Gaṇḍānta in Indian Astrology
Gaṇḍānta is the ‘ending’ (anta) place in the zodiac where both solar and lunar signs end, where ‘knots’ (gaṇḍā) come undone before being remade anew, before we become anchored to something else.
The analogy of the anchor is suitable because this places in the zodiac reflects periods when we feel at a loss, as we move from one stage to the next.
There are 3 such knots in the zodiac, between the water signs Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces, and the fire signs Leo, Sagittarius and Aries.
The Sun signs Aries, Taurus, Gemini etc, span 30 degrees, while the ‘Moon signs’ or lunar mansions span just 13 degrees and 20 minutes.
Some Moon signs are contained fully within one Sun sign, and some bridge two Sun signs, while both come to an end at these 3 different places in the zodiac: the end of Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces, to start again at Leo, Sagittarius and Aries.
This means there are no signs between these water and fire signs, which feels as if something is coming undone when planets transit here, to be reborn as something else. Hence, the Sanskrit term, gaṇḍānta.
While each one has there own peculiarities, as well as their own challenges and rewards, we can see a common theme expressed in moving from one life stage to another.
Another common theme is that of extreme weather events which are evident during transits of planets here. This is because water and fire do not mix easily — it’s not without some volatility — creating either droughts from too much heat or floods from too much water. There is also more extreme weather events when heat mixes with moisture, such as hurricanes.
While these junctures can be seen to reflect stormy season anywhere on the planet, they represent a stormy emotional sense for us all, no matter where we live.
Scorpio-Sagittarius
The most difficult of these junctures is the one between Scorpio and Sagittarius, as the Moon is debilitated in Scorpio before entering Sagittarius. This can be seen in the phrase: No hope. No fear. It actually represents the middle way between both fear (Scorpio) and hope (Sagittarius).
Once the Moon enters Sagittarius, it’s in the Moon sign Mula, the ‘root’ star at the beginning of Sagittarius, from which we can see the centre of our Galaxy.
This point has just been crossed by Ketu, the south node of the Moon and shadow point, but from the other direction, as Ketu always moves retrograde.
This means we have had to go back to deal with our fears one way or another. Oftentimes, this occurs from things being destroyed in our lives, when death comes to call, much like when we only see certain relatives when a family member dies.
We meet with the goddess of death, Niritti, who presides over Mula, removing, not only life, but the block to our connection with the living and the dead, to our ancestors.
So, by all accounts, this juncture is probably one of the most challenging.
Ketu has now moved into Jyestha, the Moon sign at the end of Scorpio, but it still resides in the gap, hovering on the brink of something new, not quite sure of what it’s doing. Likewise, we are not sure as yet.
Pisces-Aries
Another juncture, between Pisces and Aries, although challenging in the sense that we are moving from one life to the next, is not as challenging as the other two. The end of Pisces is a much softer affair, as if we have reached a place of willing surrender by the end of the zodiac, and are more willing to let go.
New beginnings at the Aries stage can be impulsive and explosive, but that’s only because we are more than ready to get on with something new.
The problem at this time, however, is that Mars is about to backtrack from the latter to the former in retrograde motion.
Mars is about to move back from Aries, and anything new we have already begun, back to Pisces, bringing us back in contact with the need to surrender our personal will for a much bigger picture.
This sense will continue until the New Year, as Mars will not clear this juncture until then, moving back into Aries again for a new beginning.
The New Year will certainly bring a sense of a new beginning as Mars moves into Aries, the first sign of the zodiac.
Cancer-Leo
The last of the 3 junctures, between Cancer and Leo, is also a tricky one, too. While all of them can be challenging and reflect extremes, in behaviour and in the weather, the Cancer/Leo division is where we can get a little stuck, emotionally.
The end of Cancer is where we find the entanglements of the Moon sign Ashlesha, which is all about clinging to something or someone tightly. Letting go of these entanglements is the challenge, while the transition into Leo and the Moon sign Magha, brings its own enmeshment, showing those who have gone before us, of lineage and privilege, of power.
One thing both Moon signs that border Cancer and Leo have in common is power. While both ultimately represent spiritual power, the Cancer stage can show powerful emotional longings and attachments, while at the Leo stage, a need for power in the world.
Venus is about to move over this juncture between Cancer and Leo in the next few days, which means all 3 junctures are triggered at this time.
The sense that things are hanging in the balance, between two worlds, is pronounced.
