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A small note on dates before we begin, as always. This letter follows the Indian and European correspondence, and exact times are given for Vilnius (EET). In the Americas a few sacred days fall one day earlier, because each lunar day is counted from local sunrise: there Rāmā Ekādaśī falls on November 4, and Utthāna Ekādaśī on November 20. Please follow your local Vaiṣṇava calendar.
All of November’s sacred days, lunar phases, and planetary timings are in the calendar file below. You can download it and add it directly to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or Outlook — it will sit quietly alongside your own calendar and remind you of each day as it comes.
To install: click the link, open the downloaded file, and your calendar app will offer to import it. On a phone, tap the link and choose “Add to Calendar” when prompted.
Dear friends,
October asked us to slow down. Venus walked backward for most of the month, and Mercury turned retrograde on October 24, so plans, messages and matters of the heart needed a second look. On October 26 the holy month of Kārtika began, the month of Dāmodara, when a lamp is offered to the Lord every evening. And on October 31 Jupiter left Cancer, the sign where the planet had been at its strongest since June, and stepped into Leo.
November is the heart of Kārtika, and it is also a month with a knot in it. Three planets gather at the place where the water signs end and the fire signs begin. For a week, the Sun, Mars and Venus all sit in the signs where they are weakest. If the first half of the month feels heavy, you are reading the sky correctly.
The calendar answers the sky with light. On the new moon we light rows of lamps for Dīpāvalī. The next day we offer a mountain of food to Govardhana. The month closes on the full moon, when every vow of Kārtika is complete. This letter walks with you through the month, so you know what to expect and how to meet it.
The Knot Where Water Meets Fire
The zodiac has three places where a water sign ends and a fire sign begins: Cancer into Leo, Scorpio into Sagittarius, and Pisces into Aries. Each of these joins is called gandanta, which means “the knot.” A planet in the knot has left the ground of one sign and has not yet found its feet in the next. Water and fire do not mix easily, so a planet there often feels unsettled. Old feelings come up, and what has finished asks to be let go.
Strictly, the knot is the last 48 minutes of arc of the water sign and the first 48 minutes of the fire sign. More broadly, it is the last quarter of Āśleṣā (26°40′ to 30° Cancer) and the first quarter of Maghā (0° to 3°20′ Leo). This month three planets stand in that wider zone.
Entered Leo on October 31. This winter the planet travels no further than 2°47′ Leo. Jupiter turns retrograde on December 13 and slips back into Cancer on January 24, so the great teacher stays at the knot all season.
The south node of the Moon stands at about 1° Leo and moves slowly backward. The node returns to Cancer on December 5.
Walks through the whole knot this month, from November 5 to November 20. Until November 12, Mars is debilitated in Cancer. On November 12 Mars steps into Leo.
The Meeting in Maghā
Maghā is the first star of Leo. Its symbol is a throne, and it belongs to the ancestors. Here, this month, three planets meet.
On November 11, late in the evening (November 12 in India), Jupiter meets Ketu at 1°15′ Leo. On November 15, before dawn, Mars reaches Ketu, and the three planets stand within half a degree of each other. On November 16, in the morning, Mars meets Jupiter.
Mars is heat and action. Ketu is sudden and sharp. Jupiter enlarges everything the planet touches. Together they can shorten tempers and make events sudden. Mars with Ketu has long been read as a sign of anger, accidents and quarrels that flare quickly, and Jupiter adds to the fire.
There is another side to this meeting. Maghā belongs to the ancestors, and Ketu is the planet of release. What burns away in these days is old. It is a good week to offer a lamp and a prayer for your ancestors, and to forgive what you can. Jupiter stands in the middle of the fire, so wisdom is close, even in the heat.
- Take extra care in crowds, at concerts and large gatherings, and anywhere a stranger’s anger could reach you.
- Drive slowly. Take care with fire, knives and machines.
- Let words wait. When you feel heat rising, step away before you answer.
- Leave big beginnings, signatures and journeys for after November 17 if you can.
