A Complex Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio: 16th May 2022

 

I can't help feeling that Mercury (Budh) is as yet to play his last game for this year -- his trump card, after the enormous feat of breaking the claustrophobic glass ceiling of the Kaal-Sarpa-Dosha. The Kaal-Sarpa-Dosha has been formed through transit since April 2020 and it has dominated our lives globally for the last 2 years. It is a feared astrological conjunction of planetary debilitation, and its formation through transit is used for mundane astrological analysis (Medini Jyotish) -- to analyse its influence on world events. Though not much is written about it, the dreaded Dosha has an experiential base. Its formation in the sky concerns the snaring of slow-moving planets (like Jupiter and Saturn) in a python grip between the lunar nodes (Rahu and Ketu). Since Rahu and Ketu are always opposite each other, and 7 houses apart, they move like a coordinated loop through the sky. When the rest of the 5 planets (Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Mercury) along with luminaries Sun and Moon are trapped between Rahu and Ketu through transit, the snake/ dragon with Rahu as its head and Ketu as its body/ tail, constricts and limits planets/ luminaries and their fields of action in what feels like a Karmic trap -- unavoidable and inevitable.  

The Kaal-Sarpa gives rise to other dreaded Doshas through transit. For example, the Shoola-Dosha, when malefics like Saturn are placed in the middle of a three-house formation with planets on either side squeezing it (like a lemon) and concentrating its effect. This middle-house then assumes the shape of a poisoned arrow-tip that tortures the house its placed in. Then there is the opposite of this called the Paap-Kartari-Yoga. This forms when a benefic, like Jupiter, gets trapped in the middle of a three-house formation with malefics on either side squeezing it, and restricting its positive outcomes. Then there is Kendrum-Dosha formed by the Moon during Kaal-Sarpa times, who due to his speed, traverses half a month through the Sarpa, and the other half through the empty sky. This makes him feel helpless in both situations. He is isolated, lonely and without support outside the Sarpa, and he is trapped in the Sarpa when with others. The experience of this is like being in a packed train that is traveling at an excruciatingly slow speed. Just when everyone is about to suffocate, a small window briefly opens somewhere, but only to let in toxic air that makes people cough and sputter and breathe painfully, before closing again. Its the proverbial experience of being between a rock and a hard place. The suffering is long-standing and immense, leading many alliances and relationships that are stressful from the start to finally crack up, as stamina and hope dries up. The Moon in Kaal-Sarpa times whose month is spent dipping inside and outside the trap, produces a fluctuating experience of both acute stress and loneliness -- a period of stalemate and deadlock (or lock-down), till planets escape the Rahu-Ketu grasp and break the Dosha. Mercury has achieved exactly this feat. Yaaay!!!    

But directionality matters. When transiting planets veer towards Rahu with an aim to cross him (like now), the concern is mostly material/ materialist, leading to frustration and pain in the physical world (wars/ storms/ fires/ earthquake/ pestilence/ epidemics). When transiting planets veer towards Ketu (called Kaal-Amrita-Yoga) that takes place two or three years later, the results are more positive (though non-material) despite the stalemate situation and the 'waiting' feeling about it. This feels more like training duration/ long-term research/ educational programs with slow results (like PhDs)/ evolving negotiations and alliances. Now, eclipses occurring during the Kaal-Sarpa period are additionally destabilizing and excruciating, for they activate and further enhance the Kaal-Sarpa grip, apart from the specific houses where they take place. The eclipses of 2020 and 2021 enhanced Kaal-Sarpa lock-downs that fluctuated, as we felt passive and at the receiving end of sudden events and new 'waves'. 

This Solar eclipse of 1st May 2022 was an eclipse with a positive difference, for it took place in a condition, wherein Mercury had already broken the Kaal-Sarpa, and crossing Rahu in Aries, transited into Taurus, his friend (Venus's) house. This gave us a little more power and agency, as we could respond better to injustice. It did not feel Karmic and helpless. The Kaal-Sarpa was broken! And Yaay again!!

