by Somya Devi | Apr 3, 2019 | Astrology, Conjunctions, Eclipses, Events, Holy Days, Planets Changing Signs, Retrograde
The Sun and Moon come together to begin a new lunar cycle at 1:51 am PDT on April 5th. They will join in sidereal Pisces in the nakshatra called Revati, the last of the 27 star signs of Jyotish. This New Moon brings with it the springtime nine-night celebration of the goddess, known as Chaitra Navaratri. Though often less celebrated than the fall-time equivalent, this holiday is an important counterpart as we recognize the blooming of the life cycle, made possible by the sacred divine feminine.
Pisces Cycle
The Dark Moon will be in sidereal Pisces, at 21°. (If you aren’t familiar with the sidereal/star-based vs. tropical/seasonally-based zodiacs, review my article here!) Pisces is the last of the twelve major signs, and thus relates very much with letting go, especially on the materially plane, and surrendering to spirit or a higher power. Ruled by Jupiter (literally “Guru” or the teacher), the Pisces cycle will help us to get more in touch with our highest values and philosophies. As a water sign, we are also more intuitively driven this month. Your dreams and visions can reveal a lot during this cycle, and inward reflection and meditation can be potent on this Dark Moon (April 4th-5th).
Revati
In addition to being in the final rasi, this New Moon is also in the final nakshatra, the Vedic signs that the Moon visits for one moon phase each, each month. Meaning “the wealthy,” this sign brings grace, kindness, and compassion. It is ruled by the deity Pushan, the celestial shepherd who provides nourishment and protection, both to herds (of animals) and also to people on safe journeys. This star often brings a love of animals and people with a natal Moon here often work with animals or have strong relationships with pets. The actual animal symbol is the female elephant, another auspicious symbol in India.
Chaitra Navaratri
After the Dark Moon night, the first nine nights of this cycle will be the springtime Navaratri celebration, in the Hindu month of Chaitra. The nine nights are a time to get in touch with the Goddess energy, apparent and emergent as we enter the spring season in the northern hemisphere. There are so many forms to the goddess, and she truly offers us an immense well of abundance through all facets of life. This is a good time to get clear on what you are calling in, and trying to manifest with the grace of the goddess by your side.
Recent Nodal Transit
The nodes on all counts are officially transiting Gemini and Sagittarius now, with Rahu in Gemini and Ketu in Sagittarius. This new nodal cycle will last until September of 2020. Whichever houses these are in your chart will be effected, especially around the times of the eclipses, this July, December-January, and next June-July.
Saturn & Ketu
Not only is Ketu in Sagittarius, but he is approaching a close conjunction with Saturn. This could pile up a lot of stressful energy in the area of your life indicated by Sagittarius, unfortunately for most of this year. They’ll be joining within one degree (mean node calculation) at the end of this month, on the 25th, as Saturn slows to a halt and begins retrograde motion on the 29th. Since Ketu is always “retrograde,” the two will then be traveling together through the whole summer, until Saturn turns direct on September 18th, and they finally break their one-degree proximity on October 1st.
How will this affect us? It’s difficult to say exactly because they have somewhat conflicting energies… thus you can expect to feel this type of push-pull conflict in the Sagittarius area of your life. Saturn puts on the pressure, makes us do the hard work to meet our goals, have patience, and endure. On the other hand, Ketu often compels us to throw our hands up and renounce the task at hand, feeling so critical of it that we often want to let it go completely. We can dive into an exploration of this transit over your personal chart in an Eclipse Reading.*
Jupiter & Venus
Jupiter is also joining Saturn and Ketu in Sagittarius now, hovering in the early gandanta degree as he slows to a stop and begins retrograde motion on April 10th. This will send him back into Scorpio on the 22nd. His presence in his own sign of Sagittarius could normally be uplifting to the situation there, but in his current condition he may not be as helpful as usual. The gandanta energy could make him weaker, while the retrograde condition is actually a strength (he will be quite bright in the sky in the coming months). Remember that he is also the ruler of this Pisces new Moon, so this “mixed” stuck/inspired energy could also seep into the general tone of the month ahead.
Venus will be moving into Pisces on the 15th, however, where he is exalted, which could bring some upliftment and more happiness into our lives, though he will also be conditioned by the mixed opportunities that Pisces’ ruler Jupiter offers right now.
