Vedic astrology is a different tradition than the zodiac you may be familiar with. The Witch’s Therapist’s Santyna gives us a closer look.
For those of you who have yet to meet me, I’m Santyna Brar.
I’m a chronically ill, queer, and Punjabi witch, and occupational therapist here at The Witch’s Therapist.
As part of my own journey of reconnecting with my ancestry, I have been spending the last couple of years learning Jyotish (Vedic Astrology).
In Jyotish, the Moon’s path through the sky is split up into 27 sections called Nakshatras.
This new moon falls in Hasta Nakshatra.
Hasta translates to “the hand” or palm.
This Nakshatra is connected to the ideas of holding, building, making, shaping, and bringing something into tangible form.
Hasta asks you to pay attention to what you are holding.
This can include your skills, responsibilities, resources, and practices.
It is also connected to the solar deity, Savitar.
Savitar is described as an “impeller” or “animator”, a force that can imbue life into your earthly creations.
Take what is only an idea or the beginnings of something great, and start turning it into something real that you can hold.
For this new moon, I recommend choosing one idea, practice, project, or relationship that you can work towards strengthening, and taking one tangible step toward it.
New Moon Practice
Two things have been coming up for me as I prepare for this New Moon.
The first is my altar.
Because of chronic illness, I’ve been struggling to rebuild it in a way that feels right for who I am now and where my spiritual practice is moving.
Disability grief, whether mental or physical, can change our relationship with the things that matter most.
When simply getting through the day takes so much energy, even meaningful, grounding practices can feel exhausting.
At the same time, I’ve felt a pull to return to crochet with more intention.
I’m considering the materials I use and the energies I want my creations to carry.
I purchased bamboo lyocell yarn that’s been sitting untouched while I waited for a project to inspire me.
Then I realized I could connect these two projects!
This New Moon, I’m using my new yarn to begin crocheting an altar cloth.
As a neurodivergent person, I tend to be rigid about how and in what order I do things.
I love that creating this piece can become a magical, intentional part of rebuilding my altar.
It doesn’t have to be something I need to finish before reconnecting with it.
Ways I’m considering imbuing even more magic into this project:
1. Cleansing
Ways I’m considering cleansing include:
- Smoke or visual cleansing of my space.
- Providing offerings (including my labour and love)
- Singing a song of my ancestors before starting
2. Chanting
Chanting can help set the intention for a space.
I’m chanting or saying intentional words, like "protection & connection," in my head as I create each stitch.
3. Specificity
I can use a specific stitch count that aligns with my birth chart or numerology.
Or I can use one that intuitively feels right (E.g., 111 stitches, 333 stitches using a 3.0 mm hook)
4. Incorporating Knot Magic
I can incorporate knot magic by being intentional about where and how I place knots.
When joining or fastening off my work, I want to use a particular knot my grandmother taught me.
That way, her energy and ancestral connection are physically worked into the cloth.
5. Environmentalism
I’m choosing a more eco-conscious fibre so that care for Mother Earth is also part of the materials I’m bringing into my sacred space.
6. Consecration
Consecrating the finished cloth before placing it on my altar, through prayer, smoke, offerings, song, or whatever feels appropriate!
Book Your Appointment with The Witch’s Therapist Today
Feel free to play around with these ideas and see how you could incorporate something similar into your own New Moon ritual.
You can also join me for The Magician’s Path: Spiritual Rituals & Routines Development Group for Beginners! We start in February 2027.
And if you’d like more individual support, we offer FREE 15-minute introductory sessions here at The Witch’s Therapist.
The Witch's Therapist
609 William St. #101
London, Ontario
Canada
N6B 3G1
1 (519) 783-1630
► London Ontario Holistic Psychotherapy
The Witch's Therapist is located in London, Ontario and offers holistic psychotherapy therapy throughout London and surrounding areas.
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