Full moon in Capricorn: June 2018

Happy full moon in Capricorn. with this we have reached the half way point of the year. Take your mind back to what was unfolding for you at the start of the year. Where were you mentally? Where were you professionally? Where were you in your home and family life? Where were you with your relationships and friendships?

Its time to reflect on the energetic space you were in at the start of the year, and know that this Full Moon is going to be your final culmination point of these energies. Know that whatever you have needed to learn or work with since the start of the year is now clearing and shifting, so you can keep climbing higher.

This Full Moon falls in the earth sign of Capricorn. Grounded, stable, and hard working are key words for this Full Moon, and this is exactly what we will need to embrace under its energy. Capricorn is represented by the mountain goat. If you have ever seen a mountain goat, you would know that it has the ability to climb high and perch itself on precarious rock ledges, all while keeping perfect balance.

This is a good analogy for the energy of Capricorn. It is a reliable and focused-driven sign that is very hard to throw off balance. Capricorn energy is all about staying grounded and rooted in who you are, so you can aim high and reach the top of your very own mountain. This Full Moon is going to bathe all of us in the strong willed, determined, Capricorn energy so we can find our strength and our determination to keep going. We are going to be reminded of our ability to keep climbing even when life gets tough.

The energy surrounding this Full Moon is heavy, however we are also reminded that we can achieve anything, and we can get through anything. We just need to trust in ourselves, and trust in our ability to succeed. Just like the mountain goat trusts its footing, we too have to trust that wherever we are is exactly where we need to be. Whatever lessons we have needed to master over the last few months will be delivered to us so we can tackle them once and for all. There is no where to escape on this Full Moon.

We have to confront our problems, and we have to be willing to face up to whatever lessons the Universe sends our way. Of course, this can be scary and can activate a lot of anxious energy, but sometimes we have to feel the fear and do it anyway. Sometimes we have to push past whatever is stopping us or holding us back, and find our courage despite it all. Everything has a solution and everything has an ending, all we need to do is trust in this and know that the perfect solutions are already being born, we are simply just walking towards them. No matter what comes up for you around this Full Moon, don’t be despaired or discouraged. Your hardwork will pay off in the long run, so keep motivated and know that the only way out is through.

Once the energy of this Full Moon begins to settle and we head into the Solar Eclipse of July, we are going to feel far more at ease with where we are heading. For now, we just have to trust that all is well. June’s Full Moon also occurs just a few days after Mars goes retrograde. Mars retrograde is going to slow all of the energy in the cosmos down, and it is going to amplify the effects of this Full Moon. We are going to be forced to really look at things carefully, and to see everything with much crisper detail.

Even though Mars retrograde intensifies the Full Moon, it also buys us time, and helps us to see the pathways that we need to take in order to move forward or get where we want to be. Mars retrograde will allow us to be patient, and will serve as a good reminder that not everything has to be resolved immediately.

We have to be persist, but we also have to be ok with allowing things to take their natural course. A solution exists, we just need to get into the right headspace in order to see it. When we panic or react from fear, solutions can be hard to find. But when we find our stillness and go within, we can approach any hurdle from a place of confidence and ease. Getting into this state is not always easy, but practices like meditation or journaling can help. For this June Full Moon, staying grounded and present in the moment is also going to really help carry us through the energies. Taking one step at a time, and one moment at a time is really the only way we can stay calm, cool, and collected when things get tough.

Overall, this Full Moon has some intensity behind it and it will be helping us to wrap up lessons that we have been working with for the last few months. It is exam time for us all, and the Universe is going to ensure that we all pass with flying colours. If anything challenging comes up for you around this Full Moon, remember that there is always a solution, and the more you trust yourself and think on your feet, the easier it will be for you to navigate your way through.

After this Full Moon we head straight into Eclipse season, and a new cycle of energies. Even though we may be challenged, it is likely we will feel a release and a culmination of all our hard work for the year so far. In fact, after the intensity of this Full Moon wanes, we will be rewarded by the universe with something bright and new.

