Chitra Purnima / Chaitra Purnima (set your themes for the year)

Chitra means art and Purnima means fulfillment. Together it means "fulfilment of arts" or "artistic fulfilment". The day of "Chitra Purnima" holds immense religious importance as it marks the first full moon day of the Vedic solar calendar. On this day, the theme of the year is brought to your consciousness. Any important activity done on this day will resonate throughout the year. Chitra Purnima derives its name from Chitra nakshatra, in which the Purnima occurs (on this day). Chitra Purnima is strongly associated with the planet Mercury. Mercury represents the inquisitive child within you that brings a playful and witty spirit to the occasion.

Lord Chitragupta

Lord Chitragupta

On Chitra Purnima day, people worship Lord Chitragupta, the celestial accountant who keeps track of all the karmas performed by living beings. According to the Puranas, Lord Yamaraj, the king of celestial laws, had trouble keeping records of karmas, so Lord Brahma created Chitragupta through his intelligence (buddhi) to help Yamraj. Chitragupta is responsible for the judgements made by Lord Yama. Chitragupta's account keeping isn't just a task, but an art that requires extreme levels of Mercurial precision, Martian fervour, Venusian devotion, and the Solar radiance, as there are countless species to account for. Worshipping him, reading about him, and performing duties related to him such as accounting, management, administration on this day will grant creative abilities and help you overcome your prarabdha karma safely.

Read more about Karma

Goddess Chitradevi

Chitradevi is also associated with Chitra Purnima, as she's the presiding deity for both Purnima and Amavasya tithi, representing both light and darkness.

The bright light of the Full Moon symbolizes the highest octave of any colour; while the darkness of the New Moon symbolizes all colours merged back together into the primordial darkness. The brightest shade of any colour is white. The darkest shade of any colour is black.

- Astrologer Achala Sylwia

www.discoveringyouniverse.com

Master of Arts

As the first month of the Vedic calendar, Chitra is associated with creation, beauty, passion and organisation. With its connection to many grahas (Sun, Mars, Mercury and Venus), Chitra creates the most astounding masterpieces that are otherworldly. Chitra nakshatra's ruling deity, Vishwakarma, is responsible for creating the maya (illusion) aka the world.

Many renowned artists like Subramania Bharati, Leonardo Da Vinci, George RR Martin, Jeremy Clarkson, Will Smith have a strong association with Chitra nakshatra in their charts. Chitra's influence on creation and beauty can attract and inspire creative individuals, leading to success in their arts. Chitra nakshatra is known to create physically attractive women, who can easily catch the attention of those around them. Beauty is often the reason you fall in love, and Chitra's association with creation and beauty highlights this.

Note: Even if you are unable to connect with the aforementioned deities, you can still benefit greatly by worshipping and reciting mantras of Lord Ganesha, Goddess Lakshmi and Saraswati to work wonders in your life.