Astro River InstituteLahiri sidereal, IST. Navratri from Sunday 11 October.
Navratri opened on Sunday, the morning after the new moon that closed Pitru Paksha, and it runs through the whole of this week. The waxing Moon crosses Venus and Mercury in Libra on Monday, passes through Scorpio in midweek and reaches its first quarter on Sunday night. One change of sign shapes the month ahead: on Saturday evening the Sun leaves Virgo for Libra.
Monday 12 October — the Moon meets Venus; Mercury into Vishakha. The Moon passes retrograde Venus at about 09:59 IST (04:29 UTC), both in Swati, and passes Mercury just after midnight, at about 00:29 IST on Tuesday (18:59 UTC on Monday). In the evening Mercury moves from Swati into Vishakha at about 18:42 IST (13:12 UTC). Vishakha is Jupiter's mansion, and its name means the forked branch: one aim, followed to the end. Mercury there prefers a decision to a list of options.
Tuesday 13 to Friday 16 October — the Moon in Scorpio. The Moon enters Scorpio, the sign of its debilitation, at about 19:12 IST on Tuesday (13:42 UTC) and stays until about 06:47 IST on Friday (01:17 UTC), moving through Anuradha and Jyeshta. Feelings run deeper and less comfortably for these two and a half days. For anyone born with the Moon in Aries, this is Chandrashtama, the Moon passing the eighth sign from their own: keep the large decisions for the weekend. On Friday morning the Moon enters Sagittarius and Mula together.
Saturday 17 October — Mars into Ashlesha; the Sun into Libra. Mars, debilitated in Cancer, leaves Pushya for Ashlesha at about 12:46 IST (07:16 UTC). Jupiter, exalted in Cancer, is already there, so the two share the last mansion of the sign until Jupiter leaves on 31 October. Ashlesha is Mercury's mansion, the coiled serpent: Mars there works by strategy rather than open contest.
The Sun enters Libra at about 19:52 IST (14:22 UTC). This is Tula Sankranti, the start of the solar month of Tula. Libra is the Sun's sign of debilitation, and there it joins Mercury and retrograde Venus. Venus is drawn toward the Sun as it goes: from 19 October it is combust, hidden in the Sun's light, until 29 October.
Sunday 18 October — Ashtami begins; the first quarter. Shukla Saptami, which began at about 05:54 IST on Saturday (00:24 UTC), runs to about 08:28 IST on Sunday (02:58 UTC). Ashtami follows, and holds at sunrise on Monday 19 October. The Moon, in Purva Ashadha until about 12:49 IST (07:19 UTC) and then in Uttara Ashadha, enters Capricorn at about 19:33 IST (14:03 UTC) and reaches its first quarter at about 21:43 IST (16:13 UTC).
Background. Jupiter is exalted in Cancer at about 27°, in Ashlesha, two weeks from leaving for Leo on 31 October. Jupiter Enters Leo 2026 Saturn is retrograde in Pisces, in Uttara Bhadrapada, until 11 December. Saturn Retrograde 2026 Rahu is in Aquarius, in Dhanishta, and Ketu in Leo, in Magha. Read each placement twice: from your lagna for what happens, and from your Moon for how it feels.
Starts and signatures — one do, one don't
Do: begin what you mean to keep. Pitru Paksha has closed, the Moon is waxing, and Navratri is the season the tradition gives to a new practice, a study or a vow.
Don't: fix the wedding date or sign the long contract this week if the choice is yours. Venus is retrograde in Libra and turns combust on 19 October; the tradition keeps such signatures away from a weakened Venus, and a date being chosen now does better in late November.
This almanac is for orientation. It is not legal, financial or medical advice, and it does not replace a muhurat or reading done on your own chart.
The week belongs to Navratri: begin in the first half, and let Saturday's change of light, the Sun moving into Libra, close it. The Transit Forecasts carry the longer arcs behind the weekly weather.
