Full Moon in Uttara Ashadha

by James Kelleher July 12, 2022

There will be a full moon in Uttara Ashadha nakshatra on Wednesday at 11:38 am PT. This full moon is called Guru Purnima, and is special in the Vedic tradition. It is also celebrated by Jains and Buddhists. It is a day of honoring the Guru. A guru is a teacher, so this is a time of expressing gratitude to spiritual teachers, academic teachers, advisors, experts, consultants or anyone else who has given you the benefit of their expertise or knowledge.

Uttara Ashadha nakshatra is connected with Ganesha, since its symbol is the tusk of an elephant. Ganesha was approached by Veda Vyasa, the great sage that wrote the Mahabharata. He said, "Lord Ganesh, I would like to write the Mahabharata and I need someone to act as the scribe and write it down while I speak." Ganesha said, "Well, OK, I can do that, but you have to speak it out in one continuous stream of consciousness. If you stop at any time, even for a moment, then I will stop writing." Veda Vyasa must have thought that this was an amusing condition, so he responded, "Alright, I can do that, but I have a condition of my own. You have to concentrate so deeply that you comprehend every word I am saying, while you are writing. If you lapse in your concentration, even for a microsecond, then I will stop speaking." For some reason, this bargain seemed agreeable to both of them, so Ganesh broke off one of his tusks and used it as a pen to write the Mahabharata. For this reason, Guru Purnima is especially connected with the great Guru, Veda Vyasa, and is even celebrated as his birthday in the Hindu religion. Ganesh's tusk links this day to the written word, writers, and the gaining of knowledge. On the other hand, in a natal chart, an afflicted planet in Uttara Ashadha can sometimes signify dental problems or even a broken tooth, since Ganesha broke his own tusk. Wow! I guess we should modify the advice on Guru Purnima to say, on this full moon, give thanks to your gurus, but make sure you also remember to brush your teeth!