These thoughts and feelings I have had over the years, prompted me to learn as much as I could about who we are, where we come from and are we really alone in this vast plane of planets?
I first started out in my studies with Astrology, and from there it grew to other interests, which prompted me to learn about ancient civilizations. Upon reading ancient texts from the Sumerians and Egyptians, I have come to have a new understanding of how we became who we are today. I have read many books, but I must say my favorite author is Zecharia Sitchin, who has written many books on the Sumerians and Egyptians as well as other civilizations. Since this is more of an in-depth topic of conversation, I have placed many of his works and others on my message boards, and if you are interested in reading a little more about this, then by all means please go and visit the site, and see what you think about it.
Anyhow I had decided to place a little information on my site here with regards to the Moon, because for those of us who read the Tarot know that the Moon appears on many of the cards, and a lot of the time the cards will indicate a time with the Moons phases. Below you can find a little Moon history and facts about the Moon. I also have placed a chart of when you can see the Moon phases for the remainder of the year to come. I hope you enjoy this section and any questions please feel free to Email me, or place it on my message board.
The Moon has long been known since prehistoric times. It is the second brightest object in the sky after the Sun. The Moon has been called Luna by the Romans, Selene and Artemis by the Greeks, Kingu by the Sumerians, and many other names in other mythologies.
As the Moon orbits around the Earth once per month, the angle between the Earth, the Moon and the Sun changes; we see this as the cycle of the Moon's phases. The Moon has a 29.5 day cycle (709 hours), during which it goes through four major phases: new moon, first quarter moon, full moon, and last quarter moon.
In each of these phases, the shape of the moon that is visible to us is affected by the moon's angle to the sun. The moon grows in light at the new moon until it becomes a full moon. Then the moon decreases in light until it becomes the next new moon. The moon travels about one degree every two hours. As it moves through its phases, it also moves through the signs, spending about two and a half days in each sign
The gravitational forces between the Earth and the Moon cause some interesting effects. The most obvious is the tides. The Moon's gravitational attraction is stronger on the side of the Earth nearest to the Moon and weaker on the opposite side. Since the Earth, and particularly the oceans, is not perfectly rigid it is stretched out along the line toward the Moon. From our perspective on the Earth's surface we see two small bulges, one in the direction of the Moon and one directly opposite. The effect is much stronger in the ocean water than in the solid crust so the water bulges are higher. And because the Earth rotates much faster than the Moon moves in its orbit, the bulges move around the Earth about once a day giving two high tides per day.
The Earth's rotation carries the Earth's bulges slightly ahead of the point directly beneath the Moon. This means that the force between the Earth and the Moon is not exactly along the line between their centers producing a torque on the Earth and an accelerating force on the Moon. The Moon is locked in phase with its orbit so that the same side is always facing toward the Earth
The Moon has no atmosphere. But evidence from Clementine suggested that there might be water ice in some deep craters near the Moon's south pole, which are permanently shaded.
From any location on the Earth, the Moon appears to be a circular disk, which, at any specific time, is illuminated to some degree by direct sunlight. Like the Earth, the Moon is a sphere which is always half illuminated by the Sun, but as the Moon orbits the Earth we get to see more or less of the illuminated half. During each lunar orbit (a lunar month), we see the Moon's appearance change from not visibly illuminated through partially illuminated to fully illuminated, then back through partially illuminated to not illuminated again. Although this cycle is a continuous process, there are eight distinct, traditionally recognized stages, called phases. The phases designate both the degree to which the Moon is illuminated and the geometric appearance of the illuminated part. These phases of the Moon, in the sequence of their occurrence (starting from New Moon), are listed below.
Because the cycle of the phases is shorter than most calendar months, the phase of the Moon at the very beginning of the month usually repeats at the very end of the month.
Although Full Moons occur each month at a specific date and time, the Moon's disk may appear to be full for several nights in a row if it is clear. This is because the percentage of the Moon's disk that appears illuminated changes very slowly around the time of Full Moon (also around New Moon, but the Moon is not visible at all then). The Moon may appear 100% illuminated only on the night closest to the time of exact Full Moon, but on the night before and night after will appear 97-99% illuminated; most people would not notice the difference. Even two days from Full Moon the Moon's disk is 93-97% illuminated.
When there are two Full Moons in a month (which occurs, on average, every 2.7 years), the second one is called a "Blue Moon" (See the article "Once in a Blue Moon" for more information on Blue Moons).