Three Planets Bowed Low
A debilitated planet is like a guest in a house where the planet does not feel welcome. Its gifts still come, but with effort.
From November 5 to November 12, three planets are debilitated at the same time. The Sun is in Libra until November 16. Mars is in Cancer until November 12. And Venus, still moving backward, enters Virgo on the evening of November 5 and stays there until November 22.
The Sun gives confidence and a sense of who we are. Mars gives drive and courage. Venus gives love, beauty and ease. With all three low, you may feel tired, unsure of yourself, or less at home in your relationships. Please do not judge your whole life by these weeks. Keep plans small and days simple, and rest more than usual.
Dīpāvalī, the festival of lamps, falls right in the middle of this time. A lamp means the most when the room is dark.
Two Planets Turn Forward
Mercury turns direct on the evening of November 13, at 10°47′ Libra in Svātī. Venus turns direct a few hours later, before dawn on November 14, at 28°37′ Virgo in Citrā.
A planet that changes direction stands almost still for some days, and these days often feel stuck or unclear. Afterward, what stalled in October can move again: contracts, travel plans, conversations, money matters and questions of the heart. Give them a few days. The two planets turn while Mars, Jupiter and Ketu meet in Leo, so November 13 to 16 are days to wait and watch.
The Sun Rises from Libra
On the evening of November 16, the Sun enters Scorpio and its debilitation ends. The next morning is Gopāṣṭamī. By November 20 Mars has left the knot, and on November 22 Venus returns to Libra. The second half of the month is lighter, and the last days of Kārtika, Bhīṣma Pañcaka and the full moon all fall in this easier time.
The Holy Days of November
Kṛṣṇa had defeated Ariṣṭāsura, a demon who came to Vraja as a bull. The gopīs teased Him: after killing a bull, He must bathe in every holy river before He could come near them. Kṛṣṇa struck the ground with His heel, called all the holy waters, and bathed in the pond they filled. Śrīmatī Rādhikā would not bathe in His water. With Her friends She dug Her own pond with Her bangles, and the holy rivers begged to enter it. Our ācāryas teach that no place is dearer to Kṛṣṇa than Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Today one prayer is enough: that the dust of that place may one day touch us.
A fasting day. Rāmā’s gentle work is to soften the heart from awe and reverence into close, loving relationship. The prayer she gives us to carry: “How can I conquer You with love stronger than any worldly power? How can I make a strong relationship with You and be Your beloved?”
On the new moon of Kārtika, Mother Kauśalyā and all of Ayodhyā lit rows of lamps to welcome Śrī Rāmacandra home after fourteen years of exile. Our tradition also remembers this day as the day Mother Yaśodā bound Kṛṣṇa with ropes, and He became Dāmodara. The evening before is for sweeping the house and lighting the first lamps. On Dīpāvalī, offer ghee lamps, chant, and feed your friends. The new moon is exact at 09:02 in Vilnius (12:32 in India).
This is the great festival of the month. Kṛṣṇa stopped the yearly sacrifice to Indra and asked the people of Vraja to worship Govardhana Hill instead. Govardhana appeared in a huge form and ate the whole mountain of food, and still he was not satisfied. “Bring more!” The villagers had nothing left. Then they offered one leaf of Tulasī, and Govardhana said, “I am satisfied.” The mountain of food was the doorway. What filled Him was one leaf of Tulasī, Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s own servant, offered with the whole heart.
How to observe: cook a hill of food for the Lord, even a small one, and walk around it in honor of Govardhana. Feed the cows and your friends. Before you offer, place one Tulasī leaf with your whole heart.
Sisters welcome their brothers, feed them with their own hands and place the mark on their foreheads, and brothers bless them in return. The first was Yamunā-devī, who welcomed her brother Yamarāja this way. If your brothers are far away, remember Yamunā-devī today and honor the family of devotees.