Since the full moon pours an intense amount of energy down upon us, we must be in a calm state of mind to receive it’s positive effects. Remember, whatever is going on in your body, mind and spirit will be amplified and increased. And while we’re on the topic of downtime… I will be taking some time off this monsoon. I might not write regularly but I think I will be able to take out some time to write about my recent trip to Nepal and Himalayas.

Till then, Namaste.

 

Ending of Mercury Retrograde & Starting of New Astrological Year

Brightest Blessings on this New Moon in Aries! Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, so the New Moon in this initiating sign really kicks off the astrological year. A very magical & powerful time to write our New Moon wishes, desires and intentionally plant the seeds of our longings. When we encounter Aries we are given an opportunity to begin anew and to do work on Self. On the brink of something new, an initiation, a step towards the future. All sounds very wonderful and new beginnings always bring opportunities as new doors open. Although this all sounds very promising, there is a danger we will miss this opportunity because we have become so overshadowed by personal issues and current world affairs that seem to be overshadowing everyone right now. Yet when we choose to see only the darkness, we cannot see the glimmer of light on the edge waiting for us to notice and step through. New paths await, but we have to become like the Aries energies and initiate those first steps towards them, towards the light, however pale or slim it appears. This new moon comes to tell us we are exactly where we need to be right now, that when a new threshold appears, a door opens or an opportunity arises, we must be prepared to cross it so we can leave the dross behind and step into a new life. During this high energy New Moon in Aries, all our intentions and thoughts will be magnified, make sure what you are creating matches what your heart desires. This warrior energy can sometimes cause us to blunder in half prepared and then find ourselves having to swallow hard or change courses quickly to avert disaster. Aries is the warrior who charges in where Angels fear to tread then wonders why it’s all gone pear shaped. We must temper the warrior so he or she becomes more focused, more aligned with our souls destiny, so we can move forward constructively. A powerful and positive time if we use the energy wisely and keep focused on our path ahead.

With Love and Magickal Blessings
Jayrajsinh Chavda

My Experience with Sacred Sweat Lodge Ceremony

I recently had the unique opportunity and honor to be invited to a traditional sweat lodge ceremony on the new moon. The ceremony took place somewhere around arambol beach, Goa.

The sweat lodge is a small dome-shaped hut made with natural materials. The lodge heats up with the help of hot stones that are blessed with the intent of healing of our loved ones. The ceremony is divided in four rounds, each of them dedicated to a different power, wind or spirit. In each round we will pray for our body, mind, heart, and soul. Sweating rituals and traditions have existed throughout history in different parts of the world. Some places use this method for purification and warmth. Traditionally the sweat lodge ceremony is used as a means of healing, and spiritual renewal of the mind, body and soul. I wasn’t exactly sure what would transpire during the ceremony, but I wanted to pray for my beloved furry friend Misty who recently crossed over the rainbow bridge so I approached the experience with an open heart and willingness to participate in what would become a rich and unforgettable time. After speaking with the master Shaman, I recognized what an honor it is to take part in such a journey and I decided to relax into what would come next.

The experience was powerful. As the prayers began, I did my best to cope with the heat, focus on energies around me and participate in the prayer songs. But the sweat lodge, if you’ve never been, is really very hot, especially with new red lava rocks brought for each round (there were four rounds, each consisting of four prayers). As I process the experience, these three key highlights of learning are standing out as important and worthy of sharing out to others. Perhaps they may resonate with where you are on your journey.

During each direction, there are songs backed by the shamanic drum that represents the heartbeat and the sacred rattle. The Sweat Lodge is considered the womb of the Earth. We enter it to let our individual egos die and be reborn to a new life. It’s a sacred space where we pray for ourselves, our family, and all the beings in the world.

