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Monday is the day of Lord Śiva. It also belongs to the moon. Very soon we will have a new moon, in two more nights—the dark night. That Thursday is called Amāvasyā. This Amāvasyā is a completely dark night. It means the sun and moon rise at the same time and set at the same time. The next day, the moon is a little behind. Sometimes it is visible, but by the second day, the new moon is visible—always, unless there are clouds. To see the new moon brings good luck. This is that crescent moon, the new moon which sits on the head of Lord Śiva. So you see how big the head of Śiva is? Very big. To see the new moon brings luck, prosperity, and happiness. It symbolizes completeness, as day by day the moon is growing. Similarly, an aspirant's practice of spirituality increases day by day. The moon gives us the ability to proceed gradually towards pūrṇa, the full moon, which is called Pūrṇimā. There is a beautiful mantra: Oṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate. Everything—the entire universe and God, Brahman—is pūrṇa, complete. What is created from the complete is also complete; this means your ātmā. The baby of a tiger cannot be the baby of a mouse. A tiger baby is always a tiger baby. The creator, Brahman, and that Brahmā who created this planet as part of the universe, created it from completeness, from Pūrṇa. What comes from Pūrṇa is also Pūrṇa, what you take out of the Pūrṇa is also Pūrṇa, and what remains is also Pūrṇa. So, O Lord, may you lead us towards that completeness, that fulfillment. The moon symbolizes this completeness and Pūrṇimā. That day has a very special radiance on our planet; the entire consciousness is influenced. Oceans have strong, high waves. Different kinds of cats are nervous and cannot sleep. Also, men are either very calm and happy, or very aggressive and unhappy—restless. I knew someone who, on a full moon day, would walk on the roof of his house, and sometimes he had a gun. So on full moon days, one day before and one day after—for three days—his wife was not at home. Many go for a walk. The Moon is emotion, and it means everything is in motion. Every blood cell of every creature is in movement, feeling, and that is why it is called emotion—you are in motion. Sometimes the motion is very high, like high waves, and sometimes it is pleasant. Therefore, as it is said in one song: "We are sailing, and the storm is at sea. Oh, my God! We are sailing." This influence is very strong on the new moon, and you will see after three days what the weather will do. According to the astrological calendar, the moonshine should begin on Friday. That means the new moon. People fast on the new moon to harmonize the energy. O Lord, bless me, guide me, protect me, and take care of me day by day. May my each and every step, every thought, every action, and each word lead towards Thee, O my Lord. You are the Complete One. So, like the new moon increasing day by day and coming to the full moon, a full moon day is another beautiful spiritual day. That is another beautiful day for fasting, for having spiritual discourses, reading holy books, reading about God, spirituality, unity, and love. In the morning on the full moon day, Brahma Muhūrta meditation for one hour covers the whole month's meditation. Get up, wash yourself, perform pūjā, prayers, and Guru Gītā. Chant your mantra. Avoid all kinds of aggressive activities. Also, avoid body contact with partners. Do not cut any trees or tree branches. Feed some hungry creatures. Eat and drink something very soft—light drinks—and have one meal in the evening. Keep a satsaṅg prayer. This will also grant you good health because the full moon has a big influence on our water element and on all tissues and cells in the body. It is said that if on a full moon day you avoid too much eating and drinking, it can protect you from some diseases, like cancer and so on. So that day is very, very important. Amāvasyā is another beautiful day. Amāvasyā also has a big influence on our body and on our vegetation. On Amāvasyā, one also fasts and avoids cutting trees and such things. Amāvasyā is a day for the messengers. Once a month, on Amāvasyā, they do not work. A carpenter will not work with wood. Blacksmiths and goldsmiths will not work with gold or iron. A farmer will not cultivate the field, nor will he cut his crops. No one will cut the trees. Machines will not work. It is a day for prayers. For them, once a month it is a dark day, like Saturday in the Jewish religion. So, about Amāvasyā, the dark moon, it also has a very great influence or effect on our planet. We are not separate from the planet. If you can observe these two days strictly, then you have done great work for your body, for your mind, emotions, and for your spirituality. Then you will really do something important for your body, for your emotions, for your thoughts, and for your spirituality. Also, days when the moon is in eclipse (the dark moon), and also solar eclipses, have a negative influence on our planet. That day is also very important to observe with fasting and so on. After that, you should clean your whole flat or house—your curtains, windows, carpets, blankets, and bedsheets; everything should be cleaned. The moon has two periods, two phases: the moon nights and the dark nights. Many farmers work with the moon calendar. They know on which day they should plant vegetables and crops so they will have less damage from insects, because in a certain period the plants will be less attacked. We should respect the nature and influence of the planets. Then you will feel the benefit of your mantra practice. Different kinds of mantras on different days will support you, protect you, bring you to your destination, and be a guide. So, the new moon comes after the Māsa, on the first or second day, then the eleventh moon day or night, and then the full moon night. Then again the eleventh night and Amāvasyā. These are the signs of Śiva Yoga. Īśvara means the flow of our different nāḍīs: Iḍā, Piṅgalā, and Suṣumṇā. That is called the signs of these three forces in the body, and they are influenced by the moon's period. When is the sun flowing? When is the moon flowing? And where is the suṣumnā flowing? That’s right.