mysteries of egyptian zodiacs - HiddenMysteries Information Central

Figure 5.75: The fringe of figures surrounding the two Athribis
zodiacs with other symbols made dim.
(8) A two-headed cobra with upright fore body (both heads
on the same side) (see Figures 5.73 and 5.74 (EM) and
(EB)).
We conclude this section with a picture of the fringe surrounding
the two Athribis zodiacs (see Figure 5.75). This encircling
arrangement of the figures is composed mainly of the
equinox and solstice symbols described above. For example,
there are several sequences of snakes, which usually occur at
the spring equinox points. There are also two entwined snakes
— a symbol of the equinox point (the most probably the autumn
one), and a cobra on a small podium representing the
summer solstice. The bottom part of the fringe is a partial
horoscope of the summer solstice that we have discussed in
subsection 5.5.3. Directly beneath, there is a symbolic scene,
which will be discussed in the next section.
5.9 Supplementary Astronomical Symbols on Egyptian Zodiacs 125
5.9 Supplementary Astronomical
Symbols on Egyptian Zodiacs
On the Egyptian zodiacs, beside the symbols of the main and
the partial horoscopes, constellations figures and the symbols
of the solstice and equinox points, there are sometimes present
other additional symbols or even symbolic scenes with definite
astronomical meaning. In this section we describe some
of them, for which we were able to understand at leasttheir
meaning at least partially. Let us point out that only few
such symbols can be found on the Egyptian zodiacs and most
of them do not contain any significant information for the
dating, but there are some exceptions. Nevertheless, understanding
the meaning of these symbols is important for the
decoding process of the general astronomical chart shown on
a zodiac.
It is intriguing that one particular astronomical event
found a special place on the Egyptian zodiacs. This was the
first spring full-moon. In the medieval Christian tradition the
date of Easter was calculated using the concept of so-called
paschal moon, which is the first full moon that occurs after
the spring equinox. The same concept of the paschal moon,
but with different rules, were used in the Jewish tradition to
determine the date of Passover. According to the conventional
chronology the paschal moon has nothing to do with the ancient
Egyptian tradition, however it is sometimes represented
on the Egyptian zodiacs. Moreover, in some cases, this representation
clearly indicates a strong link with the Christian
Easter.
Figure 5.76: A representation of the paschal moon procession
on the Athribis zodiacs
5.9.1 Paschal Moon
Let us look at the symbolic scene, shown of Figure 5.76, at
the bottom of the Athribis zodiacs (see Figure 5.75). In view
of the already decoded symbolism on the Egyptian zodiacs,
the meaning of this scene is not difficult to understand. We
read it from the right to left, as it is indicated by the direction
of the procession.
At the right end of this procession, we see a familiar symbol
of the spring equinox, which is the sequence of the snakes
with upright fore bodies (see subsection 5.8.3). Next to the
left, there is a boat carrying a disk with a narrow crescent.
Two human attendants stand on its both sides facing it. This
is a symbol of the first new moon, which was “born” after the