New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, and Last Quarter phases are considered to be primary phases and their dates and times are published in almanacs and on calendars. The two crescent and two gibbous phases are intermediate phases, each of which lasts for about a week between the primary phases, during which time the exact fraction of the Moon's disk that is illuminated gradually changes.
The phases of the Moon are related to (actually, caused by) the relative positions of the Moon and Sun in the sky. For example, New Moon occurs when the Sun and Moon are quite close together in the sky. Full Moon occurs when the Sun and Moon are at nearly opposite positions in the sky - which is why a Full Moon rises about the time of sunset, and sets about the time of sunrise, for most places on Earth.
First and Last Quarters occur when the Sun and Moon are about 90 degrees apart in the sky. In fact, the two "half Moon" phases are called First Quarter and Last Quarter because they occur when the Moon is, respectively, one- and three-quarters of the way around the sky from New Moon.
The relationship of the Moon's phase to its angular distance in the sky from the Sun allows us to establish very exact definitions of when the primary phases occur, independent of how they appear. Technically, the phases New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, and Last Quarter are defined to occur when the excess of the apparent ecliptic (celestial) longitude of the Moon over that of the Sun are 0, 90, 180, and 270 degrees, respectively. These definitions are used when the dates and times of the phases are computed for almanacs, calendars, etc. Because the difference between the ecliptic longitudes of the Moon and Sun is a monotonically and rapidly increasing quantity, the dates and times of the phases of the Moon computed this way are instantaneous and well defined.
The percent of the Moon's surface illuminated is a more refined, quantitative description of the Moon's appearance than is the phase. Considering the Moon as a circular disk, the ratio of the area illuminated by direct sunlight to its total area is the fraction of the Moon's surface illuminated; multiplied by 100, it is the percent illuminated.
At New Moon the percent illuminated is 0; at First and Last Quarters it is 50%; and at Full Moon it is 100%. During the crescent phases the percent illuminated is between 0 and 50% and during gibbous phases it is between 50% and 100%.
For practical purposes, phases of the Moon and the percent of the Moon illuminated are independent of the location on the Earth from where the Moon is observed. That is, all the phases occur at the same time regardless of the observer's position.
During the course of a day the Earth rotates once on its axis causing the phenomena of rising and setting. All celestial bodies, stars and planets included, seem to appear in the sky at the horizon to the East of any particular place, then to cross the sky and again disappear at the horizon to the West. The most noticeable of these events, and the most significant in regard to ordinary affairs, are the rising and setting of the Sun and Moon. Because the Sun and Moon appear as circular disks and not as points of light, a definition of rise or set must be very specific, for not all of either body is seen to rise or set at once.
Moonrise and moonset times are computed for exactly the same circumstances as for sunrise and sunset. However, moonrise and moonset may occur at any time during a 24 hour period and, consequently, it is often possible for the Moon to be seen during daylight, and to have moonless nights. It is also possible that a moonrise or moonset does not occur relative to a specific place on a given date.
The times of rise and set phenomena cannot be precisely computed, because, in practice, the actual times depend on unpredictable atmospheric conditions that affect the amount of refraction at the horizon, even under ideal conditions (e.g., a clear sky at sea) the times computed for rise or set may be in error by a minute or more. Local topography (e.g., mountains on the horizon) and the height of the observer can affect the times of rise or set even more.
The accuracy of rises and set computations decreases at high latitudes. There, small variations in atmospheric refraction can change the time of rise or set by many minutes, since the Sun and Moon intersect the horizon at a very shallow angle. For the same reason, at high latitudes, the effects of observer height and local topography are magnified and can substantially change the times of the phenomena actually observed, or even whether the phenomena are observed to occur at all.
There are three kinds of twilight defined: civil twilight, nautical twilight, and astronomical twilight.
Twilight: Before sunrise and again after sunset there are intervals of time, twilight, during which there is natural light provided by the upper atmosphere, which does receive direct sunlight and reflects part of it toward the Earth's surface. The major determinants of the amount of natural light during twilight are the state of the atmosphere generally and local weather conditions in particular. Atmospheric conditions are best determined at the actual time and place of events.
Civil twilight is defined to begin in the morning, and to end in the evening when the center of the Sun is geometrically 6 degrees below the horizon. This is the limit at which twilight illumination is sufficient, under good weather conditions, for terrestrial objects to be clearly distinguished; at the beginning of morning civil twilight, or end of evening civil twilight, the horizon is clearly defined and the brightest stars are visible under good atmospheric conditions in the absence of moonlight or other illumination.