Kṛṣṇa is old enough now to herd the grown cows, and His parents dress Him in His first cowherd clothes. Girls could not go herding, so Śrīmatī Rādhikā and Her friends dress as cowherd boys to walk beside Him. In temples where She is dressed this way, it is the one day of the year when Her lotus feet can be seen. Today the month of sky-lamps also comes to an end.
Akṣaya means “that which does not decrease.” What is given, served or remembered today is said to stay with us. In Vraja, pilgrims walk around the holy towns. Give without measuring, and trust that even the smallest offering is kept.
The Lord rises from His four months of rest, and the five days of Bhīṣma Pañcaka begin. Bhīṣma, the grandfather of the Pāṇḍavas, lay on a bed of arrows after the war of Kurukṣetra and waited for the right moment to leave this world. On that bed he asked forgiveness, gave his last teachings to Yudhiṣṭhira, and prayed that his mind would rest on Kṛṣṇa, who grew more beautiful each time Bhīṣma’s arrows struck Him. These five days ask us to come down from our own battles: to apologize to those we have hurt, and to surrender to the Lord’s will.
How to observe: eat very simply, read the Thousand Names of Viṣṇu, which were Bhīṣma’s last gift to us, and keep silence where you can.
The crown of Kārtika. On this full moon the autumn rāsa dance of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa unfolds in Vraja, the vows of the month close, and Tulasī-devī appears. Śrīla Gurudeva reminds us that Tulasī-devī is Vṛndā-devī herself, and that she alone “can make us qualified to serve Śrī Rādhā and Śrī Kṛṣṇa.” The full Moon stands at 8° Taurus in Kṛttikā, the very star that gives Kārtika its name. The Moon is full at 16:53 in Vilnius (20:23 in India) and enters Rohiṇī, Kṛṣṇa’s own birth star, three hours later.
The young gopīs of Vraja kept a month-long vow to the goddess Kātyāyanī with one prayer: “O Kātyāyanī, please make Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, my husband.” In past lives they had been great sages, and they took birth in Vraja so this sweetness could be lived as well as known. At the end of the vow Kṛṣṇa tested them, and they gave Him everything.
How to observe: an early bath (in the Yamunā, even in meditation), simple food and dress, and the gopīs’ prayer carried on the breath. Our calendar closes the vow on the full moon of December 24.
Fasting and Breaking the Fast
| Ekādaśī | Where | Fast | Break the fast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rāmā Ekādaśī | India (Vṛndāvan) | Thu, Nov 5 | Fri, Nov 6, 06:32–10:12 |
| Europe (Vilnius) | Thu, Nov 5 | Fri, Nov 6, 07:31–10:31 | |
| Americas (New York) | Wed, Nov 4 | Thu, Nov 5, 06:30–09:56 | |
| Utthāna Ekādaśī | India (Vṛndāvan) | Sat, Nov 21 | Sun, Nov 22, 06:45–10:18 |
| Europe (Vilnius) | Fri, Nov 20 | Sat, Nov 21, 08:38–10:43 | |
| Americas (New York) | Fri, Nov 20 | Sat, Nov 21, 06:49–10:04 |
These times follow the Vaiṣṇava rules (the fast is broken after sunrise and within the first third of the day). In other cities the window moves with your sunrise, and in the Americas some holy days fall a day earlier, so please check your local Vaiṣṇava calendar.
Where the Meeting Lands for You
The meeting in Maghā falls in a different house of life for each sign. Find your Vedic Sun sign by your birth date below. If you know your Moon sign or your rising sign (Lagna), read those as well. Each is another window into the same sky.
