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The meaning behind July 5th’s New Moon is so poetic. Intellectual intensity followed by pattern recognition, and the remembrance that we’re not alone in our struggles. So buckle up and let’s dive in.. 
A mini lesson on Nakshatras
In Jyotish, we understand that the Moon (which is always moving in orbit from our vantage point on Earth) moves through 27 different spaces, which are set within the 12 Zodiac signs. These 27 spaces are called the Nakshatras, and they’re potent divisions of the Zodiac that tap a deeper level than signs can access alone. Nakshatras are unique to the astrology system of India, and they’re a way to explain how one person’s experience in Gemini can look vastly different than someone else’s. Same sign, different Nakshatra. If you were to look up at the sky on July 5th (rather than looking at the fixed calendar, which is why Western Astrology sees this New Moon in Cancer), you’d see that the New Moon is actually transiting within the sign of Gemini. Side note: This is the difference between Western Astrology and Jyotish / Vedic Astrology. Two totally different systems — one is not better or worse, right or wrong. They’re just different perspectives of how we interact with the world. Within Gemini, the Moon moves through Ardra Nakshatra first, and at the exact moment of the dark moon, she’s passing through Punarvasu, the Nakshatra that follows Ardra. The transits of the Moon mean something different for every person depending on the nuances of their birth chart — but on a collective level (and the reason I’m writing this lesson), we can collectively experience her transits together through our moods and emotions because in this way, we are all connected! The waxing and waning of the Moon is a symbol for how our mind behaves in the same way. So let’s break down Ardra first. Ardra means green, or moist like a teardrop. And I love this analogy — when the tears come, vision is blurry and we can’t see clearly... but then after the tears fall and we express the energy within, all of a sudden the storm passes and the path is clear again. Ardra is ruled by the archetype of Rudra — who is the god of storms. Remember: All gods and goddesses in our tradition represent aspects WITHIN us. In yoga philosophy, we divide “infinity” into parts so we can better understand it. To say this is “worshiping false gods” is a misunderstanding (and a rabbit hole for another time). Back to Ardra... at this stage in the Zodiac, the Moon (our mind) can experience dissatisfaction with the current situation, and goes searching for answers. Ardra has an intensity to it that’s not necessarily physical, but mental in nature. So on the day of the Full Moon (July 5th), we might feel the distinct need to seek answers to something that’s bugging us. We might even feel obsessed in finding answers — despite feeling utterly confused about where to go next. The magic of Ardra comes when we look WITHIN for the answers. This doesn’t mean a complete rejection of the outer world — we’ve got to be human, after all! Rather, turning inward for direction could be as simple as taking a few deep breaths, calming your nervous system (which can go haywire at this stage in the Zodiac) and allowing the gut instinct to be heard. Then comes Punarvasu... At the time of the Moon’s complete shadow — which is a powerful time to plant seeds, or intentions for her next 30-day cycle — she moves through Punarvasu Nakshatra, which means “becoming bright again,” like re-igniting a flame. You can see how the search for answers in Ardra finds a target here in Punarvasu! Here’s the thing: There’s no final destination of complete understanding the meaning of life. If we could understand infinity right now, at all times, there’d be no “drama” involved in living life! As souls, we come here to learn, to seek, to find answers within (and without). We find our own meaning, and we continually find it over and over and over again — the spaces between our discoveries represent the seeking. In Punarvasu, the presiding archetype is Aditi. Her name literally means “undivided” because she is the mother of creation. The Rg Veda (the oldest spiritual text on earth) says “Aditi comes from Daksha, but Daksha comes from Aditi” — which is a way of approaching the chicken and the egg... the masculine and the feminine. They represent a never-ending cycle of patterns that fold into themselves, over and over and over. And remember where we left Ardra? We turned our gaze inward. We choose to access that feeling of unity and understanding from within... because we are whole, just as we are. Punarvasu represents the tug we feel to work cooperatively — within ourselves, and with the world around us. However “lonely” we feel at times, we discover over and over again that when we share our experience, we can find support to come together for a shared purpose. Our personal patterns and struggles become more manageable when we lean on resources outside of ourselves for support. Aditi is our own motherly nudge: We don’t have to struggle alone. Community — and shared experience — is everything! Sending you lots of love... Mollie