      

There are other significant planetary conjunctions we saw in the last 2 years. Hemmed in as they were, our slow-moving planets Saturn and Jupiter conjoined in December 2020 in Capricorn. This was a conjunction of import and ushered in a new age, allowing us, and even impelling us towards making 'permanent' decisions. This conjunction found in natal charts is said to produce great change-makers, who build empires, bring lasting political and social reforms and revolutions (like Abraham Lincoln, Bhimrao Ambedkar, or Karl Marx) or effect new political empires, ideologies, and financial systems. Timur had a conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in his natal chart that made him the greatest of all warriors, conquerors and imperialists (to use modern parlance) in his time. The Timurid empire had long lasting effects. The presence of this conjunction earned him the title of Sahib-Qiran (a man of significant and universal consequence). Mughal emperor Shah-Jahan was born with a prominent Jupiter-Venus conjunction in his chart, and bestowed with the same title Sahib-Qiran-e Sani (the second Sahib-Qiran), the Padshahnama celebrating him for his tremendous contribution to art, as connoisseur and patron. The architectural feats achieved under his reign were pretty long lasting too! Those born with a natal Kaal-Sarpa or Kaal-Amrita make powerful rulers who see exceptional and meteoric rises and falls, especially during eclipses. Donald Trump is a typical example of the Kaal-Sarpa rise (and fall).

          

The Kaal-Sarpa in our own times was intensified with the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in Capricorn that was visible to the naked eye in the night sky, during December 2020 and January 2021. But in our case, Jupiter was debilitated in this conjunction. Capricorn is a sign of Jupiter's debilitation -- where he feels weak, and underutilized. He was further compromised in this debilitation by a strong conjunction with Saturn in Capricorn -- a sign owned by Saturn himself. This enhanced Jupiter's powerlessness. Capricorn is signified by dryness and the heated/ frigid emptiness of the earth. And indeed, in the last 2 years we have witnessed relentless fires, and winters. As humans retreated in various lock-down waves, the earth became abandoned, bringing to mind a possibility that animals wandering into urban areas would soon take back these spaces. We also saw the unfolding and intense suffering brought by the Delta variant, following the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction. 

This situation lightened in mid-April 2022 after Jupiter hobbled away from Saturn's stronghold and his own debilitation in Capricorn, into his own sign of Pisces to rest and recuperate. The Kaal-Sarpa situation radically shifted in mid-April as Rahu moved into Aries. This new configuration suddenly made Jupiter and Rahu uncomfortable neighbors across the gap of Pisces and Aries. But it was also this shift of Rahu that allowed Mercury to cross over Rahu's surface and waltz into Taurus relatively quickly. Lock-downs were also relaxed relatively quickly this spring, and the situation has mostly stayed that way. Mercury's breaking of the Kaal-Sarpa changes the experience of eclipses to not complete powerlessness. This is important: even though eclipses will continue to bring big-time changes, we are no longer helpless. The Kaal-Sarpa is gone (though not forever)! A smaller, but third time Yaaayy!!

But here is the caveat: Mercury, completely exhausted by his task of breaking the Kaal-Sarpa glass ceiling goes retrograde on 10th May. Though he sluggishly resumes forward motion in May-end, before gaining speed and roaring into Gemini, his own sign, we will have to wait for this resurgence till 2nd June. In May beginning, Mercury slows down in Krittika Nakshatra ruled by the Sun, and regresses. It almost seems as if he wants to help Rahu now, who has just eclipsed the Sun (1st May) and is still closely conjoined with the Sun in Aries until mid-May. Mercury's retrogression in Krittika keeps the solar eclipse feeling alive, and disallows us from deescalating existing Rahu-Sun tensions. Though the Sun transits to Taurus in mid-May, strengthening the breaking of the Kaal-Sarpa that was initiated by Mercury, Mercury falls back and becomes combust now due to his proximity with the Sun. The Solar eclipse feeling thus lasts till the Lunar eclipse of 16th May. 

Mercury's retrogression is more important this time. It is much more than the usual exhausted, and burned-out chaos he causes, that is commonly marked, four times every year, with failed communication, lost emails/ letters, missed flights, misinformation/ partial information, technical glitches, mistakes and errors, and misplaced/ lost luggage. This particular Mercury retrograde of 10th May is more important, as sitting in Taurus, he gazes exactly at Scorpio and the Moon who is getting eclipsed and debilitated. Visible in the US/ UK/ Europe/ Middle-East/ African continent, this is a total Lunar eclipse, and there will be no moonlight in the night/ dawn sky for many excruciating and suspenseful minutes. For enthusiasts, keep your telescope poised and aimed. This is a blood-moon totally worth the watch. It promises to be a fantastically thrilling and a dramatic experience (if the sky is clear). 