| Sign | The Meeting in Maghā brings… |
|---|---|
| Aries Apr 14 – May 14 |
The meeting falls in your house of children, study and creativity. A project or course of study may end or change direction suddenly, and children may need extra patience. Let go of what has run its course, and keep your mantra close. |
| Taurus May 15 – Jun 14 |
The meeting falls in your house of home and mother. Tempers at home may run short, and repairs or property matters may come up without warning. Keep your home simple and peaceful, offer a lamp there each evening, and drive with care. |
| Gemini Jun 15 – Jul 15 |
The meeting falls in your house of courage, siblings and short journeys — one of the better places for it. You may feel bold and restless. Use that energy for practice, writing and brave conversations, and keep your words kind with brothers, sisters and neighbors. |
| Cancer Jul 16 – Aug 16 |
The meeting falls in your house of speech, family and savings. Words may come out harder than you mean them. Speak slowly, check money matters twice, and keep family meals peaceful. |
| Leo Aug 17 – Sep 16 |
The meeting falls on your own sign, so you will feel it most. Energy may swing between restless and tired, and old patterns ask to be released. Rest well, watch your health and temper, and seek counsel before big decisions. Jupiter is with you, so good advice is near. |
| Virgo Sep 17 – Oct 16 |
The meeting falls in your house of rest, expenses and the inner life. Sleep may be lighter and costs may rise unexpectedly. It is a beautiful time for prayer, retreat and quiet giving. Spend on what lasts. |
| Libra Oct 17 – Nov 15 |
The meeting falls in your house of friends, gains and hopes. Effort here tends to bring results. A friendship or a group may change, and some old hopes may fall away to make room for new ones. Let them go kindly. |
| Scorpio Nov 16 – Dec 15 |
The meeting falls in your house of work and public life. Expect sudden changes at work, or a strong push to act. Work steadily, avoid open conflict with those above you, and let changes settle before you respond. |
| Sagittarius Dec 16 – Jan 13 |
The meeting falls in your house of dharma, teachers and long journeys. Your faith may be tested, or a teacher may say something that shakes you. Ask with humility. Jupiter, the ruler of your sign, stands here and protects your search for truth. Take extra care on long journeys. |
| Capricorn Jan 14 – Feb 12 |
The meeting falls in your house of sudden change and hidden things, and asks the most care. Avoid risks, check shared money and documents, and look after your health. It is also a strong time for deep inner work and mantra. |
| Aquarius Feb 13 – Mar 13 |
The meeting falls in your house of partnership and marriage, and Rāhu sits in your own sign facing it. Relationships may feel tense or sudden. Speak gently, listen longer, and leave agreements with partners for late November. |
| Pisces Mar 14 – Apr 13 |
The meeting falls in your house of service, health and daily work. Mars and Ketu do well here: you can clear obstacles and finish what others avoid. Watch your digestion, keep a healthy routine, and with Saturn in your sign, take on only what you can carry. |
Looking Toward December
On December 5, Rāhu moves into Capricorn and Ketu into Cancer. Ketu enters the water side of the knot and stays there until early February, and eclipses from now on fall across the Cancer and Capricorn signs. On December 11, Saturn turns direct at 13°41′ Pisces, and on December 13, Jupiter turns retrograde at 2°47′ Leo. Those first two weeks of December are days of change. The Kātyāyanī-vrata continues until the full moon of December 24.
This month the sky ties a knot, and Kārtika tells us of another one. Mother Yaśodā tried to bind her child Kṛṣṇa with a rope, and the rope was always two fingers too short. She brought more rope and tied it on, and still two fingers were missing. Only when He saw her tired and sincere did Kṛṣṇa let Himself be bound. Our ācāryas say the two fingers are our own effort and His mercy. Both are needed, and the second is never ours to make.
So in a month of knots, bring your lamp and your effort. The last two fingers are His.
the servant of the Lord of the Spring,
Vasanta Das
This newsletter goes out each month with the Vedic sky — sacred days, planetary timings, and the thread that connects the sky to practice. If someone shared this with you, you are welcome to join.
Sources: Ekādaśī Svarūpa Darśana, published by Bhakta Bandhav. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.9, 10.9 and 10.22. Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja, The Glories of Tulasī-devī (purebhakti.com). Planetary positions: Swiss Ephemeris, Lahiri ayanāṃśa, mean node. Times are for Vilnius unless noted. Holy days follow the Śrī Keśavajī Gauḍīya Maṭha calendar.
© 2026 Vasanta Das · Vedic Astrology · Mādhurī Kuñja Āśram, Lithuania