The Babylonians were the first to discover that eclipses belong to a larger pattern with a beginning, middle and end. Each eclipse belongs to a series of eclipses and each series has its own unique characteristics. The characteristics of an eclipse are repeated approximately every 18 years 9 -11 days with some minor variations; however the eclipse will have moved approximately 10 degrees through the zodiac. This long term pattern is called the Saros Cycle.

At any given time there may be several dozen different series of this cycle in effect and each Saros Cycle will take well over a thousand years to complete. The ancients could often predict an eclipse, however they did not know what caused them. They were feared and viewed as omens due to the appearance of a dark shadow consuming the light of the moon. The reddish color of the moon during a lunar eclipse put fear in their hearts believing that the moon was being eaten or consumed. Though the ancients did not understand what modern science has discovered about the causes of an eclipse, they did know that an eclipse could change the course of history for an individual, or a nation.

Astrologically, eclipses have been viewed as wild cards in a person\’s horoscope. An eclipse is much more intense and their effects are longer lasting than a typical new or full moon. Although the occurrence of an eclipse can be predicted by their timing, the results of the eclipse may vary dramatically from one eclipse to another.