from one terrestrial civilization to another.  In this way it is possible for a past civilization to communicate with a future

civilization even when the language of the original transmitting civilization has long since been forgotten.

       Of course, those of you who are believers in horoscope astrology would maintain that there is another reason why the signs could not have been placed along the ecliptic differently than they are, regardless of what the zodiac might symbolically encode, the signs must have their given order along the ecliptic, otherwise astrology would not properly predict people's personalities.

The Zodiac's Cryptographic Check: The zodiac's cryptographic check mechanism is embedded in the ordering of the polarities (+ and -) and qualities (c: cardinal, f: fixed, m: mutable) associated with its twelve signs.  In their initial arrangement, as sequenced along the ecliptic, the zodiac signs produce a regular repetition of their polarity and quality attributes (+, -, +, -, . . . and c, f, m, c, f, m, . . .).  When correctly resequenced to display their encoded message, the polarities and qualities will again adopt an ordered pattern.  This newly emerged ordered pattern is what constitutes the check, the final click that indicates that the "safe" has been properly cracked.  Most attempts to rearrange the signs will not yield a comparable ordered regularity of these attributes.

The Keys to the Zodiac Cipher: Anticryptograms are usually accompanied by a "key" to aid their decoding. Cryptograms used in espionage necessarily restrict access to their cryptographic key to just the targeted recipient.  In timecapsule messages the key is openly supplied along with the cipher.  The zodiac message has two keys to help unlock its message. One key survives as the major arcana of the Tarot to be described below.  The other is the astrological sphinx, whose body parts are composed from four signs of the zodiac. Tradition holds that the sphinx poses a riddle to whomever might ponder its features.  When properly understood, the "Riddle of the Sphinx" is actually the challenge to decode the zodiac cipher.  The sphinx merely entices seekers of the truth to attempt to solve this age old stellar puzzle. For over twelve thousand years it has lain waiting to be solved. Now you too may try your luck.

For hints to help you decode the zodiac cipher go on to the next page.

  

Here are some hints that should help you decipher the zodiac cryptogram

Zodiac cipher game: © 1997 Paul LaViolette, all rights reserved

Hint No. 1. How the sphinx serves as a key to the zodiac cryptogram.

To express their science of matter-energy creation, the zodiac signs must be placed in a sequential order that has a starting and ending point. Although Ptolemaic astrologers arbitrarily set Aries to be the first sign of the zodiac, you will find that this choice leads to a blind alley.

Hint No. 2. Which zodiac constellation sign should be used as a starting point.

The Tarot -- The Second Key: The Tarot is the second key to the zodiac cryptogram. The 22 Tarot arcana first appeared in renaissance Europe in Gypsy fortune telling cards. But esoteric tradition holds that these pictograms date from the time of ancient Egypt and that they express important Hermetic science concepts that were part of the Osirian mysteries. A document entitled An Egyptian Initiation, attributed to the 3rd century AD neoplatonist philosopher Iamblichus provides valuable information. This reports that a novice priest who wished to be indoctrinated into the mysteries of Osiris was blindfolded by the two eldest Magi priests and brought to stand before the Great Sphinx at Giza. The novice would then pass through a secret door, presumably situated between the paws of the Sphinx, and into a subterranean labyrinth which led to the underground Temple of Osiris.    Although seismic evidence has indicated that a hollowed out chamber may lie beneath the front of the Sphinx, no door has yet been found between the forepaws. So we may conclude that this ancient initiation may have been conducted elsewhere and that the blindfolded initiate was made to believe that he was passing beneath the Sphinx for reasons of its symbolism. That is, the east-facing Giza Sphinx represented the Aker gate from which the sun emerged from the Netherworld at the break of day, the Netherworld being the mystical

realm where Osiris ruled over the souls of the deceased. In these underground passages, the novice had to endure a series of grueling trials designed to test his intuition, intelligence, and moral strength. If he succeeded in surviving, he would emerge into a long gallery whose walls were adorned with 22 symbolic frescoes whose descriptions are strikingly similar to those found in the Gypsy Tarot. There, the Chief Magus would greet the novice and instruct him as to the significance of the frescoes. The novice was required to commit these meanings to memory. Once he learned this science he was prohibited from revealing it to the uninitiated under penalty of death.    Like the novice priest, you will find that the Tarot gives you an important clue to deciphering the zodiac cryptogram. Over the years, esoteric scholars have attempted to establish a correlation between the Tarot and the 12 zodiac signs, but to no avail. Do not be misled by their attempts.

