The next New Moon will be a solar eclipse that happens on October 14, 2023 at 5:55 pm (UTC) at 26 degrees 56 Virgo. This solar eclipse can be seen over a wide area from North America to South America. Nakshatra is Chitra, Navamsha is Virgo, strong Vargottama new moon solar eclipse.
During a solar eclipse, we may feel confused, or the situation may become unstable, so we need to exercise caution until the lunar eclipse in two weeks. This is not the time to start something new. The two weeks from the last full moon to this new moon is called Pitris Paksha, a time to pay homage to the spirits of our ancestors, and the time just before this new moon is called Mahalaya Amavasya, a time to be grateful to all our ancestors. This time, the new moon coincides with a solar eclipse. If we are given birth on this earthly plane, we are all going to die at some point, but many people are afraid of death. It is a suitable day for introspection to connect with our eternal soul.
The symbol associated with this new moon is the pearl. Pearls are extremely beautiful but are formed when an “irritant” gets inside the shell, and the shell covers it with nacre to protect itself. The shell gets damaged when the irritant enters it, but something beautiful, like a pearl, is created after this process. As we continue with life, our soul is gradually refined by solving various hardships and problems. It’s easy to find clever reasons to run away from problems, but instead, how can we have the courage to make our soul grow?
Just after this new moon, there is a festival called the Sharada (autumn) Navaratri. Navaratri is a nine-day period during which the fierce goddess Durga battles and emerges victorious against Mahishasura, the demon god in the form of a buffalo. As our soul grows, we can gradually overcome our inner fears, worries, and wrong perceptions. It will be a time when we will begin to look at “change and transformation” from this point of view. Om Shanti.