The Mystery of the Full Moon Eclipse: How Precession Affects Astrology

Recently, readers have been questioning the discrepancy they've seen in news about the recent full moon eclipse in Taurus, where their astronomy app on a phone pointed at the moon showed it as being clearly in the middle of Pisces, not Taurus. This confusion arises from the complex interplay between astronomy and astrology, particularly the effect of precession over the past two millennia.

Understanding Precession

Precession is a collective term referring to the perceived motion of the constellations in the sky as a result of the Earth's axis gradually shifting over time. This shifting, known as precession of the equinoxes, causes the positions of the constellations to shift relative to the celestial equator and the ecliptic.

This phenomenon significantly impacts astrology, which is based on ancient constellations positioned relative to the Earth's axis at a specific point in history. Astrology hasn't adjusted its star charts to account for this gradual movement, leading to a misalignment between modern astronomy and traditional astrological practices.

Zodiac Signs and Constellations

Each of the 12 zodiac signs in astrology is traditionally associated with a 30-degree slice of the ecliptic, starting with Aries. This slice is meant to align with the constellations, yet due to precession, the actual constellations no longer correspond precisely with the zodiac signs.

The first point of Aries, a critical reference point in astrology, has slowly moved through the constellation Pisces over the past 2000 years. Today, the astrological Pisces sign overlaps significantly with the modern constellation of Aquarius. Consequently, the "Age of Aquarius" has started, marking a shift in the astrological cycle.

Recent Full Moon Eclipse and Precession

Now, let's address the specific situation with the recent full moon eclipse. According to astronomical observations, the moon was observed in the middle of the constellation Pisces. This raises the question of how it could possibly be in Taurus, another zodiac sign.

Astronomy and astrology differ in their definitions and boundaries. The continued placement of Taurus as the next sign after Aries in the zodiacal sequence means that for a full moon eclipse to be considered in Taurus, the Sun and Moon would need to be within the predefined boundaries of the astrological Taurus sign.

However, for the recent eclipse, the Sun was not near Pisces and the moon was at its maximum in Aries. This suggests that the eclipse occurred near the edge of Pisces, overlapping slightly with Aries. The confusion might stem from an interpretation of an extreme point of the eclipse, which lies near the boundary.

Hence, while it's theoretically possible for the eclipse to overlap with astrological Taurus, this would be an edge case and not the main focus of the event. The primary placement for the eclipse remains in Aries, aligning more closely with the observed astronomical data.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the discrepancy between the observed full moon eclipse and the apparent zodiac position is due to the complex relationship between astronomy and astrology, particularly the long-term effects of precession. While modern astronomy uses updated celestial coordinates, astrology remains rooted in historical constellations, leading to occasional mismatches.

For accuracy in understanding celestial events, it's important to differentiate between the traditional astrological signs and the modern constellations as observed in the night sky.