by Somya Devi | Jun 26, 2018 | Uncategorized
The full Moon in Sagittarius will be fully opposite the Sun in Gemini at 9:53 pm PDT on Wednesday, June 27th. This Moon waxes into fullness in Mula nakshatra, the sign of “the root,” but will be closely joining a bright retrograde Saturn, only half a degree away longitudinally. Mars, Venus, and Mercury are all joining the Rahu-Ketu axis, bringing on a strong nodal energy as we approach a set of THREE eclipses to occur over the next two months.
Sagittarius Full Moon
Though we began this lunar cycle with Sun and Moon joined at the very end of sidereal Taurus, the Sun is spending most of this cycle passing through Gemini. Sun-in-Gemini energy inspires a playful and curious mood, as we connect to our inner power through communication, learning, movement, and travel. It brings forth our flexible and adaptable nature, and stimulates us to rely on the intellect and reason.
On the full Moon, our emotional body becomes full with the mood of Sagittarius. In this bhava (mood) we rely on our faith, principles, and ideals more than on skills and reason. As the Sun’s light reflects upon the Moon from Gemini, we find a harmony between our faith and our intellects.
Under the Sagittarius full Moon, we feel the passion of our convictions. With the Moon illuminated in this fire sign, we may be stimulated to take actions that uphold our strongest beliefs. We have the potency to turn our principles into meaningful acts around this full Moon. This is a powerful time to dance around the fires of our inspiration, and let that light shine through us and into embodiment.
Moon Joined Saturn
This Full Moon is very closely joining the planet Saturn, within one half of a degree. Saturn is in retrograde motion at the moment, and, also opposite the Sun, is incredibly bright and about as close to the earth as he gets. With the Moon in such direct alignment with Saturn, there is a tangible feeling of pressure, even amidst the exalted and expanding emotional state that a full Moon brings.
As we sense our principles and beliefs filling us up right now and guiding our actions, we have an acute awareness of the depth and gravity that our choices hold for the future. Saturn is the planet of the long-term, and as such we are very aware of the consequences that will come over time.
Mula
In the Vedic nakshatra system, three nakshatras or star-signs bridge sidereal Sagittarius: Mula, Purva Ashada, and Uttara Ashada. Mula is attributed the first 13°20’ of this sign. Aligned with the black hole at the center of our galaxy, Mula translates as “the root,” and has to do with the deepest origins of all things. As we bask in the excitement of the Sagittarius full Moon, and feel the added seriousness from Saturn’s proximity, we are simultaneously aware of our deep roots. The past and the future coincide and we are aware of what is most important right now. The goddess Nirriti presides here, and reminds us of our penultimate death and destruction.
Approaching Eclipses
In addition to the powerful influence of this full Moon, the skies are charged with the intensity of the oncoming 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. On tomorrow’s full Moon, Mercury and Venus are joining Rahu while Mars (now stationary-retrograde) joins with Ketu.
The strong influence of the nodes and the upcoming eclipses brings our deep shadow energy forward. The shadows are the parts of ourselves that we are not normally able to see. They are our blind spots, the parts of ourselves that are confused and unable to see the light around certain situations. When we have eclipses, these shadows become more visible, and we are better able to work on clearing them through deeper self-understanding.
Wherever the nodes are transiting in your natal chart, these are the blind spots that are coming to light for you the most right now. These areas of life may be disruptive or disrupted over the next 7 weeks as we pass through this 3-eclipse portal. If you have any planets in your natal chart in sidereal Cancer or Capricorn, specific areas of life may be influenced even more by these eclipses. If we continue to do inner work and self-reflection, we can come through this time with a much clearer understanding of the path ahead, as we re-wire ourselves to stand in more balance around this axis.
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 29, 2018 | Astrology, Conjunctions, Holy Days, Retrograde
The Moon waxes toward fullness with the Full Moon in Virgo this Friday night, with the Moon coming fully opposite the Sun on March 31st, at 5:37 am PST. The full Moon culminates at 16° sidereal Virgo. There’s a screenshot below from an astronomy app to show you where you can identify the Moon this Friday night into Saturday morning. This part of the ecliptic is associated with the Vedic nakshatra called Hasta, the hand, which can be identified around the constellation Corvus, just below Virgo.