Though the eclipse in Scorpio is caused by Ketu, he has already moved into Libra. However, he is still perilously close to the Scorpio border and just 3 degrees away from the waxing Moon that becomes full at 1 degree Scorpio in Vishakha Nakshatra (ruled by Jupiter). There are many complex issues taking place in this Lunar eclipse. First, the Moon is debilitated at 3 degrees Scorpio, placed on the border of Vishakha and Anuradha Nakshatra (ruled by Saturn). This squeezes the eclipsed Moon between Ketu in Libra, and his own point of debilitation. On the next day, adding insult to injury after the eclipse, the wounded Moon will be forced to slip into debilitation in the waning mode. This adds to the Moon's vulnerability. The Moon is our mind, our emotional balance, and placed in the natural 8th house of the Kaal-Purush Kundali that always begins with Aries, the Moon in the 8th house confronts uncomfortably deep 'thanos' issues like death, negatively gripping sexual desire, rebirth-like dejavu experiences that bring up old bile, and uncomfortable emotions and memories. It also indicates to confusion with financial matters and investment -- especially matters that concern other people's money, where mistakes can cost more than financial loss -- loss of dignity. A debilitated and eclipsed Moon may be a time of commemorating old regrets and nursing old guilt. This is a time when old scars give that especially poignant, but thankfully occasional twinge, bringing back old resentments and pet peeves. This is a time when we pity ourselves, justify our actions, cry into (our own) alcohol, and rage against the world, and mostly feel lost, bereft, and clueless. Its necessary to give in to this feeling at times, but with an awareness, that it is not the truth. It is a feeling that will pass.  

A retrograde Mercury in Taurus, despite his friendship with Venus, activates Ketu, who is currently sitting in Libra, in Venus's favorite house (Mooltrikona Rashi). Retrograde Mercury, hence, somehow gets indirectly involved with the Lunar eclipse, even pumping up the volume a notch higher, by bringing up his old dislike for the Moon. Mercury is the Moon's illegitimate child, and this makes him hate the Moon, though the Moon loves Mercury -- his child. This is a resolution-less, painful and one-sided relationship with possibly abusive parents. Even though the Moon calls out to Mercury, sitting 7 houses opposite to himself, Mercury for now just watches the show, waiting for the Sun to call the ambulance. Perhaps in his retrograde avatar, Mercury even worsens matters, even if ever so slightly, by mixing misinformation into an already vulnerable and dramatic situation. I know this sounds heartless, but try not to be manipulated into guilt trips, and make false placatory promises this Lunar eclipse. It will already hurt now, if not more later. Let some others around you take more responsibility. 

Lastly, there is the question of gazes, and the Lunar eclipse on 16th May is also host to a gladiator-type arena. This stage where the Moon faces debilitation and eclipse has a vibrant audience. While each planet has a 7th gaze, aspecting houses and planets that are bang opposite to itself, each planet also has other additional and simultaneous gazes. Its like sitting in a round auditorium where everyone can see what is across them, but based on their vantage point, can also see others sitting in an angle from themselves. Apart from Mercury's apathetic and exhausted, retrograde gaze that spreads further confusion and dejavu into the eclipsed and debilitated Scorpio Moon, Mars breaks into Pisces one day after the eclipse on 17th May to gaze at Jupiter's Vishakha Nakshatra through his 8th protective gaze. The Sun who has just freed himself from Rahu before the Lunar eclipse, slips into Taurus to conjoin and combust retrograde Mercury on 14th May. The Sun is the Moon's friend and is not inimical to Scorpio either -- a house owned by Mars, his protege. The Sun takes over from now on. Despite spectacular drama, the Moon does have hidden resources and support after all (as do each of us -- depending on the house where Scorpio falls in our own natal chart). 

