Every 27 1/3 days the Moon makes a complete circle of the zodiac, coming back to the same position relative to the backdrop of the distant stars. The planets take longer, in most cases many years to make that same revolution. The New Moon occurs each month when it catches up with the Sun, but most months it is either above or below the Sun at their meeting. Its highest declination, both north and south, occurs at the midpoint between the lunar nodes. The node marks the place where the Moon crosses the ecliptic, heading either north or south, and when the Moon catches up with the Sun on the ecliptic, or near its north or south node, an eclipse occurs. This event, which happens twice a year, filled the ancient peoples with awe.

 If the lunar nodes are in Cancer and Capricorn, the New Moons and Full Moons will occur in those signs at 23 degrees north or south declination. However, just suppose that the North Node of the Moon is near zero Aries at the time of the spring equinox, as it was in March 1969. That means that the New Moon at the spring equinox in 1969 was a solar eclipse and that the declination of both Sun and Moon was at zero declination. When that happens, the Moon then moves five degrees north of the ecliptic during the following week, so that when it reaches zero Cancer and squares its own nodes it is at more than 28 degrees north declination. The New Moon near the Summer solstice that year found the Sun as usual, at 23 degrees north declination, but the Moon was more than 28 degrees north declination. These high declination lunar years of 1950, 1969 and 1987 were known at high moon years. In the years of high declination when the Moon can reach as far north as 28.73 degrees, in far north latitudes the Moon can remain above or below the horizon for a week at a time.

On the other hand, if the moon's north node is at zero Libra and the moon is heading north, by the time it reaches Capricorn it is five degrees north of the ecliptic. This means that the Sun at the Winter Solstice will be at 23 degrees south declination, but the moon that year in Capricorn will be five degrees north of the Sun. In this case no eclipse will occur, and more important, the moon will not be able to move any further south than 18 degrees that year. That was the case in 1922, 1941, 1959, 1978 and 1997 which were known as low declination years.

The high moon and low moon phenomenon was very important to ancient cultures because the Moon was important to agriculture, hunting, fishing, and to their fertility rites. At the time of the high moons in the winter, the nights were brighter and the moonlight lasted longer. The winter full moons are far in the northern skies, while the summer full moons lie low in the South. The ancients were anxious to know when eclipses would occur, and were very aware that the moon affected the ocean tides.

The lunar nodes move backwards through the zodiac in a cycle of 18.6 years, and after three such periods the nodes lock into an exact cycle of 56 years. On the average, the lunar node cycle is repeated in patterns of 19, 19 and 18 years and every third swing is separated by 56 years. The 56 year pattern of the Moon was noted particularly by the Celts, and stone circles in Scotland, England and Brittany demonstrate that these historic people were aware of the 18.6 year lunar cycle of extremes of high and low. At Stonehenge around the circle of standing stones is a second circle of 56 holes known as the Aubrey circle. This 56 year lunar phenomenon is worth watching for mundane and financial predictions.

The late astrologer Dane Rudhyar discusses the effect of latitude and declination on the Moon in his book "Person Centered Astrology." He felt that when the Moon is at high north declination "the individual makes an issue of his or her personal position. Great attention should be paid here to a successful adjustment to the environment. When the Moon has low declination north and south, one's attitude toward the environment is not such a personal matter but may be taken for granted in terms of some collective experience." What Rudhyar was most concerned about was whether the Moon was north or south of the ecliptic, not whether it was north or south of the equator, but his descriptions could give some clue as to the nature of the Moon in extreme declinations.

The moon last reached its maximum north declination in September 1987, and this will not occur again until March and September of 2006. The North Node of the Moon will pass zero degrees of Aries in June 2006. The moon reached minimum declinations last in March of 1997 when the North Node of the moon was in the last degrees of Virgo. It is important to note that extreme declinations of the Moon occur when the north node is near zero degrees of Aries. This was noticeable in 1931-32 and again in 1987-88 when there was extreme fluctuation in the stock market. The megalithic moon watchers were well aware of the importance of these extreme declinations of the moon as is evidenced at Stonehenge and in Brittany. The 56 year eclipse cycle is well worth watching for persons interested in financial matters, as well as the weather and mundane events. Weather watchers might note that the U.S. National Ocean Service recorded record high tides around the world in 1987 at the time the Moon reached maximum north and south declinations each month.

High moons and low moons come at periods a little more than nine years apart so that it becomes a generational matter. People born around 1931, 1950, 1969 and 1987 at a time of maximum declination who have moons in Gemini and Cancer will have out of bounds moons at far north declination, and with moons in Sagittarius and Capricorn the moons will be at maximum south declination and therefore out of bounds. Individuals born near 1941, 1959, 1978 and 1997 will have moons in these signs no more than 18 degrees north or south. These persons generally display more of a need for containment and boundaries than do persons with out of bounds moons. Persons born with the moon out of bounds will show an intense need for personal freedom and an aversion to limitations and boundaries. Examples of persons with the moon out of bounds include Albert Einstein, Thomas Jefferson, Catherine the Great, Oprah Winfrey, Al Gore, Theodore Roosevelt, Lucille Ball, and Amelia Earhart.