Moon Dance

Mainstream aeronautics and space administrators are also story tellers. The first human made machine to touch the moon was in 1959. It was a robot sent by the erstwhile Soviet Union. By 1969 the U.S.A apparently developed technology that was able to send human crewed spacecrafts to land on the moon. And they sent several missions until the year 1972.

You can call me a conspiracy theorist (I've been called worse), but I find many questions unanswered regarding the moon landings. When some charlatans claim to do magic, the first thing a skeptic would do is to ask them to repeat it.But when it comes to the story of the moon landings the hypnotic effect it created seems to have large numbers of people in willing suspension of their disbelief. The simplest way to prove the skeptics and conspiracy theorists wrong, would be to land a man on the moon today. But NASA says that they lost the technology. And these days even landing small robotic crafts are proving to be very challenging for space scientists worldwide. There are other strange incidents with regards to the moon landing story that create further intrigue. The President under whom the moon landings were initiated was assassinated under mysterious circumstances. And then there is the story of the moon rock. The first astronauts brought back a rock from the moon. This was given as a gift to the Prime Minister of Holland by the ambassador of the USA. On researching it the people in Holland found it to be petrified wood....from earth. 

But who really knows anything. Perhaps these excursions did take place. My greater concern is that there have been several landings and probes , but there has never been something learnt of real value. After the first moon landings, the astronauts who brought back rocks (let's say these were real, forget the Holland story as of now) said that the rocks had elements from Earth. And this set them spinning a fantastic story. They extrapolated from this one fact that 4 billion years ago there was an asteroid, they called Theia, that hit the earth. The impact was so big that the earth's debris was flung into space and the earth itself turned into a ball of molten lava. The debris then spun into a cohesive ball that became the moon.

This story was later questioned by other space scientists, who said that it was not plausible because of a simple fact. The earth carried remnants of the asteroid but the moon did not.

But the story that the moon is cohesive debris of earth, remains mainstream. And it has spawned several other theories and a ton of content. Interestingly you will never find this content flagged as 'needing further research', 'based on a single theory' etc. The mainstream wants you to sip a certain flavored drink.

Okay but why do you care?

ISRO just paid 500 crores to a private company, for one astronaut from India to secure a ticket on a space mission to the International Space Station. He came back with nothing more than a PR statement. And when you look up about what he learnt post his journey, you will find articles from the mainstream media telling you that- 'he learnt to walk again, after forgetting to do it properly in space.'

I find it unforgivable to spend tax payers money on such missions especially when the mainstream administration seems hell bent on killing us much before any asteroid can get the chance. This money needs to be spent on infrastructure, education, job generation, irrigation and health care. We are in urgent need of help now. It is a gross, unforgivable mistake to spend on mere flexing.

A matter of perspective

Some say there is no connection between the moon and man. There are tidal effects on large bodies of water, but it ends there. You are delusional if you see a connection between your period and the moon, between people getting admitted in mental asylums because of the moon, and if you think there is a larger probability of crimes because of the moon.

The mainstream ought to know. They landed on the moon, they came back and they know. And they say the moon is but a barren satellite, filled with dust and no sign of a God.

It is said to see 'Laila' you need the eyes of 'Majnu'.

The origin of the moon is still a mystery. Even more mysterious is her dance around the earth. As the moon revolves around the earth she does it in such a way that only one half of her is always visible to the earth. It is always that one side that we see. We call it the near side. The tug of the gravitational forces between the earth and the moon has created a dance where the moon never takes her face off the earth. She is spinning through space as earth's constant witness. The earth and moon holding each other in a synchronous dance.

This mysterious dance affects life on earth as well. There are wonderful scientists who research this connection. One such study is by the marine biologists studying coral on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. They have found that coral time their mating rituals, down to the minute, using the moon as a clock. On a certain phase the female coral will release her eggs, and then the male will release his sperm. Each specie of coral times their mating dance choosing a different phase of the moon, so that they don't get it all mixed up! We are distant cousins of the coral though we came to earth much later. To ignore this powerful connection with the moon is to be delusional.

Thankfully I know many of you who are aware of this connection, and the rest of the post is especially for you.

Amavasya

Today is a powerful no-moon/new moon day. In India we call it 'ama'=together 'vasya'=abiding. The moon in her dance around the earth, aligns with the sun and the Sun and the Moon are in union. The mysterious far side of the moon(the side we never see) is facing the sun. The face that we always see is now in complete darkness.

There is no shame in not knowing how the sun, moon and seasons play their patterns around us. We have been robbed of the joy of learning and observing these cosmic plays. Let's slowly discover the universe around us.

The moon is now in darkness. Then slowly over a fortnight, she will start to grow, first as tiny sliver, then a crescent...she will wax (meaning grow, increase, become stronger) until she is the full moon. Her face brilliantly lit up by the sun. Over the next two weeks she will start to wane (decrease, weaken, become smaller) as the approaches the day where she merges with the sun and disappears into darkness. This entire cycle is called a synodic month. Synodic coming from the Greek word also signifying a meeting.

Aadi Amavasya

Today is that meeting. The day of union. The day when the night is bereft of the moon and is in complete darkness. The moon is playing peek-a-boo. And we can't really tell what happens in darkness. The animal hunts, the thief preys and the lovers' arrange their secret rendezvous. Some say it is also the time when the ghosts roam and the spirits call.

Today, July 24th, 2025 is one of the three most powerful amavasyas of the year to speak to the spirits. This stems from the ancient tradition of worshiping our ancestors. The spirits of your ancestors are called 'Pitris'. And there are texts that highlight the importance of the pitris. They are equal in strength and power to the Devas/gods. Devas are honored with 'yagna' coming from the root word to mean 'worship', and Pitris are honored with 'shradhas' coming from the root word to mean 'to place our trust in'.

The Pitris are your forefathers. Your father/mother, grandmothers/grandfathers, great grand mothers/great grandfathers. They shaped who you are. And in doing the ritual of remembering them, you are discovering yourself.

Aadi Amavasya is the time when the Pitris leave their realm to visit the earth. In the other two amavasyas (that we will look at as we journey along) are the days when they reach earth and the day they leave.

It is believed that Dakshinayana is the time when the Pitris take over the reins of ruler ship of the world from the Devas. It seems a kind of sacrilege to think of your forefathers as worthy of that kind of reverence. The sacred texts though state otherwise, in fact the Lord of the Fire Agni says it himself in the Mahabharata -the Devas and the Pitris have equal rights over the sacrificial fires.

How can you honor your ancestors?

The months of Dakshinayana are very favorable to honor the Pitris. The sacred fire, Agni, lies within each living being. It is what rests as the digestive fire for food. To feed anyone in the name of your ancestors, human being or animal, or to even water a plant will bring you good luck. To sit down and reflect on the difficult journeys your ancestors took throughout their lives, to seek their blessings for protection and to seek forgiveness are all ways to connect to the Pitris. Suppose you have had a difficult relationship with them, or if you may not even know them, even then you may wish to remember them. It is a good time to send a prayer floating, to ask for gentle healing of all wounds of the past.

Signing Off For Now

This year is an extraordinary year. Every event is potently significant. To look at the astrological chart for today alone, is to see the planets in stunning placements, that speak so loudly of Synchronicity, it is almost like a silent scream across space.

Until next week, remember to invite one drop of silence in your life and enjoy the subtle energies of the universe.