The Sweat lodge is one of the most sacred ceremonies, not only for Native American, but for different indigenous people around the world. This ancient tradition is a healing ceremony for body, mind, heart and spirit, where we can pray for ourselves, our friends and beloved ones. I have heard that It also helps us to reconnect with Mother Earth and all her children, who are our Great Family. But i believed it when i saw a cat roaming around with a very similar I found a similar looking cat around the ceremony area.

This experience was so much more than a test of physical endurance. It was a spiritual journey that helped me move through some intense fear while connecting deeper to my inner being and truth. It opened my heart and eyes to how connected we all are. It helped me to see the possibility of life being even more incredible and magical than I had already imagined it was. By the end of the ceremony, I felt light in my worries and full in my heart. Getting to have this experience with amazing people who were strangers to begin with, helped me see just how similar and connected we all are. I feel certain the gifts I received from this experience will continue to bring new light to different areas in my life. This was my first time attending native american ceremony and certainly won’t be my last.

Goa, December 2017

Release Your Inner Demons

Tonight is the New Moon is in the sign of Scorpio. It is time to shed our old skin, release what is dying and let go of what is not working for us. Scorpio is about death and rebirth. This is a cycle of completions and new beginnings. We are being called to trust our deepest instincts and follow where they are taking us.

Scorpios New Moon is all about change, just like a scorpion shedding it’s skin we will feel the need to get rid of any negative attachments holding us down and stopping us from moving forward. This New Moon is about sweeping your life clean of negative clutter. Our belief systems can crumble, routines and relationships may breakdown, structures that you have built up are challenged, things that you may have thought were reliable and dependable can come to an end, then new doors open and new chapters begin, you will be ushered into a new phase of your life.

Create the space for positive energy to enter your life. What is not working this New Moon will be highlighted. You will see new pathways and options opening for you. You can become who you truly want to be, rather than who you think you are supposed to be, this is the true meaning of transformation. Don’t be afraid to look deep into yourself and ask serious questions, explore both your dark and light side, as we embrace our own darkness we become whole. We are all made of dark and light the trick is not to let one take over the other, to embrace them both equally as both are equally important, without darkness there is no light, without light there is no darkness. We acknowledge the truth of who we are, which will help us see the truth of others.

Scorpio’s strength is that it isn’t afraid of the dark and so when the Moon is in Scorpio it is a perfect time to look at our shadows and see what we’ve been in fear of, what we have been suppressing and repressing and then dealing with it. When we face our inner demons and fears they aren’t as scary as we once thought they were. Scorpio is keen about seeing the truth and if we can be truthful with ourselves, we will have a great opportunity to complete some aspect of our lives and begin a new phase.

Let us use these rare insights the Scorpio New Moon will bring to fuel our understanding of ourselves and the world around us, to allow us to see the big picture of what is occurring in our lives, so that we can easily navigate the changing tides. Scorpio holds the power of the water element, this will have our emotions on high alert, let your raw emotions come to the surface this will allow you to heal both mentally and physically.

Things are shifting now. Let’s move in a new and positive direction. The future is knocking at your door and is ready to take you on a new and exciting journey if you let it.

The New Moon in Scorpio is sure to leave its extreme emotional mark upon us. It almost dares each of us to go into the unknown and expose new parts of the self which are waiting in the wings to be discovered. Let the waters of Scorpio wash over you and cleanse and heal you. Get to know yourself again and figure out what you really want.

Have a blessed New Moon, may the Goddess watch over you.

Leo Solar Eclipse August 2017

The Leo solar eclipse on August 21st is going to offer all of us the opportunity to reset our mind, bodies and souls. As the Sun, Moon and Earth all align for the Eclipse, it will be like the hands of a cosmic clock coming together to chime as one, signifying the starting of a new cycle.

While this Solar Eclipse may bring changes and new opportunities into your life, the most potent and profound effects are going to be felt on an internal level. With this cosmic reset, a doorway to a new level of consciousness is going to open.

A new frequency will be available to all of us on Earth and this will help all beings on the planet to rise up together and feel a sense of unity, oneness and wholeness.

