Black Moon in questions : Lilith and some annoyances

This article aims to shed some light on the astrological concept of the BLACK MOON, which is used by a high proportion of astrologers, especially French, but with different views and diverse perspectives.

Sometimes considered as a karmic object, sometimes psychological, more often used in natal charts but also exploited in transits and in mundane astrology, the Black Moon is a UFO in the astrological bestiary. For several reasons :

• The Black Moon is not a material body, unlike planets and asteroids.
• The Black Moon is poorly understood astronomically speaking: a tour (in preparation for this article) on the internet and various sites shows that there is great vagueness around. There are theoretical and scientific errors which will be highlighted in this article.
• It is sometimes given the name Lilith, a biblical and Mesopotamian reference.
• Its temporal link with femininity: it is renewed every 28 days and remains 9 months in a sign.
• Used more recently than planets, its symbolism is still diffuse, varying according to the schools of astrology.
• And the biggest problem: there are different calculation techniques. Some people thus display 2 or even 3 Black Moons in astrological charts. The gaps between these Black Moon glyphs on a wheel can be up to 30°. True Black Moon, Mean Black Moon, Corrected Black Moon (especially in France): 3 different terms, very poorly named, as we will see below, which can be found in different signs, different houses, with different aspects. In reality, there are even 5 calculation techniques and not 3, we will talk about them below. From there, shall we draw 5 Black Moons in a birth chart, even if it means losing readability?
• For further confusion: we also talk about Lilith the asteroid and a hypothetical Dark Moon Lilith.

The points mentioned above are arguments retained by skeptical astrologers with regard to it: it is not a material point (this is an issue for people who think that astrology works with light and/or gravitational interactions), its definition is subject to controversy, we do not know which one to choose, we do not understand the differences between the different calculations.

The aim of the article is to remove these obstacles to better understand the theory associated with the Black Moon. But it is a complex subject, without consensus. With the Black Moon, we can exploit scientific (and computer) data depending on the symbolism we want to give it. It is therefore only possible to establish proposals and conclude with a personal choice… which could change over time. While writing this article and beginning its conclusion, I realized that I had to review my copy and start new studies. Thank you Lilith!

It must be said that it does not bring serenity and assurance, even intellectually. It would be impossible (that is not the aim of this article) to summarize all the virtues or challenges of Black Moon. Here are some guiding ideas, sometimes complementary, sometimes disparate (remove the words that do not fit into your vision of the astrology of the Black Moon!): nostalgia, place of fear, place of absolute ideal, spiritual awakening , hidden sister of the Moon, deepest individual unconscious, lost paradise, lack, hole to fill, despair, great crisis of the past (reincarnation is to be considered, even if all the supporters of the Black Moon do not believe in the cycle of lifes), umbilical cord, cut, guilty or assumed shadow, link with the lower astral, mythology of the individual, quest for liberation, buried memories, perversion, instincts, passions, superego, unattainable utopia, refusal of incarnation, buried demons, psychological trauma, individual myth of the Fall, shadow mother, sexuality, quest for purity, narcissism, point of lucidity, karmic redemption. A common point: a fascinating area for anyone in mystical/spiritual quest.

Example below: the chart of the moment when this article is published… with the 3 classic Black Moons. Next to the Black Moon glyph: T for True, M for Mean, C for Corrected. Two are in Virgo, one is in Libra. For the moment, there are 3… at the end of the article, which ones will remain?

All this may seem picky to you: why bother thinking about objects that are not very far from each other? Do we have to quibble about 1 or 2 degrees… it doesn’t change that much in a chart! Be careful, we will see it below: we can theoretically have a difference of more than 30° between a True Black Moon and a Corrected Black Moon… this is obviously the big maximum and there is little chance that you will have such a big gap in your birth chart. But seeing differences of 10 or 15° happens quite often. Seeing them in two different signs and/or two different houses as well. Above all, this article was written to clarify the theory of calculating the Black Moon: if we want to retain just one, which one should we choose? If we want to see two, which one to remove? Should we visualize three? More? Did you know that there is actually a 4th calculation, and a 5th one? Can we find an even better technique? How are they calculated? What different theories can be used to define them?

This article is made up of questions/answers, a final assessment of what is currently being done in astrology software Olympia and finally a personal calculation proposal.

Some questions/answers, preconceived ideas about the Black Moon

1- Is the Black Moon the second focus of the Moon’s orbit around the Earth?

Answer: yes and no. But rather no!

This is a first example of mathematical/astronomical inaccuracy that has been around for years and years: saying that the Black Moon is the second focus of the Moon’s orbit around the Earth, our planet being the first focus of this ellipse.

