New Year 2025 - Vishvāvasu Samvatsara, Solar Eclipse & Saturn’s Transit into Pisces

This weekend there will be multiple significant astrological events taking place. First we celebrate the Vedic new year on the 29th/30th depending on location, and on the same day  there will be a solar eclipse, shortly followed by the transit of Saturn from Aquarius into Pisces.

First let’s look at the Vedic new year. From the exact moment the phase of the new moon in pisces begins, a chart is drawn to see the lord of the Year. This chart is used to understand the karmas of the coming year for a nation.

After drawing the new year chart, we determine the planets which are lording over each part of the government for the year based on the day of the week on which the Sun enters a new sign.

For example, this year on Mesha Sankranti (also celebrated as Vishu, Puthandu etc), the Sun enters Aries on a Sunday. As the Sun lords over Sunday, it becomes the representative of the karmas for the leader of the nation.

We then refer back to the original chart drawn on the new moon, and see the placement of the Sun to determine their karma for the year with regards to the country. Here’s a few small examples of how this is used in analysing auspiciousness of the year for a country:

India

Here we can see the Sun is the ascendant lord placed in the 8th house, in the same sign where the eclipse is taking place. This is an inauspicious indication, 2025 should be a troubling year for Modi especially in foreign policy, he could face betrayal from other members of his party and foreign allies.

As the new year begins on a Saturday, Saturn becomes the lord of the year.  In this chart Saturn is strong in the 7th house in Aquarius. However, being 6th lord in the 7th is not a great sign. While it appears this will be a year of growth for India, there will be increased tensions and conflict, especially on the international stage.

The general population of India will see mixed results this year. 5th lord Jupiter placed in the 9th house supports a thriving culture and international influence, however, being in exchange with Venus in the 8th could spell troubles for women’s rights in the country. It’s likely the issues women in society are facing will become a major focus over the next 12 months that will play a part in the difficulties Modi faces as prime minister.

USA

Here is the new year chart for the USA. The lord of the year Saturn is placed in the 12th house of loss, being the 11th lord also, this does not bode well for the US economy. With Rahu’s transit into Aquarius towards the end of 2025, it’s quite possible there will be a major economic crisis.

President Trump, represented by the Sun in the 1st house, is strong but not without some serious problems. Interestingly, Sun is also the 6th lord which could indicate Trump uses his enemies for his own gain this year, the line between friend and foe will be blurred significantly.

The ascendant and 10th lord Jupiter is in the 3rd house which is it’s worst possible position. This further suggests issues with the work force in the US and thereby the economy.

It’s also likely for there to be problems with contagious disease outbreaks, however, this will not be on the scale of COVID-19. Jupiter being in exchange with Venus does provide a saving grace.

5th lord Moon in the 1st house with Rahu, Mercury, Sun and Venus, indicates growing dissatisfaction within the general population, with more anxieties and fears over the political and economic climate, it’s likely we’ll see more social unrest and a lowering approval for the government of the US.

With Saturns placement in Uttarabhadapada nakshatra, it’s likely for there to be global suffering in the marine ecosystem both with natural or man made disasters, there will also be major issues trade internationally.

Russia

A big topic of course is Russia and its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Unsurprisingly the lord of the year Saturn, is placed in the 8th house indicating more death and destruction. Being the 7th lord in the 8th doesn’t look good for Ukraine, and even neighbouring European countries. It is quite possible for a deal to be struck where Russia will gain territory and natural resources.

With the Sun placed in the 9th house, Putin is emboldened and in a position of strength. Again, not without his issues, especially with economic troubles becoming more of worry this year. Overall 2025 should be a strong year for Russia in comparison to the recent past.

We can further apply these principles into a deeper analysis of every nation. But there is a wider perspective in understanding some of the major influences that will impact the entire world at large.

A wider perspective

2025 is known as Vishvāvasu Samvatsara. Vihvāvasu is the name of the Gandharva King, one of the celestial musicians. In the Brihat Samhita, Sage Varahamihira leaves us a simple prediction for this samvatsara:  “(during this year) mankind will be neither happy nor miserable.”

Perhaps this is reflective of the confusion and divided realities in which society is immersed. However, we find a more troubling prediction from Yanava Jataka: “The nation will face debts and go in for heavy borrowings. Contagious disease will also set in.”

Of course, these are broad generalised predictions, and will not be relevant to every nation, let alone every individuals experience of 2025. But they can give a glimpse of the themes which will be prevalent in the zeitgeist of the world this year.

