On 21 September 2025, the cosmos offers us a powerful window of change: a partial solar eclipse, occurring when the Moon comes between the Earth and the Sun, dimming the Sun’s light in certain regions of the globe. In Vedic astrology this event is known as a Surya Grahan — a “graha,” or eclipse of the Sun — and is deeply symbolic. This solar eclipse coincides with the Sarva Pitru Amavasya – the final day of Shraadh, where we perform the final prayers and rituals called Tarpan, to culminate the two week time period of honouring our ancestors. The solar eclipse in India will begin around 10:59pm IST and end around 3:23am IST.
What is actually happening:
The Saros Cycle: This eclipse belongs to the Saros cycle 154. What does that mean? Every time there is a solar eclipse that takes place at the Moon’s descending node (Ketu’s position in astrological terms), it falls under this category. This time 85.5% of the Sun will be obscured in some places. It will be visible mainly across parts of Oceania, Antarctica, and nearby regions. For large parts of India, and many other places, the eclipse will not be dramatically visible (or may even be invisible). Therefore, the visual spectacle is not the main story for everyone.
Astrologically: The Solar eclipse is occurring in the sign of Virgo, aligned close to the South Node (Ketu). In Vedic astrology, nodes are karmic points; Ketu signifies going back to our roots. When Sun is eclipsed we lose our ability to view things with purity, as Sun is symbolic of purification and creation. This eclipse is part of an eclipse season (preceded by a lunar eclipse in September) which tends to stir up latent karma, potent emotional undercurrents, and bring endings for the sake of inner purification and creation of new patterns in life.
In Vedic astrology, the zodiac sign Virgo is Mercury governed, and it is all about health, service, attention to detail, daily routines, conflict, and criticism — both of ourselves and others. When a Solar eclipse falls in Virgo, with the impact of Ketu, it amplifies themes of:
– Letting go of perfectionism, compulsive control, over‑serving others at one’s expense.
– Releasing habits or routines that are draining rather than supporting.
– Bringing into balance the health aspect — physical, mental, emotional — especially those small neglected details (sleep, digestion, rest, stress) that we often ignore in the endless routines of a city life.
– Clarity around what in one’s daily life is essential and sacred, and what is merely habit, legacy, or fear.
– Karmic correction: Ketu’s involvement means past patterns, especially ones related to humility vs pride, service vs self‑neglect, may surface. Some relationships may show cracks due to unspoken resentments around service, duty, or overlooked expectations.
– Delay of major beginnings: Vedic tradition generally cautions (and with good reason) against starting major ventures—launching businesses, making big purchases, signing contracts—during eclipse periods if they can be avoided. The energy can cause unexpected reversals, or things started now may need realignment later.
– Inner work favored: Your introspection receives more power. Now is the time to be making peace with what has to be released.
Because city life is fast and full of external stimuli, this eclipse offers a chance to pause and re-calibrate. Here are some suggestions:
Clean up your environment – de-clutter your home or workspace. Virgo loves order; clearing physical clutter tends to help mental clutter too.
Mind your routines – examine your daily habits: sleep, diet, exercise, digital usage. Which ones energize you, which ones weigh you down? Small adjustments now can have ripple effects.
Rituals of release – Pranayama and mantra chanting can help you align to your core energies that may feel displaced by the eclipse. If you are performing Vedic rituals, doing puja, chanting, offering water to ancestors (Tarpan) with intention of cleansing past karmas, it can be potent. Since this eclipse falls near Mahalaya Amavasya in some calendars, ancestral offerings are especially meaningful.
Hold off on new big projects if possible — wait until after the eclipse to initiate something that must be stable long‑term. We don’t start any new ventures during Shraadh as the universal energies are not aligned towards new beginnings at the moment.
Be gentle with yourself — emotional sensitivity, fatigue, restlessness may arise. Urban stress amplifies these. Allow extra rest, avoid overload.
All eclipses carry a cosmic promise – a reflection of the universal ideal: ‘all endings lead to beginnings’.
For those living in cities — where life is busy, schedules tight, demands many — the solar eclipse of 21st September, 2025 invites you to pause, take stock, clean house (inside and out), surrender what’s heavy, and prepare for a renewal. The darkness of the eclipse is temporary; its power lies in what it forces us to see, what we choose to release, and how we emerge. This is not simply an eclipse to “endure” — it is a doorway.