First of all: the trajectory of the Moon, seen from Earth, is not an ellipse. This is the fundamental concept of this article: to go against this preconceived idea –> the trajectory of the Moon does not form an ellipse around the Earth. Certainly, seen from “far away”, it looks like an ellipse, it even looks like a circle that could have been drawn by hand, without shaking too much! But as the position of the Black Moon on an astrological wheel must be precise to the nearest degree, then the theory which wants us to derive its position from the geometric shape of the ellipse of the Moon (around the Earth) takes lead in the wing: how to do calculations on an ellipse if the trajectory is not an ellipse?

This is the original sin, no pun intended, of misunderstanding what the Black Moon is: believing that it is linked to the Moon’s ellipse around the earth. This ellipse does not exist.

A little mathematical reminder: an ellipse is a mathematical curve that obeys different very specific, even aesthetic, rules. An ellipse is notably characterized by two foci (which are the equivalent of a center, for a circle).

Small physical reminder: Kepler proved during the Renaissance that in a physical system with two bodies, in the frame of reference of the largest of these bodies, then the smallest travels an ellipse, of which the large body is a focus.

So if the Earth and the Moon were alone in the Universe, then in effect the Moon would travel an ellipse around the Earth, which would be a focus of the ellipse. The other focus of the ellipse would be known, and we would call it the Black Moon. There would be no debate.

But Earth and Moon are not alone, far from it, so Kepler’s laws cannot apply to the Moon’s trajectory. The Moon is subject to forces of attraction from the Earth, but also from the Sun (in the same order of magnitude), from Jupiter, and from the other planets. To greatly simplify, we would be in the case of a 3-body system {Earth + Moon + Sun}, because the other planets would count for little, numerically speaking, for the problem that concerns us. And unfortunately there are no formulas for a 3-body problem. They are not ellipses, they are not easily identifiable objects that can be put into equations.

If we look at a planet, and not the Moon, for example Mars or Jupiter, we are not in a 2-body system either, because all the planets, asteroids, comets, the slightest dust… attract each other. But in these cases, the influences other than the Sun are so weak that we can approximate the trajectories of the planets to ellipses. Unfortunately, this approximation does not work with the Moon: the Sun and the Earth attract it in similar proportions.

In summary of this part:

• The Moon does not make an ellipse around the Earth. It doesn’t draw a potato either, but for precise calculations we can’t just say that it draws an ellipse.
• If there is no ellipse, there is no “focus”, so there is no possible definition of a Black Moon being the No. 2 focus of this ellipse.

An illustration to conclude: here is the trajectory of the Moon for one month around the Earth, in August 2023.

• The Earth is in the center of the image, a small green dot symbolizes it.
• The 12 signs of the zodiac in a symbolic ring allow you to locate the path.
• The path of the Moon is the curve with all the colors (a different color per sign).
• Seeing from a distance, this trajectory could resemble an ellipse but if we analyze in detail, the exact trajectory does not match. On the other hand, we see that the curve is further from the Earth when the Moon is in Leo, and that it is closer when the Moon is in Aquarius. This means, as we will see later, that the Black Moon during this period is in Leo.

2- Does the Black Moon still have a link with the trajectory of the Moon around the Earth?

Yes, absolutely. But we must find a new definition, other than the focus, since there is no focus.

We will instead work with distance. The Moon is not equidistant from the Earth during its revolution.

Digital example in August 2023:

• On August 2 at 5:59 a.m., it is at a distance of 357307 km
• On August 16 at 12:10 p.m., she is at 406635 km
• On August 30 at 4:01 p.m., it is at 357184 km

The differences are significant: in 14 days it moved more than 49,000 km away from us. It is 4 times the diameter of the Earth.

These values ​​were not taken at random: in this month of August these are the extreme values.

On August 2, 3573047 km –> this corresponded to the closest point to Earth in a period of 28 days (one Lunar revolution). It is called PERIGEE.

On August 16, 406635 km –> on the contrary it was the furthest position from Earth. We call it APOGEE.

It is with these notions that we will define the Black Moon. By definition, when the Moon passes through its apogee (farthest from the Earth), it passes through its so-called Black Moon point. If the Moon was drawing an ellipse, the direction would also match the direction of the 2nd focus of the orbit (but remember : there is no real focus).

This August 16, 2023, the Moon was at this point in the 25th degree of Leo. This is why we say at this precise moment that the Black Moon is at 25° Leo.

In conclusion: we accept that the Moon does not rotate on an ellipse. The important thing is that the Moon carries out a cycle of separations and rapprochements:

• It is at its furthest away: it is said that it is the position of the Black Moon…
• Then it gets closer for 14 days…
• Then it moves away again for 14 days etc…
• Every 27-28 days the Moon reaches a new apogee (which is not at the same distance but that’s not important). Please note: at this time, the Moon is not in the same zodiacal position as 28 days earlier, during the previous apogee. The Black Moon is not stationary: it remains in a sign for approximately 9 months.

So this is how the Black Moon is defined: it is the apogee of the Moon’s trajectory, even if it is not an ellipse.