Mars, Jupiter's great friend, doesn't do too well in water-signs like Pisces, despite his friendship with Jupiter, the owner of Pisces. Mar's position in Pisces sometimes reminds us a little of the Mangalik-Dosha feeling, of when Mars is placed in the 12th house of a chart. Since Pisces is the natural 12th house of the Kaal-Purush-Kundali, Mars in Pisces also brings up old frustrations that feel akin to the 12th house situation, that forces natives to leave home for isolated places abroad. But there is a significant change of scenario this time. Mars in the 12th house of Pisces meets Jupiter himself, the owner of Pisces. This is an extraordinarily positive event for Mars (and for us), since Jupiter absorbs Mars's Mangalik-Dosha-type feeling (neechatva) through a powerful Neecha-Bhanga-Raja-Yoga. Neecha-Bhang takes place whenever debilitated planets conjoin with the empowered/ exalted depositors of these same signs. However, before we get our hopes up, Mars is temporarily (till May-end) also conjunct with exalted Venus in Pisces, who is at the negotiating table with Jupiter. Mars is straight spoken, and does not trust strategic, conniving, soft-spoken, sweet-tongued, and slippery Venus. But Venus this time, can hardly afford to ignore Mars either, as Mars has an upper hand. Remember his protective 8th gaze over Jupiter's Vishakha Nakshatra in Libra, which is Venus's Mooltrikona Rashi, where Ketu is currently sitting and eclipsing the Moon? Mars, then, is also indirectly involved in the Lunar eclipse, just as Mercury and the Sun are. 

Mars's 8th gaze on Visakha creates a double relationship between himself, Jupiter, and Venus in both Libra and Pisces, where Mars simultaneously conjoins Venus and Jupiter. This sort of exchange or relationship is often loosely referred to as Parivartana-Yoga -- a Yoga made auspicious only because of its power to control damage. The Parivartana experience is like you moving into your enemy's house with the full intention of breaking his plumbing, only to belatedly discover that he has moved into your house opposite the street, from where he keeps a watch over your activities, and threatens to break your plumbing if you break his. Of course having Jupiter in the neighborhood, as part of these ownership deals, is super helpful, as he mediates and deescalates tensions between two parties, through Neecha-Bhanga tactics -- he hosts get-together parties!  

Lest we forget the last aspect of this Lunar eclipse, this eclipse takes place in Vishakha Nakshatra, ruled by Jupiter. This Nakshatra is also called Radha, as it precedes  Anuradha in Scorpio that signifies Bhakti -- a form of love that is higher than Radha's. While a small part of Vishakha falls into Scorpio (eclipse location), its larger part overlaps with Venus's Libra. This completes a double Parivartan-Yoga between exalted Venus, and Mars conjunct with Jupiter in Pisces. While Mars looks at Jupiter's Vishakha with his 8th protective gaze, he is physically housed in Jupiter's Pisces, and conjoined simultaneously with Jupiter himself. Jupiter's Vishakha that is mostly held by Venus in Libra, also sits physically in Pisces at the same time, in exaltation, and conjoined with Jupiter. Ketu who dances gleefully amidst it all, is thus, influenced by all three: Jupiter, Venus, and Mars. And though Ketu is explosive when conjunct Mars, and somewhat given to sleaze when conjunt Venus, he is his most controlled, channeled and philosophical when conjunct Jupiter. And in this double Parivartana-Yoga, there is no doubt that Jupiter wins the deal, while he sits in his own house Pisces, while physically holding Mars and Venus. His rulership of Vishakha thus affects a double Parivartana-Yoga with Venus and Mars. There is however, a small caveat here: Jupiter and his companions Mars and Venus in Pisces are currently functioning under restriction, due to a Paap-Kartari-Yoga that has Pisces squeezed by a super strong Saturn sitting in his Mooltrikona Rashi, Aquarius on the one side, and a volatile Rahu and very strong Sun in Aries on the other side. This can dry up the moisture of Pisces a little and put everyone over there under a bit of stress.  

Also, Mars's protective gazing starts only one day after the eclipse, by which time the Moon will have already slipped into debilitation. Imagine what would have happened to Draupadi, if a physically absent Krishna had failed to send her an unending, steady supply of Saris -- enough to finally exhaust Dushasana. This is a somewhat similar situation. Mars from Pisces, is physically unable to gaze at Scorpio and control the eclipse directly. He can only influence Venus, Libra, Vishakha, and the volatile Ketu, who loves precipitous u-turns. Let us hope Mars is not too late with his metaphoric supply of Saris, streamed through from Libra Vishakha to the Scorpio Vishakha. Mars is friendly with the Moon, and the image of Vishakha is a tree branch, deviating away from the main trunk. It shows sudden bifurcation of pathways and journeys, and under Ketu's influence, a sudden parting of ways. We may feel suffocated, and almost forced to take another road, or give up our journey out of exhaustion and disappointment. Mars, Venus, Sun, and Mercury (apart from Rahu and Ketu of course, and the Moon) are all involved at various intensities in this Lunar eclipse. And yet remember: we are out of the Kaal-Sarpa stranglehold now, and not totally powerless even if we feel that way briefly. 

