Whereas in the Auxerre zodiac the point of reference was the Rue du Temple and the Virgo/Pisces axis, here it is the hill on which Vezelay basilica is constructed, known by the Romans as Mont Scorpion. By following the outline of the hill, we find that it forms the body of a scorpion. Its sting is at the church of Asquins (Fig 18).

Superimposed over the body of the scorpion is the head of the pregnant Virgo, to which the basilica de la Madeleine is dedicated. Rather confusingly, the Benedictine monks that occupied the basilica claimed to have acquired the relics of Mary Magdalene, a claim which I think was confused with a lingering memory of the landscape zodiac. The main axis of the Auxerre zodiac continues from its centre, through the church at Prégilbert to the centre of the Vezelay zodiac, which contrary to the Auxerre zodiac has no obvious construction to mark its position. What we do find, however, is the significance of the position of Vezelay basilica.

The axis from Auxerre passes through Pregilbert, along the tail of the scorpion and becomes the Scorpio/Taurus axis of the Vezelay zodiac (Fig 19). Curiously, the direction of rotation of the landscape figures is in the opposite direction to the Auxerre zodiac, which brings the Virgo/Pisces axis to pass through the head of the Virgo pregnant woman. Vezelay basilica lies at the intersection of Virgo and Libra which coincides with the birth of Jesus on the Virgo/Pisces axis the earth’s equinoctial cycle.

The other figures of the Vezelay zodiac are as follows :

Aries The ram

Taurus The bull

Gemini The twins.

Cancer The ship

Leo The lion

Virgo The pregnant woman

Libra The dove

Scorpio The scorpion

Sagittarius The goat

Capricorn The horse, Pegasus

Aquarius The phoenix

Pisces The fish

Pontigny abbey indicates an astrologically important position in the Auxerre zodiac. In the corresponding position in the Vezelay zodiac there is the church of St Lazare at Avallon which contains the sculptures of the signs of the zodiac similar to those at Vezelay basilica. Avallon therefore also marks the Aquarius/Leo axis.