If it were an ellipse, seen from Earth this apogee would be in the same direction as the 2nd focus: this is why some say that the Black Moon is the 2nd focus. This analogy originates from the role of “immaterial sister” of the Earth which we want to associate with its symbolism. In this symbolic world, we should rather say that the Black Moon is the unconscious point furthest from us (= apogee).

For the moment, we have not talked about an Mean, Corrected or True Black Moon.

3- Do these successive apogees (the Black Moons) advance regularly in the zodiac?

No, absolutely no. Which means that we do not have an astrological Black Moon that advances regularly (if we keep this definition) over time.

As an illustration, below, we list the 13 successive apogees (hence the successive positions of the Black Moon) of 2023 with the position on the zodiac:

• 01/08/2023: 3°10 Leo
• 04/02/2023: 29°56 Cancer
• 03/03/2023: 1°18 Leo
• 03/31/2023: 6°17 Leo
• 04/28/2023: 12°00 Leo
• 05/26/2023: 17°26 Leo
• 06/22/2023: 22°08 Leo
• 07/20/2023: 25°03 Leo
• 08/16/2023: 24°33 Leo
• 09/12/2023: 23°24 Leo
• 10/10/2023: 25°57 Leo
• 06/11/2023: 1°06 Virgo
• 04/12/2023: 7°20 Virgo

It’s not regular at all. Overall, things are progressing (we go around the zodiac in 9 years… we stay roughly 9 months in a sign) but it’s very erratic.

Because this is the problem with the Moon: its trajectory is completely irregular, despite appearances. The truth of one (lunar) month is not that of the following month.

4- Can we take an average of this evolution?

Yes. The astrologer accommodates the irregularity of nature, in general. It’s part of his art. But apparently, for certain things, you shouldn’t exaggerate either… and ultimately it bothers him a little! 🙂

So for historical reasons that I do not know, I am not going to make false hypotheses… but astronomers or astrologers have established a table which took into account the successive positions of these apogees, which are not at all regular (see above) to make a time average.

Here is the calculation of the Mean Black Moon: we follow the succession of apogees and we do a linear regression over time ( https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Régression_linéaire ). His characteristics :

• The Mean Black Moon never falls right on a true lunar apogee. This is its great fault! Example, 09/12/2023: it is an apogee day at 23°24 Leo… but the Average Black Moon is at 27°40. The Average Black Moon misses its target by 4°.
• But it advances regularly in the zodiac. In 10 days, it progresses by 1°07’14”. In 30 days: it progresses by 3°21’42”. In one year: approximately 41°.
• The true positions of the apogees follow one another around this regular advance, like an oscillating curve around a straight line.

Note once again that with the Mean Black Moon (notably called Unicorn), we are not talking about a second focus of the Moon’s orbit. We are talking about a time average of the apogee positions.

Is it shocking to rely on an astrological “body” that has been rigged to obtain regularity? In an astrological chart, no point moves forward or backward regularly in the zodiac, not even the Sun, not even the Ascendant or the Midheaven. The Unicorn is an exception. Let’s ask: should we place (and use then interpret) an object in the zodiac which is not associated with any real position, we have just averaged it over time to more easily write ephemeris tables? Before computers, the use of the Mean Black Moon was essential, mandatory. But now ? Should we settle for a point in the zodiac that we are sure does not point exactly to the target? We just know that on average over years and years, it aims correctly around. Never far away, but never inside.

5- Can we base ourselves on the exact positions of the apogees?

Yes. Nothing prevents us from relying on this list because as shown above with the apogees of 2023, we know their precise positions. This is why we are tempted (wrongly!) to now speak of a True Black Moon. Let’s remember: the Mean Black Moon misses the train every month when the Moon passes through its apogee. The differences are small and average around 0 over time, but it is never fair.

If you were born on a lunar apogee day, you could ignore the Mean Black Moon table (and even ignore it in your birth chart), look at where that apogee falls and conclude: “My Black Moon is precisely here in the zodiac!” You would then have found your True Black Moon and you could affirm that it lives up to its name: it is true. Much more precise than average, correlating with the trajectory of the Moon around us.

Yes but no. This can only be done during an apogee, which falls every 27 or 28 days. If you were born 14 days after apogee, what should you do? Take the one before and the one after, then take the average? It’s possible, but the algorithms in astrology software don’t work like that.

In any case, this is where we can no longer talk about the True Black Moon, which ultimately bears its name poorly. It is only true on the very day of the apogee. One or two weeks later, we can no longer speak of “true”. The True Black Moon you see in your astrological wheels is a misnomer.

Your software, Olympia or another, applies a table to give the position of the True Black Moon but this will only be an approximation because the Moon has advanced in its trajectory, it is navigating between its previous apogee and its next, and remember you: there is no second focus, there is no ellipse!

6- Can we estimate this True Black Moon between two apogees?