*If this is your first reading with me, I recommend starting with the longer life-course reading, which will include a look at the current transits and how these affect you, in addition to your general karma, strengths, and challenges.
by Somya Devi | Jun 12, 2018 | Astrology, Conjunctions, Eclipses, Planets Changing Signs, Retrograde
New Moon in Taurus
Tonight is the Dark Moon Night, with no Moon visible since he is rising and setting in alignment with the Sun today. The Sun and Moon come into exact conjunction to begin a new lunar cycle on Wednesday, June 13th, at 12:43 pm PDT. They coincide in sidereal Taurus, and the Vedic nakshatra of Mrigashira, and bring on a month of intense Venusian energy.
Taurus
The new Moon happens with Sun and Moon at 28°39’ of sidereal Taurus, bringing the second Taurus cycle in a row, as last month’s new Moon was at 0°30’ of this sign. Taurus is a four-footed earth sign ruled by Venus. Known as Vrisha, the bull, Taurus energy is strong and committed. Due to the four-footed nature, things we begin this month may not easily change directions later, but will carry a rather forward-moving momentum. Also a fixed rashi (sign), we may be feeling a little more stubborn about things this month, and not as flexible as at other times.
With earth-sign energy prominent, this is a great time to connect with mother nature, and all things of the material world. Crystals, jewels, clothing, plants, herbs, and home accoutrements may be catching our attention more than usual right now. Food and drink and other sensory pleasures are also more appealing (so be mindful if you have indulgent tendencies). Under the rule of Venus, the planet of pleasure and worldly love, the Taurus new Moon sets a fertile ground for new ventures in these arenas.
As we begin this cycle, Venus is traversing sidereal Cancer, the sign of motherly love, and a place where selfless devotion can be found. This gives us the opportunity to elevate our human relationships and harmonize them with our devotional nature. Venus in Cancer can also lead to boundaries that are too wide open, however, so keep a discerning awareness there too. Rahu is also joining Venus in Cancer, which can exaggerate our desire nature and make us a little obsessive towards sensory pleasures or relationships. As Venus transits here, our shadow side in relationships becomes more visible for examination.
Mrigashira
In the Vedic nakshatra system, three nakshatras or star-signs bridge the 30° portion of the sky designated as “Taurus”: Krittika, Rohini, and Mrigashira. Mrigashira’s “territory” lies half in Taurus and half in Gemini, while the actual stars of this nakshatra are located in the constellation Orion, on his right shoulder. Known as the “deer’s head,” this star-sign emits a gentle and graceful energy, which we will feel as we enter this lunar cycle. Like a deer, however, the energy here can verge on being timid, and skittish, giving us the potential to startle easily. Also like the deer, there is a wandering nature to this nakshatra.
Mars and Ketu
Just hours after the new Moon, Mars and Ketu will reach exact alignment or conjunction, at 4:25pm PDT on June 13th. Despite the gentle and loving position of the Moon and Sun at this time, this moment has some intense explosive potential. Some surprises could come to light today, or in the days surrounding, especially relating to those things indicated by Mars in your individual natal chart.
While Mars is transiting Capricorn, his sign of exaltation, we, on the one hand, have opportunities to really hone in our discipline, courage, and skill, anchoring these things towards our earthly goals and responsibilities. On the other hand, Ketu’s confusing, critical, and resistant nature can run amok on these attempts. As the node of the subconscious past, we could find latent resistances coming to the surface. For spiritual seekers, there is potential here for overcoming these internal blockages. Overall, however, surprises and distress may arise during this conjunction.
Because Mars will be entering apparent retrograde motion on June 26th, he will actually pass over Ketu twice more and have two more exact conjunctions with him this year: on July 18th, and then again on September 22nd. His retrograde journey may cause us to feel some slow-down or back-tracking in the areas of life he rules in our individual chart.
