by Somya Devi | Feb 9, 2017 | Astrology, Eclipses, Events, Planets Changing Signs, Retrograde
Transformation Portal: Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse Friday
The Full Moon in sidereal Cancer on Friday brings with it a penumbral lunar eclipse (February 10/11) that will be visible from most places on earth, except for Australia and the south Pacific. The Moon reaches maximum fullness at 4:33 p.m. PST, with the eclipse peaking at 4:43. This eclipse is part of a longer series of eclipses that we’ve been experiencing for the last year. Rahu and Ketu, the lunar nodes, have been transiting the Leo-Aquarius axis through this time, bringing pairs of lunar/solar eclipses last March and September, and this month. Download my Free E-Book about this eclipse series if you haven’t yet!
The nodes on the Leo-Aquarius axis raise questions about personal power versus universal service. Last year through the US election cycle we saw an intense play for personal power on the large scale, with extremist viewpoints (Rahu) rising into the place of authority (Leo). With Ketu’s shadow energy casting doubt in the sign of Aquarius, ideas of oneness and service to society at large have faced heavy criticism. On a personal level, we experience the controversy of this duality in our own lives, and question where and how we seek power and offer service.
Last year, Rahu’s lust for power in Leo was highly dogmatized due to Jupiter’s conjunction with him there (through September). This brought beliefs and values under the influence of the radical, obsessive and insecure shadow planet. In August Jupiter moved on into Virgo, however, putting our values and attention under a slightly more practical perspective. Most recently, on February 5th, Jupiter’s motion turned retrograde, which gives us the opportunity to back up and rethink some of the ways that we approach our beliefs and apply them in our lives. We may be second-guessing our relationships with our teachers at this time, or considering going back to school for some more education.
Saturn also made a major transit recently, moving into sidereal Sagittarius in the end of January. This puts the planet of commitment in the sign of inspired action, and will compel us to persevere and stand up for what we believe in. This transit will span the next three years, save for a brief period later this year when Saturn’s retrograde motion takes him back into Scorpio. The influence of Saturn in our personal lives during this time can be immense (this begins Saturn’s return and/or Sade Sati for many). He will bring pressure as he helps us figure out how to really stand behind and take action for our beliefs, particularly in the area indicated by Sagittarius in your chart.
This Full Moon falls in the end of the water sign of Cancer, adding a heavy emotional component to our experience this month. The eclipse energy here can help us to see some of our deepest shadows, particularly in how we handle ourselves emotionally. Cancer is the Moon’s own sign, and the capacity for receptivity here is great. We may feel our hearts wide open during this Full Moon, but with this also comes a sensitivity and vulnerability that can throw us off balance under the shadow influence of the eclipse.
In particular, the Moon will be in the Vedic constellation (nakshatra) of Ashlesha, the sign of the water serpent. This nakshatra has to do with deeply coiled energies and hidden potential (kundalini specifically). It is ruled by the Nagas, the serpents of wisdom. There is a potential for great awakening as the Moon is eclipsed in this sign. We momentarily feel cut off from the light of emotional intelligence during a lunar eclipse, and are forced to become aware of the dark shadows that obscure peace in our hearts. Bringing awareness to these can help us to break free from them, uncoiling our own inner mess and helping us blossom into wisdom.
Connecting with the heart and the water element is important during this Full Moon. What’s more, Venus is currently exalted, having moved into Pisces at the end of January. He will transit here for the next four months, giving us the potential to elevate our relationships and the ways we pursue our desires. In Pisces, Venus is under Jupiter’s rule, which can inspire the planet of pleasure to get in line with our values. It’s also another water sign, the last of the 12 major signs, and a place that compels us to surrender to the divine flow. With Saturn pushing our commitment onto our principles, from Sagittarius, and Jupiter helping us with the earthly details, from Virgo, this all adds up to a huge growth opportunity around this eclipse.
The solar eclipse of this eclipse-pair will come on February 26th. Eclipses come in pairs, and we feel the intense energy of the cycle from a few weeks before the first until soon after the second. This is the third pair of eclipses in the larger cycle, since last January when Rahu and Ketu moved into Leo and Aquarius. During the next pair of eclipses, in August, they will be right on the cusp of Cancer and Capricorn. Between now and then we will really finalize implementing the lessons and changes brought up throughout their Leo-Aquarius transit, and we will begin exploring our shadows along the Cancer-Capricorn axis.
