Often called lunar mansion, a lunar station or lunar house is a segment of the ecliptic through which the Moon passes in its orbit around the Earth. The concept was used by several ancient cultures as part of their calendrical system.

Stations in different cultures

In general, though not always, the

zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. The pa ...

is divided into 27 or 28 segments relative to the vernal equinox point or the fixed stars – one for each day of the lunar month. (A

sidereal month In lunar calendars, a lunar month is the time between two successive syzygies of the same type: new moons or full moons. The precise definition varies, especially for the beginning of the month. Variations In Shona, Middle Eastern, and ...

lasts about days.) The Moon's position is charted with respect to those fixed segments. Since the Moon's position at any given stage will vary according to Earth's position in its own orbit, lunar stations are an effective system for keeping track of the passage of seasons. Various cultures have used sets of lunar stations astrologically; for example, the Jyotisha astrological '' nakshatras'' of Hindu culture, the Arabic manzils (''manazil al-qamar''), the Twenty-Eight Mansions of

Chinese astronomy Astronomy in China has a long history stretching from the Shang dynasty, being refined over a period of more than 3,000 years. The ancient Chinese people have identified stars from 1300 BCE, as Chinese star names later categorized in the tw ...

, and the 36 '' decans'' of

Egyptian astronomy Egyptian astronomy began in prehistoric times, in the Predynastic Period. In the 5th millennium BCE, the stone circles at Nabta Playa may have made use of astronomical alignments. By the time the historical Dynastic Period began in the 3rd m ...

. Western astrology does not use stations, but each zodiac sign covers two or three. The Chinese system groups houses into four groups related to the seasons. The concept of lunar stations is thought to originate in

Babylonian astronomy Babylonian astronomy was the study or recording of celestial objects during the early history of Mesopotamia. Babylonian astronomy seemed to have focused on a select group of stars and constellations known as Ziqpu stars. These constellation ...

. Tester (1987) explains that they appear in Hellenistic astrology in the 2nd-century list of fixed stars in the ''Katarchai'' by Maximus the Arabic lists by Alchandri and

Haly Abenragel Abū l-Ḥasan 'Alī ibn Abī l-Rijāl al-Shaybani ( ar, أبو الحسن علي ابن أبي الرجال) (commonly known as ''Haly'', ''Hali'', ''Albohazen Haly filii Abenragel'' or ''Haly Abenragel'', from ''ibn Rijal'') was an Arab astrolog ...

, and a similar Coptic list with Greek names. Tester believes that though they were known in the Vedic period of India, all lists "seem to betray" transmission through Greek sources. Though pointing out that the Babylonians had well established lunar groupings by the 6th century BC, he also notes that the 28 station "scheme was derived via Egyptian magic by the linking of the lists of lucky and unlucky days of the lunar month with the hemerologies and with the zodiac."

Chinese 宿 ''xiù''

The 28 Lunar Mansions, or more precisely ''lodgings'' () are the Chinese and East Asian form of the lunar stations. They can be considered as the equivalent to the Western

, although the 28 stations reflect the movement of the Moon through a

rather than the Sun in a

tropical year A tropical year or solar year (or tropical period) is the time that the Sun takes to return to the same position in the sky of a celestial body of the Solar System such as the Earth, completing a full cycle of seasons; for example, the time ...

. In their final form, they embodied the astral forms of the Four Symbols: two real and two legendary animals important in traditional

Chinese culture Chinese culture () is one of the world's oldest cultures, originating thousands of years ago. The culture prevails across a large geographical region in East Asia and is extremely diverse and varying, with customs and traditions varying grea ...

, such as feng shui.

Indian ''nakshatra''

The ''nakshatras'' (or more precisely ''nákṣatra'', lit. "stars") are the

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

form of lunar stations. They usually number 27 but sometimes 28 and their names are related to the most prominent constellations in each sector. According to the modern tradition they start from a point on the ecliptic precisely opposite the star Spica (Sanskrit: ''Chitrā'') and develop eastwards but the oldest traditional method was to use the Vernal Equinox point as the starting point of Ashvini Nakshatra. In classical Hindu mythology, the creation of the nakshatras is attributed to Daksha. They were wives of

Chandra Chandra ( sa, चन्द्र, Candra, shining' or 'moon), also known as Soma ( sa, सोम), is the Hindu god of the Moon, and is associated with the night, plants and vegetation. He is one of the Navagraha (nine planets of Hinduism) an ...

, the moon god. The nakshatras of traditional bhartiya astronomy are based on a list of 28 asterisms found in the '' Atharvaveda'' (AVŚ 19.7) and also in the ''

Shatapatha Brahmana The Shatapatha Brahmana ( sa, शतपथब्राह्मणम् , Śatapatha Brāhmaṇam, meaning 'Brāhmaṇa of one hundred paths', abbreviated to 'SB') is a commentary on the Śukla (white) Yajurveda. It is attributed to the Vedic ...

''. The first astronomical text that lists them is the '' Vedanga Jyotisha''. The stations are important parts of Indian astrology.

