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OCCULTATIONS IN 2005

 

 

Every now and so often the Moon's celestial path leads in front of planets and stars, swallowing them for an short while, to again release them thereafter. Falling into the same category as eclipses of Sun and Moon, occultations always are outstanding events. An occultation is the ultimate alignment two celestial bodies ever can have with planet Earth, from our point of view an intimate meeting of two celestial bodies, a merging of their energies.

Aside from planetary occultations the Moon can also move in front of some highly luminous stars. However, because the Moon is moving within a quite narrow band there are only four major stars – Aldebaran, Antares, Regulus and Spica – that can be seen disappearing behind the Lunar disk.

All occultations – except those of Mercury, Venus and Mars – tend to occur in series, over many months in a row, repeating each time when the Moon passes through that particular segment of the skies. Particularly fixed stars can be in the Moon's path for many years in a row. This is so because the Moon's orbit is shifting very slowly.

 

 

Occultations in 2005

JUPITER

Between November 2004 and August 2005, a series of 11 Jupiter-occultations are occurring. Planet Jupiter's energy intimately merges with the Moon's energy each time the Moon passes the Tropical sign of Libra, which is where Jupiter resides for the time being. For 11 times in a row, on some place or other on planet Earth, Jupiter will be disappearing behind the Lunar disk.

 

MARS

On May 31, 2005, the Moon will swallow planet Mars

 

ANTARES

With the January 7, 2005 occultation of fixed star Antares yet another long series of contact between this star and the Moon began. For 69 consequent times, ending in February 2010, the Moon will come exactly between Antares and Earth, causing the star to temporarily disappear behind the Lunar disk, a phenomenon visible at least from some place or other on our planet.

 

Antares – Alpha Scorpius is the main star of the constellation Scorpio, “the star in the heart of Scorpio”. One of the four Royal Stars of Persia, known as the Watcher of the West. To the Persians this star was the god of the dead, Yima. Also for the Egyptians west was the land of the dead,   for the Sun sets in the west.

Antares is linked with obsession, is intense and probing. Offers great success, worldly or otherwise. However there is the tendency that it creates its own undoing. (from Brady's Book of Fixed Stars)

 

Drawing the astrological chart for the first contact of a series gives an idea of the general meaning of its implications.

 

First of 69 occultations of Antares by the Moon 

January 7, 2005 , 8:03 p.m. UT

 

Mars conjunct the Moon occulting Antares, also conjunct Ixion

Sun opposing mean Lunar apogee, T-sqared by Jupiter

Sun trine TL66/Sedna

Venus and Mercury conjunct the Galactic Center , squared by CY118

Juno/Neptune/Damocles conjunction in Aquarius

Saturn conjunct its own ascending node, conjunct true Lunar apogee,

opposing Chiron, T-squared by UX25

True Lunar Node square Nessus

 

 

Earlier series of Antares occultations:

June 1986 – June 1991

Dec 1967 – Dec 1972

 

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Sources:

 

Ocultaciones de planetas y estrellas de primera magnitud por la Luna en el siglo XXI

http://personal.telefonica.terra.es/web/arturorm/cielos/

 

Brady's Book of Fixed Stars – Bernadette Brady – Samual Weiser Inc. – ISBN 0-87728-886-0