The New Moon occurs at 11:47 PM EDT on October 8, 2018. New Moons in general are a great time for starting new projects, initiating good habits into your life, and new beginnings of any kind. However, since the Moon is dark, combust and invisible when New, it is not the best idea to actually begin your new venture at the new Moon. Wait until the Moon is at least 12° separated from its conjunction with the Sun. The actual day of the New Moon is excellent for setting your intention for the month, meditating on how to best achieve your goal, planning your new venture, and doing a ritual to empower your intention.
The power of the month’s intention can be amped up when aligned with the Shakti Power of the Nakshatra that the New Moon occurs in, bearing in mind the Shakti available through the Nakshatra of the Full Moon’s culmination of the cycle. Shakti is the feminine counterpart to Shiva – the universal feminine force that brings manifesting energy to the universal masculine sea of unmanifest potential of cosmic consciousness. It is the activation of the dynamic flow of primordial cosmic energy associated with kundalini. Meditating on tapping into the limitless sea of cosmic potential and feeling the presence of the cosmic forces of Shiva and Shakti in your body is especially important at the New Moon to release blockages in the physical and etheric body and self-thwarting limitations of the mind in preparation for a new cycle of expansion of growth.
This lunation cycle specifically begins in sidereal Virgo and the Nakshatra of Hasta which contains the Shakti Power to manifest and gain what we seek. Hasta’s symbol is the human hand. It is a star of craftsmanship. The associated stars are Porrima of the constellation Virgo the 5 visible stars in the constellation of Corvus the Crow that sits below Virgo. This is one of the three Nakshatras ruled by the Moon. It is also one of three Nakshatras ruled by a feminine deity, Savriti. Savriti is the daughter of Savitur. Savitur is a form of the Sun to whom the Gayatri Mantra is dedicated. Savitri means “ray of light” and is one of the 108 names of the goddess Saraswati who is Brahma’s wife. This is a creative Nakshatra. It is Tamasic on the primary and secondary levels and concerned with material formations. Hasta’s aim of life is moksha or liberation. This implies that this is not just about making forms and getting caught up in attachments to their results, but rather to create the right forms that allow you to serve from a place that is bigger than you, beyond you and through which Spirit moves through you. Hasta is entirely in the sidereal sign of Virgo and is connected to service. Creations under Hasta that hold a higher spiritual purpose to serves humanity in a non-egoic way lead to moksha.
The culmination of this lunation cycle occurs with the Full Moon on October 24, 2018 at 12:45 PM EDT in the sidereal sign of Aries and Nakshatra Ashwini. Ashwini is ruled by the Ashwin Kumars whom are twin horse deities known as the Celestial Physicians. Ashwini has the Shakti Power of prana (breath/chi), miracle cures and to reach things quickly. The stars associated with Ashwini are in the head of Aries: El Sharatan & Hamal. Its symbol is a horse head. It is Rajasic on the primary, secondary and tertiary levels – the guna associated with action, movement and change. It is a light and swift nakshatra known as the star of transport. Its aim of life is Dharma, or right purpose. While Aries is an animal sign and Ashwini’s symbol is an animal, it is important to note that the head of both animals are indicated. The instinctual animal action occurs at the seat of mental energy that can be directed through the intellect and conscious thought to mobilize our Dharma. Uranus is also in Ashwini within one degree of the Full Moon to amplify the power to reach things quickly, create change, and awaken to Dharma.
With these two Nakshatras, Hasta and Ashwini, being the seeds and culmination of the lunation cycle the spiritual energy of this month is to create and serve in a way that puts on our true dharmic path.