Choosing the Birthday of Your Project is another likely name for this article. When is the right time to begin something? Intuitively we know that there are bad times and good times, bad days and good days. Just as our personal astrology chart shows the astrological influences prevailing at our birth that affect us throughout our life, we can look to the Heavens at the beginning of any event for indications of the success or failure of that event. This then suggests that by examining the celestial patterns in advance, it should be possible to pick a time for starting that would insure good results.In Vedic Astrology this technique is called Muhurta: choosing an auspicious moment to begin.

Further, Muhurta supposes that by undertaking a venture at a superior time, it is possible to compensate for deficiencies present in our personal birth chart. For instance, if the natal chart looks ‘bad’ for marriage, we can ward off some of this evil by choosing to get married at a time that is excellent for marriage. In a sense, the Marriage becomes an entity in its own right, with its own birth chart. Similarly, a business has its own birth chart, a building such as a house has a birth chart, a journey has a birth chart, even a surgical procedure has a birth chart, etc. In every case, the event or endeavor can have its ‘birth’ chosen beforehand for superior planetary positions that signify good performance, ease of accomplishment, longevity, and other desirable characteristics.

We also have to consider the relationship of the event to its participant(s). A good muhurta must promise satisfaction to the performer as well as assuring the success of the endeavor. For instance, in the case of a marriage, there is not just the ‘stand alone’ planetary pattern giving the characteristics of the event; also important is the chosen time’s connection to the natal charts, i.e., how will that marriage be experienced by each of the people involved. One would want to choose a marriage Muhurta that indicates longevity, but if the relationship of the marriage chart to the spousal charts is inharmonious, the choice of that Muhurta only ensures long suffering. Likewise, it may be an unfavorable day for starting a journey, but that doesn’t mean that everyone experiences delays at every airport in the world.

Thus it is apparent that not every good day, or good moment, is good for everyone. The astrologer must always check back to the natal chart of the specific person involved to see if they will be benefited by a particular choice for timing an action. Whenever a Muhurta is chosen, it must contain a sympathetic connection with the birth chart of the performer of the action. The main technique used is the mathematical relationship of the Moon’s position in the natal chart with the Muhurta’s Moon position.

The classic texts of Vedic Astrology stipulate that different days have intrinsic qualities that make them more, or less, appropriate for specific functions. Each of the days of the week is assigned to a specific planet: Monday is ruled by the Moon, Tuesday by Mars, Wednesday by Mercury, etc. It is best to perform actions indicated by the planet that rules the day. For instance, travel is best begun on Thursday, Jupiter’s day, because Jupiter is the planet of pilgrimage. Going to the movies is best on Friday, Venus’ day, because Venus rules enjoyments.

More details of what is appropriate on what day is found in the description of the Nakshatras, the lunar signs, sometimes called the ‘Mansions of the Moon’. There are 27 of these sectors of the Heavens that constitute the path of the Moon. Each Nakshatra is associated with a specific energy pattern and lends itself to certain activites. For instance, when the Moon is in Rohini is great for getting married whereas when in Ardra it is bad for weddings, but great for defeating opponents (say, in a lawsuit). Having the Moon in a lunar sign that is appropriate for the action being taken is critical for the success of the endeavor.

The Muhurta also must take into consideration the relationship between the Moon and the Sun, that is, the day of the phase of the Moon. Basically, the Waxing Moon is preferred for commencing most projects, but certain days of the waxing cycle are preferable to others. The beginning days of the cycle, when the Moon is weak in its light, are unfavorable. As the Moon waxes, it is considered more favorable, until we get to the Full Moon, when the energy is too extreme, i.e., hard to control, thus unfavorable. As the Moon starts losing its light towards the end of the cycle, it is also unfavorable for initiating anything. The lunar days are called Tithis, with each one of them having its own qualities, and like the Nakshatras, it takes a whole book to explain it all.

The interaction of the days of the week, the lunar days, and the lunar signs, form the basis of the technique of Muhurta. There are good combinations and bad combinations, and combinations favorable or unfavorable for specific events. Then there is the current planetary pattern to be considered, and finally, how it all relates back to the individual’s natal chart. Certainly picking a good Muhurta can get complicated, but by making use of this giant Cosmic Clock, the astrologer helps you to choose when to begin, thus ensuring more success to your efforts.