THE YEAR OF 2023-2024—THE YEAR OF SHOBHANA PART 1
The New Year in Vedic Astrology Starts March 21, 2023, for the US and Washington, DC
Whereas Western culture delights in January New Year predictions, the Vedic New Year calendar is often run from the new Moon in the spring after the spring solstice for the capital city of a country. Because the rules for this chart and the New Moon happening on a Tuesday afternoon, the ruler of the New Year is assigned to be the next day or MERCURY for Wednesday this year for the US. The chart is cast by the capital city of your country for the new moon and predictions for the New Year are made accordingly. So, the US new Moon is at 1:23 pm EDT in Washington, DC. We will discuss the New Year Chart for the US in Part 2.
The Year of Shobhana starts on Tuesday afternoon. In Sanskrit Shubakritat” means fortunate for the inhabitants of the Universe. For people born during this year, the Vedic texts imply that the meaning of the term ‘Shubhakriti’ is an auspicious composition. Those born this year are said to be becoming learned, a king, a man of virtue, and endowed with learning and education. In the context of the year, it seems that many ethical individuals will rise to fight corruption in the world in government but the chart suggests a difficult struggle.
My colleague, Juliana Swanson of Astral Harmony notes:
The new group of five years spans from 2022-2027. It is considered less difficult than the previous period as it is ruled by the auspicious universal gods known as the Vishvedevas (Vishwadevas), who are the ten sons of Dharma and Vishva (Daksha’s daughter). Known as the “All Gods,” they are extolled in the Rig Veda and represent beneficial archetypal principles like truth, abundance, joy, willpower, kindness, and forbearance.
In this new five-year period, the first year is called Shubhakrita (2023-24); the second is Sobhakṛit (Shobakrit); the third is Krodhi; and the remaining two years are known as Visvavasu and Parabhava. According to Sage Varahamahira in Brihat Samhita, during the first two years, humankind will be happy; during the third, they will feel exceedingly miserable; and during the last two years they will be neither happy nor miserable; but in the last year there will be turmoil, violence/war, and disease.”
Again that implies that 2023-24 is much better than 2024-25 and that goes along with our forecast for the US with April 8, 2024, Total Solar Eclipse crossing the United States during the day and the US Pluto returning suggesting a change of civilization cycle. Given the way China is wanting to take over the place of the US in the world, that is something of a concern until the end of the decade.
ABOUT THE VEDIC YEARS and the SIXTY-YEAR CYCLE: SAMVATSARS
In the Vedic calendar, there is a deity or God that governs each year and they rotate each year for 60 years which are connected to Jupiter and Saturn’s returns. That suggests that just like last time when Jupiter was in Pisces/Aries and Saturn in Aquarius in 1963-4 and 1903-4 we have comparable energies. 1903-4 was a relatively peaceful year marked by the creation of Ford but of course, there were your typical disasters and fires including a major one in Madison, Wisconsin, and one in Baltimore. Panama became a nation that was separate from Columbia.
1963-1964 will be remembered most for the Kennedy assassination and the cold war but the Senate did pass several Nuclear arms treaties and Kennedy did lead several key bills supporting woman’s rights and the passage of the 24th Amendment outlawing poll taxes. There were several diplomatic relationships set between China and France in early 1964 and the Soviets shot down a fighter plane that had strayed into East German territory.
According to Neelam of Astrobytes:
“Samvatsara’ roughly means one full year. The time in which the Planet Jupiter with his average speed crosses the journey of one sign is referred to as ‘Samvatsara’. There occur twelve (12) Samvatsaras when Jupiter completes one complete round of the Zodiac. While moving in the Zodiac, Jupiter happens to reach sometimes near the Earth and sometimes far away from it. Besides, it also comes in contact with auspicious or inauspicious rays during its journey.
It is because of this fact that the effects of every ‘Samvatsara’ become different. Sixty Samvatsaras repeat again and again in a cycle. At the beginning of creation Jupiter and Saturn were on the zero degrees of Aries. The average daily motion of Saturn is two (2) Kalas (minutes). Therefore, it takes full thirty (30) years in revolving around the Zodiac. The average daily motion of Jupiter is five (5) Kalas, (minutes). Therefore, it takes full twelve (12) years in completing its journey in the twelve (12) signs of the Zodiac.”
Here is what the Vedic texts say if you were born this year, which last was seen between 1963-1964:
SHOBHA-KRITA: The native who is born in the ‘Samvatsara’ of ‘Shobhakrita’ makes progress in every field. He is handsome looking, has excellent virtues, is kind-hearted, and doer of good deeds. Especially if he gets victory or success in the battle of life. He is endowed with brilliance, courtesy, or humility, has beautiful eyes, and is skillful.
Notes: This ‘Samvatsara’ is known as ‘Shobhana’ also. The meaning of the words ‘Shobhana’ and ‘Shobhakrita’ is the same, because the meaning of both is beautiful, excellent, and auspicious. The words beauty and brilliance are synonyms of it. The author of ‘Jataka Parijata’ uses the word ‘Shubhakriti’ instead of ‘Shobhakrita. The meaning of the term ‘Shubhakriti’ is an auspicious composition. Here also its effects are said to be of becoming learned, a king, a man of virtue and endowed with learning and education.