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Sometimes I wish I had a more “magical” answer when asked how I found kriya… one that involved an inner knowing from childhood, or a long lineage of kriya gurus in my family, or I saw my destiny in a dream. But kriya — like all the best the things in my life — found me. I was sitting at one of my yoga studios and a friend (also a studio owner) had shared with me she was going to India for advanced yoga training. I can’t quite remember if she invited me, or I invited myself... but I surprised myself by admitting: I wanted to go. Surprisingly, despite being a studio owner, teacher, and devout practitioner of (what I thought was) yoga, India hadn’t been on my radar. She’d found a school she liked near Rishikesh (the north of India), and had already paid her deposit. I glazed over the website and I remember thinking it was great because they’d be teaching mantra. I’d never had any formal training in that. I saw the word “kriya” but I had no reference point for what it meant. I moved on. I had a chat with Sean about the trip. He agreed it seemed like a positive next step for me — and I enrolled. That was that! No mind-blowing realization, astral contact with a guru, or prophetic dreams. And nothing earth-shattering leading up to the trip, or during the epic travel day(s) that took me over 48 hours to get to the school that November. In short: I had no idea what was in store for me! I settled into my room, unpacked my things for the month I’d be staying, and I remember walking down to the little cafe where other students were starting to gather during our first afternoon. I turned to a man who looked friendly enough, introduced myself (his name was Thomas) and upon hearing his unfamiliar accent, I asked him, “Where are you from?” He responded with a grin, “Planet Earth!” What in the world was I getting myself into? It didn’t take long for me to find out. The opening ceremony felt meaningful, getting to know my teachers, fellow trainees, and learning the Tara mantra as we took flowers (our intentions) down to the river and placed them in the current to watch them drift away. The next morning, I sat on my mat awaiting the start of our morning “yoga journey” — the 2-hour class we’d be taking daily, post-meditation. I can definitively say: That was the moment before my entire life changed. It was the last “before kriya” moment in my life. After that, there was only “after kriya.” By the time we drifted to breakfast in a sublime state of awareness, I wasn’t sure what had changed within me in those two hours — but I knew I’d never be the same. I’ve since studied with my teacher, Anand, two additional times in India, and various other corses and trainings online and abroad during his travels. What I love most about learning the Sattva Yoga approach was that we don’t just teach kriya-upon-kriya… we use poses, flow, music, philosophy, dancing, breathwork, shaking, meditation — you name it! Whatever feels relevant on any given day. However, even after making a sincere commitment to the path of kriya yoga, my practice started to feel rigid after a few years. I craved feminine perspective, which led me down many other roads since then. I’ve soaked up the wisdom of Jyotish, Bhagavad Gita, the Dasha Maha Vidyas, Pancha Maha Bhutas, Ayurveda and more — from women around the world. My spiritual path of Kriya Yoga hasn’t changed since that first class in India -- but my approach has evolved entirely… as it should. Today, “how I teach” is unlike anyone else in the world — because that’s the entire point of the path. We are all individuals on a journey through life, and as yoga teachers, the more we understand ourselves, the more our teaching evolves in a unique direction, too. Although a pilgrimage back to the Himalayas isn’t in the cards anytime soon, I do find myself living in what’s known as the “Himalayas of the Arctic” here in the Brooks Range. And I thank goddess every day that I have this opportunity to teach in this lineage from this absolutely incredible place.  If you’re already RYT 200 (from any school) and you want to learn how to teach kriya, and find out more about the lineage and tradition of Kriya Yoga, I’d love to have you in the Himalayan Kriya Training this August 1-4. I’ve been offering this continuing education course for six years now, and students enroll for many different reasons… if you’re feeling curious, more details are below, or you can click here. Any questions? You can always reply to this email, too.
Wherever you are, I hope you’re gearing up for an amazing weekend — if you’re in the USA, have a happy 4th of July! In light, Mollie PS - If you’ve been considering coming to Arctic Hive to take yoga teacher training, I’d love for you to read a student’s perspective on her entire experience! CLICK HERE to read Molly O’Brien’s article on the Matador Network! |
MollieOriginally hailing from Wisconsin, Mollie is a cheesehead transplant to Northwest Montana, with degrees in Retail and Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Today, she lives off the grid, half the year in a Tiny House & half the year in a yurt — both of which she and her husband, Sean, built by hand. Nonprofit Executive Director by day, Mollie also owns and teaches at Yoga Hive — a chain of community yoga studios in the valley. Archives
October 2025
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