Hint No. 3. Which of the 22 major arcana of the Tarot should be matched up with the signs of the zodiac.

 

The task of placing the zodiac's signs in their proper order is much easier if you first acquire some background on the process-based creation science they encode.

Hint No. 4. What modern discipline studies a science similar to that encoded in the Tarot and zodiac.

 

To attempt to decipher the zodiac cryptogram, go on to the next page.

Hint No. 1: The astrological sphinx is comprised of four animal parts: the breast and paws of a lion, the hindquarters of a bull, the wings of an eagle, and the head of a human. These four fixed signs serve as the entrance and exit gateways to the zodiac's message. Note that sphinxes traditionally guarded the entrances to ancient cities and temples. Also in ancient Egyptian lore, the Aker, a sphinx composed of a human head and lion's body, symbolized the entrance and exit to the Duat (Netherworld), the sacred higher dimensional etheric realm.

 

The four signs of the sphinx appear on the Rose Cross symbol

which is said to have been worn around the necks of the initiated Magi priests.

 

 

Hint No. 2: In choosing your zodiac sign starting point, pay attention to:

the shape of the first letter of the Greek alphabet, alpha (), or

the shape of the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, aleph, ( ), compared to the zodiac sign glyphs: , , ,

, , , , , , , , .

As a further hint, investigate the meanings of the letters composing the Hebrew alphabet.  For example, the first four letters of this alphabet translate as: aleph (ox), beth (house), gimel (camel), and daleth (door).

  

Hint No. 3: Of the 22 major arcana of the Tarot, the first 11 express metaphysical concepts similar to those expressed by the 12 zodiac signs and they present these concepts in their proper order. So by using the Tarot as a guide, and matching up these 11 arcana with appropriate astrological signs, the zodiac may be rearranged to properly display its encoded creation science. The meanings traditionally associated with the major arcana are discussed in the book Genesis of the Cosmos: The Ancient Science of Continuous Creation by Paul LaViolette and may be found in texts by tarot scholars such as Papus, Zain, or Doane & Keyes. Note that there is not necessarily a one-to-one correspondence between these arcana and signs. Often a Tarot arcanum may match up with two or even three

consecutive zodiac signs in the deciphered sequence, or a zodiac sign may match up with two or even three consecutive Tarot arcana.

 

Pictograms from the Marseilles Tarot

 

 

Hint No. 4:

The scientific meanings metaphorically expressed in the Tarot and astrological

signs are best comprehended by first understanding how

ordered patterns spontaneously arise in certain

kinds of open reaction systems, systems whose

constituents maintain a state of reactive flux by drawing

energy from their environment. Common

examples are: living organisms, predator-prey

interactions, cellular convection patterns, chemical

waves, and candle flames. Particular attention should be

paid to chemical wave phenomena, wave-like

concentration patterns that arise in certain kinds of

chemical reaction systems such as the Belousov-

Zhabotinskii reaction (shown to the right).

(Photo courtesy of Arthur Winfree)

Such self-organizing wave phenomena were discovered only in the past 40 years and are today investigated in the fields of chemical kinetics, general system theory, and thermodynamics. Background information is given in Dr. LaViolette's book Genesis of the Cosmos: The Ancient Science of Continuous Creation.

The zodiac's science of cosmic creation applies these same reaction-kinetic concepts to the domain of microphysics to explain how subatomic particles (matter and energy) present throughout the universe are continually born from an

underlying reacting ether. Humbling western science even further, the cosmology that this ancient cipher conveys fits observational data better than the big bang theory! Both Beyond the Big Bang and its sequel Earth Under Fire examine this and other examples of advanced scientific knowledge handed down from ancient times and contemplate its possible origin.

 Try your luck. Reorder the astrological signs and decode the zodiac cipher.

