New Moon in Krittika & Akshaya Tritiya: Lasting Investments

On Tuesday, May 11th at 9 am Hawaii Time (-10 GMT) we have the Moon and Sun coming together in the star of Krittika at the very end of sidereal Aries. Krittika is “the Cutter” and is where we divide and use the utmost skill in our insight and awareness of how to take something apart. The deity of this star is Agni, the god of fire who helps us digest and transform whatever is in front of us. Fire rules the eyes and our sight, so this star can also help us “see” clearly before we decide what to cast away or cut off. The story of this star brings us the birth of Kartikeyya, the warrior child associated with Mars who fights the demon Tarakasura when he is 7 days old. He is nursed by the wives of the sages, the Krittika, who have been cast off to the sky by their husbands for believing them to be unfaithful, hence this star is not one for marriage! (I tell the full story in the video) The Moon is exalted in the Taurus portion of this star as here we have both the grounded energy of Earth and the capacity to use this fiery insight to cut off any excess fat from our emotional state and connections. In Taurus, we take care of ourselves. We create peaceful and harmonious environments where our nervous systems can thrive and we take care of and nurture our bodies with food and self-care.

This New Moon moves us into the auspicious day (and days before) called Akshaya Tritiya. “Akshaya” means everlasting, eternal and complete. Tritiya refers to the third phase, or tithi of the Moon where we are strong and victorious. On this day, both the Sun and the Moon are exalted and that is why we find long-lasting results from our investments. We are blessed by having our luminaries in exaltation. Wherever the Sun might be on a New Moon in Aries, three phases of the Moon later ensures that the Moon will be in Taurus. The other planets that are close to the Sun, Mercury and Venus, also often fall in either their own signs, each other’s friendly signs, or in Venus’ case exaltation on Akshaya Tritiya. This year, Saturn will be in his own sign as well. This is a day that many people invest in gold or other things that can bring long-term wealth. It is also said to be a great day to start gardens or farming, and this year with so many planets in Taurus, this will certainly bear fruit. Some people may plan their weddings for this day or engagements and other activities that can bring longevity, but of course, avoiding the Krittika nakshatra! Many auspicious things are said to have happened on this day including the appearance of the Goddess Annapurna (Parvati’s form as the giver of food and grains), the birth of Vishnu’s 6th avatar Parashurama the warrior, and the day the Ganges is said to have come down to Earth from the heavens. It is also said that Ganesha and Ved Vyasa began the writing of the Mahabharata, the great epic of India that contains within the Bhagavad Gita. Lord Krishna granted his childhood friend Sudama great riches on this day as well, and then he and his wife came to the conclusion that they preferred to live in simplicity in the woods and meditate instead. This is an important thing to think upon as we approach this auspicious timing, as perhaps the greatest riches are not actual gold, but spiritual gold. When we invest in our own awakening to Spirit, to the Big Love, then we are not going to ever be bereft of anything because we are forever full! Have a Blessed New Moon and Akshaya Tritiya! Watch the video for the deeper download:)