Equinoctial Hours

1. So many equinoctial hours as the Sun is eclipsed, so many years the events thereby signified will continue; but in a Lunar eclipse, so many months.
2. The point in Lilly's interpretation sounds like this: 'For when the place Eclipsed, or Eclips it self, shall be in the Ascendant, the effects shall then begin in the 1, 2, 3, and 4 moneths next after appearance of the Eclips, but its greatest vigour, and most materiall accidents design'd from that Eclips, shall shew themselves in the first third part of time allotted to the universall Duration thereof. But if the place defective, of Eclips it self, be in the Midheaven, or neer it, the effects shall begin in the 5, 6, 7, and 8 months, taking place from the beginning of the Eclips, and shall operate most forcibly in the second division of time allotted to the whole continuance; but if the Eclips be in the Angle of the West, or seventh house, the first apparition of the effects shall be in the 9, 10, 11, and 12 last months after the Eclips, and the most vehement effects in the third Trient or part of time assigned for continuance of the Eclipsar effects.' (William Lilly Annus Tenebrosus or The Dark Year).

Ptolemy is the first to mention equinoctial hours. He and Lilly, among others, mention these hours in order to find how long the effects of an eclipse are likely to last. One hour = one year, with a maximum of three hours.
Equinoctial hours are equal hours (our usual civilian hours), and so we can obtain them correctly from our clocks without calculation.

There are two kinds of hour in astrology:

1. Equal or equinoctial
2. Seasonal, or artificial, or astronomical.

To get the length of one seasonal day (night) hour, we divide the length of a particular day (night) by twelve. The time from sunrise to sunset determines the length of the day. The time from sunset to sunrise determines the length of the night. These are the seasonal hours we use in horary, in magic, etc. The seasonal hours are of unequal length, and their length depends on the length of the day, i.e. it depends on the season.

Equinoctial hours are the seasonal hours on equinoctial days. At equinoctial days the lengths of day and night are equal, so there are twelve of our civilian hours (clock hours) from sunrise to sunset, and there are twelve of our civilian hours from sunset to sunrise. When we divide the length of equinoctial day (night) by twelve, we get one equinoctial day (night) hour, which is one of our civilian hours.

Lilly said in his Annus Tenebrosus or The Dark Year, 'You are to observe in every Region where the Eclips is visible, that so many hours as an Eclips of the Sun continues, so many years the effects or Events of Solar Defect shall continue, and so parts of hours, shall signife parts of the years proportionable to the minutes of the hour; but in an Eclips of the Moon, so many hours as she is defective or suffers an Eclips, so many moneths the Events thereby signified shall continue; As the Lunar Eclips 1649 continuing from the beginning to the end 3 hours and 33 minutes, the effects of it did operate three whole months and a half, and two days, &c. wherein you must observe, that in the Duration of all Eclipses, the length of the hour is according to the Equal 1 hour, or 60 minutes for one hour, and not the Artificall or Astronomicall hour, being more or lesse unequall by reason of the motion of the Sun. and length or shortness of the day.'

The duration of a Solar eclipse is the time between first penumbra contact and last penumbra contact. In a Lunar eclipse, because the penumbra is practically invisible, it is the time between first umbra contact and last umbra contact.

For example, the Solar eclipse in June 2002 will be visible in Los Angeles, California, USA. In Los Angeles the first penumbra contact will be at about 0:14 UT (11 June) and the last penumbra contact will be at about 2:24 UT, i.e. in Los Angeles the eclipse will last for about two hours and ten minutes; ergo, its effects will last for about two years and two months.

The question arises, which chart should we use for eclipses? There are two opinions on this in the astrological tradition:

1. For a Lunar eclipse, the chart for the full Moon: for a Solar eclipse, the chart for the new Moon. These are the charts Lilly uses in Annus Tenebrosus; they allow us to work with invisible eclipses.
2. The charts for the real eclipses, i.e. the charts for the middle time of real eclipse. As William Ramesey says in his Astrologia Restaurata or Astrology Restored, 'Wherefore in any Year if either or both the Luminaries are Eclipsed, or in any quarterly Revolution, see if the Lord of the Sign wherein the Eclipse is to fall, be strong or weak, or in Conjunction or any Configuration with the Lord of the Ascendent at the time of the middle of the eclipse (which you are to know is the time wherein you are to erect your scheme or figure of the heavens for the judging of the effects of any eclipse)...'.