 

Hint Number 1: How the sphinx serves as a key to the zodiac cryptogram

Hint Number 2: Which zodiac constellation sign should be used as a starting point

Hint Number 3: Which of the 22 major arcana of the Tarot should be matched up with the signs of the zodiac

Hint Number 4: What modern discipline studies a science similar to that encoded in the Tarot and zodiac

Zodiac cipher game: © 1997 Paul LaVioletteall rights reserved

 

AR (+, c) TA (-, f) GE (+, m) CA (-, c)LE (+, f) VI (-, m) LI (+, c) SC (-, f)SA (+, m) CA (-, c) AQ (+, f) PI (-, m)

The Tarot menu (lower left) correctly sequences the universal principles that describe the creation of physical form. Using this as a "genetic code" guide, resequence the zodiac signs (lower right) by determining which of these universal principles is best expressed by each sign. Then sequentially press the corresponding zodiac buttons to the left to register your choice for the first four signs. You will get feedback on your selection after having entered your four choices. You may keep tract of the signs you have selected by typing the first two letters of their

names in this box:

Type in these boxes the polarities (+

or - ) and qualities (c, f, or

m) that correspond to the

zodiac signs chosen above. Do they form ordered patterns?  If so, you may have correctly deciphered the zodiac cryptogram. To find out the answer read, Genesis of the Cosmos. To further explore the cipher's significance read Earth Under Fire.

 

If you don't have a frame editor, click below to reach:

the descriptions of the 11 Tarot arcana

the descriptions of the 12 zodiac signs

 

 

 

 

Arcanum 0, The Fool, The Materialist

Attributes:  Overly materialistic, one who is slave to desire and blinded by self-interest, failure, folly

Universal Principle:  Decay, dissipation, the isolated system

Arcanum 1, The Magician

Attributes:  The Prime Mover, the creative force, the unity principle, singleness, aspiration, will, the action principle, initiative, beginning, potential, impulsiveness, the masculine quality

Universal Principle:  Irreversible process, the open system

Arcanum 2, The High Priestess, Veiled Isis

Attributes:  Duality, polarity, form, receptivity, passivity, perception, discrimination, knowledge, insight, intuition, occult science, the feminine quality

Universal Principle:  Duality, differentiation

Arcanum 3, The Empress, Isis Unveiled

Attributes:  The active union of male and female principles, union of polar opposites, marriage, partnership, fecundity, gestation, generation

Universal Principle:  Coupling, supercriticality

Arcanum 4, The Emperor, The Sovereign

Attributes:  Realization, result, solution, triumph over obstacles, confidence, authority, abundant creative energy, knowledge gained through experience, the setting of things in order

Universal Principle:  Critical mass, the critical fluctuation

Arcanum 5, The Pope, The Hierophant

Attributes:  Religion, the universal law, the regulator of the infinite manifestations of being, the preserver of the status quo, the keeper of peace, fortunate influences

Universal Principle:  The homogeneous steady state

Arcanum 6, The Lovers

Attributes:  A time to decide among opposing alternatives, temptation

Universal Principle:  Bifurcation, the critical point

Arcanum 7, The Chariot, The Conqueror

Attributes:  Victory, conquest, attainment, success earned by hard work or active effort

Universal Principle:  Exponential growth, spontaneous symmetry-breaking

Arcanum 8, Justice, The Balance

Attributes:  Justice, equilibrium, balance, every action brings forth a reaction

Universal Principle:  The limits to growth, counterbalance

Arcanum 9, The Hermit, The Sage

Attributes:  Wisdom, prudence, discretion in all things, perfection of form, circumspection, protection, experience gained in the journey of life

Universal Principle:  Adaptive self-stabilization, autonomy

Arcanum 10, The Wheel of Fortune

Attributes:  Change of Fortune, the inevitable cycles of nature, the completion of one cycle and the beginning of the next

Universal Principle:  The periodic state

Aries, The Ram

Polarity:  Masculine / Positive (outward expression)

Quality:  Cardinal (directed activity)

Planetary Rulers:  Mars--lower aspect (violent, impulsive energy)

