Back to Roots: Amavasya and the Dark Moon
Today is the one day each month when the Moon is completely dark—the moment just before it begins growing into the cycle of the next lunar month. The dark moon—called Amavasya in Sanskrit— is often confused with the new moon, but the two carry vastly different energies, which are important to distinguish.
Amavasya begins when the waning moon is 12 degrees before the Sun, and ends when they conjoin. During that time it loses more and more of its brilliance until it is completely dark. This is not considered an auspicious time for beginning new ventures in the material world, as any undertaking requires the sustaining, extroverted power of the Moon.
A Dark Moon drives us inward. It is traditionally thought that the “life force” or Soma (another name for the Moon) is pulled into the interiors of things as the Moon wanes. Plants are said to take their energy into their roots, and the same could be said for humans. This is an extremely auspicious time for sinking your energy into your own root system, whether that be family and ancestors or your body and the earth. It is time spent dwelling here which restores us for the month ahead.
Being the last day of the month it is also associated with endings. All the energy accumulated over the course of the last month is given the opportunity to be cleared on this day. If you can, take time today to consciously disentangle yourself—at least emotionally—from the events of the past month, so that you don’t have to carry that weight into the next one. You could even develop a monthly ritual around cleansing yourself on Amavasya with time in Nature, a dip in the hot springs, or a meditation practice focused on release. (Note: consult a panchanga calendar to see which day Amavasya falls on each month)
The New Moon, on the other hand, can be a good time to start new ventures and projects, open businesses, etc—although the moon is still somewhat tender in its early waxing phases, so waiting until it a few days into the new lunar cycle is usually best for commencing things which will have staying power. Making the mistake of beginning a new project one day too soon (on Amavasya instead of the New Moon) will generally spell destruction for that project, as you’ve initiated something with an energy of destruction and endings instead of fruitful beginnings.
In Vedic Astrology the idea is that the seed of everything is planted in its first moment: the moment you meet someone and the moment of marriage, the day you open a business or sign a contract, the day your child enters the world, and of course—the moment you were born. Your horoscope is the seed of you, which unfurls over the course of your lifetime. The problems arise when we resist the unfolding and distort our own nature. Basic awareness and simple practices (for example: tracking moon cycles) can begin to help us align with, rather than resist, nature.