eclipse limit, a solar eclipse may occur; within 15° 21', the minor solar eclipse unit, a solar
eclipse will occur; within 11° 15', the major central solar ecliptic limit, a total or annular eclipse
may occur; within 9° 55', the minor central solar ecliptic limit, a total or annular eclipse will
occur. When an opposition of Sun and Moon occurs near either node the major lunar ecliptic
limit is 12° 15' and the minor 9° 30'; the major total lunar ecliptic limit is 3° 45' and the minor 6°
0'.
The series of Metonic returns bear no relationship to the Saros series. Meton's cycle of 19-year
intervals consists of an eclipse in approximately the same degree of the zodiac on the same date
19 years later. Approximately 23% of Solar eclipses have no Metonic returns; 38% have 1
return; 19%, 2 returns; 13%, 3 returns; and 7%, 4 returns. A Metonic return may be of a different
phase and nature, and belong to a different Saros series. A Solar Eclipse begins as partial at one
or the other poles, and increases in strength as it moves toward the Equator - finally fading away
into outer space beyond the opposite pole. Thus an eclipse may be said to have a "birth" and a
"death," with a life span of from 865 to 1252 years, or from 48 to 70 appearances.
Looking back to the "birth," or beginning partial (BP) of any series, you can, in delineating its
recurring effects, take into consideration the Sign in which it first appeared, and the Ruler of the
Sign.
The Solar Eclipse of June 8, 1937 in Gemini 18°, Saros series 11, which lasted for 7m 13s, was
of longer duration than any in the last 1,200 years; although those of 1955 and 1973 were to be
almost as long. That on July 20, 1963 at 0° 28°, Saros series 1, was to be one of the shortest,
lasting 65s.
The Saros Cycle of 223 Lunar months was discovered by the Chaldeans. This is 18y 11d 8h,
where 4 leap years are contained; otherwise, if 5 intervene, it is one day shorter; or if 3, one day
longer. The series consists of 70 eclipses: 41 Solar, and 29 Lunar.
The Penumbral Eclipses. The Saros cycle is generally stated by astronomers to consist of 29
Solar eclipses in 1260y and 41 Lunar eclipses in 865y, making a total of 70 eclipses, on an
average, for one complete series. However, each series of Lunar eclipses is both preceded and
followed by about 10 periods of Penumbral eclipses, of some 180y duration. Since the Solar
eclipse limit is much wider than that of the Lunar, a Lunar eclipse in the penumbra has an
importance, astrologically, about equal to that of the Partial Solar eclipse, in that it embodies
both the gravitational effect of a parallel, and the interference with normal radiation, that
characterize all eclipses. An eclipse in the penumbra is generally termed an Appulse, in that the
rim of the Moon just touches the Earth's shadow, while the body of the Moon receives the light
of the Sun from only one side of the Earth, which during a portion of the time shuts off the light
of part of the Sun's disc. By way of illustration, note Saros cycle 4, Lunar eclipse at the North
Node: the last Lunar partial eclipse of the series (EP), October 7, 1930, 14° Aries, was to be
followed by Penumbral eclipses in 1948, 1966 and 1984. In Saros series 11 is a continuing series
at the South Node that follows an eclipse cycle which ended prior to 1800: also in this series the
Total Solar eclipse of June 20, 1955 is so close to the node that there is a penumbral eclipse both
before and after it. Therefore when making note of the position of a Solar eclipse in any map it is
advisable also to note as temporarily sensitized degrees, the Moon's opposition points to the Sun
14 days earlier and later, and check on their strength by reference to the tables of eclipses and
the chronological list of Appulses for the years 1871 to 1959. Even if it is on neither list, it