Yes, because we have no choice, we must define a Black Moon, other than the Mean, for someone who was not born during the apogee. But remember that this solution is not ideal… and this is why we should not talk about a True Black Moon –> there is nothing true since we are between two states of apogee, we cannot cannot calculate an apogee (hence a Black Moon) at a time when it does not exist.

We should speak of estimation, rather than true calculation, it is extremely misleading for the uninformed astrologer.

There are two tables for calculating this True Black Moon.

Osculation technique (elliptical simplification)

The 1st algorithm, used in 99.9% of cases (in France), is a geometric approximation of the trajectory of the Moon. This technique is called osculation.

In mathematics, any curve can be approximated locally at a point by an ellipse. That’s what we do here. We look at the immediate trajectory of the Moon and calculate the ellipse which seems to follow its trajectory. Who says ellipse, says focus and apogee on the other side: we point this direction by saying that it is the True Black Moon. Another name used in literature: Lilith.

This technique acts as if the Sun no longer existed, as if in the Universe there were only Earth and Moon. Both bodies obey (under these assumptions) Kepler’s laws, so the Moon draws an ellipse. Which, we remind you, is completely false in real life.

From this instantaneous ellipse, we find the True Black Moon, which we should rather call the Osculation Black Moon. But the name is less pretty and less well known. In the chart, instead of seeing the glyph of the Black Moon with a small black T (for ‘true’) next to it we should instead draw a small O. But that would change habits too much.

This calculation technique, although geometrically exact, has consequences of strong instability on the position of the True Black Moon:

• From one day to the next it can advance by 6° (while the Mean Black Moon takes two months to advance by 6°).
• It can move retrograde.
• Overall, it advances like the Mean Black Moon with an overall progression of 9 months per sign (and 9 years for the tour of the zodiac) but with enormous oscillations.
• Between Mean and True Black Moon, we can find differences of 30°, which completely changes the interpretation in sign, house and aspects.

Below is the curve of the progress of this True Black Moon in 2023, with these strong oscillations. The steady slope curve is the Mean Black Moon, which quietly crosses Leo in 2023.

• The oscillations of this True Black Moon around the Unicorn (Mean Black Moon) have a period of approximately 28 days.
• The maximum amplitude is 30°.
• At certain times of the year we see that the True Black Moon tends to go further ahead (in the zodiac) than the Mean Black Moon. Example in 2023: mid-March or end of October.
• At other times the True Black Moon goes further back. Example in 2023: early June and mid-December.
• In fact, these diversities in the oscillations are linked to the position of the Sun. If the Sun makes a multiple angle of 90° with the Black Moon (conjunction, square, opposition), then it stabilizes as best it can the oscillations of the True Black Moon. If it makes an angle of 45° or 135° (semisquare, sesquisquare) it tends to shift the oscillations. We will talk about this again below, with the Black Moon corrected.

Between the Mean Black Moon and this True Black Moon we find ourselves at two extremes: we always aim for the apogee of the Moon but in one case we have the smoothest trajectory possible (the smoothest in astrology, almost a clock perfect!), with the other we have on the contrary the most violent oscillations of astrology (no body shows such chaos). Choosing between these two Black Moons is comparing two extremes, even two forms of behavior: the autonomous car guided perfectly by GPS, which does not make waves and never accelerates (Mean Black Moon), or the rally driver who pushes the car in its extremities (True Black Moon).

To also understand the difference between these two Black Moons:

• The Mean Black Moon (Unicorn) is a very regular clock, averaging over time the different passages at the apogees of the Moon (they occur every 27-28 days, there are 13 or 14 per year). But it’s a compromise to aim for these real apogees, the goal of the calculation is not to fit correctly, but to fit as least badly as possible.
• The True Black Moon (Lilith) with the osculation calculation tries to construct a temporary ellipse (as soon as the moment of birth has passed, the ellipse that we created dies, it will transform into another ellipse which will correspond to the next moment). As the movement of the Moon is irregular, then these deadly ellipses which constantly follow one another are also irregular, hence the instability of the movement of this Black Moon. This technique tries to idealize, transform, this impure trajectory of the Moon (neither a circle nor an ellipse) into a perfect mathematical object: an ellipse. It is like a transformation of the Moon into a mathematical ideal that only exists for a short time. From one day to the next, we can thus have several degrees of difference. We can also say that this technique isolates (for a fleeting moment, immediately gone) the Earth-Moon couple. As if the Moon lost (during the time of Lilith’s calculation) the influence of the Sun. There is only the Earth-Moon couple that exists in Lilith’s calculation.

Natural Black Moon (algorithm of Mr Dieter Koch)

The 2nd algorithm, incorporated into Olympia in 2023, was designed by Mr Dieter Koch. It aims to interpolate the position of the Black Moon (True) between two passages at the apogee. He named this theoretical position: the Natural Black Moon.

The temporal evolution is much smoother. As shown in the 2023 curve below, this Black Moon rotates around the Mean with less pronounced and slower oscillations.

