Full Moon in Purva Phalguni & Holi: Happy as a King

by Alexis Cox (radhahomeyoga)

The Moon will be Full in Purva Phalguni on Tuesday, March 7, at 2:40 am. This is the place in Leo where we are enjoying the spoils of being king, and having our desires met in relationships, yet have to be mindful of the new karma we are creating through our desire nature and our eyes. Bhaga, the god of lust, happiness and prosperity rules this nakashatra, and he has one eye that was poked out by Shiva for being overly lustful with his sight. His name also means vulva, and Purva Phalguni is the “earlier reddish lady”, ripe for marriage. The Sun is exactly across the way in Purva Bhadrapada, where we are realizing we are beyond the physical manifestations of our bodies and even our minds, and the desire is to set ourselves free of our karmic bonds. This axis can be particularly potent for souls whom are at a crossroads of awakening or have been traveling both the tantric and yogic paths. Do we dive deeper into our bodies, relations, and the pleasure we attain in them, or do we release these forms to find the highest truth? 

With Mercury and Saturn joined the Sun in earlier nakshatras of Aquarius, we are still mired in the world of the haves and the have-nots, and the little people vs. those at the helm of society. On a personal level, this Moon is asking us to remember where we hold power and to wield it. Everyone’s leadership is needed in some capacity and the more of us that can step into our own light with care and consideration for the collective, the more everyone’s needs will be met. Humility and hard work are key, as is knowing what people actually need and want.

During this Full Moon, we also have Venus and Jupiter still together for a few more days in Pisces, gracing us with wisdom in our happiness. We are able to draw fewer lines around our happiness and feel genuine joy in the higher truth that surrounds us. This can help us aim high in our relations, but be mindful of getting caught in fantasy, as opposed to seeing the highest truth. Venus is moving by the end of the week and joining Rahu in Aries, so soon enough we may find ourselves focusing more on ourselves and what we want in our relationships. Beware of swallowing smoke and kissing mirrors; projection is likely.

Mars is still in Taurus, giving his one-way dristhi to this Moon in Leo, giving us a little extra fiery passion to attend our sea of admirers while we find our seat of power. He is also, like Venus, about to move signs on the 12th, out of Taurus after 7 long months in this sign of earthy pleasures! This shift into Gemini until May 9th can bring our passion out of the bedroom and into our minds and words, causing us to see things as either black and white, and speak them as right and wrong. Be mindful of your thoughts and words during this time and see if you can start a discipline of journaling or mantra practice to work with any mind disturbance (vritti) that arises.

This Full Moon is also the start of Holi, a celebration of the victory of light over dark as the seasons shift towards spring. All over India and the world people playfully cover each other in bright colors in the streets and villages. One story of Holi is that of the Divine love affair of Krishna and Radha, the Beloved and his Lover. Young Krishna is sad because Radha is so fair and he is so dark in complexion. His mother Yashoda suggests that they paint each other with colors, so as not to notice the differences.  Krishna smears her face with Gulal, and thus the tradition began.