• In :
• Others

November 2017

Vishal S Saxena dissects the intriguing phenomenon of supermoon and its effect on human beings, in the context of Vedic astrology

3 December 2017, is the day of the supermoon in the sky. And like any other major astronomical event, it is causing enough intrigue and curiosity in the human mind. The term supermoon was coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979. A supermoon happens when a full moon or new moon coincide with the moon’s closest proximity to earth; also called perigee. The supermoon on November 14, 2016, was the closest since the one which happened on January 26, 1948. The next supermoon event will happen on November 25, 2034.

Supermoon has commanded intrigue from various quarters of science and spirituality. Supermoon, till now, has been a lesser-known concept of astrology while its polar opposite - Micromoon - is hardly ever discussed. The word Supermoon is used to describe the polarities of this concept but it generally leads to confusions. Hence, to avoid any confusion in understanding both the aspects of this concept, it is very important to understand both the terms.

The moon

The moon is a dead, barren and dark land, unless the rays of the sun brighten it up. This simple fact indicates that the very existence of the moon came into being through the impact of another entity (or planet, according to astrology). Hence in astrology, the moon is the most easily impacted planet amongst all. This is why the moon represents the mind in astrology. Just as it gets easily impacted by other planets, likewise our mind too gets easily impacted by everything happening around us, and by everyone who comes into contact with us. Therefore, the moon’s ever-changing size is indicative of our ever-changing mind which always runs around from one thought to another. It is no coincidence that the origin of the words ‘lunacy’ or ‘lunatic’, which represent mental disease or mentally ill people respectively, is based on the word ‘lunar’. Even the Urdu word for lunatic is chaandmara (addled by  the moon).

The moon holds a significant place in astrology and in human life. I personally feel that the moon is ‘the most important planet’ amongst all. In my view, if someone has mastered his mind, then no matter what mess he is in his life, he will manage to find a way out of it. On the other hand, if the mind is not balanced, then the person may end up losing whatever he has. Because of this, the moon’s position in a horoscope is paramount to me. Besides the mind, it also represents various aspects, like mother, emotions, peace of mind, thoughts, feelings and liquid money in a person’s life.

Understanding the phenomenon

To understand supermoon and micromoon, it is important to first understand the phenomena of full moon and new moon. As we all know, the moon revolves around the earth following its monthly orbital path. When  the earth comes in between the sun and moon while the latter is in its monthly orbit, it is referred to as the full moon (poornima). Likewise, when the  moon comes in between the sun and earth, it is called a new moon (amavasya).

Now comes the most important part of understanding the concept of supermoon and  micromoon. The moon revolves around the earth in an oval-shaped orbit which means it is closer to the earth on one side of its path. On this orbital path, the moon will be closest to the earth from one side, and as it reaches the opposite side, it will be at its farthest point from the earth. The end which is closer to the earth is called perigee, while the opposite end is called apogee. Hence, at the point of perigee, the moon will look quite large; likewise, when the moon is at apogee, it will look quite small.

Consequently, a supermoon occurs when the moon is at perigee and simultaneously becomes a full moon as the earth is in between the sun and the moon. In this case, as it is closer to earth, its size appears to be relatively huge than the routine. So the joint impact of the supermoon and the full moon causes it to look far bigger than its normal size. A supermoon’s size can appear to be 14 per cent more than what we routinely see it as. Also, its brightness can go up to 30 per cent compared to the micromoon. The technical term  for this phenomenon is ‘perigee syzygy’.

Micromoon phenomenon occurs when the moon is at apogee and simultaneously becomes a new moon, because of being between the sun and earth. In this case, it is farthest from the earth, therefore its size too appears much smaller. Moreover, as it is a new moon, the lack of light reflected by it will make it appear almost negligible in the sky. The technical term for this is ‘apogee syzygy’.

Impact on life

The impact of any astral event on earth can be seen at two levels; the mundane/world level, and the individual level. The impact of the supermoon and the micromoon affects both levels. Any moon-related astral event generally creates high tides in the sea. It also creates possibilities of earthquakes and tsunamis. Almost every solar and lunar eclipse season is followed by cyclones, earthquakes, heavy rains, and floods. Natural disasters in general are commonly seen after every major astral event related to the moon.

At the individual level, the moon represents our mind. Whenever any lunar event takes place, it has an impact on a person’s thoughts, emotions and behaviour. People may become very high on emotions and act upon them impulsively. They may not be able to handle their emotions in a right way. It can either lead to a situation where a person who is already going through emotional turmoil gets further depressed or a person who is completely sad or depressed turns almost suicidal. Either way, the person is unable to take control of his emotions. This happens especially during the micromoon as the moon is very weak at that time. Consequently, the human mind gets heavily impacted by the supermoon, micromoon, lunar eclipse or blood moon. The only difference between supermoon and micromoon is of  size and brightness on a given night. Else, both the phenomenon suggest imbalance of mind and emotions.

But then, won't everyone start behaving in a crazy manner just because some significant lunar event is going on? The answer is, “no,” as each person’s life differs from the other’s because of the moon’s position in their chart. The Mahadashas and Antardashas they are going through (dashas are time periods of a particular planet in an astrological chart which activate certain planets and the houses they rule), and other important transits happening in the sky, to a large extent determine their response to life’s vagaries. Also, if someone has been into meditation or sadhana for a long time, then he will be able to sail through such times of emotional upheavals without much harm. In my view, the only way for people to take advantage of supermoon or any other lunar event is by practising meditation. If someone is into meditative practices from some time, he will be able to keep a balanced mind and will not react to things/events impulsively. I personally find that mindful meditation helps one take better cognisance of his thoughts and emotions, and consequently, behaviour. Basically, people need to learn to keep their mind balanced or positive, so as to stay away from doing anything crazy.

Be mindful. Be alert. Be meditative.  Be a witness to yourself. And lookout for the next supermoon on December 3rd, 2017!