Nautical twilight is defined to begin in the morning, and to end in the evening, when the center of the sun is geometrically 12 degrees below the horizon. At the beginning or end of nautical twilight, under good atmospheric conditions and in the absence of other illumination, general outlines of ground objects may be distinguishable.
Astronomical twilight is defined to begin in the morning, and to end in the evening when the center of the Sun is geometrically 18 degrees below the horizon. Before the beginning of astronomical twilight in the morning and after the end of astronomical twilight in the evening the Sun does not contribute to sky illumination; for a considerable interval after the beginning of morning twilight and before the end of evening twilight, sky illumination is so faint that it is practically imperceptible.
The eclipse of the Moon has traditionally been viewed as a bad omen. Since the Moon governs domestic matters, the public and the emotional personality, rather than leadership, it tends to have a more personal effect. As a rule, women and family are generally more affected by the lunar cycle, whereas men and politics are signified by the solar.
According to Astrology the annular eclipse on May 26, 2002 occurs across the Gemini/Sagittarius axis. This will particularly affect people with mutable signs strong in their charts (the mutable signs are Gemini, Sagittarius, Pisces and Virgo).
Issues to do foreign affairs and dealing with those of another culture arise most strongly into the collective consciousness. We feel the need to impart information and opinions to others, either directly, or through writing and publishing and difficulties in communication may be expected. Propaganda and misleading information is likely to flood the media.
People want others to embrace their religious or philosophical beliefs, but tend to resist their efforts to impose ideas on them. The desire to pursue higher education or advanced training is stimulated, as is the urge to speculate, take risks and be more daring. People become more outgoing and assertive when traveling abroad, or dealing with those of a different race or culture. Responsibilities related to your father or other authority figures become a priority. Individualism is stimulated in the name of pursuing the greater good.
The following month, on June 24, 2002, another annular eclipse occurs across the Cancer/Capricorn axis. Public ambition is likely to submerge private feelings. A concern for tradition and structure is likely to see conflict between home life and the public arena. Bare in mind that the eclipses are like two sides of the same coin: the one affecting the personal life; the other the political. Where the eclipse falls in your own chart will determine how it affects you over the course of the period designated.
The eclipse of the Sun has also been traditionally viewed with dread over the ages, as the great giver of life seems inexplicably to disappear from the sky. Birds prepare for bed; the sky darkens in the middle of the day. It seems as though something dreadful is about to happen. In any case, old things come to an end (or are overthrown!) under a solar eclipse and a new beginning can be made.
Astrologically, solar eclipses signify the fall of the mighty (or at least, they're in big trouble!). Depending where in the zodiac the eclipse occurs, stress is always placed on the matters governed by that sign, or sector of the zodiac.
The annular eclipse on June 10, 2002 occurs in Gemini, the sign of the Twins. This will particularly affect people with mutable signs strong in their charts (the mutable signs are Gemini, Sagittarius, Pisces and Virgo).
Issues to do with communication, education and transportation arise most strongly into the collective consciousness. Intellectual priorities may be submerged by emotional responses. We feel the need to impart information and opinions to others, either directly, or through writing and publishing and difficulties in communication may be expected. Propaganda and misleading information is likely to flood the media.
In ancient times, priests and astrologers discovered how to predict eclipses, having realized their significance. Using observation and mathematics, they prepared reliable tables that have hardly been surpassed for accuracy until the recent advent of the computer. Modern astronomers have refined the art! For more on the science of eclipses, click here.
Every month the Moon travels in her orbit completely around the Earth. The new and full moons happen as the Sun aligns with the Moon, either in conjunction or opposition. These powerful periods are called lunations. Among other effects on the world, they generate the tides. When the Earth, Sun and Moon are all aligned, the shadow of the Earth at a full moon covers the face of the Moon, producing a Lunar Eclipse. When similarly aligned at a new moon, the body of the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, producing a Solar Eclipse by hiding the face of the Sun.
When lunations are also eclipses, their effect is even more powerful - although solar eclipses are more strongly felt than lunar eclipses. Eclipses usually occur in pairs, with either a lunar eclipse (full moon) heralding a solar eclipse (new moon), or vice versa about two weeks later. The energy of any lunation is always most strongly felt a day or so before the Moon reaches its exact alignment with the Sun.
Astrology shows that the stars and planets are a map to our personalities and a guide to our place in the world. It also explains how the world is regular and predictable (up to a point!). An astrological forecast will place these trends into a context, with regard to our own personal destinies.
