How to Use the Lilith Sign Calculator
- Enter your birth date.
- Enter your birth time, or tick the box if unknown.
- Choose the UTC offset at birth.
- Choose the Western or Vedic zodiac.
- Read your Lilith sign, degree and sign dates.
Enter your birth date, birth time and the UTC offset that applied where you were born, including daylight saving time. If you do not know the time, tick the box and the calculator uses noon. Lilith moves only about 3° a month, so the time rarely changes the sign. Choose the Western (tropical) zodiac used by most Western astrologers, or the Vedic (sidereal) zodiac with the Lahiri ayanamsa.
The result shows your Lilith sign and exact degree, a short traditional reading, the dates Lilith entered and left that sign, its element and mode, and the opposite point, the mean perigee. A table lists the Lilith sign changes around your birth.
What Black Moon Lilith Is
The Moon's orbit is an ellipse, so its distance from Earth changes through the month. The farthest point of the orbit is the lunar apogee. Black Moon Lilith in astrology is this apogee point projected onto the zodiac. It is not a physical body. Because the orbit's ellipse slowly turns, the apogee moves forward through the zodiac, completing a full circle in about 8.85 years and spending about nine months in each sign.
Astrologers use several versions. Mean Lilith, used here, follows the average motion of the apogee and moves smoothly. True or osculating Lilith follows the actual apogee of the Moon's orbit at each moment, which swings back and forth by up to about 30° around the mean point. Mean Lilith is the version most Western astrologers mean by Black Moon Lilith.
The Mean Lilith Formula
The mean apogee is 180° from the mean perigee, and the mean perigee is the Moon's mean longitude minus its mean anomaly. Both come from the lunar theory in Jean Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms, chapter 47, with T in Julian centuries from January 1, 2000:
M′ = 134.9633964° + 477198.8675055° T (Moon's mean anomaly)
mean Lilith = L′ − M′ + 180° (+ nutation in longitude)
sidereal Lilith = tropical Lilith − Lahiri ayanamsa
The calculator includes the small higher-order terms of both series. The rate works out to about 40.7° a year. We compared the result with the Swiss Ephemeris mean apogee for dates from 1850 to 2100 and the two agree within about 0.15°, roughly a day of Lilith's motion.
Worked Example
For a birth on May 15, 1990 at 08:30 in UTC−04:00 (12:30 UT), T = −0.0963 centuries. The formula gives mean Lilith at 21°26′ Scorpio in the tropical zodiac. Lilith entered Scorpio on November 3, 1989 and moved into Sagittarius on July 31, 1990. In the Vedic zodiac, subtracting the Lahiri ayanamsa of about 23°43′ places it at 27°42′ Libra.
Lilith in the Signs
| Sign | Traditional reading |
|---|---|
| Aries | Linked with a fierce need for independence and anger at being told to wait or hold back. |
| Taurus | Linked with strong appetites, sensuality and conflicts over comfort, money or possessions. |
| Gemini | Linked with a sharp, provocative mind and a fear of being silenced or not taken seriously. |
| Cancer | Linked with deep feelings about family and mothering, and a need to set emotional boundaries. |
| Leo | Linked with a hunger to be seen, creative pride and sensitivity to being overlooked. |
| Virgo | Linked with perfectionism, control over the body and routine, and freeing yourself from impossible standards. |
| Libra | Linked with tension between keeping the peace and claiming what you want in relationships. |
| Scorpio | Linked with intensity, secrets, power struggles and transformation through what is hidden. |
| Sagittarius | Linked with rebellion against dogma and a restless need to find your own truth. |
| Capricorn | Linked with ambition, authority issues and resisting rules that feel imposed. |
| Aquarius | Linked with nonconformity, a need for freedom in groups and feeling like an outsider. |
| Pisces | Linked with strong intuition, escapism and dissolving the line between dreams and reality. |
These readings summarize modern Western astrological interpretations. Lilith is a recent addition to astrology, popularized in the 20th century, and readings vary widely between authors.
Tips and Limits
- If another site shows a different sign, check whether it uses true (osculating) Lilith, which can differ from mean Lilith by tens of degrees.
- Asteroid Lilith (number 1181) and the hypothetical Dark Moon Lilith are different points with the same name.
- Near a sign boundary, compare the degree with the entry and exit dates shown, since a few hours can matter.
- Astrology is a cultural tradition, not a science. Enjoy the reading as a prompt for reflection.
Frequently asked questions
What is Black Moon Lilith?
It is the lunar apogee, the point of the Moon's orbit farthest from Earth, projected onto the zodiac. It is not a planet or a moon. Astrologers read it as the wild, independent or rejected side of a person.
How long does Lilith stay in each sign?
Mean Lilith moves about 40.7 degrees a year, so it spends about nine months in each sign and completes the zodiac in about 8.85 years. The calculator shows the exact entry and exit dates.
What is the difference between mean and true Lilith?
Mean Lilith follows the average position of the lunar apogee and moves smoothly. True or osculating Lilith follows the actual apogee, which wobbles up to about 30 degrees either side, so the two can fall in different signs.
Do I need my birth time to find my Lilith sign?
Usually not. Lilith moves only about 6.7 arcminutes an hour, so the date is enough unless Lilith was within a degree or so of changing sign. Tick the box to use noon if the time is unknown.
Is Lilith used in Vedic astrology?
Lilith is mainly a Western astrology point and is not part of classical Jyotish. The sidereal option is offered for people who want to see the position with the Lahiri ayanamsa.
How accurate is this Lilith calculator?
It uses the mean lunar elements from Jean Meeus's Astronomical Algorithms. Compared with the Swiss Ephemeris mean apogee, it agrees within about 0.15 degrees from 1850 to 2100.