Eclipses

The lunar month begins just after a solar eclipse.

The solar eclipse on October 14th coincided with very end of Amavasya which began on the 13th and is the day each month when the Moon is completely empty i.e. in exact conjunction with the Sun from our perspective here on earth. The first day of the new lunar month will always be the day following Amavasya, which then begins the waxing phase of the Moon called Shukla Pratipad.

The empty Moon is an inauspicious day not ideal for beginnings (contrary to many beliefs about ‘new moon’ practices and beginnings), while the initial phases of the waxing Moon are much better but the fuller phases of the Moon are considered best for supporting new undertakings because the Moon is full with strength.

This Amavasya was particularly challenging because of the added edge of the solar eclipse, which tends to strip away any protective layers and push your face right into the parts of reality you didn’t necessarily want to see or feel. This press will be felt specifically in whatever area of your chart it is occurring, which will be in the house/area of life the sign Virgo falls in.

For everyone, however, themes of Virgo will be as if under x-ray. These were mentioned last month: organization, growth through separation, potential compulsions around cleanliness and control, Venus problems, etc.

We are now in the decompressive phase after the eclipse, when the tension of the whole event begins to dissipate but you still may feel a little raw and on edge. This window tends to last about 10 days on either side of a solar eclipse. You will notice that whatever you or those around you attempted to start before or on the eclipse itself will encounter problems. Breakages before a solar eclipse (of relationships, contracts, jobs, etc) especially tend to become very messy.

Next we have the lunar eclipse on October 28th, which will take place in Aries with Rahu conjunct the Moon. Lunar eclipses tend to have a softer edge than solar, with the presiding deities of each being Vishnu or Lakshmi (sustaining, constructive deities) for lunar and Shiva or Kali for solar (destructive deities), but this one is a little complicated due to the afflictions to Aries right now.

Lunar eclipses present us with a sustaining energy that is ripe for focusing on improvement of self, world and society at large, with the Moon being the indicator of sustenance, mind and society. These eclipses can clarify the connections between our inner world and work and outer impacts.

Moon with Rahu, specifically (vs. Ketu in the case of some other eclipses) is great for manifesting worldly goals and gains, specifically those that can improve conditions beyond oneself. But the goals can also be very personal and practical like getting a job or getting positive recognition at work. Any goal related to sustenance in the world is fair game here. Every tradition will have different ways of ‘manifesting’ one’s goals—in the Vedic system the details of a personal practice such as this will depend on the details of your personal chart. For specific mantras or practices that can be used in this regard during the eclipse you may want an individual consultation. In general though, a simple prayer stated wholeheartedly during the time of the eclipse is a good place to begin, particularly if it is presented with a relevant offering.

With this eclipse it is a three day window before and after which is sensitive and when new beginnings are best avoided. Three days after the lunar eclipse then begins an excellent time to start new projects, as things started after an eclipse tend to succeed. But you’ll need to keep in mind the almost contemporaneous shift of the nodes (mentioned later) which creates some pretty pervasive instability for the beginning of November.

In addition, it must be kept in mind that for the duration of the lunar eclipse and Moon’s stay in Aries (10/28-10/30) the entire sign will be cursed by every malefic in the zodiac(!!). This means there is a lot of pressure on the sign, and it may be more difficult to get to the potential benefits of the eclipse and the Moon’s natural beneficence. Luckily there is a protective Jupiter conjunction which can fend off at least some of the blows. This lets us know that staying positive is critical during this eclipse, since Jupiter is the planet of positivity.

I do not say ‘stay positive’ lightly, and actually I do not say it often because of a personal aversion to pretending. But in this case the Moon’s conjunction with both Jupiter and Rahu shows that during this eclipse there is a critical decision being made to mentally either drift into the negativity of Rahu which pulls us deeper into his gandanta (tension, uncertainty, chaos), or to stay with the protective influence of a very stubborn (i.e. retrograde) Jupiter who is one of the best protections for the Moon and mind there is. By being positive we activate Jupiter, through negativity we bring more Rahu into our minds, so being aware of the options and outcomes is important!