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.