The world seems to be on shaky ground as the New Moon of April 17 (4:51 am PT) opens a cycle of new beginnings. The days before and after this powerful new moon carry extra pressure for both the collective and the individual psyche. If you’re feeling like you’re at an impasse, or blocked by old patterns or attachments, this new moon brings an important step toward change.
Depending on how the new moon transits your birth chart, it can also feel like situations are heating up in a specific area of your life. Book a Vedic astrology reading to learn more.
This new moon falls in the area of the sky called Ashwini, the first of the 27 Vedic nakshatras. Ashwini is linked to transport, speed, and movement and carries a special life-force called prana. It supports healing and the clearing of stagnation, both physical and emotional. This new moon can help reset your energy, clear blocked channels, and restore balance.
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Take heed, the days surrounding Ashwini New Moon are at a dangerous impasse. A complex planetary configuration in watery Pisces is creating a rare triple planetary war (graha yuddha) between Mercury, Saturn, and Mars. Mercury affects communication, trade, and travel, while Saturn and Mars together create a high-pressure and often destructive combination known as Yama Yoga. This is not a favorable time for travel, particularly by water; and communications, trade, and cyber systems can also be affected.
Because this alignment is happening in oceanic Pisces, tensions on the sea and conflicts on waterways are especially emphasized, including those already unfolding in places like the Strait of Hormuz. The most dangerous phase of this alignment begins at 3:05 am PT on April 18 and continues through April 21 at 4:27 am PT.
Also, Kala Sarpa Yoga (the Snake of Time) is now tightening its grip on the world. Under this yoga, global events bring important transformations, and the power of personal destiny magnifies.
However, April 19 is also the auspicious Akshaya Tritiya, the day of undiminished returns and expansive prosperity, when it’s said that purchases and investments promise to grow. Even in a volatile and uncertain atmosphere, something valuable can begin now, and the seeds we plant on April 19 will bear much fruit later.
Ashwini New Moon is a time to step forward with caution, consider what needs healing, and recover what is essential. Clear away the old and let the past go; a new cycle is being born.
How these planetary transits affect you personally depends on your birth chart. Book a Vedic astrology reading to learn more.
*Art by Biren De (Indian Painter, 1926–2011)