There is no elliptical approximation in this calculation, the interpolation is different and in no way assumes that the system {Earth + Moon} exists without the Sun.

• The oscillations of this True Black Moon around the Unicorn (Mean Black Moon) have a period of approximately 6.5 months. In fact this is the time for the Sun to move from a conjunction to an opposition to the Black Moon.
• The maximum amplitude is 5°.

Same remark as for the 1st algorithm: you would have to draw a glyph with the symbol of the Black Moon and an N (N like Natural) next to it.

In summary for this part:

• Astrologers have used a True Black Moon for decades, with the illusion that this position is true (inducing that the others are false?).
• In reality, apart the moment of the apogee, there is nothing true since there is no more apogee and never an ellipse. We should talk about Estimated Black Moon. It is only true if the birth is close to the moment of an apogee. If you want to know if this is your case: in your wheel, the Moon must be close (less than 30° apart) from the Mean Black Moon.
• There are two techniques for estimating the Black (True) Moon. But the second technique is unfortunately little known: if you use Olympia, it is strongly recommended to try it to get your own idea.
• The 1st (osculation) is geometric but it is very unstable and moves significantly away from the average position of the apogees. It assumes that the Moon makes an ellipse with only the Earth influencing it. It locally ignores the influence of the Sun and the irregular movement of the orbit. It is an instantaneous calculation, based on a mortal ellipse which will die as soon as it is born.
• The 2nd (natural or interpolation) gives more stable results but it suffers from a total ignorance of its existence in the astrological community, especially French-speaking. As long as it has not been tested by renowned astrologers, it will remain forgotten.

7- Why are we talking about a Corrected Black Moon?

We talked about the Mean Black Moon and the True Black Moon, remembering that the latter is poorly named and that the first always aims to miss it.

What about the Corrected Black Moon? From its name, we have the impression that the others are imperfect and that this one corrects an aberration. In reality, if it corrects something, it is because it seeks to soften the True Black Moon (that of the 1st calculation with the osculation) which oscillates enormously. But we will see that it softens things too much. And it risks bringing confusion.

Without wishing to put him on trial, the best thing is to illustrate all this with an example. Consider the chart below. In this chart, the Corrected Black Moon is not in the same sign as the Mean Black Moon and the True Black Moon. If, in addition, it did not fall in the same house, its 10° distance from the Mean would imply quite different conclusions in the analysis of the chart!

Then, below, we plot the Moon’s path around Earth in the month around that date.

Visually, it is easy to spot the apogee and perigee. The apogee is the area where the Moon is farthest from Earth (therefore closer to the zodiac signs around it). We can easily see that the apogee is in the 1st half of the sign of Scorpio (when we analyze the data precisely –> it is 10° Scorpio). In addition, this wheel is performed a few hours after an apogee. So on the day of this chart, we are in the case where the calculation of the Black Moon does not allow any ambiguity. Moreover, the True Black Moon is well calculated at 10° of Scorpio. Note that the Mean Black Moon is next to 4°, on the 6° of Scorpio. Remember this: the Mean Black Moon is never far away… but it always misses the apogee.

Worse than the Mean Black Moon, the Corrected Black Moon is at 26° Libra, 14° before apogee. This is an error far beyond what one should expect from an astrological chart. In 14° we change signs here, we have every chance of changing houses, aspects disappear and others appear. In case of analysis in transits, we have years of difference with Uranus, Neptune or Pluto. In short, we are being misled.

Of course, in other cases we will find smaller differences.

8- Why does the Corrected Black Moon not correct well?

Because its calculation is an approximate modeling, once again. And like the Mean Black Moon, its theorization dates from before the computer age in astrology.

There are several different calculations for this body… but the best known calculation used by astrology software is the following:

• Let the angle a = 2 x (SUN – MEAN BLACK MOON)
• CORRECTED BLACK MOON = MEAN BLACK MOON + 11.6 x sin(a)

The principle is therefore to start from the position of the Mean Black Moon and to modify with an angle which depends on the sine, an angle marked by the arc between the Sun and the Mean Black Moon.

There is a logic to taking into account the Sun because it is involved in the trajectory of the Moon (its force of attraction is immense). It is also logical to think that depending on its position relative to the apogee, it will twist or untwist the pseudo-ellipse and therefore shift the position of the Black Moon.

Remember what we said above about the True Black Moon: in the case of a Sun-Unicorn cross, the Sun softens the oscillation of the True Black Moon. In the case of semisquare or sesquisquare it is the opposite. This is what was put into the equation in the Corrected Black Moon formula:

• In the case of the cross, the corrective coefficient is 0 (the sine is 0) so Corrected Black Moon = Mean Black Moon. We consider here that the Sun stabilizes the Black Moon on the Mean Black Moon.
• In aspects of 45° or 135° it is the opposite, the sine is worth +1 or -1 and in this case, the Corrected Black Moon deviates as much as possible (11.6°) from the Mean Black Moon.

