The next New Moon will happen on November 13th at 9:27 (UTC) at 26 degrees 32 Libra. Nakshatra is Vishakha; Navamsha is Taurus, the Sun, Moon and Venus are Ashtamamsha.
Every year, the new moon when the sun is debilitated is a festival called Diwali, which celebrates the “light”. We use this new moon to search for the light within ourselves. To realise that there is light, we must remove the darkness that surrounds it. The process is tedious and difficult, having to notice the workings of our mind every time something happens, so most people proceed automatically, being upset when they are upset, being emotional when they are emotional, etc. It is not easy to shift the patterns or the darkness we carry within ourselves. However, by becoming aware of this, we will be able to intentionally change things by thinking, “I want to go in that higher direction instead of this lower direction”.
There are many philosophies that make this possible. The philosophy of Vedanta, the philosophy of Yoga, the Jyotish way of thinking. Not only that, but there are other paths, such as Buddhism. There are many ways to climb a mountain, but you will never reach the top if you just lie down at the foot of the mountain. If you are reading this, you are somewhere in the mountains, climbing gradually. Tomorrow’s festival of lights, Diwali, will help us reaffirm the importance of the mountaintop we should aim for. Om Shanti.