The vision opened with an image of the glyph of Pisces. The glyph was colored a deep ocean blue. Immediately the crossbar of the glyph broke in two places, close to the curves. The remaining part of the bar contracted to a dot between the two curves, the parts of the bar still connected to the curves were absorbed into them. The two curves rotated about their centers so that their lower ends came together. For a moment a half-moon seemed to grow off of the top of the right-hand curve, so that the whole figure seemed like an Enochian letter "B". The dot between the curves became a diamond. But the half-moon quickly disappeared and the figure turned blood-red, becoming the glyph of Aries.
The glyph tilted away from me and moved away at the same time. From below an image of the Earth came into view, and the glyph descended, coming to rest with its two arms conjunct with the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. The dot between the arms marked the location of Baghdad -- actually slightly north and west of there; perhaps ancient Babylon. The point where the arms met did not quite touch the Persian Gulf; it ended in the marshes where the two rivers meet.
The view descended towards the Earth, and I saw that it was indeed Babylon that was depicted. The region surrounding the city was green with growing crops and grassland; not the dry waste of current-day Iraq. Across the river to the west I could see forested hills.
The city was enclosed in a long wall, save for a short stretch of the river bank near the center of one wall. This gap did not seem to be deliberate, but rather the result of erosion undermining the wall. Within there seemed to be a smaller area with high walls as well; perhaps the area of the palace and main temples.
Now the viewpoint rotated around the city to the eastern gate. A long thoroughfare extended west to an unfinished ziggurat. I saw people moving down the avenue towards me; they passed through the gate and dispersed to the four directions.
The Voice spoke:
"The tower you see is of course the so-called Tower of Babel. And the people are dispersing as was said in the biblical myth. But it was not the hand of God which produced this effect, except indirectly, through the power of the Part governing this region. The symbolism of the Tower is of course the symbolism of Mars, ruler of Aries. And it is the characteristics of the sign and its ruler that are here represented in one aspect.
"You know of course that Aries represents the initial outpouring of force that begins any project, any work of creativity. It is the force that overcomes the inertia of matter and moves it into a different state. But this force is short of duration; it gives out quickly, burns itself up. If the work of creation were to continue, it would need to be imbued with the longer-lasting force of Habit or Custom, which maintain the new state. But that is to be seen elsewhere, not here.
"What is shown here is the illusory unity provided by the imposition of force upon disparate, chaotic elements each having their own unique nature. Such unity never lasts; as soon as the force is exhausted, or directed towards a different goal, then it dissolves into its initial elements again.
"The various cities of the lands between the two rivers at times tried to impose their rule on their surroundings by force. Their rulers sensed in their minds the nature of the power of this Part, and attempted to manifest it. But such rulership was not natural to the area, was imposed upon a pre-existing "culture" in which smaller specialized settlements coexisted in a complex network of trade.
