Interpretation of the Zodiac Pages

Purpose of This Section

The Zodiac pages of the Voynich Manuscript are treated in this research not as astrological horoscopes, but as structural indexing mechanisms that link procedural recipes, plant groups, and bodily or material systems across the manuscript.

This page explains what is observed on the Zodiac folios and how those observations are interpreted within the Lost Knowledge Files framework.

Observed Features of the Zodiac Pages

The Zodiac section consistently displays:

  • Circular or segmented diagrams

  • Recognizable zodiac symbols (e.g., Pisces, Aries, Taurus)

  • Repeated star-like markers or points

  • Human figures (often female) positioned around the circumference

  • Accompanying short text blocks, often structurally distinct from herbal paragraphs

These features are documented without presuming symbolic astrology.

Core Hypothesis

Within this methodology, Zodiac pages function as organizational maps, not predictive astrology.

They are hypothesized to encode:

  • Process grouping

  • Batch segmentation

  • Dosage or repetition counts

  • Application domains (bodily, seasonal, or material)

The Zodiac does not introduce new recipes—it indexes and contextualizes existing ones.

Zodiac as a Structural Index

Rather than “sign meanings,” each zodiac page is treated as a routing layer.

Zodiac pages may encode:

  • Which recipes belong together

  • When or how often a process is repeated

  • What class of material or body system a recipe applies to

  • How outputs from earlier processes are reused later

This explains why:

  • Zodiac text is short

  • Vocabulary overlaps with other sections

  • Zodiac imagery is repetitive and schematic

Star Points and Markers

Observed

  • Stars vary in number (e.g., 6, 7, 8, 10+ points)

  • Often appear near or within zodiac diagrams

  • Sometimes appear without full circular context

Interpretation

Star points are interpreted as quantitative or structural markers, not celestial references.

Possible encoded functions include:

  • Number of ingredients

  • Number of steps

  • Number of repetitions or cycles

  • Dosage units or batch divisions

Star count is treated as procedural metadata.

Human Figures Around the Zodiac

Observed

  • Human figures arranged radially

  • Often unclothed

  • Sometimes holding objects or touching lines

Interpretation

These figures are interpreted as allocation markers, not deities.

They may represent:

  • distribution points

  • application targets

  • stages of use

  • body-mapping references (external or internal)

Importantly, the figures are not individualized and do not display narrative interaction.

Relationship to Herbal Pages

The Zodiac section is not independent.

It is believed to map onto herbal and procedural content, functioning as:

  • a cross-reference layer

  • a scheduling or staging system

  • a reuse index for plant-based preparations

Under this model:

  • herbal pages define materials

  • procedural text defines operations

  • zodiac pages define organization and application

Relationship to the Balneological Section

Zodiac pages also align structurally with the so-called “bathing” or balneological pages.

Rather than literal bathing, these sections may describe:

  • immersion processes

  • soaking, infusion, or exposure

  • application of prepared substances to bodies or systems

The Zodiac may define which preparation applies to which context.

What the Zodiac Pages Are Not

Under this methodology, Zodiac pages are not assumed to be:

  • predictive astrology

  • horoscopes

  • mythological storytelling

  • religious ritual calendars without procedural linkage

Symbolic readings are avoided unless supported by structural repetition and cross-section consistency.

Confidence and Constraints

Interpretations of the Zodiac section are marked as:

  • structural, not symbolic

  • functional, not narrative

  • context-dependent, not universal

Where the Zodiac data conflicts with textual grammar or procedural logic, interpretations are downgraded or withheld.

Summary

Within the Lost Knowledge Files framework, the Zodiac pages act as a macro-level indexing system that:

  • groups procedures

  • regulates repetition and dosage

  • links materials to application contexts

  • coordinates information across sections

They are best understood as instructional schematics, not astrological belief systems.