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New Moon in Sagittarius in Purva Ashadha, Jan 11

Vedic Astrology or Indian Astrology or Soli Lunar Astrology is our window to the Universe. It is an easy way to understand the planetary energies. It is the language of the Universe.

New Moon is when Sun and Moon are both at the same point. This happens at the culmination of the last lunar day known as Amavasya. Every month Sun and Moon come together and create a new cycle. They give birth to new energy for the next 28-29 days. This new energy depends on the sign that this New Moon takes place in as well as Nakshatra the Moon is in.

This upcoming New Moon will take place on Jan 11 at 5:30 pm IST or 4:00 am PST. It will take place in the sign of Sagittarius and in Nakshatra of Purva Ashadha.

Sagittarius is the sign which is concerned with spiritual development. The goal of Sagittarius is to reach higher spiritual levels. Raise the consciousness. And Purva Ashadha nakshatra literally means early victory. So the best thing to do during this New Moon (and throughout the next cycle of 28 days) is set intentions for or start something that will uplift you spiritually. This can be your personal routine or some project or even something related to your work. Also, we can remember and honor our ancestors on the New Moon day.

Book Vedic Astrology Reading: https://ganesha-hanuman.com
Learn Vedic Astrology: https://ganesha-hanuman.com/course
Astrology Remedies: https://ganesha-hanuman.com/remedies
Full Analysis of this New Moon for all 12 signs: Youtube Video.

Namaste,
Amit Garg (Vedic Astrologer)

Which Nakshatra has 2 deities?

Which is the only Nakshatra out of 27 that has 2 deities?
Nakshatras are the crown jewel of Vedic astrology. Out of 27 Nakshatras, Vishakha is the only Nakshatra that has 2 deities – Indra and Agni. They are kind of opposite each other in terms of their qualities. Indra is the king of the Gods, he is indulgent, has big ego and even a womanizer. Agni on the other hand represents purification, penance and tapasya.

So if you have important planets or Lagna or Moon in Vishakha Nakshatra in your chart, you will always find yourself at a fork, at the crossroads – should I do this or should I do that? Should I follow Indra’s path or should I follow Agni’s path.

Learn all about 27 Nakshatras in depth and how to apply that wisdom to chart interpretation in our upcoming live course starting Nov 1st. Registration price goes up Oct 21st.

Register Here: https://ganesha-hanuman.com/course/
Module 1 detailed syllabus is in the picture below.
Module 2: Aspects, Bhavat Bhavam, Retrograte Planets, Yogas, Rahu-Ketu axis (with charts)
Module 3: The 27 Nakshatras (with charts)
Module 4: Transits, Vimshottari Dasha, Chart Interpretation (Marriage, Finances, Career etc). We will Analyze charts of 51 personalities.

Mantras – the Best Protection!

Mantras are considered as the best remedy in Jyotish.
Manah Trai Iti Mantra – means “that which protects our mind is Mantra.”
Mantras protect our mind. Different transits affect us differently based on our natal charts. We have Solar eclipse coming up on Oct 14 followed by Lunar eclipse on Oct 28.

The Solar eclipse is taking place in Virgo and Lunar eclipse is taking place in the sign of Aries. Chanting 1 mantra during eclipse is as powerful as chanting a thousand mantras on other times. In this video below, I have listed mantras for all the 12 houses. Depending on whichever house Virgo and Aries fall in your chart, you can chant mantras for that house.

If you want to learn Jyotish and find out which mantras are best for various planets and signs and houses, you can join upcoming Course starting on Nov 1: https://ganesha-hanuman.com/course/

Solar versus Lunar Eclipse

We are in the midst of eclipses. Solar and Lunar eclipse always come together with a 2-week gap. Solar eclipse takes place during a New Moon and Lunar eclipse takes place during a Full Moon. We had a powerful Solar eclipse on July 2, 2019 and we will have a big Lunar eclipse on July 16, 2019. See exact times in my Vedic Calendar here.

What is the fundamental difference between Solar eclipse and Lunar eclipse? What should we do during an eclipse?

Sun is the king of the solar system. Sun represents our soul. Solar eclipse is a time when Sun is engulfed / swallowed by Rahu or Ketu (the nodes of the Moon). Sun is the source of Light. Rahu and Ketu are shadow planets (no light). Rest of the 6 planets (Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn) receive their light from the Sun and simply reflect that light back. So when Sun is eclipsed by Rahu or Ketu, all the other 6 planets will be in the dark, they will not receive any light from the Sun. Solar eclipse is an eclipse of the Soul. It is a big deal.

But usually Lunar eclipse seems to have more impact on us than a Solar Eclipse. Why is that? Moon represents our mind. Moon (mind) reflects the light of the Sun (soul). On every Full Moon (eclipse or not), our mind experiences an emotional overflow. But on a Full Moon when Moon is eclipsed, our mind seems to have lost touch with our soul momentarily. So not only there is emotional overflow during a Lunar Eclipse but also there is no guidance from the Sun (soul). We may feel lost or overwhelmed.

