Rahu, Saturn & the Full Moon in Chitra

A wake-up call

Rahu, Saturn & the Full Moon in Chitra: A Wake-Up Call

Today, I’m continuing from where I began writing about two days ago: the Full Moon in Virgo (Chitra), which follows the New Moon eclipse that kicked off this lunar cycle on March 29 in Uttara Bhadrapada.

What’s calling my attention now is the exact conjunction of Rahu and Saturn—beginning on that very same day, March 29—in the nakshatra of Purva Bhadrapada.

I like to orient to Vedic Astrology the way I believe it was meant to be used: as a guide to the science of Light, the natural cycles and rhythms of Nature, and a tool to help us align with the unchanging witness—the Self—rather than getting caught up in the ever-changing drama of the ego and senses.

Saturn, or Shani in Sanskrit, represents Time itself. He teaches us endurance, karma, humility, and grounded responsibility. There’s no shortcut when Saturn is involved. This is not a time to “pass Go.” If there’s karma to be dealt with, this is the time it will come due. Saturn rules fear, the root chakra, and our most foundational stability.

Rahu—the north node of the Moon—is the archetype of illusion and disruption. Known as the master of smoke and mirrors, Rahu creates chaos to draw us into the illusion again and again. But there’s purpose in that deception. From the soul’s perspective, we come here to evolve—and Rahu’s illusions push us toward the very karmic lessons we came to work through. We think we want X, end up with Y, and end up learning Z. That’s Rahu in a nutshell.

Right now, both Saturn and Rahu are transiting Purva Bhadrapada, and their conjunction will grow tighter in the days and weeks to come.

Purva Bhadrapada is a nakshatra of deep purification and spiritual detachment. It’s a fierce inner warrior, willing to face demons and burn away what no longer serves in order to rise transformed. This nakshatra spans Aquarius and Pisces—Aquarius representing structure, hardship, and discipline; Pisces, on the other hand, brings inspiration, wisdom, and higher purpose.

It’s often called "two-faced" or “masked”—reflecting the dual energy of this star. Aquarius shows up as the courageous warrior, while Pisces channels that same drive toward selfless service and collective upliftment.

Saturn already moved through this nakshatra, briefly retrograded back into Shatabishak to complete some healing work, and then entered Pisces on the day of the eclipse—as if to say, like Mighty Mouse, “Here I come to save the day.”

Rahu entered Purva Bhadrapada earlier, around mid-March, giving it a head start in Pisces and kicking up confusion, distortion, and karmic dust.

And now… here we are.

The last time Rahu and Saturn came together at the exact degree in Pisces was in the first half of 1968—a year of seismic shifts: the deaths of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, the Tet Offensive in Vietnam, the My Lai Massacre, and more. If you weren’t alive then, I encourage you to do some reading on it—it was a pivotal moment in collective consciousness. This conjunction happens roughly every 12 years, but not in Pisces—**not like this—**since 1968. [Here’s a timeline from James Kelleher that tracks these conjunctions.]

Now, this conjunction lands under the Full Moon in Chitra—Virgo—and with the rising star also in Chitra. That’s significant. Chitra is one of the most tamasic nakshatras—associated with rupture and shattering—but also with brilliance and illumination. It brings the potential to organize, to refine, to shine by bringing things into right order.

So, how do you work with this energy?

Start by observing. What’s showing up around you? What’s rising to the surface? How are you digesting the intelligence that life is offering right now?

Look to the house Pisces falls in your chart—that’s where this conjunction is landing. For the U.S. natal chart, Pisces rules the 4th house—home, emotional security, and safety. For other countries, look to their national charts and see where Pisces falls.

Were you alive in 1968? Reflect on what was happening then in your personal life. Patterns may be echoing now.

Above all, lean into the wisdom of Saturn. Rahu may tempt you down illusory paths, but Saturn won’t mislead you. He’ll demand humility. He’ll require that you listen. He’ll ask you to clean up what’s broken, take responsibility, and serve others with grace.

As I mentioned in my last post: This is a time of awakening. A reckoning. Things that have been avoided will no longer be avoidable. What needs to be healed will be front and center.

This is not a time for bypassing. It’s a time to face what is—and grow.

Research 1968: click here
A report by James Kelleher outlining a historical timeline of this conjunction.

Keep scrolling for the technical information.

Tech Talk Alert: Timeline of the Saturn–Rahu Transit in Purva Bhadrapada

Here’s a simplified timeline of Saturn and Rahu’s dance through the nakshatra Purva Bhadrapada, which spans from late Aquarius to early Pisces.

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Key Dates:

• Dec 27, 2024:
  Saturn enters Purva Bhadrapada (Aquarius side)

• Mar 17, 2025:
  Rahu enters Purva Bhadrapada (Pisces side)
  (Note: Rahu moves in retrograde, heading toward Saturn, while Saturn moves forward—also toward Rahu.)

• Mar 29, 2025:
  Saturn enters Purva Bhadrapada in Pisces—just hours after the solar eclipse.
  This is a big moment, marking both malefics in the same nakshatra.

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Exact Conjunction Dates:

• Apr 12, 2025 (Mean Node):
  Rahu and Saturn are exactly conjunct on the day of the Full Moon in Chitra.

• Apr 21, 2025 (True Node):
  Another exact degree alignment, using the true node calculation.

📌 Astrologers differ on these dates. I use the “mean node,” which points to April 12—right at the Full Moon. But both are valid. Either way, we’re in the thick of it now, and this influence extends over weeks, even months or more.

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Ongoing Transit Timeline:

• Mar 17 – Apr 28, 2025:
  Saturn and Rahu are both in Purva Bhadrapada

• Apr 28, 2025:
  Saturn enters Uttara Bhadrapada

• Jul 13, 2025:
  Saturn goes retrograde

• Oct 4, 2025:
  Saturn retrogrades back into Purva Bhadrapada
  (Reactivating the conjunction zone)

• Oct 4 – Nov 23, 2025:
  Saturn and Rahu are again in Purva Bhadrapada together

• Nov 23, 2025:
  Rahu leaves Purva Bhadrapada, entering Shatabishak

• Nov 28, 2025:
  Saturn goes direct in Purva Bhadrapada (0.5° Pisces)

• Jan 20, 2026:
  Saturn finally moves into Uttara Bhadrapada, completing the long transit through Purva Bhadra

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What It Means:

Between Nov 28, 2025, and Jan 20, 2026, Saturn will be doing cleanup work—sweeping away the karmic debris, illusions, and disturbances left in the wake of this intense conjunction.

One important note: At the time of the March 29 eclipse, the planetary dasha was Saturn–Rahu. For me, that’s another cosmic clue: Saturn is here to clean up the mess—to restore order, structure, and truth after Rahu’s smoke and mirrors.

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Final Thought:

Astrology speaks in patterns. When you work with it deeply, you begin to notice recurring themes—layers of the same story, unfolding in different forms. This is one of those moments. We are being asked to wake up, see clearly, and mature.

Let Saturn lead. Trust the long game.