The
DK Foundation
September
Article 2000: Eclipses 2
(Read Part
One Here)
In
this article we are resuming our look at eclipses. From the comments and
reactions we received in response to last month’s article, we are aware
that this is not a favourite topic.
Eclipses
are still making many people very uneasy and this would seem as good a
reason as any for pressing on with our study! Fears and superstitions,
like those that surround eclipses, create no-go areas in the mind. A
spirituality which ducks round these no-go areas and will look not look at
them will not get anyone very far, given the amount of fear that is the
minds of most of us. Spirituality is about transformation not about things
going right and feeling good. Our best opportunities will be lost if our
spiritual framework cracks under the impact of adversity
Through
astrology we have the means to provide a context for eclipses and better
understand their function and how to cooperate with them. We have likened
the development of human consciousness as a
journey up the down staircase provided by nature. If there were no
down staircase, if there were no darkness, there would be no story.
The
timing of eclipses.
1.
Eclipses do not depart from the norm for lunations in that their effect
will be experienced during the course of
that lunar month.
 |
If
it is a solar eclipse then there will be a noticeable impact at the
full moon, whether the full
moon is another eclipse or not. |
 |
If
it is a
lunar eclipse, then its impact will be felt around the three
days of the full moon. |
These
occasions, however, will not exhaust the full potency of an eclipse which,
as shown below, will be released at other times.
2.
Owing to the impact of eclipses on the astral plane, the planet, Mars,
which rules the human astral body, has a very marked effect upon the
timing of eclipses. Mars will trigger an eclipse when it transits the
degree of the eclipse. (This includes making all the major aspects to that
degree). It
will also trigger an eclipse before it has actually formed if,
during the course of that lunar month, it transits the degree on which the
eclipse will occur. This is because it is of the nature of Mars to be, as
it were, in advance of itself.
3.
The climax of an eclipse may occur outside the lunar month, sometimes many
months after the formation of the eclipse. This has to be calculated as
follows:
 |
ascertain
from an ephemeris the exact time of the eclipse ( removing daylight
savings but using true local times rather than standard time).
Convert this into local sidereal time (LST) and establish in which
quadrant of the heavens the eclipse falls ( remembering that when
looking at the heavens from earth, the four points are reversed). |
South/local
meridian
|
|
|
|
East
/local
horizon-----O-------------------
West
|
|
|
|
North
 |
establish
the rising time of the luminary which was the last to clear the
local horizon. This is satisfactorily achieved by referring to the
table of houses for the locality and finding out the local sidereal
time when the degree held by that planet is on the ascendant. If the
later rising luminary is the moon then take into account the speed
at which the moon moves (aprox. 30 arc minutes per hour). |
 |
Establish
the amount of time separating the rising of the later luminary from
the exact time of the eclipse and convert this into weeks and months
by making 24 hours equal one year. |
Time
Equivalents in Astrology:
24
hours = 1 year
2
hours = 1 month
30 minutes = 1 week
4
minutes = 1 day
n.b.
true local time expresses
the longitudinal distance from 0 degrees 00 minutes is and makes no
concession to any kind of standardisation procedure (which includes local
meantime). It is arrived at by multiplying the longitude of
a given place by 4 to find the time difference in minutes and
seconds
e.g.
New York 73 degrees West 57 minutes:
EST
puts New York 5 hours behind 0 degrees 00 minutes.
True
local time = 73 degrees 57 minutes
x 4
=
295 mins 48 secs
=
4 hrs 55 mins 48 secs
=
4 hrs 56 mins
The
difference between true local time and EST = 4 mins.
Example
A.
Solar Eclipse: Leo 8 degrees / 31st July 2000 02:25 GMT
Establish
the timing of the climax in:
1.
London ( 51 degrees 32 north / 0 degrees
00)
The
eclipse occurs in the NE quadrant at 02: 25 which in LST is 23 hr 02 mins.
The
last luminary to rise was sun in Leo 7 degrees on 30th July 2000
When
Leo 7 degree is on the local horizon (ascendant)
at 51 degrees 32 minutes the LST is 1hr 0 minutes.
Therefore,
the time elapsed between the last rising and the eclipse is
22 hr 02 minutes (23 hr 02 mins -1 hr 00 mins).
Convert
the time elapsed into minutes, and then divided by 4 to convert into the
day equivalent.
23
x 60 + 2 =
1322
4
=330
days
=
25th June 2001
2.
New York (40 degrees N 43 minutes / 73 degrees W 57 minutes))
Local
timing of eclipse: 30th July 2000 21: 25 EST
 |
true
local time = 21: 29 or LST 18 hr 03 minutes ( NW quadrant) |
Last
luminary to rise = sun in Leo 7 degrees when LST = 1 hr 32 mins.
Time
elapsed between last rising and eclipse = 16 hr 31 mins (18 hr 03 mins - 1
hr 32 mins).
Convert
to minutes and divide by 4:
16
x 60 + 31=
961
4
=240
days
=26th
March 2001
3.
Perth (31 degrees South 57 minutes / 115 East 51 minutes)
Local
timing of eclipse: 31st July 2000 10: 25 local standard time
 |
true
local time = 10 : 08 or LST 6 hr 44 mins ( SE quadrant) |
Last
luminary to rise = sun, with Leo 8 degrees when LST= 3 hr 28 mins
Time
elapsed between last rising and eclipse = 3 hr 16 mins (6 hr 44 mins - 3hr
16 mins)
Convert
to minutes and divide by 4:
3
x 60 + 16 =
196
4
=
49 days
=
18th September 2000
B.
Lunar Eclipse: Capricorn 25
degrees 16.7.00 at 13:55 GMT
1.
London ( 51 degrees North 32 minutes / 0 degrees 00 minutes)
Eclipse
occurs with the moon in SW quadrant ( sun therefore is NE) when LST = 9
hrs 34 mins Last luminary to rise is the sun, with Cancer 24 degrees when
LST = 23 hrs 49 mins
Time
elapsed betwen last rising and eclipse = 9 hrs 24 mins ( 33 hrs 34 mins -
23 hrs 49 mins).
Convert
to minutes and divide by 4:
9
x 60 + 24 =
564
4
141
days
=
8th December 2000
2.
New York (40 degrees North 43 minutes / 73 degrees West 57 minutes)
Local
timing of eclipse 16th July 2000 08: 55 EST
 |
true
local time = 08:59 or LST
4 hrs 38 mins (moon in SW quadrant, sun in NE) |
Last
rising luminary is sun, with 24 degrees of Cancer when LST = 0 hrs 28 mins
Time
elapsed between last rising and eclipse = 4 hrs 10 mins ( 4 hrs 38 mins -
0 hrs 28 mins).
Convert
into minutes and divide by 4:
4
x 60 + 10 =
250
4
=63
days
=
16th September 2000
3.
Perth (31 degrees South 57 minutes / 115 East 51 minutes)
Local
timing of eclipse 16th July 2000
21:55 local standard time
 |
true
local time is 21:38 or LST: 17 hrs 16 mins ( moon NE quadrant; sun
in SW) |
Last
rising luminary is the moon, with 22 degrees Capricorn* when the LST = 12
hrs 40 mins.
Time
elapsed between last rising and the eclipse = 4 hrs 36 mins.
Convert
into minutes and divide by 4:
4
x 60 + 36 =
276
4
=
69 days
=
23rd September 2000
*
if
this calculation is done by simple proportional arithmetic then it will
lack total
precision because the degree on the ascendant and the moon itself
are both moving points. This method, however, will enable the calculation
to give a final result which is accurate within 24 hours, which serves the
purposes of this exercise. |