Enlightened Astrology does not teach a fatalistic view of the world. Within the environment indicated by the stars, we have considerable freedom to move and make decisions, according to our character and circumstances.
The Summer Solstice is the time when the Sun turns in its tracks and begins its tropical journey south, towards the equator. This, the shortest night of the year, happens on the eve of the 22nd of June. This major calendrical event is the focus of religious and social festivities in all cultures. Midsummer is the central point of the magical year: traditional hilltop bonfires are lit to revive the power of the Sun; flaming disks are thrown into the air; blazing wheels are rolled downhill; leaping and dancing around and through the fire are ritual encouragements for maximizing the harvest. Magical powers are heightened and the little people are about. It is the ideal time for gathering magical herbs: pluck them before dawn, before breakfast, while the dew still wets the petals. Fern and fern-seed is gathered on Mid-Summer's eve, to harness the power of the Sun. Golden solar flowers such as St John's wort, mugwort and mistletoe, the golden bough, are worn as garlands.
The Winter Solstice is the time when the Sun once more begins its tropical journey north. This, the longest night of the year, happens on the eve of the 22nd of December. This major calendrical event is the focus of religious and social festivities in all cultures, not just the Christian celebration of Christmas. The birth of the Sun has been celebrated since time immemorial on or around the solstice, which is why the birth of Jesus is celebrated at this time.
NOTE: in southern latitudes, of course, the solstices are reversed, so that the mid-winter character of Christmas in the Northern Hemisphere becomes a hot mid-summer celebration in Australia, South Africa, South America, New Zealand and other places south of the equator. Naturally enough, the mid-summer celebrations in June become mid-winter chills down south!
The Vernal Equinox is the time when the Sun reaches the balancing point in its path through the zodiac. It marks the beginning of the new astrological year, as the Sun enters the first degree of Aries, the Ram. It happens on the eve of March 21. This major calendrical event is the focus of religious and social festivities in all cultures, not just the Christian celebration of Easter
The death of the old year and the rebirth of the new have been celebrated since time immemorial, on or around the spring equinox, which is why the death and resurrection of Jesus is celebrated at this time.
The Autumn, or Fall Equinox is the time when the Sun reaches the opposite balancing point in its path through the zodiac. It is the time of ripening and harvest, marked astrologically as the Sun enters the first degree of Libra, the Scales, on the eve of September 23. Saturn, the "grim reaper", is exalted in Libra. Ancient agricultural societies celebrated the harvest with festivals of one kind or another, usually marking them with sacrifices to ward off the evil spirits and spirits of the dying year. The burning of the Corn Dolly is associated with the death of the corn god, and the crossing of the border between long days of light and long nights of darkness.
The word equinox means "equal night" the duration of the day being equal to that of the night, an event which occurs but twice a year, the one marking the astrological beginning of spring and the other the ending of summer.
NOTE: in southern latitudes, of course, the equinoxes are reversed, so that the spring character of Easter in the Northern Hemisphere becomes an autumn celebration in Australia, South Africa, South America, New Zealand and other places south of the equator.
Whereas the sun represents the masculine - the moon - Luna - represents the feminine aspects of your personality. They work together in the physical and metaphorically to shape the patterns of our lives.
The Moon reflects the power of the inner light, channeling and molding it into the shape of your personality. While the Sun stands for the character, or ego-self, the Moon displays your nature in a way that can be grasped by the outer world. Ruling desire as opposed to self, or need as opposed to reason, she indicates your feelings about yourself; how you handle relationships and your emotional response to situations and experiences.
The Moon manages the flow of your daily functions: physical, emotional and mental. The Moon symbolizes your home base and domestic environment, representing babies and young children, your mother and other important women in your life. Your Moon sign represents your emotional and intuitive bodies.
Lunar cycles affect everything as if linked to us through a huge grid system. New and Full Moon can cause more active and aggressive behavior. Studies show an increase in metabolism and emotions during these moon phases.
Most of us know that the moon affects the tides. But it also affects all liquids on earth, including our bodily fluids. We tend to retain more water during a full moon and, because our skull is unable to expand when fluid pressure increases, the excess water is sometimes manifested in "full moon madness." In addition, one of our three primary biorhythmic cycles, our 29-day emotional cycle, is a based on the moon.
Lunar observations, occurring over thousands of years, have shown that the phases of the moon have a profound affect on our lives. Your lunar high occurs when the moon is in the same sign as your sun sign. This is when you feel your best, and it is a good time to start new projects. Your lunar low occurs when the moon is in the sign opposite your sun sign. This is when you may feel at your lowest, and it is best not to make decisions. In addition, you may run into obstacles in projects in which you are already involved.