Full Moon in Virgo
We began this lunar cycle with Sun and Moon together in Pisces, driving our consciousness towards its deep waters, fishing out the dreams that lay buried, as we vision what is most important to us in the coming months. With the Moon now opposite Pisces, in Virgo, we can bring our consciousness out of the ethers and more fully into our bodies, as the Moon is illuminated in this grounded earth sign. Both Virgo and Pisces are dual-nature signs, providing the flexibility for us to shift things around when necessary, and to root down and stay put when there is work to be done.
The fertile, feminine earth sign of Virgo is a perfect place to plant the seeds of our lives for the coming season. Virgo draws our focus and attention to what work we can do in the material plane, helping us to look at the details that we will need to manage in order to fulfill the hopes and dreams that have arisen. Ruled by Mercury, the planet of the intellect, Virgo’s full Moon assists in analyzing what it will take to bring our inspiration into manifested form.
Hasta
The Vedic nakshatra where this Full Moon lies is especially handy in guiding us on how to craft our dreams into realities. Hasta, known as “the hand,” correlates with the middle degrees of Virgo, and symbolizes all that we do with our hands, or our handiness. There is a power here for creating, and any skill that takes a certain amount of dexterity, whether physical or mental. Under this full Moon, call on the power of the divine hands to enter you and help you to mold your creations into being.
Saturn-Mars War
Just hours after this full Moon, Mars approaches Saturn so closely that the two will be within one degree, and in a planetary war, through April 4th. As this happens, the areas of life ruled by both Mars and Saturn in your chart could be under duress this week. Their exact conjunction is around 8:28 am PST on April 2nd. In general, our impulsive instincts could feel at war with our patience and ability to stand strong in our commitments, with Mars coming through slightly brighter in his appearance.
Mercury Retrograde, Debilitated, and Combust
Our Mercurial nature (and those ruled by Mercury) could also be feeling challenged this weekend, with Mercury highly combust (within 3° of the Sun) from Saturday through Monday. This is while he is already in apparent retrograde motion, and traveling through his sign of debilitation, Pisces. In this scenario, our pragmatic nature, sense of humor, and ability to communicate may all seem a little bit lost in the current. Remember this when you’re going over your facts and details, and don’t let hopes and desires skew your analytical ability (watch those generous tax deductions you may be taking). Mercury will be retrograde all the way through April 15th, so after this weekend there’s a good chance to check over some of your numbers again… though he won’t move out of the optimistic Pisces until May 9th.
Hanuman Jayanti (and other holidays)
The purnima Full Moon phase this month indicates Hanuman Jayanti in the Hindu festival calendar, the celebration of the birth of Lord Hanuman. Hanuman embodies the highest form of devotion, and shows us the incredible strength that emerges from within when we practice great faith, humility, and service. In addition to traditional pujas (prayer ceremony), you can chant, sing, meditate, and especially, find some way to be of service, in order to honor Hanuman on this full Moon. The most fitting mantra/song is the Hanuman Chaleesa.
Marked by the first full Moon after the spring Equinox, this full moon marks the weekend for Easter and Passover as well, which are also determined by the lunar calendar.
Jai Jai Jai Hanuman!
And in case you missed it, Jupiter is now retrograde, and your sign’s free forecast is available HERE.
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by Somya Devi | Feb 26, 2018 | Conjunctions, Planets Changing Signs, Retrograde
Full Moon with the Power of Pleasure
This month’s Full Moon will peak in Leo on Thursday, March 1st, at 4:51 pm PST, near the bright star Regulus. It falls in the Vedic nakshatra called Purva Phalguni, a star-sign related to rest, relaxation, and pleasure, ruled by Bhagha, the god of wealth and marriage.
Aquarius-Leo Contrast
In contrast to the austerity of the Shivaratri new Moon where we began this lunar cycle, the full Moon here bestows the gifts of power, pleasure, and spiritual wealth that come to us based on our merit. Meditation and yogic practices lead to spiritual abundance, just as doing good works and service to the world helps with material happiness.