Eclipses
We can begin gearing up for some stronger nodal influences this summer, as the next new Moon, on July 13th, will bring the first of a set of three eclipses. There will be a partial solar eclipse on July 13th, a total lunar eclipse on July 27th, and another partial solar eclipse on August 11th. What’s more, starting July 16th we will enter a roughly two-week Kala Saarpa period (with all planets to one side of the nodal axis), which will recur four times more before the end of the year. The eclipses and Kala Saarpa cycles will influence you specifically in the areas of life indicated by sidereal Capricorn and Cancer in your natal chart, and also strongly depending on any planets that are found within those signs.
by Somya Devi | May 28, 2018 | Astrology, Conjunctions, Retrograde
Full Moon in Scorpio and Anuradha
The Moon is waxing into fullness tonight, reaching total opposition with the Sun at 7:20 am P.D.T. on Tuesday, May 29th. This full Moon aligns with Anuradha nakshatra, in the middle of sidereal Scorpio, opposite the Sun and Mercury in Taurus. Flanked by retrograde Jupiter and retrograde Saturn in the adjacent signs, this Scorpio Full Moon packs a powerful punch for devotion and transformation.
Scorpio Full Moon
Yes, there may still be a few of you who are thinking that the Scorpio full Moon was last month — if this is you, read up on the sidereal zodiac here, and refer to the star-map in title photo. If you’re a star-gazer or have been following my blog, you know that astronomically, the Moon is aligned with the constellation of Scorpio tonight.
We began this lunar cycle with both Sun and Moon aligned in Taurus, the steady earth-sign that brings forth our desire for stability and groundedness. As the Moon becomes fully illuminated in the opposite sign of Scorpio, our sense body contacts a feeling of being on the edge, facing uncertainty some watery emotional rides. The Moon is considered exalted in Taurus, which offers our minds and hearts a place to feel secure, and is considered debilitated in Scorpio, the sign that raises our deepest vulnerabilities to the surface when the Moon is full here.
Vulnerabilities are ultimately related to things like love, devotion, and deep bonds. We are only afraid of losing what (or whom) is important to us, that which has a special place in the deep chambers of our heart. This Scorpio full Moon therefore will illuminate our deepest passions, while reminding us simultaneously that we cannot hold too tightly to them, for there is an ebb and flow to everything.
There is a great power for emotional rebirthing and transformation around and under this Moon. Scorpio’s quest is to find the emotional and spiritual courage to love fearlessly, with total devotion, while knowing that there may be turbulence and change at different points along the journey. You may recognize this mood or pattern if any planets in your chart are located within Scorpio.
Anuradha
There are three Vedic nakshatras or star-signs that bridge sidereal Scorpio. Anuradha and Jyeshtha lie entirely within Scorpio, while Vishaka’s sky portion has three-quarters in Libra and one in the beginning of Scorpio. Represented by the lotus flower, and located around the star Antares, Anuradha has to do with concepts of devotion and success after difficulty. It is also a sign associated with friendship.
Saturn and Jupiter
Last night, the Moon was closely aligned with Jupiter, and shared the sign of Libra with him for a few days before moving into Scorpio. The Moon-Jupiter conjunction brings a lot of inspiration to our hearts and minds. This is augmented by the fact that Jupiter is retrograde, nearly opposite the Sun himself, and incredibly bright right now. This bright Jupiter can add a lot of grace to our emotional state as we enter the challenge of Moon going through Scorpio for a few days.
As Moon leaves Scorpio, he will then be joining Saturn as he transits Sagittarius for the next couple of days. Saturn is also retrograde, nearly opposite the Sun, and quite bright. This will help us to strengthen our resolve, and know where our efforts are needed going forward, after any transformational processes that occur on the full Moon.
Lunar Return :: Alternative “Birthdays”
Last week was my solar return, AKA my “birthday” in Western standards, but I’m celebrating my lunar return tonight. It got me thinking that this would be interesting to share, as others may also want to consider celebrating astronomical/astrological anniversaries, instead of just Gregorian.
By birthday, we usually mean the date (month and day) on the Gregorian calendar that is the same as it was the year we were born. By solar return, I mean the time that the Sun returned to the exact degrees in Taurus where it was on the day I was born. Now, because the Sun only progresses one degree every 72 years, my Gregorian birthday is still the same as my solar return. My lunar return, however, happens tonight. This evening, the Moon phase (tithi), the rashi (Scorpio) and the nakshatra will all be the same as the night I was born. It doesn’t happen that these three coincide every single year, so I’m considering this one special.
