New moon in Uttara Bhādrapadā: The Latter Blessed Star

NEW MOON IN UTTARA BHĀDRAPADĀ

March 18/19th

The March New Moon अमावस्या occurs in Uttara Bhādrapadā उत्तरभद्रपदा (sidereal Pisces), the Vedic lunar mansion known as the Latter Blessed Star.

Uttara Bhādrapadā, marking the zenith of Saturnine energy, is illumined by two bright stars—one in Pegasus and the other in Andromeda—seen by the ancient Vedic seers as the back legs of a funeral cot. Together with two stars of Pūrva Bhādrapadā, they form the rectangular bed known as the Square of Pegasus.

This powerful asterism resides at the heart of the last water sign, in a mokṣa bhāva (house of liberation), ruled by ākāśa tattva (ether element) and Ahirbudhnya (Serpent of the Deep).

Artowrk: Pinterest

As the seat of Mahā Lakṣmī, this nakṣatra is deeply connected to the fertility of both earth and sky, excavating the unconscious, harmonizing the universal mind, and gaining wisdom through experience, humility, and self-sacrifice.

Its Varṣodtamana Śakti — the energy to bring rain and grow what has been planted — speaks to a deeper desire to establish a stable and enduring foundation with this lunation cycle.

We are now on the other side of Jupiter turning direct in Punarvasu (Gemini) and the distillation of eclipse season. There is a churning which stirs a desire for balance — a balance gained through stabilizing all that you’ve been learning over these past couple of months, which is now beginning to land. 

Jupiter’s retrograde invited a deeper reflection on our beliefs, wisdom, growth, and what truly sustains abundance, and with his direct motion the insights gathered through that inward journey begin to move forward again with greater clarity.

After the igniting threshold of tapasya, the New Moon in Uttara Bhādrapadā brings the quiet work of stabilization, where what was sparked in the previous star settles into deep waters, the fire of transformation now tempered and integrated into something enduring.

Artwork: Pinterest

Mercury will also station direct in Śatabhiṣā (Aquarius) on the 21st, bringing discernment to distill what has been unfolding and clarify the way forward.

Counted among the eleven Rudras—forms of Śiva—Ahirbudhnya is linked to fertility, Kuṇḍalinī energy, and the subconscious forces of Nature. His energy is both creative and destructive, reflecting the profound alchemy of transformation and spiritual awakening that unfolds in the hidden depths.

Artwork: Pinterest

Beneath this lunation, a quieter movement may also be sensed within the collective field of consciousness. Uttara Bhādrapadā, associated with twin foundations, gestures toward the reconciliation of polarity—the subtle healing of the ancient myth of separation between masculine and feminine principles.

Here the work is subtle yet immense. Uttara Bhādrapadā invites us to descend beneath the surface of the linear mind and listen to the deeper currents of consciousness. In these waters, insight matures slowly; the unconscious is stirred and illuminated, and what was once fragmented begins to harmonize within the greater field of universal (one) mind. 

The invitation of this New Moon is not urgency but surrender—to allow what has been awakened to stabilize, deepen, and quietly take root as we step into Navarātri, the nine nights of the Divine Feminine.

“You cannot cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.” — Rabindranath Tagore

All my Relations, Tulsi

If you feel called to explore your own chart through the lens of Jyotisa, you can book a private consultation here.

Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Pūrva Phālgunī: The Fruit of the Tree

FULL MOON LUNAR ECLIPSE

Pahari Style, Punjab Hills, c.1750

03.03.2026

Eclipse season culminates with a total lunar eclipse (candra grahaṇam चन्द्र ग्रहणम्) on March 3rd in the Vedic Lunar Mansion of Pūrva Phālgunī पूर्वफल्गुनी (Sidereal Leo) — the Fruit of the Tree.

Lunar eclipses are thresholds. The veil between seen and unseen grows thin; what is ready to be healed rises to the surface. This cycle urges us to refine our inner compass, untangle an old karmic pattern, and release what no longer belongs in our becoming.

