Soller, Nancy. “Weather Watching with an Ephemeris.” In The Astrology of the Macrocosm.
Edited by Joan McEvers. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1990.METONICCYCLE
The ancient Greek Meton discovered that the Moon has a cycle of 19 years, after
which a new moon occurs on the same day of the year.MICHELSEN, NEILFRANKLIN
Neil Franklin Michelsen, born May 11, 1931, in Chicago, was the founder and inspi-
ration behind Astro Computing Services (ACS) and ACS Publications. He was a
well-known figure in the astrological community for his contributions to contempo-
rary astrology. He was a generous person who gave money, computer time, personal
time, technical expertise, and encouragement to many different astrologers, holistic
healers, and practitioners of occult arts.
Michelsen graduated magna cum laude from the University of Miami and for
17 years was a systems engineer for IBM. He founded Astro Computing Services in- ACS grew from a one-man business run out of Michelsen’s home in Pelham,
New York, to the current San Diego corporation staffed by almost two dozen people.
A creative individual with solid programming skills, Michelsen became one of the
greatest of contemporary astrological technicians. His work in the form of continually
refined ephemeredes and books of tables was the standard of accuracy by which other
astrological calculations were judged. He has written or contributed to more than 20
reference books, including The American Ephemeris(1901–1930, then every decade up
to the year 2000); The American Sidereal Ephemeris, 1976–2000; The American Helio-
centric Ephemeris, 1901–2000; Uranian Transneptune Ephemeris, 1850–2050; The
American Book of Tables; The Koch Book of Tables; The American Ephemeris for the 20th
Century 1900 to 2000, Midnight; The American Ephemeris for the 20th Century 1900 to
2000, Noon; The American Ephemeris for the 21st Century 2001 to 2050, Midnight; The
American Midpoint Ephemeris, 1986–1990; The Comet Halley Ephemeris 1901–1996;
Tables of Planetary Phenomena(July 1990); and, with Maria Kay Simms, Search for the
Christmas Star.
Michelsen was chairman of the National Council for Geocosmic Research
(NCGR), and through the NCGR he contributed to projects beneficial to the astro-
logical community. After his death on May 15, 1990, the NCGR set up the Neil F.
Michelsen Memorial Fund to continue such projects.
MIDHEAVEN
The midheaven is the most elevated degree of the zodiac in an astrological chart. In
most systems of house division, it is also the cusp (beginning) of the tenth house. Mid-
heaven is often used interchangeably with zenith, but this usage is inaccurate.Metonic Cycle
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