Moon Transit in Ashlesha

Ashlesha closes Cancer, the Moon's own sign, and its last degrees are gandanta, the knot between water and fire. Mercury rules it and the Nagas are its deities. Its symbol is a coiled serpent. The Moon counts Mercury a friend, and Mercury does not return the feeling, so the Moon is at home in the sign and watchful in the nakshatra.

Muhurta Chintamani classes Ashlesha as tikshna, sharp. Such a day serves abhichara and fierce mantra rites, the ending of an association, the handling of poisons and the confinement of what is dangerous. It does not serve travel, marriage, a house entry or any work that should begin in trust. For about a day, cunning is close to the surface, in oneself and in others.

From the birth nakshatra, Ashlesha is sampat for Pushya, Anuradha and Uttara Bhadrapada, and kshema for Ardra, Swati and Shatabhisha. Sadhana falls to Rohini, Hasta and Shravana. It is mitra for Bharani, Purva Phalguni and Purva Ashadha, and parama mitra for Ashwini, Magha and Mula.

Punarvasu, Vishakha and Purva Bhadrapada meet vipat. Mrigashira, Chitra and Dhanishta meet pratyak. Krittika, Uttara Phalguni and Uttara Ashadha meet naidhana, and should keep the day for routine. Ashlesha, Jyeshtha and Revati births have their janma tara.

Under this Moon the mind coils around what it wants and guards itself. The Nagas stand for both wisdom and poison. The day shows which of the two a person is feeding.

Keep silent where you can, and examine one grudge in writing. Offer milk to a Shiva lingam for the Nagas. Sign nothing.