New Moon in Cancer ~ Ashlesha nakshatra 8.4.24
August 4, 2024 NEW MOON in Cancer - Ashlesha Nakshatra 7:13 AM EST *sidereal positions
*Mercury will be stationing retrograde today
At the moment of the New Moon, the Sun, Moon and Ascendant are all in Ashlesha nakshatra. With Mercury just over the other side of the gandanta in Leo - in Magha nakshatra, it’s bridging the gandanta zone of Ashlesha-Magha, and connecting those energies. Mercury stations retrograde on the new moon, and also happens to be the planetary lord of Ashlesha.
Mercury will begin shifting backwards into the gandanta zone towards Ashlesha from his position in Magha nakshatra in Leo. Being mindful of communication and relationship dynamics, especially in intimate relationships is a good idea. There has also been many tech disruptions lately, so this may be something to continue to be aware of during this particular mercury retrograde. This is because he is heading backwards from a fire sign-Leo through the gandanta and into water-Cancer. Mercury retrograde periods are very useful for getting caught up on things, revising, reviewing and so on. It’s also a very rich time for meditation, spiritual practices and inner awareness because the energy can tend to be more inward during retrogrades. Then you can find ways to put your insights into action when the timing feels right.
Gandantas bring great inner churning, digging deep into our inner worlds and stirring things up. Nestled in the constellation of Hydra is Ashlesha nakshatra, holding the Vishashleshana Shakti, the embracing energy. Here we find ancient stories in the Rig Veda and Puranas of serpents, sarpas, Nagas and Uragas. The animal for Ashlesha is a male cat, which shares it’s intense stare with snakes. Themes relating to Ashlesha show up through psychic awareness, subtle energies, hypnotism, sexuality, fertility, genetics, and pharmaceutical drugs, medicines or poisons.
This is also Lord Shiva’s month of Shravan. During the story of the Samudra Manthan, the churning of the cosmic ocean, the naga Vasuki that Lord Shiva wears on his neck acted as a rope for the churning to happen. Many things started to come out of the ocean while the Devas and Asuras pulled on Vasuki, bringing things up from the depths during the churning. A poison called halahala came out, which Shiva drank to save the universe. Parvati stopped the spread of the poison in Shiva by holding his throat, then his throat turned blue from the poison.
The planetary positions of this new moon hold energies that will help release things whose time is past, as well as energies of creation and building for the new to come in after release. For something new to be created, there needs to be space for it to be created and birthed.
Questions to ponder on this New Moon ~
What is being called up from all the churning happening in your life and internally? What is asking for your attention? What might you be letting go of from your life at this time? What is deep within your heart and how do you keep attention on what is the most important, removing all the things that don’t matter?
OM Namah Shivaya
*Image thanks to Alexander Ratov from Pixabay
#newmoon #ashleshanakshatra #ashleshanewmoon #gandanta #jyotish #vedicastrology