Take a deeper dive into what’s up in your chart with a personal reading.
by Somya Devi | Apr 28, 2018 | Astrology, Conjunctions, Planets Changing Signs, Retrograde
The full Moon peaks on Sunday, April 29th at 5:58 pm PDT in sidereal Libra, directly opposite the Sun in Aries. This is the turning point in the Aries lunar cycle, which began two weeks ago as the Sun and Moon came together in the Mars-ruled sign of individual strength and courage. Now, with the full Moon in Venus-ruled Libra, our relationships are illuminated and we examine the compromises and reflections that help us to truly integrate our individuality into a happy existence. This full Moon is also aligned with Swati nakshatra, the Vedic star-sign related to the wind element, and also a place of great independence.
Libra Full Moon
As we began the Aries cycle our attention was on our individual strength, power, and will, as we felt the cosmic encouragement to move ahead into new endeavors. Sun in Aries gives us a great sense of our connection to source, and the courage to translate that into actions. It was an auspicious time for new beginnings, augmented by Akshaya Tritiya, just after the new Moon of April 15th.
As the Moon now becomes fully illuminated directly opposite from the Sun in Aries, our emotional body resonates strongly with the Libran concepts of beauty and harmony. Relationships come to the forefront, and we become aware of the need to incorporate those we care for into our new ventures, and to compromise where appropriate, realizing that our individual happiness can only be as good as the state of our closest relationships. Venus and Libra illuminate our human experience and the need we have for intimacy and closeness. Close social bonds actually support the evolutionary imperative to survive which Mars stimulates in us.
The Libra full Moon also connects our minds and hearts to Venusian concepts such as art, music, and the beauty of the natural world around us. This is a good weekend to spend time in nature, around the arts, or with those we love, recognizing that the pleasurable side of life is integral to our other endeavors.
Swati
Within Libra, this full Moon falls at around 15°, aligning with the Vedic constellation known as Swati, “the independent one.” As a Rahuvian nakshatra, this part of the sky does elicit a degree of independence, and we strive to balance that with our relational nature. This nakshatra is ruled by Vayu, the lord of wind, and as the Moon transits here we must watch that our mind does not become too scattered, flitting quickly from one idea to the next. Connecting with earth and water elements would be helpful this weekend to ground these energies.
Jupiter
Jupiter is joining this full Moon in Libra, adding a helpful optimism and an expansive feeling to the heart. Jupiter is also directly opposite the Sun right now, and in retrograde motion, so we will see an incredibly bright “full” Jupiter very close to the Moon tonight, and incredibly close to the Moon on Monday night. Jupiter is generally a benefic planet, who adds grace, inspiration, and good luck, but can also bring forth some difficulty if he is a more difficult influence in your natal chart.
Mars & Saturn
Mars is moving into sidereal Capricorn on May 2nd, ending his conjunction with Saturn but beginning one with Ketu. Mars will transit Capricorn for 6 months, moving in retrograde motion for part of that time. Being in his sign of exaltation, Mars in Capricorn can bring great strength and discipline, and more courage and conviction for us, especially in those areas of life he rules in your natal chart. His conjunction with Ketu during this time, however, will also bring up shadows in those areas of life, and possibly force us to undergo some major changes and processes of detachment with those things. You can receive a deeper examination of this transit as part of a personal natal chart reading.
Mercury
Mercury remains in Pisces, his sign of debilitation, until May 9th. Continue to watch for emotion overwhelming your sense of practicality. Our emotions are also highlighted and heightened by the Moon’s conjunction with Jupiter this weekend, and by Rahu’s continuing transit of Cancer throughout this year.
by Somya Devi | Mar 15, 2018 | Astrology, Conjunctions, Planets Changing Signs, Retrograde
New Moon in Pisces
This Saturday the Sun and Moon join in Pisces to begin a new lunar cycle, at exactly 6:12 a.m. PDT on March 17th. They coincide in Purva Bhadrapada nakshatra, the Vedic star-sign that bridges Aquarius and Pisces. This is truly a turning point in the zodiac, and in the year, as we really start to feel the ices of winter melting away, and the rains of spring washing out the old and nourishing the earth for a new cycle of life to begin.
Pisces
Pisces is the natural twelfth sign, a place where we complete a cycle, having gone through all the stages of it from beginning to end. Pisces is a sattvic (pure) sign ruled by Jupiter, which guides us towards the highest form of letting go and facing an ending — surrender to a higher power or purpose. It is also a water sign, which brings forward our emotional intuition. It has to do with the most ethereal planes of our existence, awakening the dream world and the subconscious.