Emotions may heighten. Truths long concealed come to light. With the Moon eclipsed, we may find ourselves at a crossroads — uncertain, weary, or on the verge of change. Yet within this threshold is a promise: a shift in trajectory. A recalibration of desire.

In Sanskrit, phala means fruit, and guṇī relates to qualities. Represented by the legs of a bed or a hammock, activated by Venus, this constellation symbolizes rest, pleasure, and the enjoyment of merit earned through past action. Its deity is Bhaga — the bestower of delight, distributive fortune, and the capacity to savor what has been given. It is also counted among the birth stars of Guru and Maṅgala.

Pūrva Phālgunī carries Prajānanda Śakti — the power of procreation, the union of polar opposites, the fertilizing current that enlivens creativity and sensual intelligence. Yet under an eclipse, we are asked to examine where pleasure has become attachment, where rest has become stagnation, and where desire has quietly shaped destiny — especially within our relational bonds.

This star governs union. And under shadow, union reveals its karma.

Bondage with others may surface. Personal prabhā intensifies — exposing and burning relational patterns formed through projection, entanglement, or unconscious exchange.

The star of fertility is both courageous and visionary, much like its bird medicine, the eagle. This eclipse awakens within the heart the courage to face the tests and initiations presented to us — urging us to rise above the shadows of past experiences and open to a higher vantage point.

When we pursue what we truly desire, tests and traumas often arise to meet us. Many are standing at a threshold of major transition — confronting the unknown, reassessing the architecture of life itself.

All activity depends on periods of non-activity.

After facing worldly battles and fulfilling our duties and responsibilities, there follows a necessary period of rest, relaxation, and integration. Pūrva Phālgunī teaches that complex problems can be resolved in a relaxed state, and that yoga trains us to be at ease in the presence of the Unknown. This period serves as the muse that kindles our creative intelligence and effortless action.

The Yogasūtra (2.47) affirms that through the relaxation of effort and absorption in the infinite, action becomes effortless — rooted in Being itself

This eclipse is not merely about creative momentum. It is about creative maturity. It is about refining how we love, how we create, how we seek enjoyment — merging practicality with pleasure, sovereignty with union.

This is a potent window for deep personal sādhana — especially where the eclipse is visible (United States, parts of Europe, Africa, and South America). The ancients regarded eclipses as sacred intervals — consuming less, fasting, turning inward, and safeguarding the subtle body so that the inner channels remain clear.

Keep life simple during the eclipse hours. Favor restraint. Fasting, meditation, mantra japa, and contemplative silence are recommended. For most, it is wise to postpone major decisions and commitments until the eclipse has passed — ideally allowing the energy to land and integrate through 03.21.

A breakthrough awaits. Old patterns may resurface — resist grasping. Let them dissolve.

What familiar relational holding pattern is ready to be released?

Total Lunar Eclipse in Pūrva Phālgunī (Leo)
3:37 AM PST | 17:07 IST

Eclipse window:
00:44–06:23 AM PST
14:14–19:53 IST

---

Holi, Mahā Lakṣmī Jayantī, and Gaura Pūrṇimā

This Full Moon, the Pūrṇimā (पूर्णिमा) of the month of Phālguṇa, also marks the convergence of several auspicious Vedic observances — Holī, Mahā Lakṣmī Jayantī, and Gaura Pūrṇimā — each carrying its own current of renewal and revelation.

This festival not only marks the arrival of Spring but also signifies the triumph of dharma over adharma—good over evil—and the Holī, the Festival of Colors, is deeply intertwined with the theme of the eternal and divine love between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa (the 8th avatāra of Lord Viṣṇu), symbolized by the playful act of adorning one another’s faces with vibrant hues.

This festival not only marks the arrival of Spring but also signifies the triumph of dharma over adharma — good over evil — and the ascendancy of sattva (the creative, harmonious force) over tamas (ignorance and destruction).

