by Somya Devi | Mar 21, 2016 | Astrology, Conjunctions, Eclipses, Events, Holy Days
A penumbral lunar eclipse will be visible from most places on earth this Wednesday, including North and South America (except Eastern Brazil), India, Asia, Australia, the Pacific, Antarctica and the Arctic. The greatest moment of the eclipse happens at 4:48am PDT on March 23rd, just before the peak of the Full Moon at 5:01am.
We’re now halfway through this lunar cycle, which began with a Total Solar Eclipse and a huge pileup of planets in sidereal Aquarius. I’ve heard from many people that this stirred up a lot of issues in their lives, including a lot of deep psychological work. The first eclipse brought forward our shadows around the dichotomy between universal service and our own self-empowerment and personal values, and pushed us to unearth limiting beliefs and negative patterns around the themes of the house that Aquarius is in our personal Vedic chart (download my Free E-Book with the Forecast for your Sign if you haven’t yet!).
The Full Moon point in a cycle is the time to reflect back on the energy that started us out and take a look at how to integrate that energy in a new way. This Full Moon falls in sidereal Virgo, just beyond the Aquarius-balancing sign of Leo. This compels us to look even further, beyond harmonizing the energy that was eclipsed, and into a transformative level. It pushes us to get really clear about the details of whatever shadow work came up for us around March 8th. We need to get down to the nitty-gritty and re-organize our patterns of thinking and behavior, and find some practical routines that will help us to move forward, free from the shadows that have arisen.
The eclipse occurs with the full Moon in the same Vedic sign where Rahu resides, Uttara Phalguni. This Vedic nakshatra bridges Leo and Virgo. This is a very powerful star for helping us to balance universal-love and self-love, which were areas that the solar eclipse challenged us to integrate better. Uttara Phalguni is a star of charity and generosity, ruled by the Sun, and brings forth an energy of leadership, courage, and care for society. It is also related to relaxation, reminding us that we must care for ourselves in order to be able to care for others. Its deity is Aryaman, a deva of friendship, companionship and kindness.
As Rahu’s shadow obscures the Moon in this sign during the Lunar Eclipse, we might feel cut off from these benevolent qualities, and may struggle to find contact with our emotional bodies. It is best not to eat or drink during the eclipse, and not to look at it directly. Instead, do practices like chanting or meditation, and call forth the highest lessons that the eclipse has to offer you. We could either fall into emotional confusion, or we could take this moment to consciously embrace emotional detachment, and step into a space of Virgoan practicality, as we examine the shadows brought forth by the eclipse.
The Mercury-ruled, down-to-earth sign of Virgo aims to give us a much needed sensibility to balance the intensity of our inflamed beliefs (resulting from Jupiter and Rahu in Leo). Watch out though — on the other side of the sky, Virgo’s ruler Mercury sits in combustion and debilitation, in close alignment with the Sun in sidereal Pisces. This could make us a little more steam-headed than usual (as Sun boils Mercury in Piscean waters!), and less on track with those details we so wish we could get organized. Remember that this eclipse cycle is part of a larger one that is running from now through mid-2017, so we will have more chances to get it right.
This lunar eclipse will drive you deeper into exploring the themes of the Aquarius-Leo house axis in your chart. It will be especially potent for anyone who has prominent planets or a rising sign in Uttara Phalguni nakshatra.*
This Full Moon also kicks off the Hindu holiday of “Holi.” In this sportive festival (much like a new year’s celebration), people throw colored powders at each other, as a way to playfully let go of any aggression held from the past year. It’s a time to forgive and start anew, coming just after the Equinox, a balancing point of the solar cycle. It is a fresh start for Mother Nature in the northern hemisphere (great time for a spring cleanse!). If you’re in a place where you can celebrate Holi, go out and playfully participate! Use this collective energy of renewal to help you with the transformative process thrust upon you by the eclipses!