Ritual on Brackaville Golf Course during the ’99 eclipse

Of course, you have to welcome this energy into your life in order to receive and feel it, but it is going to have a lasting impact that we will all see unfolding over the coming months.

The effects of this Solar Eclipse will be felt most strongly until September 7th 2017, however it will continue to work its magic until the next Eclipse cycle in February 2018.

Time/Day of Peak of the Solar Eclipse:

Los Angeles- August 21 at 11.25 am

New York- August 21 at 2:25 pm

London- August 21 at 7.25pm

New Delhi- August 21 at 11.55pm

Sydney- August 22 at 4.25 am

Many people are beginning to feel the intense enegies of the solar eclipse. Now is an important time to smudge, practice staying present and grounded. You can also perform a solar eclipse ritual with smudging ceremony. This will help keep you from getting caught up in all these heavy energies.

Happy new moon.

Namaste!

Happy World Photography Day 2017

Today, August 19th, is officially World Photography Day and a chance to pay homage to the history of the art form and also to look forward to the future of the medium. World Photography Day originates from the invention of the daguerreotype, a photographic process developed by Joseph Nicèphore Nièpce and Louis Daguerre. On January 9, 1839 The French Academy of Sciences announced the daguerreotype process and a few months later, on August 19, 1839, the French government announced the invention as a gift “Free to the World”.

The earliest surviving photo we have is a heliographic image (created by Nicéphore Niépce in 1826 or 1827) which shows a view from a window at Le Gras at Saint-Loup-de-Varennes, France. Fast forward to now and still we are taking pictures, looking at the outside world from our windows but with the hand held ability to make panoramic visions, 360 degree vistas and click button augmented retouching.

In the 1830’s and 40’s the invention of photography revolutionised culture and communication in the West forever. For the first time, images of ‘real’ life could be captured for posterity and shared globally, something we take for granted now, in our instant share and like, world of social media. Portraits of royalty and other celebrities (far more accurate than paintings) allowed members of the public to feel they were viewing these people ‘in the flesh’. The dead could be remembered, and our obsession with voyeuristic intrusion is even stronger today.

British inventor Fox Talbot produced his first successful photographic images in 1834, without a camera, by placing objects onto paper brushed with light-sensitive silver chloride, which he then exposed to sunlight. By 1840, Talbot had succeeded in producing photogenic drawings in a camera, with short exposures yielding an invisible or ‘latent’ image that could be developed to produce a usable negative. Talbot’s negative-positive process formed the basis of almost all photography on paper up to the digital age.

Step forward almost a century of experimentation and the first digital photograph was taken in 1957; almost 20 years before Kodak’s engineer invented the first digital camera. The photo is a digital scan of a shot initially taken on film. The picture depicts Russell Kirsch’s son and has a resolution of 176×176 – a square photograph.

Trout pout, duck face, hot dogs legs  – all neologisms created in our social media world,  but it was actually Robert Cornelius in 1839 that created the first “Selfie” . The photographic self-portrait was surprisingly common in the early days of photography exploration because it was convenient for the photographer to act as model as well. An amateur chemist and photography enthusiast from Philadelphia, Cornelius had set his camera up at the back of the family store. He took the image by removing the lens cap and then he ran into frame, where he sat for a minute before covering up the lens again. You thought the selfie stick was a new thing  – people have been creating home-made versions of this since 1925. A device that could be considered an extendable selfie stick appeared in the 1969 Czechoslovak sci-fi film I Killed Einstein, Gentlemen, where one character holds a silver stick in front of herself and another character, smiles at the end of the stick as it produces a camera flash, and immediately unfurls a printed photograph of the pair from the stick’s handle.

Today, we can share images across the world in seconds. Photography has revolutionized the way we see the world. All this is possible only because of the invention of the camera. Today, is the day that we celebrate the invention of the camera and the tremendous impact this scientific invention that captures light has had on mankind.

