© Chaya Collective, New Moon in Punarvasu

The sun and moon aligned for July’s dark moon on Monday in the Vedic lunar mansion of Punarvasu पुनर्वसु, (sidereal Cancer), the Star of Renewal. This nakshatra is symbolized by a quiver of arrows, holds the power to bestow prosperity and represents the light that returns after a storm. 

There is a feeling in the air that energy and resources are now at your command. A new beginning is forged around how we nurture and take care of ourselves and a sense of hope around creating stability. An initiation of the heart steps forward as Venus retrograde provokes interpersonal shadow work. 

Harnessing the Quiver of Arrows: Directing Energy Towards Prosperity

The pulse for this month encourages integration of wisdom through experience and revitalization of mind, family, and security. Arrows are associated with movement and encourage us to strive, or move towards our objective. An opportunity for up-leveling is available.

These particular arrows are thought to be magical, once released and the objective has been obtained, they circle back around. Just like that, this renewal of energy brings with it hope for a second chance and leaves the impression of a positive transformation from darkness to light.

Maintaining Balance: Strategies for Navigating Energy Shifts

You may be feeling a little restless, as if you’re taking two steps forward and four steps back and thirsty to move to the next phase. Just like nature appears to be more refreshed and harmonious after a storm, this new moon brings with it a breath of fresh air — a renewal of sorts.

You may feel called to amp your energy up to the next level. If you choose to pick up the pace, know that it’s easy to lose perspective and awareness when gaining momentum.

Stay one-pointed with your focus on your priorities. Release that which is distracting you from your desired destination and make sure you’re ready to commit fully to whatever you’re choosing. Move one step at a time, and keep your action steps and goals to yourself.

Stay present, expand your awareness, and keep the big picture perspective. Don’t compromise your long term visions for the quickening of your current process. Stabilize into your purpose, ground your emotions and tend towards family and relationship healing.

Adhika-mās: Balancing the Lunar and Solar Cycles

Today marks the beginning of a special month in the Hindu calendar that occurs approximately every three years, known as Adhika-mās or Purushottam mās. This intercalary month holds great significance as it serves to reconcile and equalize the difference between the lunar and solar calendars.

In a typical Hindu lunar calendar, twelve months are calculated based on the phases of the moon, known as tithis, spanning approximately 354 days. This is referred to as the synodic year.

On the other hand, the modern solar year is around 365 days long due to Earth’s orbit around the sun. Have you ever considered that the sun moves one degree per day and that there are 360 degrees in a circle? (for more information, check out my article on the difference between Vedic and Western astrology and the 360-day solar year).

© Chaya Collective

Deepening Spirituality in Adhika-mās: Opportunities for Recalibration and Self-Care

This additional month carries a unique spiritual significance and is considered prosperous, offering us an opportunity to deepen our spiritual practices. According to legend, it is believed that any recalibration to oneself is amplified during this auspicious month.

Aligning with the new moon in Purnarvasu (Cancer), it becomes a beautiful month to focus on self-care, calibration, nourishment, and attuning with our spiritual sādhanā (practices).

Venus Retrograde: Initiation of the Heart and Interpersonal Shadow Work 

As Venus, the celestial symbol of love, creativity and union, prepares to relinquish her reign as the evening star, her retrograde cycle is set to commence on July 22nd. We stand at the precipice of a transformative rite of passage that invites us to delve into the deep, shadowy corners of our beings, where old wounds silently lurk.

Tend to your emerging thoughts around personal boundaries, beliefs, finances, relationship traumas and past lessons resurfacing. This is a clarion call to embark on a more profound exploration of the self.

What are the reflections of your own personal beliefs, mirrored back to you through others? This time, track a little deeper, navigate the terrain of the heart with care and patience.

Venus waltzes to a distinct rhythm, an eight-year cycle, during which she retrogrades approximately every eighteen months for a duration of around forty days. Pause and ponder the lessons and healing that unfolded for you in 2015, for you may encounter resonating themes during this impending retrograde cycle.

Radiant Retreat: Venus’s Transition from Evening Star to Morning Star

Venus reached her peak as evening star in early June, a celestial ballet that marked her furthest transit from the Sun (45 degrees). It is believed that when planets enter their retrograde phase, they’re closest to our terrestrial home and appear at their most radiant.

On July 22nd, Venus will station retrograde and for a few weeks in early August, she will retreat behind the sun, only to re-emerge as the morning star by mid-August.

© Chaya Collective, Vedic Astrology Calendar, July

Exploring Relationship Dynamics: Self-Reflection and Reconciliation

In her celestial dance, Venus Retrograde will intersect with Mars in Leo, under the watchful gaze of Saturn. This potent transit is imbued with the capacity to spark long-lasting healing.

This passage calls for an introspective examination of significant relationships in our lives — be they romantic, platonic, or professional. Now is the time to reflect on our individual needs, boundaries, and desires within the framework of relationships. 

Legacy and Power: Reassessing Ancestral Patterns Under Māgha

As Venus orbits and awakens the constellation of Māgha (sidereal Leo), ancestral healing—especially regarding our relationship with responsibility, legacy, and creativity—takes the spotlight.

In this celestial alignment, Venus retrograde invites us to reflect upon the stories and patterns handed down to us through generations, asking us to see them with new eyes. Our ancestral past is not a chain that binds us but a guidebook that, when understood, can help us navigate our present with more clarity and intention.

The constellation of Māgha, known as the ‘Mighty One,’ symbolizes royal dignity, power, and grandeur. It’s an invitation to examine the legacy we’ve inherited, how we’ve wielded our power, and where we can bring about healing and transformation.

This is an optimal time to reassess your legacy and family patterns—whether they reside within attitudes toward work, money, relationships, or personal growth.

The Nonlinear Journey: Unleashing Creativity and Ancestral Healing

Under Venus’s influence during this retrograde, we’re invited to delve into our creative reservoirs, exploring how they’ve been shaped by our ancestry and considering new ways to honor this lineage through our unique creative expressions.

As we embark on this nonlinear journey of ancestral healing, each step, however small, contributes to the transformation of inherited narratives into empowered choices, ultimately shaping our destiny within the tapestry of generations past, present, and future.

Pathways Forward: Releasing Traumas and Weaving New Narratives

The potential for relationship healing lies in our ability to track deeper, and to remain grounded in the present moment as old wounds are illuminated. Observe the echoes of past hurts that are being reflected back at us, revealing what is ripe for healing.

Endeavor to remain open, serving as a witness to the lessons emerging to be learned and wounds presenting to be healed in the realm of relationships. Gently untangle the complexities that arise — your pride, any longing for justice or revenge, sense of fairness, or feeling of entitlement.

Release these past traumas and patterns as you carve out a space for learning and healing, for articulation and listening, to weave together and tread new pathways forward.

The Promise of Healing: Navigating Heart Space with Patience and Care

Treat the navigation of your heart with patience and care. Some may find themselves at the end of relationships, while others may find themselves opening their hearts to love anew. The complex dance between life and death, power and devotion, boundaries and embrace is up for exploration during this celestial event.

Booking a Session: Personalized Guidance for Your Transformative Journey

Are you curious about what this initiation of the heart might illuminate in your life? To explore deeper, book a personalized session with me. The link is in my bio, and I look forward to guiding you through this transformative journey.

All my relations.