Get ready for another compelling planetary motion later this week, when Saturn comes to a stop and then begins his Retrograde course from now through August. This will give us a final chance to do some deep work around our commitment to transformation, as Saturn’s last period of retrograde motion in Scorpio.
*I’m still offering a special Eclipse Reading Package to help you to navigate through this 1.5-year transit of Rahu and Ketu! You’ll get 3 personal readings around each of the 3 eclipse cycles during this period.
by Somya Devi | Mar 4, 2016 | Astrology, Conjunctions, Eclipses, Events, Holy Days
This coming New Moon on March 8th packs a powerful punch, bringing with it a groundbreaking total solar eclipse. This will be the first in a series of eclipses to occur with the lunar nodes, Rahu and Ketu, on the sidereal Leo-Aquarius axis. The nodes moved into these signs at the end of January and will transit here until August of 2017, affecting us deeply in whatever areas of our lives are influenced in our personal charts. We will experience 3 eclipse cycles (pairs of eclipses, one solar and one lunar) during this transit–one now, one in September, and one in February of 2017. (Don’t miss my Free E-Book with lots of info on this transit and how it will affect your sign!)
This solar eclipse on the New Moon will set the tone for a tumultuous lunar cycle. The New Moon cycle begins at 5:54pm PST on March 8th, in sidereal Aquarius. The total solar eclipse (peaking around the same time) will be visible from Southeast Asia, most of Australia, the South Pacific and Indian Oceans and Hawaii. The effects will be most perceptible in these areas, but everyone will feel the disturbance at some level.
During the eclipse, the Sun’s light will be blocked out as he and the Moon align with Ketu, who casts a shadow of self-doubt and criticism on the planet of vitality. The results will be feelings of confusion and disconnection from our sense of strength, individual power, and our connection with Source (all things represented by the Sun). This is adding to our already diminished sense of personal empowerment that can come while Sun is in Aquarius, the sign of service and humility.
This solar eclipse, as well as the lunar eclipse to follow on March 23rd, will bring up a lot of our personal shadows around the quest for equilibrium between universal service and self-empowerment. This theme will continue through the broader year-and-a-half eclipse cycle we have entered.
At the time of the eclipse, Mercury and Venus join the Sun, Moon, and Ketu in Aquarius. This will add Ketu’s feelings of confusion, doubt, and aversion to our collective emotional body (the Moon), to our intellectual and analytical side (Mercury), and to our desirous, pleasure-seeking nature (Venus).
Don’t be surprised to see a chaotic departure from inner peace, rational thinking, and cooperative behavior around this eclipse.
This could be aggravated even more by Jupiter and Rahu, who oppose this New Moon cluster from Leo. Their conjunct energies are causing folks to become more and more amped up and self-righteous over their principles and beliefs. (Polarized election madness!) Saturn aspects the duo from his menacing position, joined Mars, in Scorpio, which puts the pressure on even more.
Mars casts his aspect onto the stellium in Aquarius. This could throw some fuel on the potentially explosive fire of transformation that is happening there with the eclipse. Mars in Scorpio gives us the chance to bring forth our warrior-like courage, which we will need in facing all of the disturbance and potential change arising.
This eclipse occurs with Sun, Moon and Ketu in the Vedic nakshatra called Purvabhadrapada. This star-sign falls on the constellation well-known as Pegasus (on the stars Alpha-Pegasi and Beta-Pegasi), bridging the Aquarius and Pisces regions of the sky. As such its symbol is a funeral cot, or bed, related to the fire of purification. This helps to prepare us to enter the darkness of the unknown to be met in Pisces.
The eclipse here will drive us strongly towards purification and transformation. This is for our higher purpose and spiritual development, but it may not be without some difficulty. The deity for this nakshatra is Aja-Ekapada (“the one-footed goat”), who is related to Rudra, a destructive aspect of Lord Shiva. This star is associated with darkness and black magic, which lays the groundwork for a very powerful eclipse.
