New Moon Solar Eclipse in Uttaraphalgunī: The Star Of Patronage

SOLAR ECLIPSE

Edit by @___turiya

SOLAR ECLIPSE सूर्य ग्रहण 

Eclipse season culminates with the new moon (amāvásyā) and a partial solar eclipse (Sūrya Grahaṇam) in the Vedic Lunar mansion of Uttaraphalgunī उत्तरफल्गुनी (Virgo), the star of Patronage.

This new moon is also known as Sarvapitṛ Amāvāsyā which concludes Pitṛ Pakṣa (fortnight of the ancestors), also called Mahalaya Amāvāsyā, when oblations can be offered to all ancestors (sarva-pitṛ), especially for those who may have been forgotten or for whom individual śrāddha has not been performed.

Solar eclipses are omens for the energies to come. Track what has been trying to make itself known to you in the past few weeks. They expose what is hidden and set the tone for the next six months. A spiritual culmination unfolds, signaling transformative endings and the potential for new beginnings.

Right now, we’re in a time outside of time, where things aren’t what they seem. 

The eclipse portal has delivered confrontation with the unknown as promised and continues to bring old patterns to the surface for transmutation. Don’t touch what’s coming up.

Uttaraphalgunī calls us to build authentic connections through acts of service, generosity, and mutual support. As the patron of contracts and agreements, this asterism, steeped in the qualities of hospitality and protection, encourages us to honor our commitments and nurture relationships that foster both personal and collective growth.

Holding the energy and śakti of prosperity and the accumulation of wealth through partnership, this is a powerful window for collaboration that ignites a fresh perspective and creative growth. 

With the responsibility of breathing life into new architecture, we become most in need of balance. The fine tuning point between self and other — anchoring into and committing fully to self sovereignty, while practicing the grace of presence and participation within this co-created dream.

You can only change and work on yourself. No matter how deeply you feel the need to hold on or piece together something that is unraveling, you may not be able to. Allow yourself to be surprised. This is an opportunity for profound growth—don’t bypass it simply because it’s uncomfortable. Observe what is unfolding and step powerfully into taking responsibility for your own spiritual evolution.

Accelerated spiritual growth awaits if we allow introspection. Some pattern has been attempting to reveal itself for completion and healing. What would it take for you to stop resisting that which you don’t prefer? Welcome it all—the beauty, the terror, the rapture, and the turbulence. Be with it and let it go. It may not be comfortable or easy, but it will undoubtedly be worth it.

Eclipses stir duality to initiate purification, a necessary process through which self-knowledge is deepened and stabilized. The turbulence you may feel is part of the alchemy drawing you deeper into your own psyche.

Know there is light at the end of the tunnel—keep going. Do yourself a favor and create space to delve deeper into what you may have been resisting. Release what you desire and realign with what is in right relationship and highest alignment.

In this phase of heightened impulsivity, keep life simple, stay grounded, and rest. Reflect on what’s being revealed and what needs untangling. Expect the unexpected.

The ancients taught that any practice undertaken during an eclipse bears fruit a thousandfold. In this sacred window, they consumed less—physically and mentally—to keep their channels clear. With the Sun and Moon—our sources of prāṇa—obscured, this becomes a potent time for:

• Mantra chanting

• Meditation & breathwork

• Prayer & fasting

• Turning inward, rather than outward

It is also recommended to bathe before and after the eclipse to cleanse both body and mind, allowing for a smoother energetic transition.

Trust that this cycle serves as an initiation, sowing the seeds of transformation that will blossom in divine timing, guiding you into the next phase of your journey. Take your time to process things and allow the story to continue unfolding.

Those in a dasha or sub-period of Saturn, or with natal planets (Sun, Moon, Rising) in Uttaraphalgunī, will experience this transit’s transformative energy even more profoundly….

