"Harmony of Months and Elements" by Byrhtferth of Ramsey 1000 CE

Earliest Ritual Corner Correspondences 1000 CE

(January 14, 2025)

This is a chart found in an early book justifying the Christian date of Easter. The date of Easter is determined in each year through a calculation known as computus paschalis, or simply Computus. Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the March equinox. The first full or new moon after the equinox was an important Pagan marker for planting crops in the spring.

The book is called the "Harmony of the Months and Elements" written by Byrhtferth of Ramsey (c. 970–c. 1020). He was a priest and monk who lived at Ramsey Abbey in Huntingdonshire (now part of Cambridgeshire) in England. The original book is lost, but two independent ‘copies’ made in the early 12th century remain. This diagram aligns different aspects of time (solstice, equinox, months, seasons, ages of man), the zodiac, and the four elements, in order to introduces a number of key concepts relevant to the computus. In the Oxford manuscript, the diagram comes right at the end of a section (ff. 3r-7v) which contains a miscellaneous variety of short texts and visual designs related to the computus, and directly precedes another section (ff. 8r-15v) containing tables and texts on computus.

Ritual Element-Direction correspondences

These make sense for any European. The texts are in Latin.

East (Latin Oriens) = Earth (terra) as in the landmass of Russia
South (Latin Meridie) = Water (aqua) as in the Mediterranean
West (Latin Occidens) = Air (aer) as in the direction of the prevailing winds and weather
North (Latin Aquilo) = Fire (ignis) as in the direction of the northern lights

Corner Phrases on the Inside of the Connective Diamond

East Corner: Anathole a oriens = Anadole a oriens = Anatolia from the east
South Corner: Mesioi brios m meridie = I am at noon
West Corner: Disis o occidens = You are far away, O West
North Corner: Arcton a aquilo = Close to the north

Phrases on the Inner Diamond (blue) Shaped Connecting Lines

(Connecting earth and water from the south) Terra sicca a frigida = Dry earth from cold
(Connecting earth and fire from the north) Igni calu dus a siccus = The fire is hot and dry
(Connecting air and fire from the north) Ver humidus a calidu = Spring is humid and hot.
(Connecting air and water from the south) heims frigi da a humida = cold and humid

Reference

De concordia mensium atque elementorum (Byrhtferth’s diagram). Online at: https://codecs.vanhamel.nl/De_concordia_mensium_atque_elementorum_(Byrhtferth's_diagram)

Book online at: https://codecs.vanhamel.nl/Oxford,_St_John%27s_College,_MS_17

Ogham in the center of the page. They have not been translated until now.

Translation of Ogham in Center

(January 14, 2025)

Linear Ogham Translation in Druid Akkadian (Text Ogham 51.1)

(read left to right. Capital letters on stone. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verbs in italic bold. Dual use letters are E/H, I/Y, U/W, and '/A in which vowel appears at beginning of words)

A' ' ṬeṢu DiPu Wa

In English

These emotion-powers (Awen) can eliminate the Big-Dipper's curse (of fate)

Circular (Star Sirius) Ogham Translation in Druid Akkadian (Text Ogham 51.2)

(starting at the top and read clockwise, then read out to in. Capital letters on stone. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verbs in italic bold. Dual use letters are E/H, I/Y, U/W, and '/A in which vowel appears at beginning of words)

ᚒᚃ ᚃ ᚒ ᚒᚃ ᚃ ᚐᚁ
UṢu Ṣu U UṢu Ṣu ARu

In English

To originate (start) the activity with the Originator (Su) activate the Controllers (Su and Selene)

Comment: The star Sirius was thought to integrate the magical motion/emotion class of powers with the life powers. That is certainly being done here with the text is talking about starting the motion-power Controllers (dark new moon god Su and celestial light goddess Selu/Selene) to power the life power's flow down to earth.