The Aquarius cycle which began just after Shivaratri has oriented us towards self-sacrifice, and focusing our energy on service to something greater than ourselves. In contrast, the full Moon in Leo illuminates the potential for personal power and prosperity. The lesson of Leo, however, is to use this energy generously, sharing it with those around us, not hoarding it greedily. The nature of the Sun is sattvic, and the true potential of Leo is to purify ourselves and then share our divine light with others. Like the Leonian archetype of the King or the father, one with power is meant to take care of those around him to create happiness for everyone, not only himself.
Purva Phalguni
Purva Phalguni is the second of three nakshatras that span Leo constellation. The first is Magha, “the mighty,” which is all about strength, power, and achievement, symbolized by the throne. After having reached the throne, we may become a bit more carefree and take some time to rest and enjoy life in Purva Phalguni. Enhanced by Venus’ influence, this nakshatra is a place where we seek beauty, luxury, and sexual passion. The full Moon here reminds us of the need for rest and relaxation, after the hard work that has led us to our achievements. Its symbol is a swinging hammock.
The ruling deity here is Bhaga, the god of wealth, marriage, and delight. Similar to Lakshmi, he bestows both material as well as spiritual prosperity. He is said to be blind, sharing this wealth with people of all walks of life. The fruits we receive are based on our merit from past actions, whereby good deeds and spiritual practices yield the most.
Venus
Link to Personal Venus Reading
The planet of pleasure has a very strong influence this month. We begin the lunar cycle with Venus making a full aspect onto the Moon from his position in Aquarius (joined Sun and Mercury), enhancing our pleasure-seeking nature. A few hours after the full Moon, Venus will transit into Pisces, his sign of exaltation, where he’ll travel through March 25th. With Venus in Pisces, our desire-nature feels enhanced and more given to wild-abandon, in the free-flowing, other-worldly water sign. If you have tendencies towards over-indulgence or addiction, now is a time to watch these closely. At the same time, the exalted potential of Venus in Pisces is for us to allow our desires to evolve into desires that align with our highest principles, or the divine will itself.
On Friday March 2nd, Mercury creeps into Pisces as well, and will be close enough to Venus to begin a planetary war that will last through the early morning on Tuesday. With practical Mercury debilitated and at war with Venus, you’re likely to experience “heart” winning out over “head” for a few days. After they separate more on the 6th, Mercury may benefit more from his neecha bangha position (wherein his debilitation is modified by joining exalted Venus). At that time, the beauty-seeking nature of the Venus may support Mercury as he navigates the impractical waters of Pisces, where he is normally less comfortable.
The Nodes
As we move away from the eclipse period, we have also moved out of the heavy nodal influence caused by ongoing kala sarpa alignments. When Venus moved into Aquarius on February 5th, he broke the cycle that has continued for half the month since August. We now have the slower-moving planets on one side of the Rahu-Ketu axis, and the faster-moving ones on the other side, so no more kala sarpa cycles are possible until late July.
Jupiter Retrograde
Jupiter will come to a stop on March 8th before beginning retrograde motion through October 11th. Whatever Jupiter influences in your life may seem to slow down and back up, and call for a lot of reflection through this time. In general, we could all have some second thoughts on education, teachers, or principles while Jupiter is in retrograde motion.
Lessons in Love
With the prominent influences of Venus and Bhaga on this Full Moon, this is a time to really explore your relationship with the planet of desire. Depending on how Venus functions in your natal chart, there is a certain way that he acts through you in general. For some people, an intelligent Venus helps them to make good compromises in relationships, have a lovely aesthetic or artistic ability, and healthy boundaries around sensual pleasures. If Venus is afflicted, it can cause tendencies to overindulge in these things, or have issues around boundaries, relationships, or luxury. Venus also influences two particular arenas in your life, as per your rising sign. Now is a good time to study yourself and your chart to see how your desire-nature arises, and to work on improving your relationship with Venus.
This month only I’m offering personal focused Venus readings, available here.
You can also get a full life course reading to understand even more about your life from the chart.