Eclipses are times when we can literally see shadows in the sky, and they are opportunities to see the ugly psychological shadows lurking in our own subconscious. These need to be uncovered and released so we can free ourselves from them. This is a very important time to do sadhana (spiritual practice) and Self-inquiry, so we can know ourselves better and become enlightened by this gift of seeing what is normally in the dark.
This opportunity is amplified because Sunday night (Pacific, Monday in India) brings the Hindu holy time known as Maha Shivaratri (“the great night of Lord Shiva”). This is the most auspicious night to offer oneself into spiritual practice, in worship of Divine Consciousness. It is typical to stay up all night, fasting and engaging in worship such as mantra, chanting, meditation, and puja. With the eclipse so close at hand, this is an extremely potent time to call upon the light of consciousness and purification.
In Vedic tradition it is thought that the negative energy of the nodes pervades the atmosphere during the time of the eclipse, and it is therefore best not to eat or drink during this time. (The eclipse window is from 3:19pm to 8:34pm PST.) It is also best to refrain from looking at the eclipse directly, or being outside in its atmosphere, especially if you are somewhere the eclipse will be visible.
One more thing to add to the mix on this powerful New Moon: March 8th is also International Women’s Day! Let’s use this transformative time to honor and elevate the sisters, mothers and daughters of this world!
As a special gift to help you navigate through this time, I’ve put together a Free e-Book on Rahu, Ketu, and the Eclipses for the 12 Vedic Rising Signs , which includes a forecast for your personal sign!
Eclipse periods are some of the best times to book a personal reading to help you to understand your personal karma and to process the energy brought up by the nodes.
Top Image Credit: “Eclipsed? Not totally” by James Jordan, CC license Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic
by Somya Devi | Feb 18, 2016 | Uncategorized
There will be a powerful Full Moon on Sunday night, leading up to its peak on the morning of February 22nd at 10:19am PST. This full Moon falls in sidereal Leo, opposing the Sun in sidereal Aquarius. The Moon joins a heavy influence from Jupiter and Rahu, who sit near the end of Leo, ingraining a headstrong movement towards power and responsibility. Meanwhile, the Sun may feel the shadow energy of south-node Ketu joining him in Aquarius, which can bring forth contraction of the physical body or of our sense of connection with spirit.
This full Moon in Leo will really light up our sense of personal power and duty. We are able to get in touch with the emotional sensation that surrounds us when we feel responsible, in charge, and accomplished. This may come as the bounty of an active time of service, as Sun in Aquarius has motivated us to take our bodies and actions towards a place of universal service this month (though we may have neglected self-care a little in the process). We may have felt some confusion around this effort due to Ketu’s recent transit into Aquarius, and Rahu’s into Leo.
Any shadows in our personal subconscious around the relationship between service and personal power are likely to start coming to light now. We must look for how to achieve a symbiotic balance between the two, rather than pin them in our minds as a discordant opposition. Jupiter’s and Rahu’s presence in Leo can amplify any feelings of lust for personal power or greed, which are likely to flare up around this full Moon if we aren’t mindful. The key now is to activate a healthy and complementary interaction between empowered leadership and care for our own “kingdom,” and inspired, humble universal service.
We will really begin to feel the shadows of this opposition (Aquarian vs. Leonine energy) over the next two weeks as we approach an eclipse on this axis on March 8th (around 6pm PST). There are some areas of life where we may go to extremes and allow the call to duty and responsibility to become a greedy power-quest, whereas at other times we may get lost in our grand ideas for humanity and neglect responsibilities that are closer to home. You may realize that you have underlying motivations to possess and harness personal power through so-called acts selfless service, or that you are avoiding allowing your unique and individual expression of divine spirit to shine through in your crusade to enlighten the planet. There is a time and place for both service and empowerment; self-love and universal love are both necessary ingredients for a truly loving existence.