All My Relations 🦚

We will be diving deeper together in our monthly Vidyā & Chai: Group meditation and Sacred Storytelling

September, 22nd 1:30pm pst 🦢☽☼

Partial Solar Eclipse: New Moon in Uttaraphalgunī (Virgo)

Sept 21st 2025 12:54 PM PST | Sept 22nd 1:24 am IST

Eclipse Timing:

Sept 21st 10:29 am PST - Sept 21st 14:53 pm PST

Sept 21st 22:59 pm IST - Sept 22nd 3:23 am IST

Gaṇeśa Caturthī

GAṆEŚA CATURTHĪ

Commencing on the fourth day (caturthī) of the bright fortnight (śukla pakṣa) in the month of Bhādrapadā (Aug–Sept), Gaṇeśa Caturthī is observed for ten days, culminating on Ananta Caturdaśī (14th day).

Salutations to Śrī Gaṇeśa who has a curved trunk, who has a large body and whose splendor is similar to that of a million suns; who is the son of Śiva and Pārvatī, the remover of obstacles and the writer of the story.

Gaṇeśa, revered as the deity who governs the threshold of new beginnings, wisdom, and intelligence, represented by the brain stem in our physiology, the lord of Jyotiṣa Vidyā (Vedic astrology) and the one who is associated with Ketu and Mercury. He rules over the planetary vibrations that guide us through transitions—encouraging us to see obstacles not as hindrances, but as divine redirections towards our true nature. 

Vyāsa invoked Gaṇeśa to serve as the divine scribe of the Mahābhārata—some traditions even say he fashioned him into being through tapas for this immortal task. Gaṇeśa agreed on the condition that Vyāsa dictate without pause, and Vyāsa, with equal cleverness, required that Gaṇeśa only write once he fully understood each verse.

On Gaṇeśa Caturthī, it is said one should avoid looking at the moon (Candra Darśana) as it can bring false accusations or misunderstandings—stemming from the Purāṇic tale where Candra mocked Gaṇeśa, leading to a curse that whoever sees him on this night may suffer slander. Instead, devotion is directed wholly to Gaṇeśa, the remover of obstacles.

On this sacred day, devotees immerse themselves in fasting, chanting Vedic hymns and Hindu texts, offering sweets such as modaka —believed to be the favorite of Lord Gaṇeśa—as prasāda. The festival culminates on the tenth day with visarjana, when the Mūrti (depiction of a deity) is carried in a grand procession, accompanied by music and chanting, and immersed in a nearby body of water, symbolizing the cycle of creation and dissolution.

O Deva, lord of new beginnings, please make my undertakings free of obstacles, by extending your blessings in all my works, always and may I remember to trust that when you place obstacles in my way, that you’re gently guiding me back to my most aligned path.

ॐ श्री गणेशाय नमः

Rāhu / Ketu Transit – Aquarius / Leo

Navigating Aquarius and Leo: Rāhu and Ketu's New 18-Month Cycle

Artwork: Ayush Kejriwal

May 19, 2025 – December 5, 2026

Shadow Forces at the Threshold

In the subtle architecture of destiny, not all thresholds are lit by stars—some are cast in shadow. Rāhu and Ketu, the lunar nodes, are such thresholds: unseen forces that awaken, dismantle, and initiate. They do not emit light, yet their influence reshapes the sky within.

The jyotiṣa narrative shifts as the nodes complete their backward journey from the Pisces–Virgo axis into Aquarius–Leo. This new cycle, initiated on May 19 (true node shift on May 29), will reverberate through the end of 2026.

Sovereignty and Service

This is the axis of sovereignty and service—Leo illuminates the light of the self, while Aquarius holds the vision for the collective. One radiates from the heart; the other disperses through the field. The invitation is not to choose between them, but to consecrate their union.

