It may have been said before, but I haven't seen it....I got this from the twin peaks.org archive and thought it made pretty good sense.

"How long does it take for Jupiter and Saturn to align?
By my calculations: 20 - 25 years. (Coincidence?)

When will Coop see Laura again?
25 years.

When did W.E. get the boot from the Black Lodge project?
20-25 years ago.

Now, I think we have a cycle here. Every 20-25 years a good cop goes into
the Black Lodge and comes out as a bad guy. Happened with WE, happening with
CooP. Since WE was working on the BL before Coop met him, Coop will probably
get a partner soon after marrying Annie. Train the partner, have the partner
fall in love with Annie, kill annie ..."

Opinions?

It's a really interesting theory, but the only thing is that you sort of have to discount Bob's importance a little bit - for example, he didn't possess Earle, so did someone equally as evil and powerful who was never mentioned in the series? And did Earle go to the Black Lodge 25 years ago, or did he just learn about it? I got the impression that he'd been trying to find his way in for the preceding 25 years.

That said, who can tell with Twin Peaks?!

http://www.2000revue.com/community/topic.cfm?topicid=2701&page=2

In my opinion it does not make too much sense - if Windom had entered the Lodge 25 years ago, he would have known HOW to look for the Lodge, wouldn't he? He wouldn't have to wait for Coop to tell him about when, where and how the Lodge is opened? There were many other ways to get to know how to use the map (get somebody shot of drugs, give Cooper some clue that this is a map, etc.)

And the second thing - why would he, as possessed, needed to come back? Pure curiousity?

Thanks Rainbow, didn't know that was there...

Anna - if Jupiter and Saturn are only aligned once every 25 years, then Earle would still have had to wait, not for Cooper, but because he knows that this is the only time that the doors to the lodge are open, unless he is an inhabiting spirit like BOB or Mike, It is the only time BOB can come out except at night, etc, this has also been discussed before..

Also I think if some of you newer members read the Project Red Room at the top you will understand more about this there are lots of very good theories and discussions in there. :)

ooh! and I also don't think it was possible for anybody to give Cooper anymore clues that it was a map, because he didn't know and nor did he.  Earle was the only one who knew, and because he was Coopers enemy and already had access to the lodge, then it makes sense to me that why would he tell Coop how and when to get in, it would only foil his plans and Coop would probably beat him to the punch, he may not have managed to kidnap Annie, etc etc so there are loads of reasons for him not to do that.

When you think about it though, he did get plenty of clues in a way, the giant, the dwarf, the smell of the engine oil, etc etc,...so you would think he would recognise those symbols when he was examining the "puzzle" in the office.

Btw Gordon sorry I didn't answer your question in the other thread re this: I think Laura met James at 9.15 pm rather than 9.30, but doesn't Sara say 2she came home from Bobby's at/around 9", then when she goes upstairs, the phone rings, she says to James "I'll meet you in 15 minutes" then the bike pulls up, etc, so I'd assume it was 9.15..

About the map - that was not what I meant. Earle was waiting for Coop to solve the riddle becasue he did not know where the place was, right? He also seemed to lack the 'key'. If he had been there before, he would knew everything and he wouldn't need Cooper (except for opening the gates with his fear).

And was not Bob seen by Laura's mother in the daylight? Just like by Maddy in a patch on the carpet in the morning? 

I don't dig the theory, that's all. Perhaps I shouldn't voice any opinion, if I have a differen one.

If you can remember Lynch often says he does everything intuitively and I don't believe anyone could control such a huge piece of writing (not mentioning he did not write all of the scenario, he was only supervising). And did not Mr Lynch said that he was never ever after a story? He was never interested in plot really? It just comes to him, but the best part is how you tell it, it's about the mood.