New Moon in Krittika: Illuminating Desire

On May 19th, at 5:53 am HT (8:53 am PDT), the Moon will join the Sun in the star of Krittika in Taurus. This is the place where the Moon is in its highest capacity to ground our emotions and feel peace within. Taurus has a slow pace that moves forward, and indulges in the sensory world, stopping to smell the roses, or eat some grass. When we care for our bodies and take pleasure in them, it is easier to remain calm and centered. When we perceive some outside force is antagonizing us, or keeping us from our gentle roam, then we may “see red” and lash out. We may become attached to the things of this world here.

Krittika means “to cut off or divide” and is ruled by Agni, the fire diety. Here we are able to cut ourselves off from our excessive attachments in the material world and use the element of fire to see clearly and digest our experiences. This is why this particular place is the most exalted for the Moon in Taurus. It is important to be able to separate our needs from our wants, and our mind from our emotions. It is equally important to be able to burn away what is excess and illuminate the truth of our desire. Fire is an asset when it is contained in a cauldron of Earth; when it is not, it can run rampant and destroy more than we intend.

In the story of this nakshatra, Kartikeya, the 7 day old warrior son of Shiva and Parvati associated with the planet Mars is born. A nymph named Swaha had a crush on Agni and noticed how he gazed at the wives of the sages when they sat around his fire. She impersonated each of the wives of the sages and seduced Agni, transforming herself into a bird after making love, and taking his seed and depositing at a special lake in the mountains. She did this with 6 of the 7 wives, until she came to Arundhati, the wife of Vasistha, whose love and devotion for her husband was so strong she was unable to make her magic work. The sages were upset when they found out and lacked the ability to see clearly the truth, so they cut their wives out of their lives and cast them to the sky as the constellation Pleiades. Meanwhile Shiva and Parvati were trying to make a child to combat the evil demon Tarakasura, as he could only be conquered by a 7 day old child. Their lovemaking was interrupted and Shiva’s seed flew out and landed on the Earth. Bhum Devi brought the seed to Ma Ganga, who carried it to the same place where Swaha had brought Agni’s seed 6 times. The lake began to boil and out burst a red and howling child. He was so terrifying that the gods brought him to the wives of the sages in the sky to poison him with their breasts. They fell in love with him though and decided to nurture him instead. After 7 days he became calm and centered and was ready to fight Tarakasura. Shiva & Parvati, Bhum Devi, Ma Ganga, Swaha, Agni and the wives of the sages all felt he was their child and so he divided himself into 6 parts so they could all have a piece of him and thus he became Kartikeya.

Venus, the ruler of Taurus is in Ardra, in the star of the other howler, Rudra, Shiva’s fierce form and Mars, the planet Karitkeya rules as well as the ruler of Aries, where Jupiter, Rahu and Mercury still are residing, has passed into his debilitated state in Cancer. Watch out for “wanting to keep the peace” and yet holding resentment or anger inside. It will find its way out eventually. Saturn is giving his one way dristhi (energetic gaze) to these planets in Aries, particularly Mercury who has just gone direct again. Caution is important to exercise now as is humility, but avoidance out of fear is not going to help us move forward with what we need to do. Take note of when you are compromising or staying quiet to maintain a false sense of security and when you are choosing to hold your tongue because it is not necessary and helpful. Also notice when you say or do something that is veiling hurt feelings or an indirect agenda. The truth always has a way of setting itself free.