Amavasya is the day when the Moon (cosmic mother) merges completely with the Sun (cosmic father)

Note – Amavasya is the dark moon when the moon is not visible at all in the sky but often times its been translated as New Moon

In Sanskrit, “amā” means “together” and “vásya” means “to dwell” or “cohabit”. It also means “na” +”ma”+”asya” meaning to “na” = “No, “ma”=Moon, “Asya”=“There” in turn meaning to There is no Moon i.e., Moon is not visible.

The Amavasya in the month of Magha is known as Mauni Amavasya. Mauni means silence and this day is powerful for spiritual Sadhana. One of the most important ritual is to keep a vow of silence on this day. The words we speak is the 2nd house, and the house opposite is the house of silence which is the 8th house. So silence is one of the best ways to remedy our 8th house problems.

This Amavasya is also the first after the Sun’s uttarayan (northern) transit that happened on Jan 15th.

Timing

In 2022, Mauni Amavasya occurs on Jan 31st/Feb 1st based on where you live. For local timings download the Cosmic Insights app.

This year the transit Moon and Sun will conjoin with Saturn and retrograde Mercury in the sign of Capricorn. It is best to keep things simple and avoid important new beginnings on this day.

Rituals

  1. The days leading to the new moon it is recommended that we chant the Saraswati mantra and worship her. Saraswati is the goddess of learning and intuition. And Shravana nakshatra where the amavasya happens is the nakshatra of Goddess Saraswati. A simple mantra to worship her is “Aum Aim Saraswatye Namah” you can chant this 108 times.
  2. It is one of the most important days to take a holy dip in the Ganga during sunrise. If you are unable to do this, you can simply chant the Snan mantra when you take a shower and remember the Holy Ganga. The mantra is “गङ्गे च यमुने चैव गोदावरि सरस्वति । नर्मदे सिन्धु कावेरि जलेऽस्मिन् संनिधिं कुरु ॥ Gangge Cha Yamune Chaiva Godaavari Sarasvati |Narmade Sindhu Kaaveri Jalesmin Sannidhim Kuru ||
  3. On the new moon day it is important to nourish your inner self. It is time to take a step back, pause and reflect on the month that has gone by and plan for the month ahead. Write down and reflect on all that has happened in the past lunar cycle and set intentions for the upcoming lunar cycle.
  4. Perform the Shunya Mudra by bending your middle finger to gently touch the bottom part of your thumb and press your thumb to support the middle finger. Extend all the other fingers. This mudra will help you clear the blocks and set you up for new beginnings. It will also help you empty your frustrations, desires, disappointments, etc to start fresh.
  5. Honor your ancestors and pray for them.
  6. This is a powerful day to donate. Donation does not always mean monetary contribution, you can also do something for someone without expecting anything in return.
  7. Worship Goddess Mahalakshmi in the evening after lighting a lamp. You can also chant or listen to the Mahalakshmi Ashtakam.
  8. For personalized rituals download the align27 app.