The Lunar Mansions – Nakshatras 8 – 14

Image by gene1970 from Pixabay

(Based on sidereal astrology and notes from Alexandre Volguine’s Lunar Astrology)

The lunar mansions (aka nakshatras) mark the journey of the Moon along its path on the ecliptic. This post covers the lunar mansions 8 through 14. If you missed the first post explaining what the lunar mansions are and their significance in the natal chart, check it out here.

Mansion VIII – 0° to 12°51’26” Cancer

-ruled by Saturn

• Occidental: “Amathura,” “Alamiathra”; gives a profound attachment to the family and love of children
• Arab: “Al Nathrah,” “the Nursery”; makes the native somewhat credulous, but promises that love or friendship will begin in the course of travel
• Chinese: “Hsing”; sign of charity and of the need to dedicate and even sacrifice oneself for dear ones or for ideas; philanthropic tendencies
• Hindu: “Pushya,” “the Flower”; promote renown and popularity; indicates a thrifty virtuous and peaceful person; tenacity in action, of willpower set on a certain goal; stubbornness in decisions.

Mansion IX – 12°51’27” to 25°42’52” Cancer

-ruled by Mercury

• Occidental: “Atars,” “Atarls”; imparts a sort of romanticism that has a marked effect on actions
• Arab: “Al Tarf,” “the Gaze”; marks one affable and benevolent; in a masculine chart it favors marriage (unless afflicted) and increases the force of personality; in a feminine chart it exercises a bad influence on marriage and makes the native easily discouraged, sullen and unhappy
• Chinese: “Chang,” “the Bended Bow”; signifies prudence, tenacity, and stability; exerts a bad influence on travel
• Hindu: “Aslesha,” “the Web”; indicates lack of sincerity, avarice and to numerous deceptions and disappointments; encourages elevation of the mind to a synthetical vision of things but at the same time provokes painful separations in life or serious troubles due to familial, emotional, commercial, social or political disunity
• Kabbalists/Hebrews: “Tiah,” “the Sense of Beauty”; great need of faith (not necessarily religious) and desire for authority, but does not indicate a sense of responsibility

Mansion X – 25°42’53” Cancer to 8°34’18” Leo

-ruled by Ketu

• Occidental: “Alzezal,” “Algelhab,” “Algelba”; indicates a mixture of kindness and calculation
• Arab: “Al Jabbah,” “Forehead of the Lion”; very favorable from all aspects for studies as well as for earnings, for professional success as well as for love; often makes the native very sensitive to the feelings of others and inclines him to abuse of drugs and medication
• Chinese: “I,” “Wing”; a favorable factor in social elevation
• Hindi: “Magha,” “the Mighty”; indicates an industrious, religious man, possessing a great deal of tact and having many opportunities to accumulate wealth, but experiencing restlessness in life, often as a result of personal ambitions
• Kabbalists/Hebrews: “Iiah,” “the Absolute Principle”; indicates a broad field of activity and is believed to exert a favorable influence from a spiritual aspect; considered by the Hebrews the center of the Lunar Zodiac

Mansion XI – 8°34’19 to 21°25’44” Leo

-ruled by Venus

• Occidental: “Azobre”; gives idealism or very refined tastes, but indicates vacillating fortune
• Arab: “Al Zubrah,” “the Mane of the Celestial Lion”; favorable influence on trade, wealth (which often comes as a result from others, especially in women’s charts), marriage and travel; considered unfavorable for the health of women
• Chinese: “Chin,” “Servitude”; symbolizes patient courage and susceptibility but cautions the native to choose words carefully and beware outbursts of anger
• Hindu: “Purva Phalguni,” “the Front of the Culprit”; indicates eloquence or facility with words, love of travel, and pride or vanity; threatens accidents by fire
• Kabbalists/Hewbrews: “Kiah,” “the Unchangeable”; favorable to all premeditated action with a clearly determined goal, but unfavorable for risk

Mansion XII – 21°25’45” Leo to 4°17’10” Virgo

-ruled by the Sun

• Occidental: “Atorsiana,” “Discordia”; associated with the invisible world on one hand and social (even socialist) ideas on the other
• Arab: “Al Sarfah,” “the Changer of Weather”; favorable for agriculture, the sending of messages, and for those who work for others as employees; may favor elevation in life in the service of another
• Chinese: “Chio,” “the Horns of the Dragon,” “the Patriarch of the Constellations,” “Foremost of the Signs”; less favorable for women than men; to men it gives wisdom and promises success in life as well as a happy and advantageous marriage; for women it indicates virginity or celibacy, diseases of the uterus, emotional deception
• Hindu: “Uttara Phalguni,” “Back of the Culprit”; denotes love and sensuality, happiness and knowledge, wealth acquired through personal merit; Hindus combined this mansion with Mansion XI
• Kabbalists/Hebrews: “Liah,” “the Paths of Wisdom”; encourages study but also too much versatility

Mansion XIII – 4°17’11’ to 17°8’36” Virgo

-ruled by the Moon

• Occidental: “Alalma,” “Asalame,” “Alhahuhe” indicates cleverness in the handling of money, or increases financial skill
• Arab: “Al Awwa,” “the Barking Dog”; considered a sign of discernment, benevolence, methodical kindness which may be hidden under a gruff exterior; good influence on travel
• Chinese: “Kang,” the Other Horn of the Dragon Ch’en”; provokes several unfavorable events in the course of the native’s life, independent of his will, but influencing the life strikingly; often the events are of a collective nature – floods, wars, revolutions, etc.; in sensual persons, indicates that they are slaves to their own desires; Moon in this mansion demands care with the diet and excessive eating
• Hindu: “Hasta,” “the Hand”; indicates an industrious person, inventive and subtle, who frequently possesses an elastic conscience; image of daily work and achievement in performing an undertaking; questionable morality
• Kabbalists/Hebrews: “Miah,” “Secret Things”; good influence in good charts, unfavorable in afflicted charts; in afflicted, denotes secrets

Mansion XIV – 17°8’37 Virgo to 0°0′ Libra

-ruled by Mars

• Occidental: “Achmech,” “Azimel,” “Azimech”; increases prudence and the ability to analyze; promotes divinatory studies and experiments
• Arab: “Al Simac,” “the Unarmed Man”; unfavorable for journeys and on the first few years of marriage, though the causes of marriage issues disappear later; if married without love, sincere and deep affection come with age
• Chinese: “Ti,” “the Roof”; favors responsibility, serious thought, and the rise to a responsible station nevertheless dependent on others
• Hindu: “Chitra,” “the Light:’ gives its names to the month Caitra, increasing this mansions importance; elegance and personal charm; intuitive yet indecisive mind; lack of courage
• Kabbalists/Hebrews: “Niah,” “the Gates of the Light”; favors wisdom in old age, makes natives very respected and listened to in last years

In a reading

The lunar mansions can be included in a natal chart reading if you would like deeper insight into the activities of a particular planet. As you can see, most of the lunar mansions actually reflect a bit of the zodiacal meanings as well. For example, it’s interesting that the first lunar mansion is slightly descriptive of Aries in general: “need for movement”, “Commander of the Asterisms”, “mark of authority” and “day-to-day quarrels”.

Check out which of your own natal planets fall within these first seven lunar mansions. Do these additional insights resonate with you?

Thanks for reading! Did you enjoy? Give this article a like, share, and leave a comment below.