In a case of Lunar eclipse these two times are practically the same (to be accurate, not quite the same; the difference could be as much as ten to fifteen minutes). A Lunar eclipse appears at the same time at all points on the earth's surface at which it is visible (those are the points at which the Moon is above the earth). But in Solar eclipses it is not so. In Solar eclipses these two times are the same (again, not quite the same; the difference could be up to about five minutes) only at one point on the earth's surface - the point of maximum eclipse. For example, in the Solar eclipse of June 2002 the point of maximum eclipse is 34N33 178W37. At that location, the first penumbra contact is 10 June 2002 at 22h07m UT and the last penumbra contact is at 11 June 2002 at 1h24m UT. i.e. the middle of the eclipse at that point is on 10 June 2002 at 23h46m UT, while the new Moon is on 10 June 2002 at 23h48m UT.

A Solar eclipse does not appear at the same time at every point on the earth at which it is visible. Rather, an eclipse shadow moves from west to east at a speed of about 36 kilometres per minute, with one degree of longitude corresponding to about 111 kilometres. So the real eclipse takes place at different times at different places.

For example, the line of the Solar eclipse in June of 2002 begins in Indonesia and ends in Mexico. The eclipse is visible in Tokyo, Japan, where the first penumbra contact is on 10 June 2002 at 21h42m UT and the last penumbra contact is on 10 June 2002 23h36m UT. In Tokyo the duration of the eclipse is 1h54m and the middle of eclipse is on 10 June 2002 at 22h39m UT. The eclipse is also visible in Los Angeles, USA, but there the first penumbra contact is on 11 June 2002 at 0h14m UT and the last penumbra contact is at 2h24m UT; in Los Angeles the duration of this eclipse is 2h10m and the middle of eclipse is on 11 June 2002 at 1h19m UT. So the times and durations of the eclipse in Tokyo and in Los Angeles are different.

Obviously, Ptolemy's method of timing can be used only with visible eclipses, as Ptolemy is talking about a real visible eclipse.

Let us take for an example the famous and legendary Solar eclipse of August 1999. It was visible in Afghanistan. In Kabul the first penumbra contact was on 11 August 1999 at 11h07m UT and the last penumbra contact was on 11 August 1999 at 13h13m; so in Kabul the duration of the eclipse was 2h06m and the middle of the eclipse was on 11 August 1999 at 12h10m UT.

This chart looks threatening enough. The eclipse is on the cusp of the eighth house, and is afflicted by squares from both malefics (Mars and Saturn) placed on the angles (10^th and 4^th). The eclipse is on the cusp of the 8^th house, so it is nearer to the West Point than it is to the Midheaven. So according to Ptolemy the effects of this eclipse will begin in the 9^th, 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th months following the eclipse. Because this eclipse is far from the Descendant itself I prefer the 10^th month. The 10^th month from 11 August 1999 is from 11 May 2000 to 11 June 2000.

Now the duration of the eclipse is two hours and six minutes, i.e. the duration of its effects is about two years and one month, and the most vehement effects are in the last third of this period. One third of the two years and one month is about eight months and ten days; two thirds are about sixteen months and twenty days. Adding sixteen months and twenty days to 11 May 2000 yields 1 October 2001, so the most vehement effects of this eclipse should begin in October 2001.

Ptolemy says that we can obtain the particular times of events by using transits, charts of syzygys, etc. At the beginning of October 2001 Mars came to the bodily conjunction with the Ascendant of the chart of the eclipse. On 7 October 2001 the Sun came to the exact square with the Ascendant of the chart of the eclipse from the 9^th house. On that day the US began the military operation in Afghanistan.

The next chart I would like consider, is the chart of partial Solar eclipse of 25 December 2000 for the USA. In Washington, DC this eclipse was lasting from 16:04 UT to 19:16 UT. The duration was 3 hours 12 minutes, i.e. 3 years 2 months and 11 days. The middle of eclipse was on 25 December 2000 at 17:40 UT.

Becuase the eclipse is in the ninth house, the beginning of its effects is in the seventh month after the eclipse, i.e. from about 25 June 2001. And these effects last until 6 September 2004. But the most powerfull effects are felt in the second third of this period, i.e. from 19 July 2002 to 12 August 2003.

We can see the eclipse is in the ninth house. It brings some problems in foreign affairs. Mars in the chart of eclipse is the lord of Ascendant, the lord of exaltation of the eclipse, and beholds the eclipse with sextile. Mars is essentially strong and is placed in the seventh house. It shows, the US will solve its problems aggressively, belligerently, and most likely with military force.

When transit Mars becomes to MC of the chart of eclipse, and at the day, when the Moon is transiting upon Descendant and Mars, USA begins the war in Iraq.