New Moon in Āślesā
The drawing illustrates the incident from the Bhagavata Purana. Prithvi (earth), in the form of the cow and the Devas visit Vishnu’s abode to seek help from Him to remove the burden of evils of Earth. Vishnu vows to do so by taking numerous incarnations to vanquish Adharma and remove the Earth’s burden. 1790, Maritime Heritage of India
The Star of Embrace + Entwinement
At 18° of Cancer
In the Nakṣatra of Āślesā
August 4th 7:15am ET
Symbol- Snake
Deity- Naga, The Divine Serpents
Vishashleshana shakti- the power to inflict with poison (burning of poison)
idaṃ sarpebhyo havir astu juṣṭam | āśreṣā yeṣām anuyanti cetaḥ | ye antarikṣaṃ pṛthivīṃ kṣiyanti | te nas sarpāso havam āgamiṣṭhāḥ | ye rocane sūryasyāpi sarpāḥ | ye divaṃ devīm anusañcaranti | yeṣām aśreṣā anuyanti kāmam | tebhyas sarpebhyo madhumaj juhomi || 7 ||
“May this offering be happily accepted by the Serpents;
whose consciousness Ashresha‐constellation follows;
Who thus inhabit earth and mid‐world.
They, Serpents, coming rapidly to our call,
Who in the shining realm of Surya [are] the Serpents,
Join the Goddess [Dawn] towards [the lower] Heaven,
And whose Desire the Ashresha constellation follows,
To those Serpents I offer the oblation of [my] honeyed sweetness.”
-Nakṣatra Sukta Translation by Vladimir Yatsenko
Today's New Moon occurs in the lunar stars of Āślesā symbolized by a Snake as the primordial force of creation. This star supports a time in an individual life or on a societal level where an event may become a catalyst for sweeping changes. The intense and transformative nature of snakes under this star may also signal a larger moment in human history that becomes pivotal in shaking up established authorities, political systems, idols or figure heads of a society. Empowerment may be a key underlaying theme until the next New Moon. In essence, the high side of this influence is to live fully awake, and aware, by not allowing fear to become a paralyzing force in ones life.
The deity for this star is the Nagas, the divine serpents, who embrace and offer protection. My teacher Penny Farrow says that the king of the Nagas, is Ananta Shesha (endless), or Adishesha (first). When he uncoils, time moves forward and creation takes place. When he coils back the universe ceases to exist. He is what remains, between the creation of universes. He remains when everything is destroyed at the end of the kalpa (a very long period of time millions or trillions of years), he remains with lord vishnu. He is said to hold all of the planets and universes on his hood, and he would sing the glory of lord vishnu. Vishnu is the deity associated with state of preservation, that which allows life to be sustained well and fully, like a full belly. If a kalpa is considered to be a complete cosmic cycle of time it is also interesting to note that those periods correlate to the lifespan of stars (a few million to trillions of years).
The New Moon as it appears real time (on Eastern Time at 7:15am).
Karka Rashi is the name for Cancer (Crab), one of our 12 solar constellations, it is overall a faint, somewhat dusty patch of the zodiac. Meaning that it is really hard to find, and observe with the naked eye. The beehive cluster in the middle can help you to locate these stars as it is somewhat brighter of a celestial object to find while stargazing.
Āślesā occupies the zodiacal arc of 16°40 Cancer - 0° Leo. Resting solely in the later portion of Cancer. The yogatārā, marker star for this lunar asterism is at 19° of cancer, Alpha Cancri. It points to Epsilon Hydrae, an alternative yogatārā located in the Head of Hydra constellations. Hydra is a massive sea serpent that spans the expansive southern night sky stretching from Cancer to Libra. It is the longest of the 88 constellations in popular use today.
Epsilon Hydrae my personal preference for this lunar asterism is near what would be the eye, and head of the Snake in the above images. This is also the place where snakes hold their poison. Āślesā has the shakti of vishashleshana- the power to inflict with poison (burning of poison).
Todays New Moon is located at 18° of Cancer spot on the marker stars! This further emphasizes the potency of the meanings of the lunar star of Āślesā for the month ahead.
The Moon at New pictured above is resting next to the Sun with no atmospheric light. Using an astronomy app allowed me to remove the Suns light from the image so you can see what stars the Sun and Moon reside in. The Sun masks the light of the stars appearance during the day. Making it impossible with our senses (eyes) to track the Sun against the Stars daily. This is one of the reasons the Moon holds such great significance in understanding the Movements of the Sun, Earth, and Stars. Unlike the Sun, we can observe the Moon quite easily as it hops from star to star each evening.
Tonight the Moon sleeps with the Sun. Tomorrow, is the first lunar day in the lunar Moonth as the Moon reappears at sunset just above the horizon line if you can catch its most tiny sliver.
The traditional length of a month was 30 days, directly connected to the Soli-Lunar phases of the Moon, 29.5 days. This length of time could be measured either by New Moon to New Moon, or Full Moon to Full Moon. The hindu calendar names each month after the constellation that the Full Moon occurs in, in that calendar month. It is slightly more complex to understand why it will not always fall in that same Nakṣatra each year.
I Write of That Journey
I remember how my mother would hold me.
I would look up at her sometimes and see her weep.
I understand now what was happening.
Love so strong a force
it broke the
cage,
and she disappeared from everything
for a blessed
moment.
All actions have evolved
from the taste of flight;
the hope of freedom
moves our cells
and limbs.
Unable to live on the earth, Mira ventured out alone in the sky—
I write of that journey
of becoming as
free as
God.
Don’t forget love;
it will bring all the madness you need
to unfurl yourself across
the universe.
-Daniel Ladinsky, Love poems from God
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