We can bask under a full Moon in Sagittarius tonight, as the Moon waxes towards total fullness opposite the Sun tomorrow at 2:38 pm PDT in Uttara Ashada nakshatra. With the Moon within degrees of south node Ketu, and the Sun (in sidereal Gemini) close to north node Rahu, this will bring in a partial lunar eclipse, the second eclipse of our summer series. Saturn is also joining Moon and Ketu, while Venus joins the Sun and Rahu. Due to the Hindu month we are in, this full Moon lunar eclipse also coincides with Guru Purnima, the auspicious Hindu holiday for honoring our teachers.
Sagittarius Full Moon
This full Moon is at the very end of Sagittarius, at 29°57’, pretty much on the sandhi point of transition between Sagittarius and Capricorn. Nevertheless, having been in a Gemini Sun cycle for the last month or so, this full Moon will highlight for us the way that inspiration and higher teachings can help us when we are stuck in an intellectual or just playful mode of being. This is the second full Moon in Sagittarius in a row, with the last one occurring in the early degrees of sidereal Sag in June. This once in a “blue Moon” event just means that we get to double up on the Sagittarius lessons.
Guru Purnima
It’s a fitting time for Guru Purnima, therefore, as Jupiter, or Guru in Sanskrit, is the ultimate teacher. Guru Purnima is a time for honoring all teachers, but particularly any spiritual teacher or satguru in your life. It is an auspicious time to connect with your teacher and teachings, to offer back reverence and come closer to that which guides you towards your best self. Under the full Moon in Sagittarius, our heart is illuminated as well, and more easily comes into alignment with higher teachings.
Uttara Ashada
Uttara Ashada (or Uttarashada) is the Vedic star-sign or nakshatra that bridges the end of Sagittarius and the beginning of Capricorn. It is translated as the “latter invincible one,” and has to do with victory and achievement. It is ruled by the ten Vishvadevas, the lords of dharma, and is also associated with the Sun, the sattvic purifyer. This full Moon is a time to let impurities burn away as we align ourselves with purpose and principle, orienting ourselves towards spiritual as well as worldly victory. This nakshatra’s animal symbol is the male mongoose, making it the only nakshatra (of the odd 27) that does not have a female counterpart.
Lunar Eclipse
The eclipse that coincides with this full Moon (maximum eclipse at 2:30 pm Tuesday) will make this an even more powerful Guru Purnima. As the shadow of the earth comes partially across the Moon, we may feel cut off from our minds and hearts, or feel a sensation of darkness over the heart as shadows surface that we are not usually fully aware of. This is the perfect time to dive into sadhana and connect with your guru, asking her to help remove any blockages, while doing your part by looking at and acknowledging what is there.
Eclipses offer us an opportunity to go deeper into what ails us, and through conscious interaction with this, we can move a lot of energy at this time. For those of us who aren’t willing to look at what’s up (or just haven’t noticed that this opportunity is being presented), eclipses can feel like they are wreaking havoc or bringing up extra stress in our lives. This is a good time of year to receive a personal reading, which can offer insight into where this eclipse is hitting your chart and life, and help you to discover ways to work with the planetary energies. This eclipse cycle is the first of three that will occur with the nodes along this axis, from now through next summer.
Lunar Eclipse Visibility, July 16, 2019
Venus
Venus is closely aligned with Rahu during this eclipse, which could make some of the shadows come up particularly around our relationships and how we go about seeking happiness in the world. Saturn, opposite with Ketu and the Moon, can teach us to balance this pleasure-seeking with the commitment and hard work that is needed to reach our long-term goals.
Venus will transit into Cancer on the 22nd, and travel there through August 16th. With Venus in the open-hearted sign of the Moon, this is an important time to watch your boundaries, as they can tend to spread wide open under this placement.
Mercury Retrograde
Mercury has been traveling in retrograde motion since July 7th (and also engaged in a planetary war with Mars from July 7th-9th). He will enter another war, this time with Venus, on July 24th and 25th. This can pin our desires and pleasures against our rationalizing intellect, with Venus winning this war due to his more luminous appearance in the early morning sky. (Mercury will be barely visible, as both planets are rising during the dawn, just before sunrise). Mercury transits back into his own sign of Gemini for a day or so on the 30th, before stationing and turning direct on July 31st, the next New Moon.
This is a great time to have a personal reading– either an Initial Reading (includes looking at the eclipses) if this is your first time working with me, or an Eclipse Reading if we have had a previous session.