Astro Weather August 2008

Full Moon, Lunar Eclipse
The next full moon occurs on Saturday, August 16, 2008 at 2:16pm. Although out of sign, it is also a lunar eclipse. (I feel that the previous full moon in July packed more of a punch since the north node and moon were in the same sign of Capricorn that month.)

This month the full moon falls in the earliest degrees of Aquarius in the Nakshatra of Dhanishtha, the 'star of symphony'. It's symbol is the drum. If you've ever listened to the amazing vocals of Sheila Chandra (chandra means moon), you may have heard her vocal percussion that originated from an Indian technique of calculation for drummers. This South indian vocal art form is called konnakol. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtVgV-pi0mA

As a drum is used to keep time and thythm, this nakshatra is also associated then with time and rhythms. It follows the nakshatra of Shravana that bestows the gift of listening. As Dhanishtha follows in order, it suggests that the next step is to translate what was whispered by the divine in the cosmic realms to playing earthly music. This would be a great time to dance under the light of the moon.

Namaste