To help you make sense of these major astrological events, I am offering individual readings to look at Saturn, Venus, and the Eclipses, or you can request a 2017 Reading to talk about the effects of all three.
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by Somya Devi | Jan 25, 2017 | Astrology, Conjunctions, Eclipses, Events, Planets Changing Signs, Retrograde
Title Photo Credit: “Gorgeous Planets” by Victoria White, C.C. License 2.0
New Moon in Capricorn and Some Big Changes
The new lunar cycle begins on Friday, January 27th, with a New Moon in Capricorn and some big changes on the horizon. The exact time of the Dark Moon is at 4:07 pm PST on Friday, and from there we enter the new waxing cycle. The coming month brings forward the energy of Capricorn, where we feel the weight of Saturn pressuring us to reflect inwardly on our limitations and fears, and commit to taking responsibility for ourselves.
Saturn
Saturn’s force may feel especially dense right now because he is at the juncture of two signs, sidereal Scorpio and Sagittarius. This particular juncture between signs is one of the three places in the Vedic zodiac considered gandanta, the end of a knot. It is a very evolutionary place in the zodiac, where we are working with some deep-seated and tightly-bound karma. Saturn is the planet that makes us look at our long-term goals, fears, and responsibilities, and forces us to learn patience, perseverance, and commitment.
Click for more on Saturn in Sagittarius
Saturn officially changes signs, from Scorpio to Sagittarius, on January 26th, 2017 (see full Saturn in Sagittarius article), beginning a major three-year transit that will bring his influence to new areas of our lives. This transit will compel us to look deeply at our philosophies and how we stand and act behind them, and it will help us to commit to more inspired action to support what we believe in most.
At the moment, however, Saturn is still at zero degrees and in the process of settling into Sagittarius, now under Jupiter’s rulership. We are currently feeling the intensity of his gandanta position and facing some deep karma. This time offers the potential for doing a lot of maturing and unraveling our internal knots, particularly during the Capricorn cycle, during which we turn Saturn’s forces inward, by the feminine nature of this sign.
Sravana
This month is a good time to look deeply at our fears and what brings us the most pressure in life, and work on bringing some wisdom and internal strength forward to endure those challenges. The lunar cycle begins in Sravana nakshatra, a Vedic constellation within Capricorn that has to do with the ear and deeply listening. We can make great strides through listening deeply this month–perhaps through our own meditation practice, but also through paying attention to oral traditions (like astrology). Traveling, listening to music, and studying languages and other forms of communication can offer us a lot during this cycle. Lord Vishnu resides over this nakshatra, and inspires us to step up and align our internal structures in a way that supports our long-term goals.
Venus
Venus is also making a major transit this month, on January 27th, the same day as the new Moon cycle begins. Venus is entering Pisces where he will be exalted for the next four months (through May 30th). This means that we have the opportunity to find more intelligence in our relationships and in our pursuit of happiness, as we attempt to align our Venusian desires with our higher beliefs and philosophy (under Jupiter’s ruling influence on Pisces). There is also the potential to get carried away and romanticize everything or go overboard in escapism and indulgences, depending on the strength of Venus in our natal chart.
Jupiter
A few days after the new Moon begins, Jupiter will start his retrograde motion, on February 5th. This will last through June 9th, and during this time we will take a closer look at our philosophies and beliefs, as well as our higher education and teachers. It may be time to refine where we choose to put our energy, where and how we study, and who our teachers are.
Eclipses
Last but not least, we are most definitely in the orb of the eclipse cycle right now. There are solar and lunar eclipses coming on February 10th and 26th. These eclipses are the third set occurring with Rahu and Ketu, the lunar nodes, on the sidereal Leo-Aquarius axis (since January 2016). This transit has helped us to uncover our shadows in the dichotomy between personal empowerment and universal service. It has stirred the pot very particularly in the areas of life indicated by Leo and Aquarius in your chart. Now is the time to really harvest some of the lessons that have been offered over the last year, and see how and where you need to integrate changes into your life for the duration of their transit here (through August of this year.)
