Lunar Cycle in Vedic Astrology

Full Moon in Ashlesha Nakshatra

12 February 2025

Full Moon completing the auspicious time of Kumbha Mela will occur this year in the very last minutes of Ashlesha nakshatra within sidereal Cancer - right on the border between Ashlesha and Magha, in the heart of the gandanta, which represents our third eye chakra and the last energy knot in our energy body (rudra granthi) to be transcended on the path to spiritual awakening. When Sun aligns itself at the very center of zodiacal muladhara chakra, between Capricorn and Aquarius, and Moon shines in its fullness in the gandanta between Cancer and Leo, it’s a time pregnant with spiritual vibrations and opportunities to transcend our limitations.

New Moon in Shravana Nakshatra

29 January 2025

The upcoming New Moon in Shravana Nakshatra holds special experience in Vedic calendar. It is called a Mauni Amavasya or “Silent New Moon” - the New Moon of going within, back to the source of our being. This particular New Moon is also among the most important days within the entire sacred period of Kumbha Mela to take a holy dip in the sacred rivers. It is believed that waters of Mother Ganga turn into amrita or nectar on that special day.

And there are so many ways to honour that. As saint Kabir wrote, Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati, also flow within us, in the form of our central energy channel (sushumna) and two polar channels accompanying it (ida and pingala). To go within and reconnect with our central channel, with the core of our soul, is to take a sacred dip into eternity.

Learn more about the astrological significance of this upcoming New Moon in today’s podcast.

The first Full Moon of this year will be a truly unique one, as it will coincide with Makar Sankranti - solar ingress into sidereal Capricorn. While Sun will be dwelling in its own Uttarashadha Nakshatra of realigning with our true purpose and right direction in life, Moon will be simultaneously shining in its fullness in Punarvasu, the star of hope and symbolic return of light, signifying new beginnings. Moon will be also conjuct with retrograde Mars in Punarvasu Nakshatra, which may both amplify the intensity of current transit of Mars (often resulting with more sensitivity experienced), as well as give us a stronger push towards letting go of habits and actions which do not serve us anymore, and consciously choosing better ones. Sun and Moon will be occupying the very last minutes of the last degrees of their respective signs during the climax, which will add to the intensity of this experience.

The last New Moon of this year will occur in Purvashadha Nakshatra, at the heart of sidereal Sagittarius, which is the constellation often associated with Goddess Saraswati - Goddess of inner flow of inspiration and wisdom, who calls us to realign with our higher purpose. With Jupiter and Mars simultaneously retrograde, this New Moon will be calling us to question are we truly aligned with what is important to us and are we heading towards the right direction in life. In today’s podcast, as a little New Year’s gift, you will also find a short re-aligining practice, which can be helpful to you not only now, but whenever you need to re-center yourself.

The meeting of Sun and Moon in sidereal Scorpio is often one of the toughest New Moons in a year - for not only Moon becomes debilitated in Scorpio and therefore starving (Kshudhita Avastha), but in conjuction with Sun also becomes combust and agitated (Kshobhita Avastha). 

Additionally, this year debilitated Moon will be in parivartan yoga with Mars debilitated in Cancer. Both Sun and Moon will be also conjuct with retrograde Mercury, aspected by retrograde Jupiter and Saturn agitated by the aspect of debilitated Mars. Needless to say, such an intrinsic connection between almost all of the Navagrahas will bring a lot of intensity and mixed feelings into our lives.

You can hear me dividing deeper into all the juicy details of the energies that upcoming New Moon is going to bring into our lives in today’s podcast.

Full Moon in Krittika Nakshatra, the star of Agni, opposed by debilitated Sun, is always calling upon us to align with our truth and make a deeper inquiry into what is really true to us. So many parts of ourselves which contain immense creativity, wisdom and lifeforce, often remain suppressed, due to our fears, insecurities, feelings of shame and social expectations. Full Moon shining in sidereal Aries in the star of Krittika, opposed by the Sun in sidereal Libra, always calls us to reintegrate those exiled parts of ourselves and embrace them without fear. This message is particularly prominent this year as both Sun and Moon will be occupying last degrees of their sidereal rashis which maps to the amsha of Goddess Matangi in D20 chart (Vimshamsha) of our spiritual progress. Additionally Sun will be aspected by strong Saturn, while deblitated Sun is aspected during this entire fortnight by debilitated Mars. This dynamics naturally increases our fears and insecurities and enhances the inner conflict between them and our natural wish to self-express and stand in our truth.