Mechanics of the Nodes

Unlike the visible grahas, Rāhu and Ketu are chāyā-grahas—shadow planets formed by the intersection of the Sun and Moon’s paths along the ecliptic. Ever retrograde and 180 degrees apart, they govern eclipses and set the karmic tone of each 18-month cycle, shaping the undercurrent of the six-month intervals between eclipses.

Known as the great awakeners, they mark the dance between light and shadow—disrupting patterns, awakening deeper truths, and exerting particular influence when transiting one’s Lagna or Moon Nakṣatra (constellation).

Echoes of the Past: 2005–2007

Artowrk: Pinterest

Let us return to the last time Rāhu and Ketu moved through the Kumbha–Siṃha axis: 2005 to 2007. It was a period shaped by the tension between personal sovereignty and collective belonging—between the need to stand apart, and the yearning to find one’s place within a greater whole. 

Rāhu in Kumbha stirred the impulse to question systems and seek new forms, while Ketu in Siṃha quietly loosened the grip of self-importance, revealing where identity had been entangled with status or validation. As one of the co-rulers of Kumbha, alongside Śani, Rāhu moves through this sign with a certain authority—its drive to rupture, innovate, and unbind finds natural expression here. For many, it was a time of inward reorientation—of discerning what it truly means to offer oneself without needing to be seen.

Timing Matters: Mean and True Node Gap

In that cycle, the difference between the mean and true node transitions was pronounced. The mean node entered Kumbha in November 2005, while the true node did not follow until March 2006—resulting in a gap of nearly four months.

This delay was due to greater oscillation in the Moon’s nodal path at the time, which caused the true node to temporarily move direct or hover near the sign boundary. In contrast, the 2025 transit is far more aligned: the mean node enters Kumbha on May 9, 2025, and the true node follows just ten days later on May 19. The shorter gap reflects minimal oscillation in the nodal path during this period, resulting in a more immediate and unified shift.

This convergence in 2025 holds deeper significance for Jyotiṣa interpretation:

While the true node reflects the Moon’s exact astronomical path, including its erratic oscillations, the mean node offers a steady, symbolically coherent trajectory through the zodiac. During periods of minimal oscillation—such as the 2025 transit—the closeness between mean and true nodes lends further support to the mean node’s use in timing and interpretation. Many Jyotiṣa practitioners favor the mean node for its predictive consistency and alignment with the symbolic essence of Rāhu and Ketu as karmic forces that operate beyond the visible realm.

In traditional South Indian lineages, the mean node remains the standard—a practice that reflects its longstanding alignment with the metaphysical dimension of Jyotisa rather than only astronomical precision.

Clean Threshold, Swift Delivery

Most discussions of Rāhu and Ketu focus on their symbolism, yet their movement itself tells us something. In 2005–2006, the true node lagged nearly four months behind the mean, creating a prolonged liminal space. The karmic axis had shifted—yet hadn’t. This delay, subtle as it was, mirrored a period of energetic diffusion: slower integration, ambiguous thresholds, and karmic delivery that unfolded in layers.

In contrast, the 2025 shift occurs with near exactness. The true and mean nodes enter Kumbha–Siṃha just ten days apart. When the nodes move with precision, karma tends to deliver without pause. There is less wavering at the threshold, and the cycle begins cleanly. Have you been noticing a quickening? A sense that movement has already begun—subtle shifts, sudden truths, old patterns unraveling without ceremony. The timing may be astronomical, but the delivery is already in motion.

First full eclipse season in the Aquarius / Leo Axis:

• Sept 7th: Total Lunar Eclipse 13:09pm CT (full moon) Pūrva Bhādrapadā

• Sept 21st: Partial Lunar Eclipse 14:55 CT (new moon) UttaraphalgunĪ

Mythic Origins

According to ancient Vedic mythology, Rāhu and Ketu were born during the churning of the cosmic ocean (Samudra Manthana). The devas, with Viṣṇu’s help, plotted to keep the nectar of immortality (amṛtṭa) for themselves. In response, the asura Svarbhānu disguised himself as a deva and slipped into their ranks. Just as he drank the nectar, the Sun and Moon exposed him. Viṣṇu beheaded him with his Sudarsana Chakra.