So what do we do during a Lunar eclipse? There is no external light to guide us. Our mind has lost touch with the soul. First of all, we need protection of the mind. How do we do that? Through Mantras. The word Mantra comes from Man (mind) + Tra (protection). Mantra is something that protects our mind. So doing mantra during an eclipse is extremely important. Secondly, since mind is eclipsed, we need to try and go directly to the source, reach the soul without support of the mind. Just Be. Meditate. Discover our pure Self. Practice dissolution of our mind and body.

Namaste,
Amit

Birth of Pāṇḍavas, the Heroes of Mahābhārata

This story is from the epic Mahābhārata. The Mahābhārata is a legendary narrative of the Kurukṣetra War and describes the heroic lives of the Kaurava and the Pāṇḍava princes. It also contains immense philosophical and devotional wisdom. Biggest treasure in Mahābhārata is Bhagawad Gitā, which is a dialog between Lord Shri Krishna and Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Gitā is a 700 shloka (verse) scripture in which Lord Sri Krishna teaches about selfless action, dharma, bhakti (devotion) and ways of achieving moksha (liberation from the cycle of birth and death).

Pāṇḍavas were born around 3,200 BCE. They were the five sons of King Pāṇḍu, hence they were known as the Pāṇḍavas. One day while hunting in the forest, Pāṇḍu shot arrows and killed two deer embracing each other. Those deer were actually a sage and his wife who had transformed their body. They cursed Pāṇḍu that he will die if he ever embraces a woman. Hence, he could never have a child.

Fortunately, Kunti, the older wife of Pāṇḍu, received a boon from Sage Durvasa. The boon was that by chanting a specific mantra, she could invoke any God and immediately give birth to a child. Pāṇḍu asked her to invoke the mantra. Kunti did so 3 times and as a result conceived three sons. She first invoked Yama, God of Dharma and conceived Yudhishthir as a result. Yudhishthir was known as Dharma-rāj. He was the most righteous and truthful person alive. Then Kunti invoked Vāyu, God of wind and gave birth to Bhimasena. Bhimasena or Bhima for short was thus known as Vāyu-putra (son of wind). He was mighty powerful like the wind. Lastly Kunti invoked Indra, the King of Gods and conceived Arjuna. Thus, Pāṇḍu and Kunti had three sons: Yudhishthir, Bhima and Arjuna. Pāṇḍu also had another wife, Madri. Madri also used Kunti’s mantra and conceived two sons of her own – Nakul and Sahadev. They were twins and were the sons of the Gods Ashwini Kumars, the Divine Physicians. This is how the five Pāṇḍavas came into being.

Birth of Pāṇḍavas in English:

Namaste,
Amit

Pandavas

2018 Festival Dates

5 days of Diwali celebration begins tomorrow, November 4, 2018. The first of these 5 days is celebrated as Dhan Teras. This day is also known as Dhanwantri Trayodashi, the appearance day of lord Dhanwantri who came out of the Ocean with a pot of amrita (nectar) in his hand on this day. Please see below exact dates and times for Dhan Teras and Diwali for India and USA (PST).

You can also find this information on my website here: https://ganesha-hanuman.com/vedic-calendar/

Calendar Dates

Namaste,

Amit

Akshay Tritiya – Parashuram, Sudama, Yudhishthir

Coming up this week is Akshay Tritiya – this is the only day in the whole year when Sun and Moon both are exalted. Exalted means dignified and feeling strong. Sun and Moon are the luminaries. Sun gives us light during the day and Moon gives us light during the night. Sun is the King of the day and Moon is the Queen of the night. Akshay means that which cannot be destroyed or decayed. So, any work done on Akshay Tritiya grows. It is one of the best days to start projects, give donation, start education, take vows, make promises, initiate mantras and start taking herbs. 6th incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Lord Parashuram was born on this day and he became a Chiranjivi – one who never dies and lives forever. Sudama visited Lord Krishna on this day with a handful of rice and their friendship is immortal. Yudhishthir received Akshay patra (bowl that provides food for eternity) from Lord Krishna on this day to feed pandavas.

Akshay Tritiya Timing for 2018:
PDT: starts 3:19 pm April 17 (Tuesday) and ends 1:00 pm April 18 (Wednesday)
India: starts 3:49 am April 18 (Wednesday) and ends 1:30 am April 19 (Thursday)

Within the lunar day of Akshay Tritiya, sthir lagna (fixed rising sign – especially Taurus) is best for initiating things but if you don’t know timing for sthir lagnas for your location, the entire lunar day of Akshay Tritiya is good. Remember, Tithis (lunar days such as Akshay Tritiya) have nothing to do with sunrise or day of the week. Tithis start at exact same moment everywhere on Earth and end at same exact moment everywhere.

