Clavem in Tenebris

  (Filed under: Reader Puzzle — Latin, Mirrors, Bad Ideas)


I found this card tucked behind a church mirror. Six lines in careful Latin, and a strip of otherwise unhelpful ciphertext on the back. If you can work out the clavem (the key), the back will tell you where to look next.

The Card (front)

I.  Caelum murmurans ad oculos inclinatur.

II. Lumen in speculo bis non sufficit.

III. Astra meminerunt — horae, peccata, et nos.

IV. Vetus horologium non amat noctem.

V.  Eunt umbrae ubi mens titubat.

VI. Murus audit; veritas tardius venit.


The Card (back)

Regula: "Ciceronis regula III."
Textus:
ORRN WKULFH EHKLQG WKH FORFN



How the puzzle works 

  1. Find the key:

    Take the first letter of each Latin line. (Yes, acrostics are older than demons.)

  2. Apply the rule:

    The back says “Ciceronis regula III.” That’s the old Caesar shift of 3 (the one Julius liked).

    • To decode, shift each letter back by 3 in the alphabet.

  3. Read the message:

    Decode the ciphertext line to reveal the instruction.

    Good Luck!

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