So whether you like fashion, aerial, landscape, macro, underwater, paparazzi – the origins of photography are worth understanding, but also that those pre-millennial pioneers – if around today would be fascinated by our continued passion in viewing and creating photographs and how, in the spirit of Daguerre, a medium to be shared as a free gift to the world and record history in unprecedented detail.

Capricorn Full Moon: July 2017

July is the month of the Full Buck Moon. At this time, a Buck’s antlers are in growth mode. This full moon was also known as the Thunder Moon because thunderstorms are so frequent during this month.

I’m still trying to figure out what happened to June. I couldn’t write about last full moon because I was wandering in the Himalayan mountain range for more than two weeks during and after full moon. The reason behind that is a tarot card I pulled during the last full moon at La Luna Gathering. (I will soon post some pictures write more about it.)

Life is happening, but I often find myself stopping to check in:

Am I spending my time on the right things?Am I making sure to take time to something for myself? Am I listening to what my body needs?

As soon as the Sun slipped into Cancer back on June 21, I felt a profound shift. I was pulled out of the busy, agile energy of Gemini and dropped straight into Cancer’s womb. “Stay here,” it said. “Let yourself rest a little.”

Ever since, I’ve been taking extra-long breaks from my schedule. Cancer season has always been like this for me. For years I’ve struggled to keep my routine. I feel slower. Quieter. My dreams intensify.

I can’t fight it, so I do my best not to. (Though, as a fire sign, it’s not always easy. Relaxing is not really part of my roster.) But Cancer nurtures. It comforts. It awakens us to the feelings that we’ve been neglecting. It cradles us in order to slow us down and help us to see what we’ve been neglecting for too long.

Mars, the warrior, is still in Cancer. The planet that helps us access our drive and willpower is softening, too.

It’s time to breathe a little. I’ve been thinking a lot about how this all plays into the Capricorn Full Moon on Sunday. Capricorn is ambitious and industrious. I’ve often joked that if you want to get something done…ask your Capricorn friends to help. It can be a highly spiritual sign that feels connected to a mission. Capricorn must accomplish. But accomplishment often requires rigidity. Ruled by Saturn, Capricorn creates structure and boundaries. It likes schedules and routines. It likes to know what to expect. It operates for results and efficiency.

How does this energy work within Cancer’s gentle nature? Full Moon energy can be illuminating. It can also offer a powerful opening through which you can give something back to the universe.

And when I think about this upcoming Full Moon, which arrives at 09:36am IST (check your local time to find out when it’s full for you) on Sunday, July 9, everything in my body whispers, “Release.” 

I don’t know about you, but I have been especially sensitive lately to the things I take no pleasure in. I also am starting to really resent the amount of screen time that has crept into my life. Sure, many of us have spent years now staring into our smartphones and computers. But as Cancer season urges me to wind down, I feel an extra dose of resentment when I find myself reaching for my phone to check in, or to scroll through Instagram or Facebook even when I don’t particularly want to, and especially when I don’t need to.

What am I looking for? What am I expecting to find? I have no idea. Don’t get me wrong: I love the connectivity that technology gives us. I love that I can meet you and talk to you in so many different ways. 

I am a productive hippie. I live to make things happen. But I also know about burnout. And I know that the pace in which many of us live is not sustainable. We cannot always be on. We cannot always be productive. We cannot always be the same. We cannot, and we should not.

The pace of the world is frenetic, but it’s not always in alignment with our seasons, or our souls. We constantly move through ebbs and flows, but live under expectations where things must be automated, perfected, and monetized.

Capricorn has a tendency to put the pressure on, to push towards the finish line. And sometimes, that extra push is exactly what we need. But does it feel right for you at this time? Do you need to push, or pull back?

Pay attention to your resentments this week. Pay attention to what you want to say no to – and what you know you need to stop doing. Even if it’s just to take a break. Or to clear your head. Or to shove a distraction out of the way.

This Full Moon in Capricorn offers an opportunity to release any tendencies you have to hustle too hard. It offers an opportunity to let go of anything that eats at your energy and depletes your efficiency. It asks you to examine any unnecessary pressure you put on yourself to perform or compete at levels that are feeling unhealthy for you.

