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Art by Alex Grey

PictureVishvakarma, the celestial architect.

The darkening moon will completely vanish at 5:06 pm PDT on October 12, 2015, initiating a new lunar cycle that holds a jewel of opportunity within its mysterious shadow.   This new moon is an invitation to go within and reconnect with your creativity.  Tap into the power that created the universe and reunite with the beauty of a higher design.
 
This is a profound moment to explore inner landscapes through meditation and visualization.   Open the mind’s eye and try taking a dark-moon tour of your shadow side without judgment or self-criticism. This New Moon has a special capacity to enhance inner vision. In the inner world of the spirit there are endless opportunities for improvement, and in your mind’s vision you are not bound by the limitations of the material world.
 
This new moon will transit the area of the sky known as Chitra Naskhatra, which translates as “shining, prismatic, ingenious.”  Like a diamond in the sky, it is marked by one of the most brilliant of stars, Spica, and is envisioned to be a perfectly cut gemstone of incredible brilliance.  
 
This dazzling starlight can shine into the night of this dark moon, lighting up rooms in our inner-worlds, and creating “a-ha” moments and ground breaking discoveries. New innovation and progress naturally open under the inspiring light of Chitra.  However, this is only a time for dreaming and imagining, not acting.  The new moon is just beginning its germination phase.
 
Tvasta, Mayasura or Vishvakarma are some of the names of the deities associated with this star. Tvasta is a primordial god of design and creation.  He is the master of maya (illusion) who fashioned the thunderbolts of the great God Indra, as well as many other powerful weapons, flying vehicles, castles and even great cities that float through the air.
 
If you have been considering changing the “blue-print” of any design in your life, open yourself now to the possibility of a totally new floor plan.  If you are an artist, this is the time to hone your craft and envision how you can improve your creative expression.
 
This is also a fabulous time to revitalize your inner landscape, especially working with personal challenges like negative belief patterns and habits.  Consider how to spin them and move them into new channels, or use them as fuel to move into totally different dimensions.
 
The planetary ruler of this moon, Mercury, is now moving direct and is empowered by its exalted placement in Virgo – but, it is also sitting close to the eccentric energy of Rahu.   This lunar cycle could bring some interesting and surprising new technological innovation to the world.  Groundbreaking designs for vehicles and other gadgets may be born in the coming weeks. Try to keep an open mind, some ideas may seem odd or unsettling.
 
Stay clear of conflicts with bosses and superiors at work and institutional settings.  Sometimes Chitra can be self absorbed and elitist, so avoid unnecessary interaction with groups of people, if possible.  It is best to use this New Moon for introspection.
 
The star of Spica (Chitra) is the shining ear of wheat (or corn) in the left hand of the earth Goddess Ceres in the constellation of Virgo.  As Mother Earth feeds and supports the design of the natural world, the magical seed of Chitra that she holds, carries the genetic code of ingenious biological architecture and innovation.
 
In an ancient story from the Chandogya Upanishad, a father teaches his son of the mysteries of natural design.  He asks him to break apart the seed of a banyan tree to find its essence. His son breaks the seed into smaller and smaller pieces but finds nothing.  His father says,

My son, from the very essence in the seed which you cannot see comes in truth this vast banyan tree. Believe me, my son, an invisible and subtle essence is the Spirit of the whole universe. That is reality. That is Atman. (Tat tvam asi.)
 
The day following this new moon will initiate Navaratri, the 9-night festival for the Goddess in celebration of nine of her different forms, one for each night of the waxing moon. In honor of this, I am offering personal Vedic Astrology readings now until the end of Navaratri (Oct 22, 2015) at a special price.

**To read more about NAVARATRI and the Nine Ways to Call in the Goddess click here.