new moon ~ eclipse in virgo ~ hasta nakshatra
October 2, 2024 NEW MOON ~ Annular Solar Eclipse in Virgo ~ Hasta Nakshatra
On October 2, 2024 the second eclipse of this season is happening on the New Moon. This one is an annular solar eclipse, with the Moon, Sun, Mercury and Ketu all in Hasta nakshatra. Rahu is directly across in Pisces in Uttara bhadrapada nakshatra. It’s all happening on the same Virgo - Pisces axis as the eclipse on September 17, 2024. Many people have been effected by health and weather emergencies, as well as conflicts happening for our friends and loved ones all over the world. There has also been a theme of large numbers of people passing on from their earthly bodies.
Hasta keeps a focus on 6th house themes like illness, service to humanity, healing, medicine, conflict and using the hands for skilled activities like healing arts, building or rebuilding things and also, holding weapons. Even the symbol for Hasta is the hands, and it’s deity, Savitur has golden hands. This 6th and 12th house axis theme relates to health, medicine, working with the hands, and endings of cycles or even people passing on. Sadly, we are seeing these themes play out all over the world. As one cycle ends, a new one begins and there may also be themes around birth and new creations. How do we create a beautiful future and healthy Earth? How do we want to leave the planet for our grandchildren and their grandchildren and their grandchildren? How do we shift away from these destructive tendencies that have become so engrained in us?
The animal totem for Hasta is the female water buffalo. Buffalos are used for working fields in many places in the world and they have very nutritious milk and multiple cycles of fertility each year. They can eat plants and foods that other animals are unable to digest, which results in milk with higher fatty acids and proteins than other animals like cows. The buffalo in Vedic tradition is the vahana, or ride of Yama, the Vedic god of death and Dharma Raj. Buffalo is also significant in the Devi Mahatmyam, the story of the Nava Durgas, or nine forms of the goddess Durga. In the Devi Mahatmyam, Durga slays a buffalo demon called Mahishasura. On one level, this story is really about slaying our owns inner demons whose desires and greed can get out of hand and destroy the world for everyone. This story is especially poignant for the times we are living in.
Navaratri begins on October 3, the day after the eclipse. Interestingly, for the Indigenous people of North America, the American buffalo is very important and significantly, this year there has been reports of multiple births of sacred white buffalo calves. They are connected to the story of White Buffalo Woman, and connecting to walking in a sacred way on the Earth. All over the planet we are seeing many signs of destruction and the loss of connection with the sacred cycles of the Earth and how our disregard for the Earth as our Mother is hurting all of life and us.
As we move past the Fall Equinox in the northern hemisphere and the days grow shorter and darker. The eclipse gives us a space to pause and slow down, (if even just for a moment), honor the sacred cycles of nature and to focus on nurturing the light within.
OM Shanti Shanti Shanti
*Photo Credit: Thanks to Alp Cem from Pixabay