Saturn Retrograde in Śatabhiṣā: The Veiling Star

Saturn Retrograde in Śatabhiṣā

Image: Kata Bhushundi Recounts the Story of Rama’s Maya — Illustrade folio from the Ramcharitmanas manuscript, Unknown, 1814, Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper, PTG.02335

October 3rd - November 15th

On October 3rd, Saturn retrograde stepped back into the Vedic Lunar Mansion of Śatabhiṣā शतभिषा (Aquarius)—the Veiling Star—where it will remain until December 27th. This period offers a second opportunity to revisit unresolved matters from early March and April with a fresh perspective, inviting newfound clarity and refined expertise.

Śatabhiṣā, a constellation of a hundred stars, is ruled by Varuṇa, the god of the night sky and the cosmic and terrestrial waters. Varuṇa’s role is to ensure that all things align with cosmic order, awakening within us the desire to pierce the veil of darkness and enter the void.

Much like its animal symbol, the horse—civilization’s first sacred medicine—this nakṣatra embodies both mystical and physical powers, allowing it to bear heavy burdens over great distances. Śatabhiṣā holds the śakti or awakening energy to heal, support, and redeem, as the trials and tribulations experienced under the star of the divine healer arise to rectify our path. What once felt confusing can become a vehicle for profound self-realization and even redemption.

We are being churned now, invited to go deeper and pierce the veil. What is being revealed to you? Some knots may be untangling, while other moments call us to step up and take responsibility. Issues that surfaced in early March and April may circle back, asking for renewed focus and thoughtful strategy. While challenges may arise, it is through persistence that true progress is forged.

Since Saturn went retrograde on June 26th, we have been urged to reassess our long-term goals, particularly in the areas of life connected to the house Aquarius occupies in your birth chart. This period has asked us to refine our social networks and fostering genuine connections that support our higher self.

Artwork: Pinterest - Saturn

Recommit to spiritual practices and life-affirming routines. Surround yourself with those who uplift and encourage your authentic growth. At the same time, this retrograde may reveal the necessity of releasing toxic connections or habits that no longer serve your well-being.

When Saturn stations direct on November 15th, expect a breath of fresh air as clarity dawns and energies begin to land. There is a promise that issues will either find a sense of resolution or a higher path forward will present itself.

All My Relations

ॐ श्री शनैश्चराय नमः

If this is arrogant, God, forgive me, but this is what I need to say. May what I do flow from me like a river, no forcing and no holding back, the way it is with children. Then in these swelling and ebbing currents, these deepening tides moving out, returning, I will sing you as no one ever has, streaming through widening channels into the open sea." ~ Rilke 

Śarad Navarātri: 9 Days of Mother Divine

Śarad Navarātri शरद् नवरात्रि // October 3-12th

Artwork: Durgā on Her Vāhana Kota, Rajasthan, North-Western India, ca. 1860

Śarad Navarātri commences on the tithi after the new moon, from Pratipadā tithi (1st lunar day) to the Navamī tithi (9th) of the Shukla Paksha (waxing moon) in the month of Aśvina (September/October). This nine day festival marks the end of monsoon season, the transition into autumn, and is the most celebrated of the four yearly Navarātris.

The word Navarātri means "nine nights" in Sanskrit, nava meaning "nine" and rātri meaning "nights." During these nine nights and ten days of devotion, nine different forms of goddess Durgā (navadurgā), also known as Śakti are worshiped. The tenth day is commonly referred to as Vijayā-Daśamī or Dussehra, celebrating the victory of good over evil.

Today also marks the new moon of our ancestors Mahālaya Amāvásyā and the culmination of eclipse season. The veil is thin and we find ourselves standing at the threshold of irreversible change. The solar eclipse was in the constellation of Hasta (Virgo), who holds the power to manifest what we desire and place it in the palm of your hand— realign with your higher mind and your intuition.

The rose colored glasses have come off and you may be finding new parts of yourself and your life being revealed to you now. A balancing act between self and other. Be willing to lean all the way in and release entertaining what’s no longer for you, so you can step powerfully into this new timeline with intentional action.

Navarātri invokes an internal quest to locate and establish our seat within the center of the heart of the Goddess. In a world that grasps our attention and seize our mind to look outside of ourselves to seek truth, validation and even to gain a so called glimpse of the goddess - this festival calls us to go deeper within to attune with her rivers that flow within us and to cultivate a direct experience, and personal relationship with Her. 

Devī is that awakening force, that primordial energy that lives within us and awaits our attention. Yoga teaches us that whatever we put our attention on grows stronger in our lives. Move beyond your ideas of who she is and how she can be reached.

This window is ripe for putting into physical practice the teachings found in the yoga śāstra. In the quieting of our mind (yogaś-citta-vr̥tti-nirodhaḥ) and the investigation of all that lies below the surface — in the observation and embrace of both our shadows and our light, which are ultimately one and the same — we’re being called now to enter into that space, and to transcend. 

