August 27, 2022
The New Moon takes place on August 27th at 4:17AM EDT (1.46PM IST) in sidereal Leo in Magha Nakshatra.
The influences at the time of the New Moon give an indication of themes that will characterize the upcoming 30 days.
Magha Nakshatra is regal in its qualities. In the sign of Leo, and symbolized as a royal throne room, Magha has meanings of recognition, or honoring of lineage and other situations characterized by an awareness of authority or of ‘paying one’s respects to the king’. Magha’s kingly traits can carry over to situations that involve bowing to the powers of the government, or to leadership in the workplace.
The next 30 days may involve these themes of seniority in significant ways. In accordance with this, the Full Moon on September 9th (10th in India) will begin the yearly Ancestral Fortnight known as, Pitru-Paksha. This is a two-week period dedicated to the honoring of departed ancestors, where in Vedic ritual, this focus takes precedence over important beginnings such as weddings or new house-blessings.
The powerful, slow-moving planets of Jupiter in Pisces and Saturn in Capricorn are retrograde.
Jupiter as the planet of guiding ethics (dharma) and Saturn as the planet of concrete events and of ‘cause and effect’ (karma), indicate through their shared retrogression that the influence of the past will be strong this month. There may be situations that involve incompletion and revision, and of a need to set right that which has been long delayed.
There is a favorable strength in this New Moon, in that four planets are in signs that they govern, which makes them stable and powerful. The Sun is in Leo, Mercury is Virgo, where it is exalted; Jupiter is in Pisces, and Saturn is in Capricorn.
Another striking placement happening this New Moon is that Mars in the 10th house, where it receives special ‘directional strength’, which confers courage, fearlessness, and leadership.
These things said, the next 30 days may be a time of significant themes around authority and power. A need to recognize an external authority is likely, while alongside of this, and more inwardly a sense of inner strength is likely to increase.