Investigating these themes will continue for the next year-and-a-half, as long as Rahu and Ketu, the north and south nodes of the Moon, transit these signs. Whatever houses these are in your personal chart will be affected, and it’s likely that you will go through a lot of change and revelation in whatever areas of life these are for you. The upcoming eclipses will amplify this energy and give you a good look at what personal work needs to be done throughout the coming year.**
This full Moon is on the Vedic nakshatra (star-sign) called Magha, “the mighty.” Falling across the first thirteen degrees of Leo, this constellation summons forth the kingly, divine stature of the Sun (Leo’s ruler). Magha constellation was often interpreted as a throne, and other times as a Lion. It is one of the brightest nakshatras in the sky, evocative of its royal nature. The deities for this star are the Pitris–“the fathers,” or, our ancient ancestors. This is a powerful full Moon for calling forth ancestral wisdom and knowledge. Furthermore, this star is ruled by Ketu, who also relates to deep-seated subconscious wisdom that may have come from past lives or ancestors.
This full Moon is also receiving a drishti (glance, or aspect) from Saturn, which could be helpful as he reminds us to slow down and not get too headstrong in our grabs for power and responsibility. The Sun receives a drishti from Mars, which may help to rev up our vitality a bit while the solar giant sits with the fatigue-inducing Ketu. Mars will have just transited into Scorpio on February 20th, where he will join Saturn for the greater part of the summer, through September. This combination will bring a lot of intense energy to the sign of Scorpio, and whatever houses and planets lie there in your chart.
Eclipse cycles, as we are entering now, are very important times to boost or maintain your spiritual practice, so as not to feel tossed about by the powerful subconscious drives and changes that arise. Meditation, routine, and grounding practices are key, as these energies can tend to throw us off-balance. Lighting a candle is a particularly helpful part of practice to incorporate, to call forth illumination to the shadowy, smokey energy of the nodes, Rahu and Ketu.
**Eclipse cycles such as now are very helpful times to receive a personal reading to understand how you will feel affected individually. We will also cover what the Mars-Saturn conjunction in Scorpio means for you.
**I am sharing a free Rahu-Ketu report to help you understand the effects of this transit and the coming eclipses for each individual Vedic rising sign, available for free at somyadevi.com.
by Somya Devi | Oct 24, 2015 | Astrology, Conjunctions, Planets Changing Signs
The Moon will be at its fullest on Monday night! Tuesday, October 27th brings the peak of the full Moon in Ashwini nakshatra at 5:05am PDT. Ashwini is the first constellation in the order of the zodiac, comprised of the two bright stars Hamal (alpha arietis) and Sheratan (beta arietis) on the side of Aries closest to Pisces. Ashwini refers to a horse-woman and carries horse-power with it. In it lies the energy we require to get moving and power through things. We may feel a sudden burst of energy around this full Moon, and can attempt to harness that power towards our goals and the new direction we’ve found after emerging from the transitions of the recent eclipse cycle.
The deities for this star are the Ashwin Kumars, the divine physicians, and this full Moon brings their great healing potential. This cycle began with Sun and Moon in Chitra, related to Vishvakarma, the celestial architect who inspires creativity and perfecting the structures we create. With the full Moon in Ashwini, we can call upon the celestial physicians to help heal and strengthen the places we need divine medicine to move forward in strength on our creative journey. These juices flow from deep within you, and now is a chance to get in touch with your self-healing potential.
It’s a fortunate time for this opportunity, because there are a few factors that may have been making us feel spread a little thin this month. The Sun, the planet of our vitality and inner power, entered his sign of debilitation (Libra) on October 17th. When Sun is in Libra we tend to place more emphasis on trying to please others and balance relationships than we do on taking care of ourselves. Sun in Libra can fashion us the peacemaker, trying to negotiate a good deal for everyone else but sometimes forgetting about our own self-care regimen.
