Often it is a wood or forest that forms the shape of the sign, which would seem unlikely considering the rate at which the woodland is presently being cut down.

However, it is not the shape of the woodlands or the course of the rivers that were altered to form the outline of the figures of the zodiac. It is the earth itself that has been moulded into their shapes. The superficial features of the earth’s surface have since grown naturally around them.

The Rue du Temple lies in the sign of Virgo. It passes through the centre of the zodiac at the cathedral of St Alban, then emerges to pass through the location of the church St Etienne, the oratory St-Maurice, the baptistery Saint-Germain, the basilica Saint-Christophe, and the mid point of the sign of Pisces. We need now to investigate the significance of the opposing zodiacal houses of Virgo and Pisces.

The Precession of the Equinoxes

Important to understanding the significance of the zodiacal houses in the Auxerre zodiac is the phenomenon of earth’s planetary motion known as the precession of the equinoxes.

We know that the sun appears to move during the day from East to West and we also know that this apparent motion is really due to earth’s rotation on its axis.

The earth’s axis however, wobbles rather like that of a spinning top, in such a way that the celestial north pole (that is, the point on the sky directly overhead at the North pole) describes a circle in the sky every 26 000 years (Fig16a).

As the earth moves on its path around the sun, the sun is projected against the background constellations and follows a path known as the « ecliptic ». The belt of sky, about 18 degrees wide, centred on the ecliptic, contains the zodiacal constellations.

Because earth is tilted on its axis, this ecliptic is not a perfectly horizontal path. The two points where the ecliptic crosses the celestial equator are called the equinoxes. This happens twice a year, creating the vernal (Spring) equinox on March 21st and the autumnal equinox around September 22^nd.

The precession of the equinoxes is the retrograde or backward motion of these equinoctial points along the ecliptic. A little over 2 100 years ago the vernal equinox could be projected onto the ecliptic at a point corresponding with the beginning of the constellation Aries. Then it moved backwards into the arc of the constellation Pisces, creating a period of time known in astronomy and astrology as the Age of Pisces. The start of the Age of Pisces, on the opposite side of the zodiac to Virgo was marked by the birth of Jesus.

The statement inscribed on the statue of the Black Virgin prophesied « Virgini Pariturae », the Virgin will have child, or it more accurately prophesied the revelation of the divine as the earth passed into the Virgo/Pisces axis of its 26 000 year cycle. This explains why the Templars held in reverence the Virgo/Pisces axis of the Auxerre zodiac.

Due to the turning motion of the earth’s axis, the sun now rises in the sign of Aquarius at the time of the Spring equinox, hence the reason for saying that we are entering into the Age of Aquarius (fig 16b).

Pontigny lies on the Aquarius/Leo axis of the seal of Solomon pattern of length 1/phi x 2⁶ Km (see Fig 15). The abbey, « the second daughter of Citeaux » was founded on the bank of the Serein, also by twelve monks, early in the 12^th century. The church in its present form was built 1150-90AD. Its size is impressive, it is almost as big as Notre-Dame in Paris. It is surrounded by three signs of the landscape zodiac, the two fish of Pisces, the ram of Aries and a phoenix for Aquarius.

The Age of Aquarius has its two equinoxes when the sun rises in the constellations of Aquarius and Leo. This astrological phenomenon last occurred 13000 years ago, when the sun rose in the sign of Leo at the Spring equinox and Aquarius at the Autumn Equinox, the opposite way around to now. There are some interesting points relevant to this date of 10 500 BC.

Firstly, it marked approximately the end of the last ice age, therefore the stabilising of our present sea-levels and the areas of land uncovered by the sea. Secondly, it coincides with the

date given by Plato in the « Timaeus » for the end of the Atlantean civilisation. Thirdly, the sphinx that guards the pyramids at Giza pre-dates their construction and it is argued that it was orientated not only to face the rising sun , but also to the appearance of the constellation of Leo at the Spring equinox, which would have been observed anytime between 10 500 and

8 300BC. This great sphinx has the body of a lion and the head and shoulders of a human male. This would seem rather curious until we realise that of the classical imagery associated with the signs of the zodiac, the water-bearer of Aquarius is the only single human male figure, suggesting that the sphinx is a combination of Aquarius and Leo.

The Black Virgin found in the caves underneath Chartres is of a woman carrying a child. This statue prophesied a revelation when the vernal and autumn equinoctial points moved into the houses of Pisces and Virgo. The prophesied revelation was fulfilled with the birth of Jesus. The sphinx would seem to promise a revelation of divine knowledge as the equinoctial points move into the houses of Aquarius and Leo, which last occurred 13000 years ago. We don’t have a sphinx on the axis Aquarius/Leo of the Auxerre zodiac, but we do have Pontigny abbey.

The Vezelay Landscape Zodiac

The seal of Solomon pattern that contains the Vezelay zodiac is attached to the Auxerre zodiac like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle and has the same length of 1/phi x 2⁶ Km (Fig 17).

The major point of interest within this zodiac is the basilica of Vezelay.

The initial abbey c.860AD was founded in the Cure valley, but was reconstructed in its present higher position after being destroyed by the Normans. Vezelay also become at about the same time, one of the great assembly points for German pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela.

It was here in 1146AD that Bernard of Clairvaux, as papal envoy, proclaimed the 2^nd crusade (1147-9AD) in response to the Arab conquest of Edessa in 1144AD.

One of the major points of interest in the basilica is the tympanum of the main door showing Christ in glory surrounded by the labours of the month and the signs of the zodiac. The church of St Lazare in Avallon has similar sculptures of the signs of the zodiac.