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"Many years ago, I found ten symbols in a cave. Some I recognized then, some I only recognize now. The native people of Gravity Falls prophesied that these symbols could create a force strong enough to vanquish Bill. With Bill defeated, his weirdness would be reversed and the town could be saved. This whole time I thought it was just superstition, but seeing you all here now, I finally understand that it's destiny."
Ford Pines, Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back The Falls

The zodiac[1][2] is a symbol associated with Bill Cipher and the symbols surrounding him. It is later revealed that this wheel is a prophecy that can be used to defeat him.

History[]

The zodiac is quickly flashed at the end of the theme song. When it is shown, there is a fast whisper that reveals the code needed to translate the cryptogram seen at the end of the episode.

It is also seen in Journal 2 when Gideon Gleeful is trying to find out how to summon Bill Cipher. The page in the Journal featuring the zodiac looks different from the page featured in the theme song. Some content on the page is the same, and some is different. The page in the journal contains information regarding Bill Cipher, as well as the zodiac. The author states that he had been dreaming of Bill and the symbol for weeks, and he questions the significance of the symbol.

In "Dreamscaperers," Bill briefly appears encircled in the zodiac before he exits Stan Pines' mind.

In "The Stanchurian Candidate," Gideon draws the zodiac on the wall of his prison cell in order to summon Bill, so he can make a deal with him.

In "The Last Mabelcorn," a variant of the zodiac is shown.

In "Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back The Falls," Ford reveals that he found these symbols passed down from the natives of Gravity Falls. When each person that correlates with a symbol stands in a drawn version of this zodiac and they hold hands, it has enough power to defeat Bill Cipher. Though the resistance tries to invoke the zodiac's power, Stan and Ford's animosity prevents them from completing the ritual before Bill finds them.

Appearance[]

The image flashed at the end of the theme song appears to be drawn on a page from one of the journals. The paper has various symbols, writing, and other content written on it including a phrase which can be deciphered with Caesar cipher and reads "STAN IS NOT WHAT HE SEEMS."

When Bill summons the Zodiac, it is a bright, glowing blue. A blue light then flickers around the wheel, briefly highlighting each symbol.

Around the circle are ten small images. These images, their placements, and the people or objects they represent include:

  • A question mark: Soos Ramirez - Soos's t-shirt.[3]
  • A bag of ice: Wendy Corduroy - she represents an individual who is cool in the face of danger, making her the one to stand on the symbol in the finale, but it is stated that there is no specific carrier.
  • A crescent shaped symbol, later to be depicted as an oyster: Stan Pines[1][4] - Stan's fez.
  • A pine tree: Dipper Pines - Dipper's hat.[1][5][3]
  • A pentagram with an eye in the center: Gideon Gleeful - its usage as the insignia of the Tent of Telepathy.[1][5]
  • A hand with six fingers: Ford Pines[6] - Ford has polydactyly, giving him six fingers on each hand. This symbol is also used as the insignia of the journals.[1][4][7]
  • A llama: Pacifica Northwest - Although this is another symbol to have no specific carrier, she is given one of Mabel's sweaters that has this exact symbol in the finale, making her the one to later stand on it.
  • A shooting star: Mabel Pines - one of Mabel's sweaters.[3] Also the symbol on Mabel's prison bubble.
  • A heart with a stitch in the middle: Robbie Valentino - his "destiny hoodie".
  • A pair of spectacles: Old Man McGucket - he represents an individual who is a scholar, making him the one to stand on the symbol in the finale. This is yet another symbol that is stated to have no specific carrier.[5]

Sightings[]

Season 1

Season 2

Games

Trivia[]

