Last night's Lunar Eclipse was a nice sight. Unfortunately at the beginning the Moon was under the horizon and it was most cloudy but from the Netherlands the phase of totality was visible after moonrise. Close at the horizon is less attractive for observation but more interesting for astrologers. The maximum of totality coinciding with Ascendant must have occurred in Kent and South-Sweden etc.

more info:
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OH2011. ... 2011Jun15T

My apologies if I give the impression to hijack or twist the topic. I simply was too filled with the eclipse and too lazy to open an own thread.

Thanks AquaStella,

What a fascinating article. Great find! Lunar eclipse delineation Mesopotamian style! I suspected the assigning of countries to signs had a Mesopotamian origin and this confirms it.

Although its funny when it suits them academics call successful astrologers astronomers! Hence this description of the picture illustrated of a cuniform tablet:

The Babylonian astronomers correctly predicted the rise of Alexander and the demise of Darius III.

Mark