Happy Diwali (Deepavali), the Hindu festival of lights! In many places around the world, this holiday is celebrated for many weeks as an important cultural and religious festival. Astrologically, Diwali begins Sunday, November 11, the 13th day (trayodashi) of the dark half of Kartik lunar month, and lasts through the 15th amavasya day, which in the United States this year will be Tuesday, November 13. Note that the actual *day* of Diwali this year will be the 13th November.

Diwali is a very propitious day especially for yogis because on this New Moon, astral powers become especially conducive to accessing the soul’s inner light and bringing it out into the world. On Diwali, the Sun (soul) and the Moon (manas/mind) join together in the sign of prosperity and happiness, which explains in part why the Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped at this time. In Vedic electional astrology (muhurta), Diwali is one of the four days of the year (abhuj muhurat) which offers us a ‘get out of jail free card,’ meaning that anything important that is initiated on this day is said to have a positive outcome. On this Diwali, we also have a solar eclipse, which is like a supercharged New Moon, a good day for healing and reflection especially around the time of the eclipse (at 12:08 PM HT/4:08 PM ET/2:08 PM PT).

“Wake up from the slumber of ignorance. Realize the constant and eternal light of the Soul, which neither rises nor sets, through meditation and deep inquiry. May you all attain full inner illumination! May the supreme light of lights enlighten your understanding! May you all attain the inexhaustible spiritual wealth of the Self! May you all prosper gloriously on the material as well as spiritual planes!”
~Swami Sivananda

On Diwali and always, I am sending love and light to our beautiful planet and all its inhabitants, especially you, my friends. Thank you!