The drop of nectar had already passed his throat, making him immortal. His severed head became known as Rāhu, the immortal head; his body became Ketu, the headless body. Feeling betrayed by the luminaries, the nodes are said to chase and devour them again and again—causing eclipses (grahaṇa) that continue to fascinate and unsettle us to this day.

The Hero’s Journey: Varāha and Matsya

To understand Rāhu graha a little more, we can look to the narrative of the hero’s journey and to the life of Varāha Avatār, the third incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu, the wild boar. Varāha Dev story narrates how Viṣṇu came to rescue Bhūdevī (Earth) and restore her to her rightful place in the universe.

Rāhu is the karaka for justice, courage, truth, self-sacrifice, renovation, risking one’s life for a cause, going against the established order, the foreigner, and the protector of the Earth. As the immortal head, Rāhu is the head of everything. With his tusks, Varāha is said to have the ability to dig up any impurities in the heart.

Ketu Graha is reflected in the veiled presence of ŚrĪ Matsya, the first avatāra of Viṣṇu—the fish who guides the sage Manu through the great deluge (pralaya). When he first appears to King Satyavrata, pleading for protection from the larger creatures of the sea, it signals a dissolution already underway. As creation gets out of hand, Matsya carries forward only a small volume of the Earth’s population—preserving what must endure, while the rest is surrendered.

Ketu is the karaka of mokṣa and the genetic code—what sets one apart, like the royal class. He is the writer, the one behind the scenes, the backdrop. Karaka of the ṛṣis, omens, sūkṣma indriyas (subtle senses), extremity, religious fanatics, blind faith, mystery, secrets, coding, and reduction. He is the reducer, the one that clears the field, cuts the thread, and clears out your closet. Mahākāya—he expands something only to get it out of the way. Like Matsya, he does not engage in violence.

Upcoming Transits

Rāhu (Mean Node)

• Currently in: Pūrvabhādrapadā (Aquarius)

• Entering Shatabhiṣak: November 22, 2025

• Entering Dhaniṣṭhā: June 30, 2026
  Even though Rāhu has entered Kumbha (Aquarius rāśi) on May 19, 2025, it's still transiting within the earlier Pūrvabhādrapadā Nakṣatra, which spans the end of Mīna and the beginning of Kumbha. This is why, despite the rāśi shift, the Nakṣatra hasn't changed yet.

  Rāhu in Pūrvabhādrapadā intensifies the fire of transformation. Known for its scorching, untamed energy (pari), this star initiates deep internal alchemy through tapas—discipline, vision, and inner combustion. It is a place of conscious rebirth. Under Rāhu’s influence, the latent fire of Pūrvabhādrapadā becomes insatiable, requiring full devotion to one’s goals and the courage to burn through illusion. What is not aligned will not survive the heat.

Artwork: Pinterest

Ketu (Mean Node)

• Currently in: Uttaraphalgunī (Leo)

• Entering Pūrvaphalgunī: July 6, 2025

• Entering Maghā: April 20, 2026

Ketu in Uttaraphalgunī draws attention to the unseen threads within relationships, contracts, and sacred service. This is the star of patronage—where prosperity flows through bonds rooted in integrity, hospitality, and selfless offering. With Ketu here, the outer structures may dissolve, but the deeper intent behind partnership is revealed. 

Artwork: Pinterest

It's a time to refine the purity of our commitments, honor agreements, and serve from the heart without attachment to recognition or reward. True wealth arises through inner alignment and grace-bearing acts.

May this cycle of shadows illuminate what is essential. May what is ready to dissolve be released with grace. And may the unseen forces guide you inward—toward your own becoming.

All My Relations, Tulsi

ॐ रां राहवे नमः । ॐ कें केतवे नमः