Furthermore, Sun will be in the nakshatra called Swati during this full Moon, which is a place in the sky that often scatters everything like the wind. Try to center your energy before taking big strides, and hold tight to the reins (through focus and practice) so the horse-power of Ashwini doesn’t pull you astray. On top of this, vata dosha (cold, dry, and windy) naturally increases during fall and winter, so in the northern hemisphere we are facing increasing vata, which can also make us feel scattered and depleted. With all of these factors, be sure to take the time to care for yourself this month. It’s a good time to start bundling up and nourishing yourself with warm soups, cozy baths, and moisturizing oils. The full Moon in Aries will remind us of how we feel about our personal strength, so it will be a good time to check in and reconnect with your own health and well-being, while calling upon the healing energies of Ashwini.
We may also be feeling inspired as well as overwhelmed by the pile-up of planets in sidereal Leo–Jupiter, Mars, and Venus. These three are conjunct this month, which amps up the energy we feel behind our philosophies, will, and desires. We can see this bright cluster on the eastern horizon just before sunrise. The confluence of these planetary energies can support each other if we do the work needed to introspect and synthesize them towards our highest purpose, but they can also be at odds with each other when the planets get too close for comfort (within one degree celestial longitude).
For example, on October 15th-17th Mars and Jupiter were so close that we may have faced some blow-ups over our philosophies. If our actions weren’t totally in line with our values, there might have been explosive shifts to help propel us into alignment. October 24th-26th brings a tight conjunction of Venus and Jupiter, which could bring up a discrepancy between our values and our relationships and pleasurable pursuits. We could be facing some tough choices about compromising. October 31st-November 3rd, Mars and Venus are closely conjunct, which will pin our individual will against our ability to compromise. It could be a pivotal time for healing relationships and moving forward. The three planets are in Purva Phalguni nakshatra during this full Moon, which brings the energies of relaxation and rejuvenation. With all of these planets in Leo, the fiery sign of the Sun, we have the opportunity to purify ourselves and clean up our energies so that we feel totally oriented in the right direction in all areas of life. On the night of November 2nd both Mars and Venus will enter Virgo (where Venus is debilitated), joining Rahu, which could make us face romance in a more practical, analytical way, but could also intensify our desires.
During the full Moon in Ashwini nakshatra on October 27th, give thanks to the divine physicians and bask in the healing energy of the Moon!
Don’t forget to change clocks back in the U.S. on November 1st!
by Somya Devi | Oct 10, 2015 | Astrology, Conjunctions, Events, Holy Days
New Moon in Virgo in Chitra Nakshatra and Navaratri
As we complete the most recent lunar cycle which brought two powerful eclipses, we are settling into the effects and transformation that they brought to our lives. The solar and lunar eclipses of September were the last of a series to occur with the nodes in sidereal Virgo and Pisces, where they have sat since July 2014. Lessons that we have been working on through this time have taken on a new light, and many of us are now ready to face change and growth, whether it be in career, relationships, residence, or other important areas of life that have recently transformed.
The New Moon in Virgo in Chitra nakshatra occurs on October 12th and offers us a day (and night) of stillness and darkness to sit with the changes, go inward and reflect, and prepare for the next lunar cycle. This Dark Moon phase will be from around 3pm PDT on October 11th until 5:05 pm on October 12th, at which time the Moon and Sun will be at a conjunct longitude (commonly called the New Moon). This conjunction happens near the end of Virgo constellation, in the Vedic nakshatra called Chitra. After that point the Moon begins its waxing phase, and the new lunar month.
Chitra means “the brilliant” and is a very creative place in the zodiac. The deity for Chitra is Vishvakarma, the divine architect of the cosmos. This month we will feel inspired to create and to perfect our creations, just as the architect creates the universe in perfection. We will be attracted to investigate the mystery behind that divine creation. Gemstone medicine is powerful now, as gems are a symbol of this star. Chitra also relates to magic, and it is a time to tap into the powerful forces of magic within ourselves, and let them shine brightly.