To help you make sense of these major astrological events, I am offering individual readings to look at Saturn, Venus, and the Eclipses, or you can request a 2017 Reading to talk about the effects of all three.
by Somya Devi | Jan 24, 2017 | Astrology, Events, Planets Changing Signs
Saturn in Sagittarius
Jan. 26, 2017 – January 23, 2020
On January 26th, 2017, Saturn transited from sidereal Scorpio into Sagittarius, beginning a three-year journey here. His influence here will compel us to work hard for our highest beliefs, and commit to standing behind them through inspired actions. He will put the pressure on for us to take responsibility for what we believe in, and act on it. We’ll feel the pressure to step up and work hard very specifically in the area of life that Sagittarius indicates in our personal Vedic birth chart.
Wherever Saturn, or Lord Shani, visits, his weighty influence forces us to re-evaluate our long-term goals and the path we are walking to get there. We feel the need to reforge our commitments and become more mature in the area that he influences. Sagittarius is a sattvic, masculine, fire sign, ruled by Jupiter, the planet who inspires our beliefs, principles, and philosophy. Saturn here will cause us to look at our principles and how we go about putting them into actions and structures of lasting value. The sattvic and firey natures of Sagittarius inspire us to purify ourselves, our work, and our commitments.
By grace, this will be a period where we are really able to sort through our belief systems and commit only to the highest elements within them. It will be a three-year process of re-evaluating our long term goals and values, and how we approach hard work and responsibility in regards to our beliefs, and to the area of life indicated by Sagittarius in our natal chart.
Saturn, or Lord Shani, is the slowest-moving planet in the Vedic system, visiting each sign for almost three years at a time, and taking a full 30 years to move all the way through the zodiac. Because of this he compels us to think about the bigger picture and the long term results of things. His grinding pace impels the need for patience and endurance, some of the greatest lessons he has to teach us. Wherever Saturn influences our chart, we become a bit more serious there, because we’re thinking about the long-term affects of our actions and how they relate to our ultimate goals over the course of time.
Saturn’s Return
This is why we often hear about people “growing up” or getting more serious about life around the “Saturn’s return.” This refers to when Saturn returns to the sign he was in at the time of your birth. When this happens, you become acutely aware of the passing of time and its consequences, and begin to think more seriously about the future. This happens for the first time around age 27-30, but people often forget that around age 56-59 we experience a second Saturn’s return. You will be experiencing a Saturn’s return period over the next three years if you were born between:
• December 16, 1987 – March 19, 1990
• June 20, 1990 – December 13, 1990
• February 7, 1958 – May 31, 1958
• November 7, 1958 – January 31, 1961
There’s even a third Saturn’s return happening for those elders born between
• December 24, 1928 – April 11, 1931
• May 25, 1931 – December 24, 1931
Sade Sati
Saturn’s influence can be so heavy that it is said it feels like he sits on your head when he visits your Moon sign (as explained in the well-known tale about Saturn and Hanuman). This story refers to the Sade Sati period, a 7.5-year interval during which Shani transits the sign before your Moon, your Moon sign, and the sign after your Moon. You are now in Sade Sati period if your Vedic Moon sign is Capricorn, Sagittarius, or Scorpio. He will also cast a heavy influence if one of these is your Vedic rising sign. This time can bring a lot of pressures in life, especially mentally and emotionally, but it is not necessarily all bad either. It can help you to mature and become more responsible in your life as well. The way you experience this transit depends on many influences in your Vedic birth chart.
Retrograde Saturn
Saturn goes into retrograde motion fairly often, and he was retrograde this year from April 5th through August 25th. This may have caused things to slow down in the areas of life ruled by Saturn in our birth charts. It also is a time to be very introspective regarding the process of maturation initiated by his transit into Sagittarius.
Shani actually transited back into Scorpio during his retrograde motion. This gave us one final chance to really get clear on how we approach and commit to our personal transformation, AND the area of life indicated by Scorpio in our natal chart. We were doing a lot of work in this area for the last three years, and reflecting on it deeply during Saturn’s retrograde motion periods. Saturn was in Scorpio again from June 22nd through October 26th, 2017.
Gandanta Transition
Your work life and the other themes ruled by Saturn in your chart may seem a bit unsteady right now, and over the next couple of weeks while Saturn is on the cusp of two signs and not fully settled into Sagittarius. The cusp of these two signs is considred the gandanta zone (a “knot”), in Vedic astrology, and can be a particularly difficult placement, especially with Saturn there, who can make us feel stuck anyway. As he moves further into Sagittarius we will feel his influence more strongly, and get a bit more energy for making commitments and handling responsibilities. I’ll be sending out a Saturn in Sagittarius Forecast for each rising sign, so be sure to join my mailing list to stay up-to-date.
