What the Ancients Knew About Eclipses That We Forgot
The Hidden Architecture & Mathematics of Transformation
As we roll into an eclipse season shaping up to be one of the most impactful in a very long time—think 1968—I thought it would be beneficial to unpack why eclipses were seen by our ancestors as a very big deal.
And it’s probably not what you think.
Throughout human history, Solar and Lunar eclipses have been moments of awe and revelation. They have shaped myths, altered destinies, and commanded the attention of entire civilizations.
But beyond myth and magic, eclipses are woven into the very mathematical fabric of the cosmos. Their cycles are not random, their alignments not accidental. The Sun, the Moon, and the Earth move in a rhythm so mathematically precise that it eclipses (pun intended) the idea that it is mere coincidence. Each eclipse mirrors a deeper, mathematical order in the universe. An architecture hidden in plain sight.
Unless, that is, you know where to look.
Eclipses are portals into the inner workings of the cosmos. The only requirements for entry being child-like awe, some basic mathematical acumen and a deep understanding of Natural Law.
Ancient civilizations understood this. They studied the sky, not only to observe the eclipses themselves, but to predict them. And they did so with an accuracy that rivals even our modern technology, having built megalithic structures that stand as silent witnesses to their vast knowledge. Both in engineering, and of the heavens. From Stonehenge to Gobeckli Tepe, to the pyramids, from Mayan observatories to the Vedic astronomers who mapped the heavens with mathematics so advanced it defies explanation, the ancients tracked the planetary cycles with an acumen and devotion that speaks to something greater.
It begs the question: why would they do this? Why would societies, assumed by traditional academia to be primitive, dedicate so much time and effort to the study of celestial rhythms? To put forth the monumental (pun intended) effort to build these elaborate structures? For what purpose would a "primitive", hand-to-mouth society do so? Were they simply recording the sky, or were they tracking something deeper?
Or… do we have it all wrong?
We assume that our species is on a continual and upward trajectory in knowledge and sophistication. I think we have it all wrong. I think we are grasping at the mere fragments of a tremendous bank of wisdom that has been steadily evaporating for the last 13,000 years.
Another story for another time.
But for now, this question: what if eclipses are more than mere astronomical coincidences? What if they are cosmic thresholds, moments where time bends, where consciousness shifts, and where the universe reveals something hidden? And what if such things can not only be precisely predicted but, within those windows, be effectively controlled?
In this series, we will explore eclipses not as mere omens (though that is hugely important), but as initiations. We will trace the sacred mathematics that binds them to the structure of reality, unravel the knowledge encoded in ancient megaliths, and follow the patterns that link the past to the present, the Earth to the heavens. The “as above, so below” principle axiom of ancient Hermetics. We will be consumed in the shadow, not with fear, but with understanding and awe. And perhaps, like those who came before us, we will find ourselves and our civilization transformed.
The Impossible Mathematics of an Eclipse
At the heart of every total solar eclipse is a statistical “impossibility” that just so happens to exist. The Moon is 400 times smaller than the Sun, but it is also 400 times closer to Earth. This perfect ratio allows the Moon to obscure the Sun with near-exact precision—neither too large nor too small, but just right to create one of the most breathtaking phenomena known to science.
Coincidence? Let’s break it down, and consider the odds.
The Sizes & Distances of the Sun and Moon
Diameter of the Sun: ~864,938 miles
Diameter of the Moon: ~2,159 miles
Ratio of their sizes: The Sun is 400.6 times wider than the Moon
Average distance from Earth to the Sun: ~92,955,807 miles (1 AU)
Average distance from Earth to the Moon: ~238,855 miles
Ratio of their distances: The Sun is 389 to 400 times farther away than the Moon (depending on their elliptical orbits).
This near-perfect 1:400 ratio means that from Earth, the Moon and the Sun appear to be exactly the same size in the sky, allowing for total eclipses to occur.
If the Moon were just a little closer or a little farther away, (or of a different size) the entire phenomenon of a total eclipse would not exist. Instead, we would only ever witness partial eclipses (if the Moon were smaller or farther away) or annular eclipses (if it were larger or closer). The sheer “coincidence” of these numbers aligning in such a perfect way is staggering.
Study astrology long enough and the sheer volume of these mathematical and harmonic “coincidences” will bend your mind just as assuredly as skillfully administered psychedelics.
The Geometry of an Eclipse
Don’t let this math scare you. It’s actually pretty straight forward. Though the result will blow your mind.
For an eclipse to occur, three celestial bodies must align in a perfect syzygy, that is, a straight-line configuration of the Earth, Moon, and Sun.
Then, since the apparent size of a celestial body is determined by the formula:
θ=(d/D)×206,265
where:
θ = angular size in arcseconds
D = actual diameter of the object
d = distance of the object from the observer
206,265 = conversion factor for arcseconds
We then have:
The Sun’s angular size = {864,938/92,955,807} x 206,265 31.6 arcminutes
Moon’s angular size= (2,159/238,855)×206,265 ≈ 31.1 arcminutes
Thus, even though the Sun is 400 times larger than the Moon, their distances align in such a way that they appear to be nearly the same size in the sky—allowing for total solar eclipses.
So despite their vast difference in size, these numbers are nearly identical. This means that from Earth’s surface, the Sun and Moon take up almost the exact same space in the sky—an effect that creates the phenomenon of a perfect total solar eclipse.
This “coincidental” 400:1 ratio is an entry portal to the incredibly mind-bending study of sacred geometry, and the harmonies of the heavens. In fact, true astrology is a study of how these geometries affect our lives.
And it all starts with an astrological occurrence that our ancestors revered, and that modern societies don’t even notice.
What are the Chances?
The probability of two celestial bodies having this exact relationship by chance is infinitesimally small. Like, non-existent. Another curiosity is that the Moon is drifting away from Earth at a rate of 3.8 cm per year due to tidal interactions which create a kind of gravitational friction as the result of the interplay between the Earth’s rotation and the Moon’s orbit.
As a result of those forces, in about 600 million years (a cosmic blink of the eye), the Moon will no longer be large enough in the sky to completely cover the Sun. So total solar eclipses are not only incredibly rare from a probability perspective, they are as well an ephemeral, time-sensitive event in the grand timeline of Earth's history.
The fact that we live in the exact moment of Earth’s history where the Moon appears the same size as the Sun is astonishing. This alignment is temporary, meaning we are witnessing a celestial event that won’t exist in the far future.
This begs the question: Are we just lucky, or is there a deeper cosmic design at play?
Next up: What can we expect from the March 13th, 2025, Lunar Eclipse?
This eclipse season WILL affect you. Book a consult to find out how, AND how to navigate it.
–Keith