Mahā Lakṣmī Jayantī honors the divine manifestation of Goddess Lakṣmī during the Samudra Manthana, the great churning of the Ocean of Milk. The Devas and Asuras labored in opposition to obtain Amṛta, revealing both poison and treasure in the process. 

When Mahā Lakṣmī emerged from the ocean, she immediately took residence in Lord Viṣṇu’s heart. Her appearance bestows eightfold blessings, embodying abundance and devotion, guiding devotees toward both prosperity and spiritual well-being and the grace of making the right decision.

Gaura Pūrṇimā commemorates the birth of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, a seminal figure within the bhakti traditions of India. Born during a Lunar Eclipse in West Bengal, Mahāprabhu is understood as the combined incarnation of Lord Kṛṣṇa and His foremost devotee, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. His descent carried a twofold purpose: to taste the depth of Rādhā’s love for Kṛṣṇa and to reveal the path of wholehearted surrender through nāma-saṅkīrtana.

All My Relations

Mercury Retrograde in Pūrvabhādrapadā: The Scorching Star

MERCURY RETROGRADE

02.26-03.21

Budha Graha (Mercury) stations retrograde on February 26th in the Vedic lunar mansion of Pūrvabhādrapadā पूर्वभाद्रपदा (Aquarius), the Scorching Star — punctuating a passage of deep reflection, reimagination, and renewal.

As the one who bestows discernment, Budha retrograde invites you to return to the center of your wheel, and as he retraces his steps through Pūrvabhādrapadā, what has already been set into motion gathers weight, asking to be met with greater clarity and consequence.

Pūrva Bhādrapadā is symbolized by metamorphosis, rebirth, tapas (penance), perseverance, and undifferentiated spiritual fire — the kind that has the capacity to raise our consciousness. As one of the birth stars of Mercury, it represents the churning of the chaos and turmoil of fragmentation that births the wisdom of neutrality.

The Burning Pair’s deity (Aja Ekapāda) stands on one leg and has two heads — split yet able to see in both directions — bridging heaven and earth through elevation and sacrifice.

Holding Yajamāna Udyamana Śakti — the power of elevation through sacrifice — Pūrvabhādrapadā initiates an alchemical refinement of raw potential. Through discipline and renunciation, this energy is transformed into awakened wisdom. 

This nakṣatra does not merely demand confrontation with duality; it invites us into a dance of integration, where material ambition and spiritual transcendence find their rightful place.

How we manage vast reservoirs of life force energy becomes the defining arc of this cycle, shaping our capacity to channel intensity into focused intention. Yet the cultivation of inner contentment amidst this dynamic flux is equally vital. 

Symbolized by a funeral pyre, we stand at the precipice of transformation, where the purifying fire of Rūdra dissolves illusion.

Coinciding with the Lunar Eclipse in Leo and accompanied by four other grahas, this passage through Pūrvabhādrapadā heightens its fire, bringing identity, authorship, and intention into sharper focus. What has been extreme seeks tempering. What has been scattered seeks coherence. What has been initiated now demands conscious integration.

It is a period of intellectual purification, where communication is tested and refined — not for speed, but for depth. Unresolved matters from the past — especially those placed on the back burner — may resurface, seeking resolution through contemplation rather than reaction. Through introspection and surrender, the trials of this transit lead not to confusion, but to spiritual illumination and ultimate liberation.

Mercury steps back into Śatabhiṣak on march 10th and stations direct there on March 21st, consolidating what has been clarified in flame and stabilizing the insight that emerged during the eclipse portal, guiding it into a landing space of integration, completion, and practical alignment.

With this stabilization, the energy ignited during this cycle officially sets the year of the Fire Horse ablaze, propelling what has been revealed into motion.

We are stepping powerfully into a new timeline. Some karmas are requesting completion, release, and unraveling. Return to the center of your wheel and step into greater balance and neutrality.

All My Relations

 ॐ ब्रां ब्रीं ब्रौं सः बुधाय नमः

Slow things down and they become more beautiful - David Lynch