⚸ Black Moon Lilith – The Lunar Apogee
⚸ Black Moon Lilith – The Lunar Apogee
Interpretive Basis
Mythic Root:
A calculated point representing the farthest point of the Moon’s orbit, personified as the wild, untamed feminine.
Core Function:
Reveals instinctual liberation and taboo desire, complementing the shadow themes of Dark Moon Lilith.
Astrological Role:
Marks where raw intensity surfaces and suppressed power seeks release.
Orbital Signature
Type: Calculated lunar apogee
Orbital Period: ~8.85 years through the zodiac
Inclination / Eccentricity: Mirrors the Moon’s elliptical path
Retrograde Motion: Alternates between direct and retrograde depending on calculation
Discovery Year: Modern formalization
Keywords / Powerwords
Rebellion, Shadow, Sexuality, Autonomy, Power
House and Aspect Relevance
- Most active when in: Houses tied to personal power or sexuality
- Aspect Sensitivity: Conjunctions with personal planets or angles intensify shadow work
- Natal Function: Shows where one confronts suppressed desires
- Transit Function: Brings catharsis and fiercely independent phases
Use in Astrology Arith(m)etic
Black Moon Lilith adds primal transformation data to the system, informing AI of where instinct overturns inhibition.
Backlinks
🧮 Calculation
Definition: Mean lunar apogee — the empty focus / farthest point of the Moon’s mean orbit (Swiss Ephemeris “mean apogee”).
- Mean apogee moves direct ≈ +0.11140°/day (≈ 6′41″/day); full cycle 8.85 years (3,232.6 days); ≈ 9 months per sign.
- “True / osculating” Lilith oscillates up to ±30° around the mean value; “interpolated (natural) apogee” is a smoothed alternative in Swiss Ephemeris.
- Lunar perigee = apogee + 180°.
Usage note: Called Black Moon in French astrology (Joëlle de Gravelaine, mid-20th c.).
Sources (calculation)
- Astrodienst, Swiss Ephemeris programmer documentation (houses, Vertex, nodes, apogee, fictitious bodies): https://www.astro.com/swisseph/swephprg.htm ;
seorbel.txtandsefstars.txtfrom https://github.com/aloistr/swisseph - Jean Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms, 2nd ed. (Willmann-Bell, 1998) — ch. 13 (coordinate transforms), ch. 47 (Moon, nodes, perigee/apogee)