Personality Traits:  Chaos, disruptiveness, explosiveness, extravagance, force, strength, energy, vigor, impulsiveness, assertiveness, impatience, and spontaneity

Taurus, The Bull

Polarity:  Feminine - / Negative (hidden form)

Quality:  Fixed (stability, stored-up potential energy)

Planetary Ruler:  Venus--lower aspect (acquisitive attraction)

Personality Traits:  An instinct for gathering material wealth, powers of concentration, captivity, retention, and conservation. solidity, strength, concentrated physical energy, determination, preservation, and self-sufficiency

Gemini, The Twins

Polarity:  Masculine / Positive (outward expression)

Quality:  Mutable (oscillatory activity)

Planetary Ruler:  Mercury--lower aspect (restless communication)

Personality Traits:  Dualistic, versatile, changeful, unstable, erratic, restless, indecisive, nervous, temperamental, mercurial, youthful, extremely communicative

Cancer, The Crab

Polarity:  Feminine / Negative (hidden form)

Quality:  Cardinal (directed activity)

Planetary Ruler:  The Moon (cycles, protectiveness, nurturing)

Personality Traits:  Moody, mothering, nurturing, providing, self-preserving, possessive, sensitive, shy, gentle, protecting, and dependable

Leo, The Lion

Polarity:  Masculine / Positive (outward expression)

Quality:  Fixed (stability, stored up potential energy)

Planetary Ruler:  The Sun (power, will, individuality)

Personality Traits:  Power, central will, vitality, dominion, authority, courage, self-confidence, dignity, extroversion, integration, and the ability to organize

Virgo, The Virgin

Polarity:  Feminine / Negative (hidden form)

Quality:  Mutable (oscillatory activity)

Planetary Ruler:  Mercury--higher aspect (discriminative communication)

Personality Traits:  Selective, nitpicky, highly critical, analytical, discriminatory, seek perfection

Libra, The Scales

Polarity:  Masculine / Positive (outward expression)

Quality:  Cardinal (directed activity)

Planetary Ruler:  Venus--higher aspect (cooperative attraction)

Personality Traits:  Seekers of cooperative relationships and ventures, tactful, diplomatic, manipulative, dependent, have a strong sense of justice, concerned with conjugality, partnership, marriage, union, and "we" consciousness

Scorpio, The Scorpion

Polarity:  Feminine / Negative (hidden form)

Quality:  Fixed (stability, stored up potential energy)

Planetary Rulers:  Mars--higher aspect (assertive, generative energy)

Personality Traits:  Creative, resourceful, firm, determined, self-controlled, self-confident, self-reliant, willful, obstinate, proud, rebellious, resentful, vindictive, and passionate, revolutionary, initiator of upheaval, the power behind the throne

Sagittarius, The Centaur-Archer

Polarity:  Masculine / Positive (outward expression)

Quality:  Mutable (oscillatory activity)

Planetary Ruler:  Jupiter--higher aspect (optimistic expansion)

Personality Traits:  Aspiring, freedom loving, independent, friendly, outgoing, direct, optimistic, willing to take a chance, interested in moving into the future, and lacking in discipline

Capricorn, The Goat

Polarity:  Feminine / Negative (hidden form)

Quality:  Cardinal (directed activity)

Planetary Ruler:  Saturn--lower aspect (rigidified restraint)

Personality Traits:  Ambitious, hard-working, disciplined, patient, persistent, dependable, expedient, efficient, confident, realistic, constructive, practical, lover of routine and tradition

Aquarius, The Water-Bearer

Polarity:  Masculine / Positive (outward expression)

Quality:  Fixed (stability, stored-up potential energy)

Planetary Rulers:  Saturn--higher aspect (self-disciplined restraint)

Personality Traits:  Opinionated, cold, detached, inflexible, critical, rebels, individualists, liberators, inventors, and eagerness to change the established order to meet future needs

Pisces, The Fishes

Polarity:  Feminine / Negative (hidden form)

Quality:  Mutable (oscillatory activity)

Planetary Rulers:  Jupiter--lower aspect (extravagant expansion)

Personality Traits:  Tend toward nebulousness, lose their personal identity through service to social causes and the collective whole