Re: Sky & Telescope article

[Dan Moonhawk Alford <dalford@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 5 Oct 2000, Rene Zandbergen wrote:

> The Dendera zodiac is quite famous. I may have an illustration of it
> somewhere but can't quickly find it. Now unless I am much mistaken, it
> is circular so its starting point may not be obvious. And in AD 30 the
> starting point for the zodiac should really still be Aries.

In the last part of the last degree? People must've already been singing
"This is the dawning of the Age o-of Pisces" in the streets! ;-) 

The starting point is always obvious to an astrologer -- the Asc marking
the East. Hmmm, which is in our normal geographical West position on
charts. And Double-hmmm -- the houses run counter-sunwise as well!

I've seen this before in Native America: Algonkians (homeland in NE) all
honor the Four Directions by starting in the East, second is South, third
is West and fourth North; it starts where the sun first appears and goes
sunwise. On the other hand, the Sahaptin Indians (homeland NW) begin in
the West, where the sunlight first hits, then going counter-sunwise
honor South second, East third and North fourth. Note that South and
North have exactly the same position in both systems.

A mathematical physicist noticed that, along with Grandfathers Above and
Grandmothers Below, these six directions form geophysical coordinates
which could be ceremonially useful.

Now the Big Puzzle -- why should this be so? 

My working hypothesis is that the Sahaptin (Yakama River People of WA
state) came up from South America -- below the equator -- long ago, maybe
9-10,000 yrs ago since their songs still remember seeing the Great Inner
Lake stretching eastward from the Rockies formed by melting glaciers when
the Ice Age retreated further north. Seen next to my Algonkian friends, my
Sahaptin friends are significantly darker skinned, again suggesting more
southern origins even tho living around WA/OR for millennia.

Maybe this was more for me than y'all, noticing what is essentially
bathtub water swirling differently in N. and S. Hemispheres as it might
pertain to the origins of astrology and Amerind ceremonial practices.

warm regards, moonhawk

dalford@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<http://www.sunflower.com/~dewatson/alford.htm>

"I don't need a compass to tell me which way the wind shines!" 
                                                   -- Roy, Mystery Men