Needless to say, this entire fortnight might be quite volatile to some, with fiery nakshatras being very active, while fiery planets experiencing a very low dignity. It’s good to avoid making impulsive decisions, speaking unpleasant truths in too direct ways or stressing about things beyond our control.

Every year, when New Moon occurs in Libra, Sun’s debilitation place and zodiacal heart chakra, we celebrate Diwali, a festival of light, to bring illumination into our homes and into our hearts; to remind ourselves of our inner light, when the external light of the Sun is temporarily dormant.

This year Moon and Sun will conjoin in Swati nakshatra on 1 November (New Moon tithi will already begin on 31 October). Both luminaries will be aspected by the debilitated Mars. With two fiery planets occupying their place of debilitation, we may experience big fluctuations in our energy levels and increased need to turn within. At the same time, both Sun and Moon will be conjuct in the amsha of Goddess Lalita in the D20 (Vimshamsha) chart of spiritual progress, thus inspiring us not to always take life so seriously, but to invite more curiosity, play, connection and creativity in order to restore our enthusiasm and energy levels.

The upcoming Full Moon in Ashwini Nakshatra, a culmination of Devi Paksha (fortnight of the Goddess) brings with itself powerfully transformative energies this year. During the culmination Sun will be just entering the sidereal Libra (below one degree, which is also known as Sankranti dosha), sign of its debilitation, while Moon will be dwelling in deep gandanta in the beginning of sidereal Aries. Both luminaries will be also conjoined with lunar nodes in the Navamsha (D9) chart and occupying the amsha of Goddess Kali in the Vimshamsha (D20) chart of spiritual progress. This is both a very volatile time, as well as a powerful period for inner transformation, renewal and new beginnings. Learn more in today’s podcast. 

Learn more about the 40 Goddesses of Vimshamsha (D20) divisional chart: https://academy.discoveringyouniverse.com/courses/goddesses-of-the-vimshamsha-chart-d20/

This year, the New Moon that will complete Pitri Paksha (fortnight of the ancestors) and precede Devi Paksha (also known as Navaratri or 9 nights of the Goddess), will be also a Solar Eclipse that will take place in Hasta Nakshatra, in tight conjuction with Ketu and exalted Mercury. This New Moon is also sometimes known as Sarvapitri Amavasya (New Moon of All Ancestors) or Mahalaya Amavasya (New Moon of Dissolution). It is not only the time to symbolically honour our ancestors and deceased family members, but also the time to reflect upon our past in order to heal our old traumas and uplift the generational karma, which still continues to live through us. New Moon which completes the Pitri Paksha and which will be a Solar Eclipse this year, is like a symbolic death, letting go of the old, so that the new may be reborn during the fortnight of the Goddess.

Learn more about Interpreting Eclipses: https://academy.discoveringyouniverse.com/courses/eclipses-in-vedic-astrology/

Lunar Eclipse in Purva Bhadrapada Nakshatra

17/18 September 2024

In this part of the year we are going to experience two eclipses - one on 17/18 September, another on 2 October, with the great fortnight of ancestors (Pitri Paksha) in between them. This entire period, which will be initiated by Lunar Eclipse in Purva Bhadrapada Nakshatra, will be a very potent time for inner transformation and especially healing of the past - including past traumas, past lifes, fear that hold us back and old habits that don’t serve us anymore. Similarly to the tree shedding their leaves in this time of the year we, too, will be inspired to shake off those things which do not serve us anymore and allow the old parts of us to fall off and die if need be - so that something new may be born. Theme of symbolic death is very symbolic for Purva Bhadrapada Nakshatra and will be especially pronounced during the upcoming eclipse as Moon will be in tight Papa Kartari Yoga, squeezed between Saturn retrograde from one side and Rahu from another.

Learn more about Interpreting Eclipses: https://academy.discoveringyouniverse.com/courses/eclipses-in-vedic-astrology/