  • Originally, the image that was going to appear in the opening was the six fingered hand, but Alex Hirsch decided to replace it because he discovered the TV show Fringe also had a six fingered hand. The idea for the Zodiac was created by Alex in a meeting with Ian Worrel when he was running late for another meeting in an attempt to replace it. The symbols on the wheel were just random symbols from the seven episodes they'd already made by that point, and when the Zodiac became such a phenomenon in the fandom Alex realized he had to write it into the story somehow.[8]
  • In Journal 2, on the page with the cipher, the journal has three exclamation points and an arrow pointing to the glasses symbols.
  • Stan's symbol was originally crescent shaped, but was changed to a shape resembling Pac-Man in "Bottomless Pit." However, the symbol on the zodiac as seen in the theme song remains the same.
  • Soos', Robbie's, Mabel’s, and Dipper's symbols have all been seen elsewhere. As they are all on articles of clothing, there are other articles of clothing with the same symbols on them.[9][10][11]
  • Gideon's symbol bears resemblance to an Elder Sign, an icon in the Cthulhu Mythos described as a form of protection against evil forces.
  • Several of the symbols on the zodiac can be seen on the infinity sided dice.[12]
  • In the episodes "Dreamscaperers," "Sock Opera," "The Last Mabelcorn," and "Weirdmageddon Part 1," Bill calls Dipper, Mabel, Soos, and Ford by their corresponding symbols on the zodiac (pine tree, shooting star, question mark, and six-fingers/"sixer" respectively).
  • In the apocalypse version of the theme song, the image of Bill is ripped out of the page, referencing that Bill is now in the real world.
  • Various symbols from the zodiac are on the flag made by the resistance as they plan to take back Gravity Falls, including the six-fingered hand, the shooting star, the pine tree, and the question mark.
  • The order of the symbols differs depending on the sighting:
    • In the opening and "Dreamscaperers," the order goes question mark, ice bag, crescent, pine tree, pentagram, six-fingered hand, llama, shooting star, heart, glasses.
    • On the zodiac that Gideon drew in "The Stanchurian Candidate" the order goes heart, pentagram, question mark, journal, crescent, glasses, llama, ice bag, pine tree, shooting star.
    • On the zodiac Ford draws and the order on the cave painting in "Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back The Falls," the order goes crescent, question mark, ice bag, pine tree, glasses, llama, shooting star, pentagram, heart, six-fingered hand.
    • On the zodiac Dipper drew in Journal 3, the order goes crescent, question mark, ice bag, pine tree, six-fingered hand, llama, shooting star, pentagram, heart, glasses.
  • In this image from Dipper's and Mabel's Guide to Mystery and Nonstop Fun!, every symbol can be seen. (the stitched heart and llama are hard to see, but they're at the bottom of the page. Only the top half of the heart is visible.)
  • Despite some of the symbols being metaphoric (e.g. ice bag and glasses), all of them have been physically seen throughout the series.
  • The zodiac resembles the Manipura chakra, that is represented as a downward pointing triangle with ten petals.
    • It is said that meditating on Manipura will attain the power to save, change or destroy the world.
  • The symbols are repeatedly used by the characters:
    • The question mark was used by Soos as a weapon in Dreamscaperers, and as the basis of his "Questiony the Question Mark." It also seems to be the main symbol for the Mystery Shack, appearing on many of its merchandise as well as the weather vane and the Mystery Cart.
    • Mabel used several shooting star stickers for her scrapbook and her sticktionary. She also used a shooting star shape to tell Stan she drenched his slippers in milk, drew one on Stan's speech, and has one on her prison bubble. It appears on the "Weirdmageddon 2" end card.
    • The pine tree was mass produced and appears on the "Weirdmageddon 3" end card.
    • Robbie has had his hoodie for ages.
    • The pentagram is on the end card of "The Stanchurian Candidate" and most merchandise Gideon makes.
    • The ice bag is seen in most romantic moments involving Wendy.
    • The crescent is used on the Royal Order of the Holy Mackerel logo.
    • The llama was foreshadowed by Wax Larry King. There was also a llama painting in the Northwest Mansion.
    • The cracked glasses technically belong to Ford. McGucket did have cracked glasses before he went insane.
    • The six fingered hand is on each journal, and Ford has his own six fingered gloves.

Gallery

Click here to view the image gallery for The Bill Cipher Zodiac.
Click here to view this page's gallery.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back The Falls." Shion Takeuchi, Mark Rizzo, Jeff Rowe, Josh Weinstein, Alex Hirsch (writers) & Stephen Sandoval (director). Gravity Falls. Disney XD. February 15, 2016. No. 20-21, season 2.
  2. Gravity Falls: Journal 3 by Disney Book Group. July 26, 2016. Published by Disney Press. Page(s) The Zodiac. ISBN: 978-1484746691.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Dreamscaperers." Matt Chapman, Tim McKeon, Alex Hirsch (writers) & John Aoshima, Joe Pitt (directors). Gravity Falls. Disney Channel. July 12, 2013. No. 19, season 1.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Braly, Matt (July 31, 2015). Tweet Number 627339203840323585. Retrieved on August 2, 2015.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 ""Old Man" McGucket's Conspiracy Corner Marathon" ("The Ice Man")
  6. "Weirdmageddon 2: Escape From Reality." Jeff Rowe & Alex Hirsch (writers) & Matt Braly (director). Gravity Falls. Disney XD. November 26, 2015. No. 19, season 2.
  7. "The Last Mabelcorn." Alex Hirsch (writer) & Matt Braly (director). Gravity Falls. Disney XD. September 7, 2015. No. 15, season 2.
  8. Alex Hirsch on the Origins of The Zodiac. YouTube. That GF FAN (August 24, 2020).
  9. "Tourist Trapped." Alex Hirsch (writer) & John Aoshima (director). Gravity Falls. Disney Channel. June 15, 2012. No. 1, season 1.
  10. "Scary-oke." Matt Chapman, Jeff Rowe, Alex Hirsch (writers) & Rob Renzetti (director). Gravity Falls. Disney Channel. August 1, 2014. No. 1, season 2.
  11. "Soos and the Real Girl." Mark Rizzo, Alex Hirsch (writers) & Matt Braly (director). Gravity Falls. Disney XD. September 22, 2014. No. 5, season 2.
  12. "Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons." Matt Chapman, Josh Weinstein, Alex Hirsch (writers) & Stephen Sandoval (director). Gravity Falls. Disney XD. August 3, 2015. No. 13, season 2.