Look at whether you have a tendency to over-extend yourself, and whether there are lessons you still need to learn about why it’s become a pattern. Practice saying no so that you can say yes to something else.  

Look, too, at responsibilities or situations that are putting pressure on in ways that don’t feel right for you anymore. If it’s making you sick or keeping you stuck, set an intention to let it go. You don’t have to know how or when it will happen, or what will come next. Just let the universe know you’re ready for change.

Use this Full Moon to release any shame or judgment that you might put on yourself for wanting to take a break, to ease up, to rest, to experience life differently.

It is also the element of water, which is Cancer. Capricorn is earth. We need water to nurture the soil.

Keep that in mind as you pay attention to what you need leading up to this weekend’s Full Moon. Whatever you release, whatever steps you take to give yourself a break, will only help you to grow down the road.

Soak up the inspiration, and let it allow you to grow, just like the flowers and trees grow after a thunderstorm. It won’t take anything away from your progress or your path because it will help make you stronger, better, and clearer.

You can transcend your own challenging emotions and behavior through meditation and self analysis to understand your own feelings.

As we go through these energetic shifts, we are going to feel like we are being pulled in million different directions. I know, it’s a lot to handle. But if we remember to make practical and rational decisions then we will come out on top of this powerful phase.

If it helps, here’s a mantra to work with for the month ahead:

Self-care is the path to success. Ask these question to yourself.

1. Where do I have to be easier on myself at this time?  
2. What can I release in order to create more flow in my life? 
3. Where am I putting too much pressure on myself? 
4. What can I stop doing altogether?

This full moon is a time of incredible opportunity, filled with positive energy, if you use it correctly. But like most things, it depends on your energy and intent. 

This full moon can either help you tremendously, or it can wreak havoc on your emotions.

Since the full moon pours an intense amount of energy down upon us, we must be in a calm state of mind to receive it’s positive effects.

Remember, whatever is going on in your body, mind and spirit will be amplified and increased.

And while we’re on the topic of downtime… I will be taking some time off this monsoon. I might not write regularly but I think I will be able to take out some time to write about my recent trip to Himalayas.

Till then, Namaste.

Happy Summer Solstice

Today, June 21, is the Summer Solstice also known as Litha. It is the longest day of the year, it won’t get dark until very late into the night, there will be at least 15/16 hours of daylight. Litha means a stopping or standing still of the sun, in Latin Solstice means ‘Sun Still’ it is one of the 8 Pagan solar holidays throughout the year called a Sabbat.
This is a day of celebrations, the Goddess is heavily pregnant with the harvest to come. The Lord of light The Oak King is at the height of his power. But this is also a day of sadness because today the Sun God The Oak King (God of the waxing Sun) battles with the Lord Of Darkness (God of the waning Sun) The Holly King and the Holly King will win and start to take over the skies. After today the Sun slowly starts to loose it’s strength, the days will get shorter and the nights longer, as we look to Autumn and Winter. The Oak King (The Lord Of Light) is born on Yule (the Winter Solstice) and he shines so brightly for 6 months of the year but this weakens him. The Holly King (The Lord Of Darkness) lays in wait until Litha when the Oak King uses his last ounce of strength to make sure the earth has enough power for the harvest to come. The Oak King (The Lord Of Light) will slowly descends into the underworld his journey will not be complete until Samhain (Halloween) When the Holly King (The Lord Of Darkness) will take over the skies. 

In ancient times, the Summer Solstice was a fire festival of great importance when the burning of balefires ritually strengthened the sun. It was often marked with torchlight processions, by flaming tar barrels or by wheels bound with straw, which were set alight and rolled down steep hillsides. The Norse especially loved lengthy processions and would gather together their animals, families and light torches and parade through the towns and villages blessing people with prosperity and fertility.