Om Sham Shanayai Namaha
For an in-depth look at how this transit will affect you personally, you can receive a Saturn in Sagittarius Personal Reading.
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by Somya Devi | Jan 11, 2017 | Astrology, Conjunctions, Eclipses, Holy Days, Planets Changing Signs, Retrograde
Gemini Full Moon Offers a Fresh Start
The full Moon occurs in sidereal Gemini tonight! The exact full Moon time is 6:34 am EST on January 12th. This full Moon falls in the Vedic nakshatra of Punarvasu, a constellation of renewal. Meaning “good again,” or “more light,” this is a great nakshatra to connect with as we begin the new year. This star-sign comes after the stormy and turbulent nakshatra of Ardra, and represents the calm after the storm. Many people experienced 2016 as especially turbulent (and many astrological alignments contributed to that!). Now is is an excellent time to be reminded of the rebirth that can come after chaotic times.
Punarvasu can be identified in sidereal Gemini, around the stars Castor and Pollux. The preceding constellation, Ardra, is ruled by Rudra, a fierce form of Shiva. He reminds us of the destructive powers of nature, and challenges us to find peace and consciousness amidst turmoil. Punarvasu comes after Ardra, and signifies the return of light. During this time of year we begin to feel the light of the Sun returning after the December solstice, as the seasons begin to wax in the northern hemisphere. The deity for this nakshatra is Aditi, a fertile mother-goddess. After the rains, the ground becomes moist, lush and ready for new life to begin its journey upward.
What have the intense rains of winter watered in your life? What has been destroyed by them, creating space for something new to be planted? Where have you nourished the grounds thus far, and what do you desire to grow this year? Now is a time to rise up and connect with your intentions, offering your vision forward and finding the light after the wreckage. The Gemini full Moon offers a fresh start. This is fitting as it coincides with the start of the New Year, and also with Makara Sankranti (January 14th), a Hindu holiday celebrating the return of the light when the Sun enters sidereal Capricorn.
Both Gemini and Punarvasu are strongly dual in nature, enabling us to see both sides of a situation. In Western lore, the twins, Castor and Pollux are found here. In Vedic mythology, Gemini is called Mithuna, “the pair.” The two figures were seen in Vedic times as a male and a female, representing the yin and yang aspects of existence, and the dance between the two.
Gemini reminds us to be open, curious, and playful. The full Moon here offers a contrast to the strongly opinionated and purposeful energy of Sagittarius, where we began this cycle. Under a Sagittarian influence, we move and act closely in alignment with our beliefs. This can sometimes lead us in the right direction, but sometimes can lead us into dogmatism or over-zealousness. Gemini reminds us to remain flexible, and allows us to change directions if we want. The light of the full Moon here illuminates the amenable and resilient side of ourselves, and aids us in going with the flow and adapting to life’s circumstance. This lunar cycle teaches us to move with purpose, while at the same time reminds us of the need to stay open.
The energy of this month may be very tough on relationships, as we’ve had Venus, Mars, and Ketu joining together in Aquarius for the last couple of weeks. All three remain here for another week more to come, and Venus and Ketu stay joined through the 27th. Ketu with Venus brings up doubts and shadows around relationships, while Mars adds a level of passion and intensity that can result in arguing or fighting. Ketu also has the potential to break things and set us free from the past. If you’ve been trying to move forward from something or someone, this could be the time. If you’re trying to hold something together, be aware of the added challenge that is coming from this alignment. With these planets in Aquarius, work on aligning your relationships, pursuit of happiness, and actions with your highest goals. Service to society or a greater cause will help you to work with these energies now.
We’re nearing another eclipse cycle, with the nodes eclipsing the Moon and Sun (partially) on February 10th and 26th. This is the last full eclipse cycle with the nodes on the Leo-Aquarius axis. If you never read the report for your sign about this, download the free e-book now. The coming eclipse cycle is a final time to get a really good glimpse of our shadows around power and service, and particularly in relation to the house-axis aligned with Leo and Aquarius in your Vedic chart. If there are lessons you’ve been trying to ignore for the past year, don’t pass up this opportunity to pay attention to them and make some changes in your life, whether internal or external.
