February- New Moon
New Moon of Shiva Ratri
This will be an extraordinary new moon on Tuesday, February 17, at 4:01 a.m. PST, as it will be accompanied by a “ring of fire” solar eclipse at 4:12 a.m. in the constellation Aquarius. The eclipse will be visible in Antarctica, southern South America, and South Africa. Even though it is not visible where we are, we will still feel its effects. This is an eclipse with the north node, which signifies new beginnings and looking forward rather than backward. Eclipse periods make the visible invisible and the invisible visible. They give us a different perspective on things.
We still have this cluster of planets that have been following each other since last December and bringing a lot of intensity, especially with the presence of Rahu, the north node, which amplifies everything, both good and bad. This month, Aquarius takes center stage with the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, the North Node, and, starting February 23, Mars (sidereal astrology). Mercury will linger in this constellation, as it will be retrograde from February 26 to March 21.
Aquarius symbolizes the people, rebellion, and the thirst for justice, truth, and freedom. Rahu forces us to step outside our comfort zone and embrace change, encouraging us to explore new territories and placing us in completely new situations. Called Kumbha in Vedic astrology (meaning “pot”), Aquarius is represented by a man holding a pot and pouring out the nectar of knowledge and the water of the ocean of prana in which we bathe. Aquarius brings universal consciousness, beyond our small selves that have the illusion of being separate from the whole, and invites us to rethink the world in which we want to live, to manifest new paradigms, to open ourselves to community and collective consciousness, to unity with all-that-is.
The new moon will be aligned with the part of Aquarius called Dhanistha in Vedic astrology. It is called the “star of symphony.” Its symbol is a drum, that of Shiva (damaru), which governs the universe with perfect rhythm. This is an excellent time to use sound and music, explore mantra chanting, dance, and sound baths.
In India, every year at the new moon in Aquarius, Mahashivaratri, the great festival of Shiva, is celebrated. It is said to be a very auspicious time to dive deep within ourselves. According to Vedic mythology, Shiva, during the creation of the world, agreed to swallow the poison (halahala) so that the world could exist. Shiva is that part of us that is capable of transforming all the poisons of existence (negative emotions, traumas, environmental poisons, etc.) and transcending them.
A lunar eclipse will follow in two weeks, on March 3. It is best not to do anything important between two eclipses (starting a business, buying a house, getting married, etc.). Eclipses are very auspicious times for spiritual activities, whose effect is increased tenfold during these periods.
"Mahashivratri is the day when the Tattva of Shiva touches the earth. On Mahashivratri, consciousness, the aura, or the ethereal world, which is always ten inches above the material ground, touches the earth element. It is the marriage of the material and the spiritual. Shivratri is about taking refuge in divine consciousness, which brings peace and comfort to all layers of consciousness. Shivratri is therefore resting in the Tattva of Shiva. Ratri means “to take refuge.” Shivratri is taking refuge in Shiva, in the soul. It is celebrating the Shiva Tatva within oneself. Mahashivratri is meant to awaken every particle of your body. The festival is a call to move away from conflict and turn towards truth, beauty, peace, and benevolence—the ethereal qualities of Shiva." – Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Author: Marie-Josée Veilleux, Jyotish (Vedic Astrologer)
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