October 21, 2025 • 6:25 AM MST

As autumn deepens and the nights stretch longer, we enter the hush between endings and beginnings. There’s a sacred stillness to this time of year, a turning inward as nature exhales and prepares to rest. Within that stillness, a new moon rises in Chitra Nakshatra — the “brilliant” or “shining” star — glimmering in the constellation of Libra, where the balance of light and dark hangs delicately in the air.

Chitra is ruled by Vishwakarma, the celestial architect, the divine designer who builds the worlds with beauty, symmetry, and grace. Under this star, creation becomes sacred artistry. We’re reminded that our lives, too, are works of divine design — that even the chaos and pressure we endure are shaping us into something radiant. The symbol of Chitra, a shining jewel, is not random; it’s formed through heat, time, and refinement. This moon calls us to trust the pressure — to see beauty being formed in the unseen spaces of our lives.

Mars, the ruler of this nakshatra, infuses the new moon with energy, courage, and the desire to act. But Mars in Libra channels his strength differently — not through force, but through balance, diplomacy, and creative power. This lunation invites us to reflect on how we use our energy. Are we building something that aligns with truth and harmony, or are we reacting from exhaustion or fear? The New Moon in Libra always brings relationship into focus — not just with others, but with the self, with beauty, and with the divine. Where imbalance has been revealed, Chitra’s light helps restore order.

Just days before this moon, on October 18, a rare cosmic blessing unfolds: Jupiter enters Cancer, the sign of its exaltation. In Punarvasu Nakshatra — whose name means “the return of the light” — Jupiter becomes the radiant teacher, offering renewal, grace, and expanded vision. This transit holds profound healing potential, bringing emotional nourishment, deeper faith, and a sense that something benevolent is guiding the path forward. For those who have felt stretched thin or uncertain, this is a breath of divine reassurance.

As Jupiter settles into Cancer, it forms a direct aspect to Saturn, creating a bridge between expansion and structure, faith and responsibility. The two great teachers of the zodiac — Jupiter and Saturn — are now in conversation. This aspect helps us bring spiritual insight into practical form. It is a time to rebuild foundations with integrity and patience, to allow wisdom to inform discipline, and to let structure support growth. Where we have labored without clarity, Jupiter’s grace now brings meaning. Where we’ve been too rigid, his light softens the edges.

And within this celestial unfolding comes one of the most beautiful festivals of the year — Diwali, the Festival of Lights. On this moonless night, homes and temples across India are lit with flickering lamps and candles, symbolizing the victory of light over darkness, wisdom over ignorance, and love over fear. Diwali is a time to invite the presence of Goddess Lakshmi, the divine mother of beauty, nourishment, and prosperity, and Lord Ganesha, remover of obstacles and guardian of new beginnings.

Light a candle or oil lamp in your own home this week. Let that flame represent your inner light — the part of you that remains untarnished through all change. Offer a prayer of gratitude for what is ending and a whisper of invitation for what wishes to begin. Remember that the light you seek is not somewhere else; it’s within you, quietly glowing, waiting to be honored.

Mercury’s movement through Libra this month refines how we speak and listen, encouraging diplomacy and mindful connection. Venus travels through Virgo, her sign of devotion and discernment, reminding us that love deepens through service, simplicity, and care. By late October, both Mercury and Mars will enter Scorpio, calling us into the depths — to explore what lies beneath the surface and to transform truth into power. This shift may reveal emotions long held or truths long hidden, but it’s part of the greater purification this lunar cycle brings.

This New Moon is a threshold — a luminous doorway between the outer and inner worlds. We are moving from the brilliance of summer into the introspective quiet of winter, from expansion into refinement, from striving into surrender. It’s natural to feel weary or tender right now. Fatigue is not failure; it’s the body’s wisdom calling for integration and renewal. The pressure you feel is not punishment — it’s the force that shapes the diamond of your becoming.

Breathe deeply and trust what’s forming in the dark. The unseen design of your life is unfolding with precision, even if you can’t yet see the full pattern. The celestial architect, Vishwakarma, is at work within you, bringing beauty to form through time and intention. Jupiter’s grace offers wisdom to sustain you, and the radiant jewel of Chitra reminds you that light always returns — and sometimes, it shines brightest after the deepest night.

So light your candle. Whisper your prayer. Invoke Lakshmi for abundance and peace, Ganesha for clarity and ease, and Jupiter for wisdom and expansion. Offer gratitude for the journey and for the design you are becoming. This moon is the promise of renewal — the jewel emerging from the darkness, the light awakening within your own heart.

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Written by Michelle Berry, Ayurvedic Practitioner and Vedic Astrologer
To explore how this new moon and Jupiter’s exaltation are influencing your unique chart, schedule a 90-minute Jyotish reading: https://calendly.com/mberrybliss/single-session-jyotish
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