The use of fires, as well as providing magical aid to the sun, were also used to drive out evil and to bring fertility and prosperity to men, crops and herds. Blazing gorse or furze was carried around cattle to prevent disease and misfortune, while people would dance around the balefires or leap through the flames as a purifying or strengthening rite. The Celts would light balefires all over their lands from sunset the night before Midsummer until sunset the next day. Around these flames the festivities would take place.

Litha is a time of light, purification and of healing. Its a time to reflect on the light and dark that are both within each of us and within the world around us. It is a time to appreciate everything we have in our lives and to give thanks for it, to appreciate nature and all that it gives us.

Pick some flowers and put them on your altar to honour the season and to offer them to the Sun God and the Goddess and thank them for their sacrifices. Oak leaves and branches will honour the Oak King. Adorn your altar with fruit and anything gold, yellow or shiny to honour the Sun. Build a bonfire or a small fire or light a candle. A fire lit on Litha is said to be very powerful and magical. 

“Write down your hopes dreams and burn them in the fire, to do this on Litha night will bring you your desire”

This is the height of summer it is one of the most celebratory days of the year, enjoy it, have family round for dinner, invite friends and party, go for long walks and appreciate the beauty of the Summer and nature, dance and be merry. 

Have a Blessed Summer Solstice. 

Namaste.

Full Worm Moon: Rebirth from the dark

The full moon this month preludes the coming of spring in the northern hemisphere and the end of summer in the southern hemisphere. It is a time of shift and the energies are high. Officially occurring at 8:24 PM IST on March 12, 2017, the Crow Moon foretells an exciting and powerful time of change. This final winter full moon represents nature’s inevitable rebirth from the dark into the bright months of spring. Recent inner turmoil may have led to energy depletion, but this can be overcome by embracing the balancing power of this full moon. This full moon also brings a strong urge for personal freedom. A fresh start may be on the horizon. The possibilities for amazing adventures and positive transformations are endless.

March is the month where the ground begins to thaw and spring begins to unfold. Life begins to sprout again. The birds return to their nesting areas and loudly claim their territory. Crows chase away the hawks and flashy red-wing blackbirds stake their claims. As the ground thaws the earthworms begin to burst through the surface. The robins and other birds return because of the buffet rather than the weather. The full moon in March is also named the Full Worm Moon for the return of earthworms.

In North America, native peoples gave names to the moons to indicate what to expect in that month. The March full moon is called the Full Crow Moon because of the crows gathering to welcome spring. We hear their cawing and are reminded of the continuous transformation of life. Crow is a symbol of the magic and mystery of life which unfolds again at this time of year. Of course readers in the Southern hemisphere may be having the opposite experience and prepare for winter. As the earth shifts it balances.

The March full moon is also called the Full Crust Moon, to signify when the snow gets crusty because it thaws in the day and refreezes at night. It is also called the Full Sap Moon, to identify the time that sap begins to run from the trees and the Maple Sugar Moon for the delicious product made from the life-giving sap of Maple trees. As the ground thaws and the trees come back to life, maple sap flows like a river. Every year the sweetness of life returns.

In the Southern Hemisphere this month’s full moon is called the Harvest Moon or Corn Moon and represents the abundance of life. The growing season is coming to closure and it is time to reap the rewards.

In China this lunar month is called the Sleepy Moon. As the days begin to get longer, people tend to need more sleep. This month, honor the requirements of your body and rest when you feel like it. You will get more done when you are fresh and revitalized.

In India and Nepal, People celebrate this full moon as Holi. It is a Hindu spring festival, also known as the “festival of colours” or the “festival of love”. The festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, end of winter, and for many a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships, and is also celebrated as a thanksgiving for a good harvest. It lasts for two days starting on the Purnima (Full Moon day) falling in the Bikram Sambat Hindu Calendar month of Falgun, which falls somewhere between the end of February and the middle of March in the Gregorian calendar. The first day is known as Holika Dahan or Chhoti Holi and the second as Rangwali Holi, Dhuleti, Dhulandi or Dhulivandan.

