New Moon in Uttarā Phālgunī
The Star of Patronage
September 14th at 9:40pm ET
In the Nakṣatra of Uttarā Phālgunī
At 27° of Leo
Symbol- Marriage Bed
Shakti- Chayani Shakti- the power to give prosperity, wealth through marriage or partnership
Deity- Bhaga- God of good fortune and prosperity
“The Atman is the Light of the universe. Live in it. It is, and therefore, all are. It shines, and therefore, everything shines. It is free, and therefore, all strive for freedom. Know this source of freedom, the root of bliss, and be free.”
-Swami Sivananda
The Sun rules over the solar constellation of Leo. Our eternal light, as long as the Sun burns, day wakes, the power of the Sun is unlimited. Our New Moon in Leo tonight will be setting along the western horizon with the Sun.
The deity for this star is Bhaga, the lord of good fortune, always invoked with Aryaman (husband and wife), Aryaman is the god of the arts, enjoyment, legal contracts and unions. Bhaga holds the energy of fortune, and one's allotment in life. Bhaga comes from the root Baj which means to share, and is also connected to bhakti yoga- the path of devotion. You may find that from now until the next Full Moon you could put yourself in a good position to negotiate contracts, be it for work, real-estate, or marriage. Both the receiving and giving of boons is supported now.
This lunar cycle may shower us with a renewed sense of light, enjoyment, love, harmony, and devotional practices. The recent and somewhat tumultuous transits of Venus in Cancer, and many planets moving very slowly right now, can bring feelings of stuckness, inertia, or a general lack of energy. For the last week and moving into this first week of our waxing cycle brings a feeling of pause and reflection. Capturing the space between, the pause between inhalation and exhalation. It is a good time to find your center and grow your sense of confidence and self-love with this lunar energy.
These lunar stars in latter half of Leo the lion also have a way of pursuing evolution, a feeling of being totally at ‘home’ in the self, with great splendor, glow, strength, intuition and resilience. Swami Sivananda had his Sun and Rising Star here. Is there anything greater than the light of the Sun?
There can also be a sense of grand destiny attached to this lunar cycle, as it also heralds the pursuit of pleasure, enjoyment… and following your bliss. On the other side, the Suns influence can be one of cruelty. Staring at the Sun will burn up our sight, and so it also represents this type of symbolic ignorance of the self, and blindness to one's own good fortune. That little something greater than the mold we were born into, and life’s current circumstances, can be all thats needed at times to find strength through adversity.
Uttarā Phālgunī is the grand celebration after a marriage. Ritualizing life, play and celebrations are highlighted now. This New Moon emphasizes seeing beauty everywhere, in all of the cracks and corners of our wounded world. Kindness as a balm for the soul, the celebration awaits…
The yogatārā, marker star for Uttarā Phālgunī is 27° of Leo, on bright star Denebola, and its fainter counter part Delta Leonis at 25° of Leo. These two stars make up the latter part of the bed, or hammock symbolized by this twin set of stars Uttarā and Purva Phālgunī. Spanning 13°20 Leo to 10° Virgo. Uttarā, ‘the latter’ part occupying 26°40 Leo-10° Virgo.
There is essentially a square in this part of Leo, and ancient skywatchers saw this configuration as holding an image of a bed for sleep, rest, and conjugal life.
“There are souls in this world who have the gift of finding joy everywhere, and leaving it behind them when they go.”
- Frederick William Faber
Autumnal Equinox September 23rd
The Autumnal Equinox occurs next week. Marking the Suns metaphorical passing over the point where the celestial equator (earths mid point) and the ecliptic plane (the path of the planets as viewed from Earth) meet. On this day it is roughly equal day and night all over the world.
Night grows in the Northern Hemisphere as we wane to our winter solstice. We can marvel for the last many weeks as the Milky Way begins to fade into the setting Suns. Winter skies give rise to faintly lit Pisces, followed by Aries, Taurus, and the Gemini twins. As they begin to peer into our early evening hours. The asterisms of Krittika (the pleiades) and Rohini (Aldebaran), the red eye of Taurus the bull, sparkle for us through the thick skin of winter. May the seasons turning, the planets churning, and this New Moon bring a welcome phase of renewal for us all.
Interested in Scheduling a Reading?
You can find my current offerings here. A personalized birth chart reading is the best way to understand how the movements of the planets may be influencing you on a personal level.