New Moon – new beginnings
This month’s New Moon is taking place at 7:00 pm PDT on April 15 ( Sunday) in the sign of Aries. New Moon takes place when Sun and Moon are exactly at the same point in the zodiac. Sun is our father and Moon is our mother. A child is born only when father and mother come together. Union of Sun and Moon every New Moon signifies this birth of a new cycle. This particular monthly cycle will be an Aries cycle. See which house is Aries in your birth chart or horoscope and that house or area of life will have focus and powerful energy throughout the next 29 days or so. For example, if Aries is in your 4th house, then you will have powerful energy at your disposal this month to heal your mother, renovate your house, start projects at your place of residence etc. Within Aries, this New Moon is taking place in the lunar mansion (Nakshatra) of Ashwini. Ashwini symbolizes healing. Deity of Ashwini are Ashwini Kumaras – the celestial healers. They go around and heal the Gods. So a big theme for this next cycle is healing.

Om Shanti,
Amit Garg

Astrology Consultations & Yagya Service

Siva, Tripurantaka – the slayer of 3 cities of Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas

The demon Taraka was killed by Kartikeya, the son of Lord Siva. His 3 sons Tarakaksha, Vidyunmali and Kamalaksha were furious and wanted to take revenge. They worshiped Brahma and asked for a boon of immortality. Brahma said he cannot grant that. They came up with a clever idea. They asked from Brahma for 3 cities which will float in the heavens, the skies and the earth plane respectively. These cities can only be destroyed when all 3 are aligned in straight line and can be destroyed only by a single arrow and that too shot by none other than lord Siva himself. Brahma granted them their wish. So gaining virtual immortality, the 3 demon brothers started creating havoc. Gods pleaded to Siva and Siva agreed to help. Vishwakarma, the celestial architect designed the heavenly chariot. Sun became the right wheel and Moon the left wheel, Vishnu entered the arrow of Siva and Brahma was the charioteer. Siva went on the chariot and at the exact time when 3 cities were aligned when Pushya Nakshatra was rising on the horizon and at the Muhurata of Abhijit, Siva shot the arrow and destroyed the 3 cities.

From that point on, Siva received the name Tripurantaka, the slayer of the 3 cities.

Siva is the divine archer. He is the spirit. Three cities represent the three gunas – sattva, rajas and tamas. All three gunas have to come to a state of equilibrium (in a straight line) before the divine archer (Siva) can shoot the arrow of wisdom (Vishnu) and kill (harmonize) all three cities (gunas) and thus give redemption to the jivatma or embodied soul. The time has to be ripe for such liberation, so the arrow has to be shot at the right moment / Muhurata.

(Image: exoticindiaart.com)

Tripurantaka - Exotic India

Who is Siva?

Siva is not just the destroyer. He is Brāhman, He is Purusha, He is Sadāsiva, He is pure consciousness. He drank halāhal (the poison coming out of the churning of the Ocean) to save humanity. Will a destroyer do that? He brought holy river Gangā on earth by carrying her weight in his matted hair. Will a destroyer help nourish the earth?

He is not just the destroyer. He is all five: the Creator, the Preserver, the Destroyer, the Māyā (illusion) and the Grace. The word Siva means the auspicious one. He embraces everyone. He is Pashupati, the lord of all creatures. For Siva, there is no good or bad, there is no right or wrong. He is the friend of demons and ghosts. He wears snakes around his neck and carries a skull as his begging bowl. He smears ashes of the dead on his body and dwells in cremation grounds and icy caves of the mountains. Kubera (the king of yakshas), Ravana (the king of demons) and Shukra (the guru of asuras) are among his greatest devotees. There is nothing inauspicious when we are talking about Siva. And there is nothing else other than Siva. Om Namaha Sivāya.

shiva2

Before You Get a Reading

If you go for a reading to an astrologer, they will talk in terms of Houses and Signs. For most people who have had minimal exposure to astrology, it is not easy to comprehend what the astrologer is talking about. What is a House and what is a Sign and how to look at your chart? Full zodiac is 360 degrees. In Vedic astrology, there are 9 Planets, 12 Houses and 12 Signs. In Equal House system, each house spans 30 degrees along the ecliptic. The picture below shows the North Indian style of representing a horoscope. First House is on the top in the middle and you go counter-clockwise to 2nd house, 3rd house and so on all the way to the 12th house. Houses are imaginary, Signs are real. 12 imaginary Houses overlay on top of the 12 Signs of the zodiac in the background. The Sign of the First House is known as the Ascendant or the Rising sign – it is the Sign or constellation that was rising on the eastern horizon when you were born. The position of Houses remains fixed in every chart i.e. the 1st House will always be on top in the middle, 2nd house next and so on.  But the Sign that each of these houses falls in may change from one person to another depending on their time and place of birth. Houses represent different areas of our life. For example 1st House is the house of our self, our physical body and intellect. Whereas Signs are the environment and tools that are available for the 9 Planets to deliver karma.

CHART