Holi is an ancient Hindu religious festival which has become popular with non-Hindus in many parts of South Asia, as well as people of other communities outside Asia. It is celebrated at the approach of the spring equinox, on the Phalguna Purnima (Full Moon). The festival date, which is determined by the Hindu calendar, varies from year to year on the Gregorian calendar, typically coming in March, sometimes in February. It is primarily observed in India, Nepal, and their diaspora in other regions of the world. In recent years the festival has spread to parts of Europe and North America as a spring celebration of love, frolic, and colors.

Next full moon commences on April 11.

Namaste!

With love from India.

A Call for Wetlands Protection

Today, February 2nd is World Wetlands Day. World Wetland Day marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Each year since 1997, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and groups of citizens at all levels of the community have participated in this day. The focus is in raising public awareness of wetland values and their benefits.

Thol Lake, Ahmedabad, Gujarat

What are wetlands?

Wetlands are a core part of a Living Landscape – the lives of animals, plants and people depend on their health. Wetlands provide food, water, transport networks, help reduce the impacts of extreme weather events and are places of beauty and inspiration. Wetlands are the link between land and water, and are some of the most productive ecosystems in the world.

To be called a wetland, an area must be filled or soaked with water at least part of the year. The term wetlands is used to define a variety of habitats that include water bodies such as rivers and streams, canals, lakes and ponds, but also habitats that are characterised by permanent or temporarily wet soils. These wet soils, including peatlands, support bogs, fens, swamps, reedbeds, marshes, floodplain meadows and wet woodland. Wetlands also include estuaries and coastal waters. In some wetland habitats water is static, in others it is flowing; some support freshwater, others support brackish or salty waters. These different characteristics support very different and often specially adapted plant and animal species. Wetlands are so dynamic and responsive and because the species they support are sensitive to change, their condition is a good indication of the overall state of our natural environment. One of the key factors that shapes a wetland habitat or a wetland ecosystem is the extent to which these diverse wetlands are connected to each other.

As wetlands are continuously threatened by human activities, this is a day to spread awareness on the importance of wetlands and call on more people to join hands in protecting wetlands.

Polo Forest, North Gujarat

Why protect Wetlands?

•  Wetlands function like a sponge, soaking up water that comes in with the tides, or from periodically flooding rivers. In fact, they control floods much more effectively and efficiently than any flood wall.
• Wetlands are Carbon Sink. Because the soils found in wetlands can store carbon for hundreds of years, they play an important role in fighting climate change.
• Aids in Sea Level Rise Mitigation. As global warming increases and sea levels rise, wetlands are the first barrier to protecting people living closer the sea and within flood zone area.
• Recreation and Tourism. Spanning from bird watching, biking, hiking, and kayaking, wetlands provide people with many ways to enjoy nature. In India, we receive migratory birds at our estuaries and wetlands.
• Wildlife Nursery. Because of its unique location between water and land, salt and freshwater, wetlands shelter a wide range of vulnerable species while serving as a breeding site for many organisms. Without wetlands, a huge number of songbirds, waterfowl, shellfish, and other mammals just wouldn’t exist.
• Fertile Farm Land. The staple diet of half the world’s population is rice, which grows in wetlands in many parts of the world.

There is an urgent need to restore our wetlands and to help some of our most enigmatic species return and thrive across our wetland landscapes. Biodiversity conservation is a major driver for change across river catchments. It benefits communities and businesses as well as the special species and places that our rivers and streams support. Working with nature can help reduce flood risk and help us cope with drought conditions. But action on the ground to protect and enhance wetlands must be supplemented by more sustainable use of water for both domestic and business purposes and supported by a clear understanding of the wider value to society of wetland habitats. There are many more benefits of wetland that cannot be mentioned. As we celebrate Wetlands today, I call on all global citizens to advocate for the protection of wetlands.

Happy World Wetlands Day to everyone who works to protect global wetlands.

Namaste!