Astrology.com
The Moon
Sky & Telescope News
NASA
The American Meteor Association
Virtual Reality Moon Phases
Note All times are in Eastern Standard Time
Last Quarter Moon ~ April 4th 10:29AM, Rises in Capricorn
New Moon ~ April 12th 2:21PM, Rises in Aries
First Quarter Moon ~ April 20th 7:48AM, Rises in Cancer
Full Moon ~ "Wind Moon" ~ April 26th 10:00PM, Rises in Libra
Last Quarter Moon ~ May 4th 2:16AM, Rises in Aquarius
New Moon ~ May 12th 5:45AM, Rises in Taurus
First Quarter Moon ~ May 19th 2:42PM, Rises in Leo
Full Moon ~ "Flower Moon" ~ May 26th 6:51AM, Rises in Sagittarius
Last Quarter Moon ~ June 2nd 7:05PM, Rises in Pisces
New Moon ~ June 10th 6:46PM, Rises in Gemini
First Quarter Moon ~ June 17th 7:29PM, Rises in Virgo
Full Moon ~ "Mead Moon" ~June 24th 4:42 PM, Rises in Sagittarius
Last Quarter Moon ~ July 2nd 12:19PM, Rises in Aries
New Moon ~ July 10th 5:26 AM, Rises in Cancer
First Quarter Moon ~ July 16th 11:47PM, Rises in Libra
Full Moon ~ "Thunder Moon" ~ July 24th 4:07AM, Rises in Capricorn
Last Quarter Moon ~ August 1st 5:22AM, Rises in Taurus
New Moon ~ August 8th 2:15PM, Rises in Leo
First Quarter Moon ~ August 15th 5:12AM, Rises in Scorpio
Full Moon ~ "Corn Moon" ~ August 22nd 5:29 PM, Rises in Aquarius
Last Quarter Moon ~ August 30th 9:31PM, Rises in Taurus
New Moon ~ September 6th 10:10PM, Rises in Virgo
First Quarter Moon ~ September 13th 1:08PM, Rises in Sagittarius
Full Moon ~ "Harvest Moon" ~ September 21st 8:59AM, Rises in Pisces
Last Quarter Moon ~ September 29th 12:03PM, Rises in Gemini
New Moon ~ October 6th 6:18AM, Rises in Libra
First Quarter Moon ~ October 13th 12:33AM, Rises in Capricorn
Full Moon ~ "Blood Moon" ~October 21st 2:20AM, Rises in Aries
Last Quarter Moon ~ October 29th 12:28AM, Rises in Leo
New Moon ~ November 4th 3:34PM, Rises in Scorpio
First Quarter Moon ~ November 11th 3:52PM, Rises in Aquarius
Full Moon ~ "Mourning Moon" ~ November 19th 8:34PM, Rises in Taurus
Last Quarter Moon ~ November 27th 10:46AM, Rises in Leo
New Moon ~ December 4th 2:34AM, Rises in Sagittarius
First Quarter Moon ~ December 11th 10:49AM, Rises in Pisces
Full Moon ~ "Long Nights Moon" ~December 19th 2:10PM, Rises in Gemini
Last Quarter Moon ~ December 26th 7:31PM, Rises in Virgo
Notes: There are no Blue Moons or Black Moons in 2002.
The Blue Moon
A Blue Moon occurs when the moon with its 28 day cycle appears twice within the same calendar month, due to that month's 31 day duration. Many consider the Blue Moon to be a goal moon where you set specific goals for yourself.
The Black Moon
A Black Moon occurs when there are two dark cycles of the moon in any given calendar month. It is believed that the second dark moon of a time of great power within the spiritual world and any magick worked during this time is especially powerful.
Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ~ May 26th ~ Begins at 10:13 Universal Time and ends at
13:54 Universal Time
Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ~ June 24th ~ Begins at 20:19 Universal Time and ends at
22:36 Universal Time
Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ~ November 20th ~ Begins at 23:32 Universal Time and ends
at 04:01 Universal Time
Solar Eclipse for 2002
Annular Solar Eclipse ~ June 10th ~ Begins at 20:53 Universal Time and ends at 22:10
Universal Time
Total Solar Eclipse ~ December 4th ~ Begins at 05:50 Universal Time and ends at 05:57
Universal Time
If you wish to view more details about the eclipses follow this LINK, here it will show you when and where you will be able to view the eclipse.