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V - E - H - D Objects within Gravity Falls
Books 1001 Yuk 'Em Ups | Anomalous Phenomena | Dr. Crackpot's Book of the Damned | Dungeons, Dungeons, & More Dungeons: Rules Vol. 1 | How To DJ R-R-R-R-ight | Journal #1 | Journal #2 | Journal #3 | Journal #4 | Lil' Stanley | Pick-up Lines | Pine Tree Journal | Ready Baby? | Sticktionary | Succeeding In Management 1983 | The Plot Twist | The Sibling Brothers | Whinny, Pray, Trot | Why Am I Sweaty? | Wolfman Bare Chest
Periodicals Afficionado Afficionado Magazine | Avoid Eye Contact Monthly | Cap'n Brain-Teasers' Fun Maze | Cool Dudes | Crone Alone Magazine | Indie Fuzz | Fully Clothed Women | Gold Chains For Old Men Magazine | Gravity Falls Gossiper | Lady Swimwear | Moneybags Magazine | Stoic Monthly | USA Newz | Wacky News
TV and film Baby Fights | Believe in Yourself | Boyz World | Cash Wheel | Dream Boy High | The Duchess Approves | Duck-tective | Ghost Harassers | Grandpa the Kid | Gravity Falls Public Access TV | Ker-Prank'd | Li'l Gideon's Big House! | Mabel's rom-coms | Nearly Almost Dead But Not Quite! | Pony Heist | Teenz Talk | The Fear Guy from Terror Town Street | The Voyages of Loinclothiclese | Tiger Fist | Why You Ackin' So Cray-Cray? | World's Most Terrifying Skydiving
Food Baron Num Nums High Flyin' Beans | The Brown Meat | Burrito Bites | Cheese Boodles | Chipackerz | Chips | Cookie Chips | Corncornos | Gummy Koalas | Hippie Tea | Infinite pizza slice | Loser candy | Mabel juice | Nyumalums | Nyums | Overly Sensitive Owl | Pitt Cola | Real Man Jerky | Smez | Smile Dip | Toffee Peanuts | Tubby Tusk Root Beer
Vehicles Government vehicle | Love God's van | Mystery Cart | Nightmare Head | Northwest family's car | Pool Mobile | Roadkill County Sheriff's Car | Robbie's van | Rocket cart | S.S. Cool Dude | Soos' pick-up truck | Speedy Beaver | Stanmobile | Stanowar | Stan's RV | Thompson's mini-van
Contests, games and toys Bat-eries | Bear-O | Bicepticus | Cackling skulls | Calling All Boys: Preteen Edition | Cash Scratch Fever | Conflict Boat | Dancy Pants Revolution | Dr. Punch Head, M.D. | Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons | Fight Fighters | Fighty Hogg | First Person Puncher | Globnar | Manliness Tester | Monster-Mon | NORT | Nyarf | Romance Academy 7 | Stañatas | Stuffed creature of indeterminate species | What Could Go Wrong?: The Game | What-the-heck-ahedron
Electronics and machines Beeblyboop | Dipper's black light | Gideon-bot | Gobblewonker robot | Goldie | Hoo-Ha's Jamboree | Hoo-Ha the Owl | Lefty robot | Quantum destabilizer | Laptop | Magnet guns | Memory Gun | Meow o'clock | Mind control ties | Project Mentem | Security droids | Shacktron | Shred Pal | Smarticle Accelerator | Stan Vac | Tapeman | Will E. Badger
Supernatural Bill's Throne | Cloning copy machine | Cursed Doors | Electron Carpet | Fairy dust | Height-altering crystals | Infinity sided die | Interdimensional rift | Adhesive | Love potions | Mailbox | Mystic Amulet | Percepshrooms | Shmerulean | Time wish | Truth Telling Teeth | Tumbleweed Terror | Universe portal | Voice-altering tonic | Zodiac
Governmental Laws of Gravity Falls | Negative Twelve Dollar Bill | Northwest Cover-up | President's Key
Future technology Camouflage suit | Laser arm cannons | Time tape
Groups and organizations BABBA | Blind Eye Society | Gravity Falls Police Department | Love Patrol Alpha | Scarves Indoors | Time Anomaly Removal Crew | Time Paradox Avoidance Enforcement Squadron | Robbie V. and the Tombstones | The Royal Order of the Holy Mackerel | Winninghouse Coupon Savers | Wood Grain on Everything
Mystery Shack Dipper's hat | Dodo | Free sample potion | Mabel's grappling hook | Mystery Shack deed | Mystery Shack items | Smoke bomb | Stan Bucks | Vending machine | Wax Stan
Miscellaneous Blendin's letter | Explosion muffin | Granny Sweetkin's Yarnball | Huggy Wuvvy Tummy Bundle | Human-sized hamster balls | Jack-o'-melons | Mabel's sweaters | May May and the Hogg A.M. | Memory tube | Owl Trowel | Dipper's Swiss Army knife
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