New Moon + Solar Eclipse in Chitra / Virgo - October 14th, 2023

Let’s imagine Solar Eclipses like pebbles dropped into water. Ripples emanate outward from the source in all directions — until the waves cease to exist.


This is like the time surrounding solar eclipses — before, during and after. The size and duration of the waves, of course, depend on our own situation and location. But impacts can be volatile as the luminaries clash — which we’ve seen already, no doubt.


According to the ancient wisdom of Vedic Astrology, the place in the sky where all the action is happening on October 14th, 2023 is Virgo. The star cluster (know as a nakshatra) within Virgo that sets the mood of this event is called Chitra.


The symbol of Chitra is the pearl— and it takes a long time to make a pearl. Scientists actually believe that the “instigator” of pearl creation is a foreign disturbance inside the shell of an oyster, clam or other shelled sea creature. Once there’s a disturbance within its hidden inner environment, cells secrete layers and layers of a hexagonal substance to coat the disturbance with what looks like a “pearl sac.” Over time, the offending scar is completely annihilated, and what’s left from the skirmish is a beautiful pearl — one of the strongest, lightest and most coveted substances on planet earth.


Given that lovely story 🐚 , consider that during a Solar Eclipse, the Moon (our mind) gets lodged between the Sun (our soul) and Earth — so a big focus during a solar eclipse is our inner environment, like the inside of the shell.


It’s important to monitor your mental wellness; just as we are stunned to have sudden darkness during the daytime, we may feel mentally unsettled during eclipses too — as if our mind/emotions get in the way of seeing our soul’s path. Eclipses are never good times for making big decisions, and meditation and other calming, low-commitment activities can be ideal. As the day transitions to night, we’ll be experiencing the Dark / New Moon 🌑 — a time of inward reflection.


​Chitra, however, provides an opportunity for us to grow — in one of two directions. We can grow, just as the shelled creatures do in the ocean with a rough exterior that provides protection and insulates us from the world around us. “Every (wo)man for themselves,” so to speak. This is the material, and practical side of Virgo that rejects magical serendipity and brash decisions to “achieve the impossible dream.” Instead, earthy Virgo prefers intellect over emotion, order and predictability, and (ideally) perfection.


On the other hand, the higher expression of Chitra / Virgo is harnessing a willingness to work on our inner disturbances — and pursue what seems impossible, like the incessant pull we have to live a life of purpose and do the things our soul calls us to do. No one has an inner pearl at the start of their journey, but we know deep down we possess the tools to create it. If we take the leap and allow nature to flow through us, our intuition takes the lead — like the cells in the shell smothering the “disturbance” until it’s irrelevant. We start to form our own beautiful pearl to honor our past and our inner strength. Over time, we heal.


When the time is right, we can open up our shell and show the world how beautiful — and perfect — we are, just as we are… as our true selves.


Remember that perception is everything. If we view life from a dull, helpless perspective and allow ourselves to wallow there, then life will give us back a low-energy, depressing experience.


If, however, we use this cosmic turning point to soothe our mental environment with meditation, prayer, yoga, or any spiritual techniques, and then take stock of our disturbances within (without judgement!), we can start to lay the groundwork for making big changes. We can shift our perspective.


Like the oyster layering on its hexagonal building blocks slowly and mindfully over time, we, too can start taking baby steps toward achieving our wildest dreams.


And, the eclipse has a ripple effect far into the future — so don’t sweat the timeline. Everything is happening in perfect time!