Crowned Truth | Uttara Phalguni New Moon
and Retrogrades
It’s been a month since I wrote and again it’s new moon time: September 14th 9:40pm on Thursday. The new moon is a time when we journey deep within through contemplative practice, restorative practice and the gentlest of self-care.
This is also the time when the soil is rich and ready to receive a new seed for sowing and fertilizing. In our yoga class framework at The Yoga Sanctuary, we spend time honoring the New Moon by instilling new habits we want to cultivate. A new habit I am cultivating is a New Moon Women’s Circle each month on or close to the New Moon. This is a time where we will circle together in sharing our dreams and our struggles and instilling new habits that support our values. I hope to offer this both online and in-person. If this interests you, message me back and let me know.
The rhythm and cycle that I’ve been experiencing myself and also witnessing in my circle is all about relationships. I know many of you have been feeling this.
I would even go as far to suggest that what you’ve been feeling for the last few days, weeks and likely months has been resistance or a rub that is leading you toward claiming a desire for something to change in the way relationship(s) is working in your life right now.
On Thursday, the Moon and Sun will be in exact degree with Uttara Phalguni in the sign of Leo. Uttara Phalguni is ruled by the Sun, in the sign of Leo ruled by the Sun and the Sun is here transiting Leo as well as the Moon. Sun and Moon are the ultimate in partners as divine light partners. Sun represents the Divine Masculine and Moon the Divine Feminine and we understand that eventually they unite in Ajna, the 6th chakra which leads us to being our Whole Connected Self. This is the place of our Crowned Truth. And it is the type of truth that is not individual or limiting (there is no opinion about it). However, practically, this isn’t what is showing up for us as a collective.
Want to learn how to relate this to your chart? I’ll be teaching a self study journey using Vedic astrology, called Reveal Light, starting in October. More here.
Uttara Phalguni is the collection of stars (nakshatras) that embodies the power of partnership and friendship in ways that allow us to accumulate security. Security is our basic needs: Food, Housing, Fruitful Work, Love and Care, etc.
Ultimately, we are learning that we cannot acquire these things by ourselves, we have to be in fruitful relationship to really be secure; to feel our wholeness.
to have Food, you need a Farmer
to have Housing, you need a Bank and a Contractor
To have Fruitful Work, there needs to be someone who needs what you can offer
To feel Love and Care, you need to have another person reflect that to you, etc.
This alignment is teaching compassion, commitment and the prosperity that can arise from right relationship.
So the last few months have been leading up to this auspicious new moon opportunity. If you want to read more, please follow along. Or, possibly you’ve read enough to know how to work with the energy presenting itself now.
Let’s talk Venus first:
Venus goes Retrograde every 18 months and over the course of 8 years creates a beautiful sacred geometry pattern in the sky. Venus transited, then retrograded back, and will transit again, the exact point in the Zodiac where Ajna Chakra meets in the sky, where the sign of Cancer becomes Leo, this is also called a gandanta point. Venus is all about relationships and our karma that ensues when we engage with others. The two nakshatras that envelope this point are Magha/Leo which is the star of the ancestors, our lineage and also Ashlesha/Cancer where we deal with deep psychological impressions, and existential questioning of what is life all about at its basis.
Venus went through this gauntlet, then back over it, now Venus as of Sept 4, is direct (no more retrograde) and will travel through this region again, smoothing out the ruffled feathers with the compassion and insight gained through this journey.
Use the insight of your deep questioning and the wisdom of your ancestors as you clean up any messes or rectify situations. (Insight and Wisdom are the meaning behind Ajna chakra.)
When thinking retrograde, think 3 steps forward and 2 steps back.
Saturn Retrograde:
Saturn went retrograde on June 17 and will be retrograde until November 4, traipsing back through Aquarius/Shatabishak nakshatra, the collection of stars that relates to the 100 Healers or 100 Medicines. This is the placement of collective and lineage healing. And Saturn is the wise people and elders of our society. This placement is about deep healing, learning boundaries and receiving downloads from our lineage of healers that came before us. Saturn asks us to do the hard work, and find commitment to stand the test of time in order to receive what we want. Saturn also will slow us down if what we are “wanting” is not in alignment, usually so that something more in alignment finds us. Saturn is known to shift us from what we want to who we are.
Every 378 days Saturn opposes the Sun. So, Saturn is on one side of the Earth and Sun is on the other side of the Earth (like what happens with a Full Moon). This puts Earth (where you are) in the tug-of-war between the Self autonomy of the Sun’s energy and the control & discipline of Saturn’s energy. There are many ways to feel this, but likely it is something like the opposing energies of the free spirited child and the responsible child. Freedom vs. Obligation.
Mercury Retrograde:
Mercury is also in retrograde, in the sign of Leo where the New Moon is happening.
In the eastern lens of astrology, retrograde is seen as a stronger placement, not necessarily a dire situation. The planets are orbiting closer to Earth so they are able to channel energy stronger. But it really depends on the planet and how it works in your chart. Ultimately it’s all good for something, you just might not be able to see it.
Expect the New Moon with Mercury in retrograde to offer us some miscommunications and misconceptions. Use this opportunity to clean your lenses so you can understand where they are coming from, not vice versa. Use this time to learn the hard lessons of ownership of experience vs. projection.
Speak and communicate from a deeper place than your ego.
Jupiter in Retrograde:
Well, as teacher Venus went direct, teacher Jupiter went retrograde. Jupiter is the spiritual teacher of the chart, and also the bringer of hope, optimism and wisdom. Sometimes, we have to relearn, take those two steps back to take those three steps forward (one step forward). Jupiter is a supreme example of those types of lessons. Really, all the planets are.
Jupiter is in Bharani/Aries which has to do with endurance, bearing difficulties, learning restraint, and ultimately being rebirthed. The symbol for Bharani is the womb. Jupiter will touch back to Ashwini in a few months, which was the star of the initiation and the quick healing. Use this time wisely so that when you get the opportunity in a few months with Ashwini, you can put to use your newfound knowledge. We won’t have a chance with Jupiter in Ashwini for another 12 years.
All of these translations are loose and really come to life when you are working with your own Vedic natal chart in the practice of Svadhyaya (Self Study).
I’ll be teaching a self study journey using Vedic astrology, called Reveal Light, starting in October. If this interests you, contact me to discuss further and you will want to have had your initial reading done with me to feel that this program is relevant to you. More here. This program is via Zoom online only and includes some 1:1 time as well.