Introduction to Metonic Cycle – 19 years!

I believe that the observation of cycles in astrology is quite important. It’s not exactly history repeating itself because we have to accept that the sky is dynamic – though we can argue that the people and the world also change constantly- and when we even think that there is a repetition of a cycle, not all the actors taking part in one cycle would be the same ones in the next one. It’s like watching the same theatre play several times over years…Even though the scenario could be the same one, the actors grow older, we grow older and the play might feel different, making a different impact on us every time we watch it.

I think that it might be worth making the differentiation between a planetary cycle among any two planets except the luminaries (Sun and Moon) and the cycle just concerning the Sun and the Moon themselves which is also known as a soli-lunar cycle. For example, when we were finishing August, there was this friendly interaction (trine) between Jupiter and Saturn in the sky which I mentioned in my article about the start of September.* It’s true that this is a cycle of 20 years and these two planets will relive the same interactions in the next new cycle starting in 2060 with one big important difference; they won’t have the same expressions and same impact in our lives as the signs they will be going through will change as well as the areas of life they will affect.

Photo by Tine Ivanič on Unsplash

However, when we talk about one of the cycles only concerning the Sun and the Moon, we may see the interaction between the two luminaries repeating over a certain period of time in the same sign, and approximately with the same degree. This specific cycle I am talking about is Metonic cycle and it happens every 19 years. I have to admit that I don’t really follow Saros cycles and I only have a general idea about them. In this regard, for Saros cycles you may always look into the content Sonia (Celestia Astrology) talks about during the eclipses, she really does an immaculate work on them. I believe that the main difference between Metonic cycle and Saros cycle is, except the timing, that the first one is ‘generally’ observed for ordinary lunar phases while the latter one is specific to eclipses even though it’s worth mentioning that a solar or a lunar eclipse wouldn’t be happening separate from a related new moon or full moon respectively. Nevertheless, it’s sometimes possible to observe two eclipses happening 19 years apart from each other in the same sign, on the same day and nearly with the same degree as it did occur with the lunar eclipse on Aug 28, 2026. There was a lunar eclipse on Aug 28, 2007 as well. However, generally speaking the main principle in Metonic cycle is that the Sun and the Moon go back to the same point, same lunar phase, and more or less on the same day. In this case, we will be talking about 235 mean lunar months. This is used in religion related lunar calendars for fixing certain dates as it happens in the case of Easter in Christian calendar. And it’s very interesting to integrate the family phase (lunar gestation cycle)**into Metonic cycle as well.

At this point, after my bombardment of technical information, we can ask why is this cycle called Metonic cycle? Good question. It was thanks to Meton of Athens who was known to find this cycle back in 432 B.C.***Even though Meton seems to be associated with this cycle, according to some sources “The question of whether Meton made any observations and, if so, of what he observed, remains open”****The same argument is kind of confirmed as follows: “It is accepted that the nineteen-year cycle was standardised in early 5th century BCE Babylonia, some fifty years before Meton of Athens, whose name is attributed to the cycle.***** In this regard, even the naming comes from Meton of Athens, the discovery might be possibly prior to him.

I have to admit that I am fascinated by this specific cycle. Since I learnt this cycle at the Faculty of Astrological Studies in 2021, if not 2020, I have been personally following it through my own chart. However, I might have started using it in my articles maybe 3 or 4 years ago. I resonate with it a lot. That’s why I finally decided to research about it more. And some people here on Substack commenting about their own experiences, even writing articles inspired by my obsession with Metonic cycle have been encouraging and flattering at the same time.

Having said all, we can ask how we can utilise this cycle. What kind of similarities and difference can we experience?

The answer to these questions will be the subject of next article in which I will be looking into more practical examples.

Please stay tuned until that time! (It might take some time since I would like to finish the next two articles on my Water Series in the meantime).

If you have any examples from your lives and would like to share it in the comments, I will be glad to read them.

All the best,

Teri

by Teri Nudelman a.k.a amethystastrotarot as in Hello from Amethyst! –

*September 2026, how are you going to start?

**Lunar gestation cycle is introduced by Dietrech Pessin. For more information, if you may have access to the article, you can read the whole argument in the Mountain Astrologer June/July 2015 issue.

***Soli-Lunar cycles in Greek Research and Jewish revelation by Walter Sydney Ridgway p. 6

****The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, Meton of Athens – Alan C. Bowen

*****Calendars and Divination in the Dead Sea Scrolls by Helen R. Jacobus