Currently the world is under the influence of Scorpio until 2027, under which Vishnu is playing His role as sustainer of creation. In the positive, this will be seen through inovations in health, technology etc. and socially, theres a genuine desire for change, correcting mistakes of the past, and creating a new way.

In the negative, this desire for change can create instability, and breed a thirst for vengeance and retribution. Between this polarity the world is being strained, but due to Vishnu’s sustaining influence, we haven’t found the breaking point.

In 2027, however, we find the energy of Sagittarius and Rudra taking over, which will be a significant shift, likely culminating in a major war in 2029/2030.

Saturn’s transit into Pisces

Many fear Saturns transit, and sometimes this is for good reason. However, when looking at Saturns transit with regards to our birth chart, he is signifying an area of our life that is changing. Change is a part of life we have to accept, we may not like it, but it is necessary.

Now, whether this is a good or bad change depends on a deeper analysis of the relevant divisional charts and dashas which  gives us details on how the change is manifesting. Even if this change is determined to be positive, we can  perceive this negatively if we are not willing to let go and be open to the opportunities that Saturn is pushing us towards.

Every 2.5 - 3 years Saturn transits into a new sign. The following Moon signs and janma nakshatras will be most impacted by this transit (remedies for each group are listed):

For moon in Capricorn (last three padas of Uttarashada, Shravana, and first two padas of Dhanista) this will spell the end of sade sati.

For moon in Aquarius (last two padas of Dhanista, Satabisha, first three padas of Purva Bhadrapada) the last phase of sade sati begins: Remedy: Krishna Puja / Sadhana

For moon in Pisces (Purva Bhadrapada, Uttara Bhadrapada and Revati) the second phase of sade sati will begin. Remedy: Hanuman Puja / Sadhana, Hanuman Chalisa

For moon in Aries (Ashwini, Bharani and first pada of Krittika) it will be the beginning of their sade sati. Remedy: Kali Puja / Sadhana

Kantak & Ashtama Shani:

Saturns transit of the 4th, 7th, 8th and 10th houses from the natal moon is also of significance. For the next 2.5 years this will affect those with their Moon in:

Leo  (Magha, Purvaphalguni, first pada of Uttaraphalguni)

Virgo (last three padas of Uttaraphalguni, Hasta and first two padas of Chitra)

Sagittarius (Mula, Purvashada and first pada of Uttarashada)

Gemini (last two padas of Mrgashira, Ardra and first three padas of Punarvasu)

Lastly for those with their ascendant in Pisces, Saturn can put an emphasis on health over the next 2.5 years, so it is a good idea to be more health a priority over this period.

Solar Eclipse

On the 29th of March there will be a partial solar eclipse, visible for parts of the east coast of the USA, Canada, South America, all of Western Europe, parts of Russia and West Africa.

For finding what time the eclipse is starting in your location you can use the link here: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2025-march-29

As the eclipse is taking place in the sign of Pisces, it’s important to check if you have any sensitive placements in this sign, for example: your ascendant, ascendant lord, moon, arudha lagna etc. As this will mean you’ll especially be impacted by this eclipse.

It’s not often talked about, but eclipses can be extremely positive. To determine whether the results of this eclipse are good or bad depends on whether your planets being affected are lunar strong (e.g. moon, arudha lagna) or solar strong (e.g. sun, ascendant lord). In this particular instance, solar strong planets are positively impacted, and lunar strong planets negatively impacted.

As for timing the results, we need to look at the eclipse degree and the degree of the planets to see whether the results have already occurred before the eclipse, or are due to manifest later.

If the eclipse is visible in your location, it’s typically advised for those in good health to observe a fast starting 12 hours before the beginning of the eclipse, and to not be outdoors during the eclipse as the atmosphere is considered to be inauspicious during this time. After the eclipse has finished, it’s recommended to bath and break the fast with freshly cooked food.

For those where the eclipse is not visible, it is not necessary to observe a fast, however, the eclipse will still have an impact. While the eclipse is taking place, it is a great opportunity to do spiritual practices and prayers, as the results will be greatly magnified. At the very least, refrain from any activities that could be stressful or lead to a negative experience if possible.

According to tradition, it’s especially auspicious during this time to recite mantras and chants for ones Guru, Shiva, Dakshinamurthy and Surya deva.

Wishing you all happiness and blessings for the coming year.

ॐ नमः शिवाय