At the end of the month, on January 26th, Saturn will enter Sagittarius for the first time, after a 2.5-year transit through Scorpio. This will bring big changes in where and how we approach our long-term goals, and where we feel acute pressures in life. Then on the 27th, Venus will transit into Pisces, where he’ll remain exalted for four full months, including a 6-week period in retrograde motion. This has major impact potential for relationships and how we approach happiness in general. Stay updated to get the upcoming forecasts for your sign on both of these major transits!
Personal 2017 Readings are now available, as well as Eclipse Readings. If you’ve had a reading from me previously you can order the full session or a 30-minute session for either or both of these. Happy New Year!
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by Somya Devi | Dec 26, 2016 | Astrology, Conjunctions, Events, Retrograde
New Moon of Cosmic Waters Begins the New Year
The New Moon cycle begins on the night of December 28th, at 10:53 p.m. PST. Sun and Moon coincide in sidereal Sagittarius in Purva Ashada nakshatra, joining a retrograde Mercury. Purva Ashada is a Vedic constellation that translates as the “invincible one” or the “undefeated.” There is a powerful energy of victory associated with this star-sign, which falls in the middle of the powerful sign of Sagittarius.
The Sagittarius cycle brings an energy of optimism, as this sign is the outward expression of the planet Jupiter. Jupiter guides our philosophy and beliefs, as well as hope and optimism, so in Sagittarius we feel inspired to put our values into actions. This can inspire a lot of charitable work and humanitarian efforts. Sagittarius is also a fire sign, so we can get incredibly passionate about working for our beliefs here.
Purva Ashada nakshatra represents the middle of the Sagittarius constellation, and is associated with both power and fluidity. The deity for this star is Apas, the deification of water. The energy of this New Moon of the cosmic waters begins the new year for us a few days later.
In 2016 we experienced a wide-scale rising of struggles for water rights even here in the “first-world” United States. Scientists and spiritual leaders alike have told us that wars will be waged over this vital natural resource, and sadly we have reached the point where that is a reality. On the Dark Moon night of December 28th may we go inward and deeply contemplate our relationship with this elemental life-giver. Connect with Apas as the living embodiment of water if this helps you to strengthen your connection and prayers.
This could be a tough month for relationships as well as societal power struggles, because Venus, Mars, and Ketu now all join in Aquarius, opposite from Rahu in Leo. Ketu brings forth a lot of shadow energy and the combination of Ketu and Mars can be explosive. The affect of these two together with Venus could take a toll on our relationships, bringing up a lot of latent unspoken grievances and arguments about them. This is a time for self-scrutiny, as we are now approaching the last set of eclipses with Rahu and Ketu on the Leo-Aquarius axis. These eclipses will be coming in February.
Personal shadow work may be arising now, especially as we are in the middle of the last kala sarpa yoga cycle that we will experience until late next year. A kala sarpa alignment is indicated when all of the planets are on one side of the nodal axis (Rahu and Ketu are always opposite each other, forming this axis). This alignment usually brings a lot of intensity and upheaval, especially on the inner scale.
There is a range of interpretation as to whether a kala sarpa yoga occurs only when the planets are in between the nodes and not in the same sign as them, or also when they are in between the nodes and joining them within the same sign. That is to say, the current alignment may be considered a looser kala sarpa by some, or not at all by others, because Venus and Mars are in the same sign as Ketu, and Mars will soon be passing Ketu. Nevertheless, the strong proximity and association with the nodes still make for the “heavy times” energy that a kala sarpa yoga tends to bring.
This New Moon joins the Sun along with a retrograde Mercury in Sagittarius. Mercury will be retrograde until January 8th. If you’re making any travel arrangements or other plans during this period, leave yourself extra time for unexpected delays and schedule changes. It’s also a good time to go back and finish conversations that were previously unresolved.
All in all, this is a time where self-awareness is very important, largely because of the strong influence of Ketu. Ketu is one of the planets of the subconscious, so a lot of the energy arising now, in our actions, arguments, and relationships, is from a place that we do not completely understand. There is much wisdom to be gained here, however. The dark Moon time is a great time to meditate and listen to your own inner voice.Remember also to honor the water element, within and without.
*Personal 2017 Readings are available now and are being scheduled throughout the month of January. Be sure to join my mailing list to stay up-to-date with the latest 2017 forecasts
