The ☾︎ Moon right now

This is the sky itself: what the Moon is doing at this moment, and the same for everyone reading it. What it means for one particular chart is a different question, and the answer is further down.

tldr: This week, the Moon crosses 8 nakshatras, Amavasya fall in it, 4 other events in the sky.

The Moon This Week, In Jyotish

The sidereal zodiac has 27 nakshatras to the Western zodiac's twelve signs, so the Moon changes nakshatra about once a day. A Vedic week therefore has seven moods where a Western one has three, and that difference is the clearest reason these two pages are not the same page. Clock times are in UTC.

Nakshatra By Nakshatra

• Chitra Sun 12:00am to Sun 12:21am
  Ruled by Mars; symbol, the bright jewel; deity, Tvashtar (Vishwakarma). About brilliance, design, charisma.

  Gana Rakshasa (fierce, intense and self-reliant) · yoni Tiger (bold and self-possessed; needs autonomy, not handling) · nadi Madhya (Pitta (fire), warm and driven).

• Swati Sun 12:21am to Mon 1:53am
  Ruled by Rahu; symbol, the young sprout; deity, Vayu. About independence, movement, adaptability.

  Gana Deva (divine, gentle and refined) · yoni Buffalo (enduring and unhurried; immovable once settled) · nadi Antya (Kapha (water/earth), steady and enduring).

• Vishakha Mon 1:53am to Tue 3:48am
  Ruled by Jupiter; symbol, the triumphal arch; deity, Indra-Agni. About purpose, determination, goals.

  Gana Rakshasa (fierce, intense and self-reliant) · yoni Tiger (bold and self-possessed; needs autonomy, not handling) · nadi Antya (Kapha (water/earth), steady and enduring).

• Anuradha Tue 3:48am to Wed 6:07am
  Ruled by Saturn; symbol, the lotus; deity, Mitra. About friendship, devotion, balance.

  Gana Deva (divine, gentle and refined) · yoni Deer (sensitive and alert; startles easily, moves gracefully) · nadi Madhya (Pitta (fire), warm and driven).

• Jyeshtha Wed 6:07am to Thu 8:48am
  Ruled by Mercury; symbol, the earring / umbrella; deity, Indra. About seniority, courage, protection.

  Gana Rakshasa (fierce, intense and self-reliant) · yoni Deer (sensitive and alert; startles easily, moves gracefully) · nadi Adi (Vata (air), quick and light).

• Mula Thu 8:48am to Fri 11:46am
  Ruled by Ketu; symbol, the tied roots; deity, Nirriti. About getting to the root, upheaval, depth.

  Gana Rakshasa (fierce, intense and self-reliant) · yoni Dog (loyal and protective; bonds hard and guards what it loves) · nadi Adi (Vata (air), quick and light).

• Purva Ashadha Fri 11:46am to Sat 2:53pm
  Ruled by Venus; symbol, the winnowing fan; deity, Apas. About invigoration, conviction, pride.

  Gana Manushya (human, balanced and worldly) · yoni Monkey (playful and inventive; restless and quick to learn) · nadi Madhya (Pitta (fire), warm and driven).

• Uttara Ashadha Sat 2:53pm to Sat 11:59pm
  Ruled by Sun; symbol, the elephant tusk; deity, the Vishwadevas. About lasting victory, integrity, endurance.

  Gana Manushya (human, balanced and worldly) · yoni Mongoose (fearless and sharp; meets what others avoid) · nadi Antya (Kapha (water/earth), steady and enduring).

Day By Day

• Sunday, Ravivara, ruled by Surya, the Sun — vitality, authority and the self
  Moon in Swati; tithi Amavasya (Krishna Paksha, good for completion, ceremony and anything being brought to a finish).
• Monday, Somavara, ruled by Chandra, the Moon — mind, feeling and the mother
  Moon in Vishakha; tithi Pratipada (Shukla Paksha, good for celebration, beginnings and anything you want to enjoy rather than endure).
• Tuesday, Mangalavara, ruled by Mangala, Mars — courage, energy and conflict
  Moon in Anuradha; tithi Dwitiya (Shukla Paksha, good for steady, practical work and for things meant to last).
• Wednesday, Budhavara, ruled by Budha, Mercury — intellect, speech and trade
  Moon in Jyeshtha; tithi Tritiya (Shukla Paksha, good for competition, confrontation and anything that has to be won).
• Thursday, Guruvara, ruled by Guru, Jupiter — wisdom, teachers and growth
  Moon in Mula; tithi Tritiya (Shukla Paksha, good for competition, confrontation and anything that has to be won).
• Friday, Shukravara, ruled by Shukra, Venus — love, beauty and pleasure
  Moon in Purva Ashadha; tithi Chaturthi (Shukla Paksha, traditionally avoided for new undertakings; better for clearing, ending and letting go).
• Saturday, Shanivara, ruled by Shani, Saturn — discipline, labour and endurance
  Moon in Purva Ashadha; tithi Panchami (Shukla Paksha, good for completion, ceremony and anything being brought to a finish).

The Rest Of The Week, In Jyotish

What Jyotish watches besides the Moon: Sankranti (the Sun entering a sidereal rashi), a graha changing rashi, vakri and margi (turning retrograde and direct), asta and udaya (burning in the Sun's rays and rising again), and grahana (eclipses). All dated by the sidereal zodiac, so these are not the Western dates for the same planets.

• Thursday 12, 12:00am , Mercury rises again (udaya) in Tula
  Mercury emerges from the Sun's rays and becomes able to give its results again. UDAYA is the heliacal rising, and in traditional practice it is watched for: the first morning a planet is visible again is when it is held to resume.
• Thursday 12, 2:29pm , Mars enters Simha
  Mars crosses into the sidereal rashi Simha (Leo), entering at the nakshatra Magha, which is ruled by Ketu. Sidereal, not tropical — the Vedic zodiac is measured from the fixed stars and currently runs about 24 degrees behind the Western one, so this date is NOT the Western ingress date for the same planet.
• Friday 13, 4:28pm , Mercury turns margi (direct) in Tula
  Mercury turns MARGI — forward again — in the rashi Tula, the nakshatra Swati. What it had been holding back it now delivers.
• Saturday 14, 12:36am , Venus turns margi (direct) in Kanya
  Venus turns MARGI — forward again — in the rashi Kanya, the nakshatra Chitra. What it had been holding back it now delivers.

Retrograde turns are listed for the five classical grahas only, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. The Sun and Moon never turn back, and Rahu and Ketu are always retrograde by definition. Many modern Jyotishis also read Uranus, Neptune and Pluto; the classical texts do not, and I follow the texts rather than quietly picking a side.