This month could really help you to tap into your subconscious landscape and creative potential. The atmosphere is ripe for deepening our intuition and cleansing energetic impurities. Though it is a place of endings, the twelfth sign also relates to the pre-natal state, coming before the first sign of Aries where physical manifestation takes place. Through a practice of meditation, a trance state, or conscious inward investigation, now is a time to discover what lies below the surface and is ready to be birthed during the coming season.
Purva Bhadrapada
The new lunar cycle begins under the nakshatra Purva Bhadrapada, a sign that bridges Aquarius and Pisces and has to do with the fires of purification (specifically, the funeral cot, where our physical body is burnt away and we truly merge back into spirit). As we approach the spring and summer, the times for heightened activity where we put our goals and dreams into action, we may first need to burn away the last remnants of the previous cycle. As we approach the Aries cycle, which comes next, this new Moon is a great time to cleanse and purify ourselves, especially energetically or spiritually, and let go of what we no longer need so we have our full strength available for the next journey.
Venus & Mercury
Venus and Mercury are both joining the Sun and Moon in Pisces as we begin this lunar cycle. We will experience their influences as the tone is set for the coming month. With Venus exalted in Pisces, we have an opportunity to purify our desires, and bring them into alignment with our higher principles and purpose. With Mercury neecha bhanga (debilitated, but modified by its conjunction with exalted Venus), our intellect and reasoning ability can also help us towards this goal.
Mercury is slowing down at the moment, however, and Mercury and Venus will enter into another planetary war on Sunday the 18th, through the 20th, while they travel within one degree of each other. Both the intellect and the pleasure-center can feel a bit fatigued during this occurrence, though Venus and the desire body are likely to come out stronger due to Venus’ brightness. Mercury will reverse course and go into retrograde motion on March 22nd, through April 15th.
Saturn & Mars
Saturn and Mars are currently in conjunction, transiting the same sign of Sagittarius. There can be an internal discomfort when this happens, as Mars, the planet of impulse and action, approaches Saturn, the slow giant who gives us patience and commitment. It can feel like the gas and the breaks are going at the same time (especially if you are Vedic Sagittarius rising or have prominent planets here). Moreover, the four areas of your life ruled by Saturn and Mars in the natal chart could be in noticeable conflict this month, especially when the two enter a planetary war on March 31st that will last through April 4th.
Jupiter Retrograde
Jupiter has appeared to be at a near stand-still the last few weeks, stationing completely in early 29° sidereal Libra, and entering retrograde motion on March 8th. Since Jupiter entered the sign of balance and relationships in September of last year, we have seen wide-spread philosophical attention on gender equality. The full stop coincided with International Women’s Day, when many women made a stand by stepping out of the workforce temporarily.
These weeks have also had a lot of slowing-down and renegotiating the balance of power in the education field, as teachers and students alike have walked out in protests for justice. Jupiter is the ruler of this field, and coming to a stop in the sign of balance, then turning around, could lead us to see some major changes here.
In your personal life, Jupiter retrograde may lead to things slowing down or reversing in the areas of life ruled by Jupiter in your personal natal chart. Full forecast and personal readings available here.
Equinox
The vernal equinox will fall on March 20th this year, when we will have equal hours of night and day all over the world. The northern hemisphere enters the warmer half of the year, while the southern hemisphere enters the colder. The life cycle is waxing in the north and waning in the south, yet at the time there is an evenness that spreads across the globe.
This equinox occurs during the Pisces Sun cycle, calling upon us to really rise and embrace a higher principle, to awaken to spirit and universal equality, and detach from mundane details and differences. Many people think of the spring equinox as Aries time, which it is the marker of in Western astrology and the tropical zodiac. In the astronomical/sidereal zodiac, however, the Sun is still at 5° Pisces during the equinox (see screenshot from Cosmic Watch app). This is due to what is called the precession of the equinoxes, whereby the wobble of the earth has caused our perspective of the zodiac to shift ever so slightly over thousands of years, and thus the spring equinox now occurs with Sun in Pisces.
On this New Moon in Pisces, embrace the opportunity to let go, cleanse, and purify, before the oncoming season of action is upon us.