Illustration below with the progression curves of the Black Moons and the Sun over 2 years.

A few words about this curve:

• The straight black line which rises quietly is the Mean Black Moon, regular and stabilized.
• The black curve which oscillates strongly around it is the True Black Moon (1st calculation with osculation), as we have already seen it before.
• The blue curve that oscillates around the Mean Black Moon is the Corrected Black Moon. It oscillates with an amplitude of 11.6° and a period of 6.5 months (this is linked to the half-cycle of the Sun to go from a conjunction to an opposition to the Black Moon).
• The straight yellow line is the Sun.
• If we compare the blue and black curves (the two Liliths: the corrected and the true), we see that the Corrected is just a temporal average of the True, eliminating the monthly oscillations (linked to the Moon). This is logical: in the Corrected Black Moon formula, the position of the Moon is not taken into account (it is rather paradoxical). Therefore, graphically, we see that it follows the trend of the 6.5 month oscillation but skips the monthly oscillations, which are precisely so strong in the True Black Moon.
• When the Sun joins the Black Moon (in August 2023 and October 2024), everything intersects.

We thus see that the big problem of the Corrected Black Moon is not taking into account the movement of the Moon.

In certain cases (not all the time, but often), as in the example shown above, we even have an illogical functioning: the True Black Moon is found after (further in the zodiac) the Mean Black Moon, while the Corrected Black Moon is before it. We therefore have a contradiction: instead of correcting the Unicorn by moving forward in the zodiac, its oversimplified calculation means that it corrects in the other direction. We turn the steering wheel left to move right. The word corrected is overrated.

This calculation of the Corrected Black Moon had the merit of existing BEFORE we could calculate the tables of the True Black Moon (by the computer osculation method). We obtained our position with a calculation that took only a few seconds. But its forgetting of the reality of the rotation of the Moon is a huge handicap.

Hence this question: why still use the Corrected Black Moon?

“Because it works well!” we will answer. It has been used extensively for decades (in France, especially).

Yes, necessarily in certain cases it will end up in the zone of the True Black Moon, we will find few differences there. But a little exercise: look at your chart. If the True Black Moon and the Corrected Black Moon frame your Mean Black Moon: you have a problem! Average is a time approximation, which averages, but two techniques for determining a true position take you on both sides. This separation is illogical, we cannot rectify an approximation by going in two opposite directions.

9- And if we compare the Corrected Black Moon with the True Natural Black Moon, which is the one that the Anglo-Saxons use?

Instead of using the True Osculating Black Moon (that of the French), let’s trace the same curve as previously with the Natural Black Moon.

So there is total inconsistency, since the oscillations are out of sync 100% of the time. When the Corrected advances in relation to the Mean , the Natural declines. A beautiful illustration of divergent thinking between French (Corrected) and Americans (Natural)! You couldn’t be more different. With angular differences which can reach up to 17°, all the same.

10- Does the Dark Moon Lilith have a link with the Black Moon?

No, no connection, despite its evocative name. But it has no connection with astrology either.

It was assumed in 1898, in esoteric theosophical circles, that a second Moon, smaller than the real one (the one and only), with a diameter of 700 km, orbited the Earth at a distance of 1000000 km approximately.

This hypothetical body would have been discovered a long time ago if it really existed. And it would throw the Moon’s orbit immensely out of whack.

No more than Vulcan in an orbit interior to that of Mercury, the Dark Moon Lilith, also called Waldemath’s Moon, does not exist. The esoteric inventions of the 19th century did not resist the science of the 20th.

In any case, there is no connection with the orbit of the Moon around the Earth and is therefore irrelevant to the present questions on the Black Moon.

11- Does the asteroid Lilith have a link with the Black Moon?

Linguistic rapprochement is the only common point. The asteroid Lilith orbits in the main belt (like Ceres, Vesta, Pallas…) and has no link with the trajectory of the Moon.

So be careful with the names: especially since across the US the True Black Moon is called True Lilith and the Mean Black Moon: Mean Lilith.

Balance sheet

This article aimed to confirm and refute the information read here and there, mainly on the web, concerning the Black Moon. But it is difficult to establish conclusions on such subjective subjects for the interpretation of the symbols of these bodies and how they should be calculated.