As we tend to śakti, and begin to establish a firm foundation in Her, we begin to awaken our power to focus, to cultivate our dhāraṇā and draw all our energies inside — this continued focus is the active meditation requesting our attention — calling us to become completely absorbed in Her. 

She is the embodied meant of all that is and ever will be, She is our very breath and that which gives life to all, yet she cannot be reached by contemplation or intellectual understanding and philosophizing, or even described through words, she can only be touched through direct experience — that which requires digestion and stabilization to be truly lived. Can you answer that call? 

The nine names of manifestation have been spoken in the Devīmāhātmyam DevĪ Kavacaṃ, by the Lord Brahmā (the creator) Himself:

"First is Goddess Śailaputrī, the Daughter of the Himālayas, and second is Brahmachāriṇī, She who observes the vow of celibacy, the Goddess of sacred study and penance; third is Chandraghaṇṭā, the Goddess of the Delight of Practice, who bears the moon in her necklace, Kūṣmāṇḍa, the Goddess of Purifying Austerity is fourth.”

“Fifth is the Goddess Skanda-Mātā, the mother of Skanda, born out of her powers, sixth is Kātyāyanī, the One Who is Ever Pure; seventh is Kālarātrī, the Goddess of the Dark Night of Overcoming Egotism, Siddhidātrī, Mahāgaurī, the wife of Lord Śiva is eighth.”

“Ninth is the Goddess Siddhidātrīm, the provider of Siddhis, and bestower of mystic powers; the nine Durgas, relievers of difficulties, have been enumerated, and these names have been revealed by the great soul of the Supreme Brahmā himself."

ॐ दुं दुर्गायै नमः

New Moon Solar Eclipse in Hasta: The Star of the hand

NEW MOON SOLAR ECLIPSE सूर्य ग्रहण

Artwork: Devi Gayatri. Kangra circa 1880

October 2nd 11:50 am PDT | 20:50 pm Spain

Eclipse season culminates with the new moon (amāvásyā), solar eclipse on Wednesday October 2nd in the Vedic Lunar mansion of Hasta हस्त (virgo), known as the Star of the Hand.

Track what has been trying to make itself known to you in the past few weeks. This dynamic cycle can be very mental and potent for accelerated spiritual growth — use discernment to align with higher thinking and listen to your intuition. Channel your creativity, especially in tasks requiring skill and dexterity — get grounded.

This constellation is ruled by Savitṛ, the life-giving aspect of the Sun and the god of creativity. Just like this asterism’s animal totem, the female buffalo, who embodies the energies of abundance and prayer, Hasta awakens the power to gain what you’re seeking and place it in the palm of your hand. While Virgo is known for its precision and order, Hasta holds a mystical quality—infusing practicality with the subtle power to manifest.

This eclipse portal offers a profound opportunity to step into a new timeline. The soil is fertile to plant the seeds of your desires — and awakens a seeking for the shade of merit (puṇya) responsible for bestowing those blessings in material form. The question is, how do we cultivate the capacity to acquire this “good fortune” necessary for such manifestation? 

With four grahas stationed in Hasta during this eclipse, the coming six month cycle will be defined by your capacity to preserve and direct your energy with intentional focus (dhāraṇā). This requires a mastery over the subtle vāyus (airs), grounding them in the central channel to achieve one-pointed focus.

Artowork: Pinterst

In the symbolism of Hasta, the hand can either grasp and cling, in attempt to seek control, or remain open and outstretched, embodying creativity and refined craftsmanship in flow and being of service. As a conduit for both creation and healing, the hands transform thought into form, mastering the physical while staying connected to the spiritual.

As you hold the vision of that which you would like to manifest into fruition, realign with your higher thinking — seek out the middle point, neither clinging nor resisting. Get clear on who you are and where you want to go. The transformation of material into beauty holds great significance here.

In the midst of shifting narratives and heightened emotions, inward focus and grounding are vital. Align your internal rhythms with nature and channel this heightened energy into practical, embodied actions. Engage in mindful activities that balance mental focus with physical engagement, such as crafting, gardening, or breathwork like prāṇāyāma, to stabilize your vāyus and bring them into harmony.

Keep life simple during the eclipse hours (October 2nd 8:43 am - 14:46 pm PDT | 2nd 17:43-23:46 pm Spain). The ancients regarded this time as sacred, a moment to attune to one's inner divinity. Fasting, prāṇāyāma, meditation, japa (mantra repetition), and saltwater baths are recommended to clear your channels and optimize this shift. Postpone major decisions and external engagements, turning inward to recalibrate your path.

Take the time to reflect deeply on what is being revealed and what needs untangling in your life, as this doorway won't remain open for much longer. Expect the unexpected, and trust that this cycle carries the initiation needed to plant seeds of positive resolution, birthing you into your next journey in time.

All my Relations

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