Who is left, now? Jupiter and Saturn are equally involved in the Lunar eclipse -- tada!!! While Jupiter apart from the 7th gaze, has a 5th and 9th gaze bringing auspiciousness, creativity and growth; Saturn, apart from his 7th, has a 3rd and 10th gaze that pushes us into hard work, relentless labor, endeavor, courage and tenacity. Jupiter, with his 9th gaze from Pisces will look at the Scorpio eclipsed Moon, just as Saturn will, with his 10th gaze from Aquarius (Saturn's Mooltrikona Rashi). While Jupiter loves the Moon, Saturn is hard, too critical, and impatient with the Moon's hyper-emotional framework. While Jupiter's gaze may give us the support of teachers, mentors, elders, and Gurus, Saturn's gaze may ask us to dust ourselves down, cut the crap, and move on, lining up more hard work for us. While the Sun's gaze on the Moon from Taurus tells the Moon to have courage and faith in his own inner core, a combust and retrograde Mercury tries to trip the Moon up into making mistakes, confusing the Moon into mistaking the trees for the woods. While Rahu will ask the Moon to desire more, and rage against enemies who have hindered him from achieving perfect happiness, Ketu will ask the Moon to give it all up, and turn direction in a u-turn motion, under the pretext of course-correction. And Mars? He will look at that part of Vishakha that is in Libra with his protective 8th gaze, that through double Parivartana, may ingratiate him (with Jupiter's help) ever so slightly to Venus with whom he is conjunct, in a bid to control the damage done by Ketu to the Moon. 

   

This is an extremely complicated Lunar eclipse, where the Moon is surrounded in a mesh of vulnerable influences, all the while feeling weak and trapped -- almost giving way, and besieged with confusion. While the Solar eclipse on 1st May brought the leaked report published by Politico on the conservative bid to overturn the Roe vs. Wade case that suddenly threatened freedom and safety for many American women, the Lunar eclipse will feel like the end of the road, with no possible way forward. The only thing to remember is, that this is not true. It is just a feeling that will pass. Drink a lot of water on the 14th-15-16th-17th, remember to take adequate rest and sleep. Meditate, and concentrate on a mauve-purple light that you imagine, emanating from the middle of your forehead in gentle waves. Lastly, listen to melodious, soft music. It will help the emotions to remain stable. What I find personally useful is to have a chant (even if its a nursery rhyme) close at hand, in my mind, that I repeat under my breath, to stay calm in an unstable and disturbing physical environment. If you are religious, you can chant something that soothes and supports you spiritually.  

Don't drink or party too heavily over the 14th-15th weekend, and remain aware of yourself and your own emotional changes at all times. Take good care of all the communication you generate in this time (yes, triple check)! The Moon, not to be outdone, will soon gain dignity in the next 2-3 days as it reaches Sagittarius, buoyed by the Sun and by Jupiter. Once in Sagittarius, he will also slip out of Saturn's 10th gaze, while retaining his connection with Jupiter, since Sagittarius is, after all, also owned by Jupiter, and is Jupiter's Mooltrikona Rashi. All will be well. Give yourself 2-3 days to sort stuff out -- especially if the mess was created by your predecessor in the same post. Hang on, and don't change track just yet. Don't resign -- however tempting that feels. These are just some left over tasks in Scorpio that are ready to be wound up, however bogged down you feel with the BS. This is the last eclipse that takes place in Scorpio for the next 17 years. You've got this! It will just take a little bit of reworking -- a push, and lots of calmness. Don't get provoked or triggered (Rahu loves that). Don't expect any apologies later (Mercury will never say sorry), but hey, who knows! Saturn is pushing for change. And change will gradually come from January 2023. 

This Lunar eclipse reminds me of Agatha Christie's best-known Poirot murder-mystery "Murder on the Orient Express" -- they were all in it! By the middle of next week, give yourself a small treat. Congratulate yourself on having survived the most intense and complicated eclipse of 2022, that involved all the planets in an unimaginably convoluted crosshatch!