Beginning this cycle in Virgo, and with Sun and Moon joined with exalted Mercury there, we feel Mercury’s influence compelling us to seek understanding, and to organize the details around our creative pursuits. The second half of Chitra falls in Libra (as will the Sun during much of this lunar cycle), and under Venus’s influence, we may also feel called to balance our relationships this month. Mars is the nakshatra ruler for this star, and he brings us an energy, along with the fire element, that helps fuel along our creativity. There may be more emphasis on sexuality this cycle. Chitra is itself a balancing point in the zodiac, being the middle (14th) of the 27 nakshatras, so we seek harmony in all things as we prepare for the next season.
For most of this cycle (through November 2nd), we also experience the influence of Jupiter, Venus, and Mars all joined in Leo. This will make us give a lot of importance to the things all three of these planets represent (beliefs, desires, and personal will). At times this could create conflict (especially when they pass over each other in close conjunction), but in general it gives us a lot of energy. Jupiter in Leo energizes our belief systems, giving our philosophies a lot of weight in our decision-making process. Venus in Leo makes our desires come to the forefront, and we must be careful not to be too indulgent or selfish when it comes to getting what we want (whether it be in relationships or in our pursuit of beauty and recreation). Mars in Leo adds extra fire to the planet of action, will and energy, which could be good for our personal physical discipline, but could also cause us to get aggravated and argumentative over our philosophies and desires. Turn that Martian energy on yourself instead of getting hot-headed with others (read: time to reboot your workout routine or asana practice!). Sun’s rulership of Leo gives us the opportunity to work on purifying and refining all of these things this month–our beliefs, our desires, and our instinctual energy driver.
During the first nine days and nights of the waxing Moon this month, Navaratri is celebrated (starting October 13th in North America). Literally the “nine nights,” this is a Hindu festival dedicated to worshiping the Goddess, Devi, in her many forms, for nine days and nights. As the night represents darkness and ignorance, we pray to her to help reveal and remove our shortcomings, bestow blessings, and confer wealth and knowledge. We face the darkness and call on the Divine Mother to remove it and let the Atma, or the pure divinity within each of us, shine forth. Navaratri worship can include creating a special altar to the Goddess, and making daily offerings including flowers, food, incense, light (a flame), ghee, as well as prayer, fasting, meditation, mantras and bhajans (devotional songs). The Devi Mahatmya (a.k.a. Chandi Path), the story of Durga, is a traditional text to read throughout this festival. In some places Devi is worshipped over the nine nights in reverence to nine incarnations of Durga: Shailputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalaratri, Mahagauri and Siddhidatri. Occurring in the fall-time in India and the northern hemisphere, this Navaratri also coincides with the harvest season, and is a great time to give thanks for the abundance of the harvest and pray that it carries us through the winter season.
In some places, the first three nights of Navaratri are dedicated to Goddess in the form of Durga or Kali, who help us to destroy and remove negative tendencies in our minds and hearts, cleansing them of impurities that create obstructions in our spiritual and material pursuits. The next three nights are dedicated to Goddess in the form of Lakshmi, who helps us to cultivate positive qualities, like compassion and devotion. She helps us to achieve spiritual and material prosperity. In the final three nights we worship Goddess as Sarasvati, who assists us with learning and attaining knowledge and wisdom, through the illumination of consciousness. She relates to prana, the vital breath, often associated with chi or life-force. Through our devotion, service, practice, study, and meditation (all forms of yoga), we allow prana to flow freely, helping us to exist in a state of peace, bliss, and oneness. The tenth day of Navaratri is known as Vijayadashami, the day of victory. After calling upon the Divine Mother’s presence and qualities to arise from within us for nine days and nights, we emerge victorious, basking in Her light and virtues. This will be an auspicious time (October 22nd) for beginning new ventures, especially creative and spiritual pursuits.