Here is a summary:

• Be careful what you read on the internet: the Moon does not draw an ellipse around the Earth.
• The Black Moon is not the 2nd focus of this orbit, because there is neither ellipse nor focus.
• Theoretical study around the Black Moon arises from detections of times (and places in the zodiac) when the Moon reaches an apogee. These apogees occur every 27-28 days, there are 13 or 14 per year.
• The apogees are not evenly spaced in the zodiac. If we take the temporal average of their evolution: we obtain the table of the Mean Black Moon. Other name: Unicorn.
• The big flaw of the Mean Black Moon is that when the Moon reaches an apogee, it does not fall exactly on the position of the Mean Black Moon. But that’s his definition!
• Question: should we keep this old concept of Mean, which helped us before the appearance of software and more precise calculations?
• The best technique to be sure to fall exactly on the point of apogee is to use the True Black Moon. Other name: Lilith. On the day of an apogee, Lilith perfectly indicates the apogee.
• But this name is misused because between two apogees we are obliged to estimate what this True Black Moon becomes: we must estimate a trajectory and the word True loses all its meaning.
• There are two techniques (available in Olympia) to estimate this True Black Moon.
• The first is geometric and locally simplifies the trajectory of the Moon by an ellipse (physical problem with 2 bodies, where the Sun is forgotten): Black Osculation Moon. This gives a very unstable, erratic trajectory which has the drawback of simplifying the Moon by a local and temporary ellipse.
• The second technique is an interpolation between two apogees: Natural Black Moon. This gives a smoother and more regular movement. But this technique is not used enough by astrologers for the state of the art to advance. Notice to the population !
• The calculation of the Corrected Black Moon is old and does not stand up to in-depth scientific analysis, nor does it stand up to observations of the Moon’s trajectory. It is still widely used by astrologers.
• Above all, the Corrected Black Moon is only a large temporal approximation of the True Black Moon (by osculation) which forgets the oscillations created by the Moon.
• Watch out for inconsistencies in the charts if you see the Corrected Black Moon on one side of the Mean Black Moon, and the True Black Moon on the other. This doesn’t happen all the time but unfortunately often.
• Dark Moon Lilith: theoretical invention of the 19th century, at a time when it was also believed that a planet Vulcan orbited the Sun near Mercury.
• What to choose between True, Mean, Corrected Black Moon? With these two True Black Moons, we even have the choice between 4 bodies (Dark Moon Lilith is omitted here). For a birth chart with the Moon close to the Black Moons: the True Black Moon (any of the two) precisely marks the apogee, it is this which does the job. For a birth near perigee (14 days later, with Moon opposite the Black Moons), the True Black Moon with osculation technique is closest to the definition.
• In the event of a discrepancy between Mean and True, particularly if the signs or houses differ: the descriptions of Luc Bigé in “The Black Moon – A Vertigo of Absolute” with the Unicorn-Lilith distinction have proven themselves.
• Be very careful with the names: “True” and “Corrected” are misleading.
• All this constitutes a fairly Franco-French problem. In the USA, the Black Moon is less used. If used, the wheels are drawn with a single Black Moon. The Corrected Black Moon is little known. The Mean Black Moon seems little used, compared to the True. On the True side: we trust the Natural Black Moon more than the other osculation technique (mainly used in France).

It is therefore ultimately complicated to conclude on such a complex subject. It must be part of the charm of the Black Moon to keep its mysteries and to offer different approaches to finding it, without a single answer, without an objective dimension (we are in the subjective world of the Moon, after all). This multiplicity, notably theorized by Luc Bigé, brings its share of big questions. The subject is unequal depending on the person: some have little difference in the zodiac between all these calculations. For others, we can change signs and houses. It may seem frustrating to not find the perfect method to incorporate Lilith into one’s chart, but there are enough mysteries hidden in her symbolism that you won’t find any in her own structure. The Black Moon seems to escape all logic, especially for people born between two apogees (Moon on the other side of the sector of the Black Moon) and keeps its lessons in a chiaroscuro.

Proposals

By a mixture of intuition, scientific analysis mechanics, historical consistency, experience in astronomy, astrology and computer science but also by the analysis of birth charts of a few people I know well (I don’t look at celebrities or people whose interpretation of the Black Moon is too intimate to be fair), today I would tend to suggest this:

• The Mean Black Moon and the Corrected Black Moon do not do the job. They aim poorly at the apogees of the Moon. They were very useful before astrology software, but we no longer need their approximations. So to remove from charts.
• Every month we are sure of the position of the Moon’s apogee, down to the minute. We must use this information, take advantage of its accuracy. It would therefore be useful to note this position and fix it for the 27-28 days which will precede the next apogee. And this constitutes the Black Moon of the individual.
• All people born in this 27-28 days cycle will have exactly the same Black Moon. This would work like the points on an astrological wheel relating to a pre-birth event. Examples: the pre-natal New Moon… the pre-natal eclipse… Syzygy… the point of passion… the point of generation… We thus point in the zodiac to the last time that the Moon has moved as far away from the Earth as possible. This maximum distance is a symbolic point of the chart, like the new moon (or full moon, or eclipse) before birth.
• It would be wise to use the local shape of the Moon’s trajectory at the precise moment of birth. We aim for the current trend (a few hours) to see how the curve twists, with a local and temporary (deadly) ellipse which gives the direction of the second focus and the apogee. This point is the True Black Moon by osculation, which I would tend to keep as it well complements the information of the exact apogee which is renewed every 27-28 days.
• Naming these objects: as has often been written above, the words ‘Mean’, ‘True’ and ‘Corrected’ sound false and mislead the astrologer. For the first Black Moon which points to the exact apogee every month: Black Moon, quite simply. Because that’s his definition for this Black Moon, that’s what we’re asking him to do: to tell us where the Moon moved furthest from us, before coming back. For the second, the one which constructs a local, mortal, temporary orbit, which will be forgotten as soon as it is crossed, Instantaneous Black Moon. It is unique for each person. Let’s not forget the symbolism of this black moon: the fleeting illusion that the Moon makes a harmonious curve around us, even if it is not true, it is the trend of the moment which will be forgotten as soon as the birth occurs and the incarnate being.
• This second Black Moon is the same as the True Black Moon, already known. On the other hand, the first is not yet used in astrology software. In a future evolution of Olympia, in 2023 or 2024, it will be added and offered to the user. The first tests are conclusive and refine positions which seemed uncertain between the 3 black moons before.
• We’ll talk about this in the next paragraph, but it might be helpful to look at the point called Priapus by many astrologers. But it would not be the point opposite the Black Moon. This would be the point marking the last perigee before birth (in the same way that the new Black Moon proposed in this article is the last apogee before birth). That is to say the last time the Moon came closest to the Earth. This point is not necessarily close to opposition to the Black Moon, as the Moon’s course is irregular. Once again, the help of computers will make it possible to easily position this body in the charts.
• Of course the exploitation of the Black Moon (rather the two Black Moons) in a natal chart cannot be done without the dialectical rapprochement with the four other bodies of the wheel which are linked to its physical dynamics: the Moon, the Sun and the two Lunar Nodes (ascending and descending). It seems logical to associate the Lunar Nodes and the Black Moon. They are additions of information about the Moon itself. We can thus work in 4 dimensions. The Moon in a wheel: this is its position in longitude. The Lunar Nodes in a wheel: it is linked to its latitude, the nodes represent the axis where the Moon no longer has latitude, the place where it crosses a surface. The Black Moon in a wheel: it represents the place where the Moon moved furthest from us before returning. (Let’s add Priapus to have the point of closest distance). We therefore talk about position, height, distance with all these bodies.

Article update (October 2023)

10/26/2023: we update the article following the development carried out in the Olympia software, which now includes this new BLACK MOON calculation proposed in the article, i.e. a Black Moon corresponding to the last apogee of the Moon before the birth of the person.

New body, therefore new glyph, see the illustration below and the Black Moon in Capricorn, in Kamala Harris natal chart.

A team of astrologers spent time comparing this new Black Moon with the 3 others (true, corrected, mean): this Black Moon is adopted and will now be used as a priority over the others.

Bonus: The Cross of the Black Moon

The study of the Black Moon, as so well explained by the astrologer Luc Bigé, is often done in the context of its cross. We do not study the Black Moon alone, but in the context of its cross (opposition point and the two square points).

The point opposite the Black Moon is called Priapus.

A small warning, in the context of this theory presented in the article –> we would like to consider Priapus as the perigee of the trajectory of the Moon around the Earth. That is to say the point of the trajectory closest to the Earth.

This does not invalidate the study of Priapus as opposed to the Black Moon, but we must not forget that the trajectory is not an ellipse. So we do not have an apogee and a perigee established along the major axis of an ellipse, that is to say naturally opposed around the zodiac.

If you want to study the cross of the Black Moon but think of Priapus as perigee, there are pitfalls. Apogee and perigee are not perfectly opposite.

Digital example in this fall of 2023:

• on October 10, the Moon is at its peak at 26° Leo… could we expect Priapus at 26° Aquarius?
• however on September 28, the Moon was at its perigee at 16° Pisces (the opposition is within 20°)…
• on October 26, perigee is at 26° Pisces (opposition within 30°, it’s a quincunx in fact).

In short, pay attention to the definitions: if you look at the opposite of the Black Moon in a wheel, you are not necessarily pointing to the perigee of the moment. Or, and this is the only possibility: you have to look at the opposition to the True Black Moon calculated with the osculation algorithm because it is the only technique which will calculate the ellipse correctly.

So, if you study the Black Moon cross, it would seem that you have to do it only with the True Black Moon in osculation calculation. But not with the Mean Black Moon, and even less so with the Corrected Black Moon.

Bonus No. 2: Computer animation (NASA) of the creation of the Moon

A NASA computer animation simulating the formation of the Earth and the Moon, following the collision between the proto-Earth and Theia (another planet in formation which therefore will not have had time to gain its independence). It only lasted a few hours… and for the Earth-Moon couple it was the beginning, several billion years ago, of a great adventure. Bodies have cooled, orbits have stabilized (the Black Moon has evolved a lot since), life has appeared here. Without this original chaos, this life would probably never have emerged.