Arabic ''manzil''

In the traditional Arabic astrological system, the new moon was seen to move through 28 distinct ''manāzil'' (singular: ''manzil'' "house") during the normal solar year, each ''manzil'' lasting, therefore, for about 13 days. One or more ''manazil'' were then grouped into a ''nawaa'' (plural ''anwaa'') which were tied to a given weather pattern. In other words, the yearly pattern was divided in the following manner: A year was divided into ''anwaa'', each of which was made up of one more ''manazil'', which were associated with a dominant star or constellation. These stars and constellations were sometimes, but not always, connected in some way to constellations in the

Zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. The pa ...

. Moreover, as the ''anwaa'' repeat on a regular, solar cycle, they can be correlated to fixed points on the Gregorian calendar. The following table is a breakdown of the ''anwaa'' and their position on the Gregorian calendar. : The dates above are approximate; notice that there are 2 days missing from a solar year in the table above. :} , ''ʾIsrāfīl'' إِسْرَافِيل , ''ʾAsh-Sharaṭayn / ''ʾAn-Naṭḥ ﭐلْشَّرَطَيْن \ ﭐلْنّطح , ''ā /'' ’ (also ''ʾ'' ) , alif , 1 , أ , - , 2nd , 18 April , 12° 51' , ''Jibrāʾīl'' جِبْرَائِيل , ''ʾAl-Buṭayn'' ﭐلْبُطَيْن , ''b'' , bāʾ , 2 , ب , - , 3rd , 1 May , 25° 43' , ''Kalkāʾīl*'' كلكائيل , ''ʾAth-Thurayyā'' ﭐلْثُّرَيَّا , ''j (also ''ǧ, g'')'' , jīm , 3 , ج , - , 4th , 14 May , 8° 34' , rowspan="2" , Taurus ar, بُرْجُ ﭐلْثُّور, burjuʾl-th-Thūr , '' Dardāʾīl*'' دردَائِيل , ''ʾAd-Dabarān'' ﭐلْدَّبَرَان , ''d'' , dāl , 4 , د , - , 5th , 27 May , 21° 26' , ''Dūryāʾīl*'' دوريَائِيل , ''ʾAl-Haqʿah'' ﭐلْهَقْعَة , ''h'' , hāʾ , 5 , ه , - , 6th , 9 June , 4° 17' , rowspan="2" , Gemini ar, بُرْجُ ﭐلْجَوْزَاء, burju ʾl-Jawzā , ''Fatmāʾīl*'' فتمَائِيل , ''ʾAl-Hanʿah'' ﭐلْهَنْعَة , ''w / ū'' , wāw , 6 , و , - , 7th , 22 June , 17° 9' , ''Sharfāʾīl*'' شرفَائِيل , ''ʾAdh-Dhirāʿ'' ﭐلْذِّرَاعْ , ''z'' , zayn / zāy , 7 , ز , - , 8th , 5 July , 0° 0' , rowspan="3" ,

Cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

ar, بُرْجُ ﭐلْسَّرْطَان, burju ʾs-Sartan , ''Tankafīl*'' تنكفيل , ''ʾAn-Nathrah'' ﭐلْنَّثْرَة , ''ḥ'' , ḥāʾ , 8 , ح , - , 9th , 18 July , 12° 51' , ''ʾIsmāʿīl*'' إِسْمَاعِيل , ''ʾAṭ-Ṭarf / ''ʾAṭ-Ṭarfah ﭐلْطَّرْف \ ﭐلْطَّرْفَة , ''ṭ'' , ṭāʾ , 9 , ط , - , 10th , 31 July , 25° 43' , ''Kīṭāʾīl*'' كيطَائِيل , ''ʾAl-Jab'hah'' ﭐلْجَبْهَة , ''y , ī / ''ā'' , ''ỳ , yāʾ / alif maqṣūrah , 10 , ي \ ى , - , 11th , 14 Aug , 8° 34' , rowspan="2" , Leo ar, بُرْجُ ﭐلْأَسَد, burju ʾl-Asad بُرْجُ ﭐلْأَسَد , ''Ḥarūzāʾīl*'' حروزَائِيل , ''ʾAz-Zubrah / ʾAl-Kharātān'' ﭐلْزُّبْرَة \ ﭐلْخرَاتَان , ''k'' , kāf , 20 , ك , - , 12th , 27 Aug , 21° 26' , ''Ṭāṭāʾīl*'' طَاطَائِيل , ''ʾAṣ-Ṣarfah'' ﭐلْصَّرْفَة , ''l'' , lām , 30 , ل , - , 13th , 9 September , 4° 17' , rowspan="2" , Virgo ar, بُرْجُ ﭐلْمِيزَان, burju ʾs-Sanabilah , ''Rūmāʾīl*'' رومَائِيل , ''ʾAl-ʿAwwāʾ'' ﭐلْعَوَّاء , ''m'' , mīm , 40 , م , - , 14th , 22 September , 17° 9' , ''Ḥūlāʾīl*'' حولَائِيل , ''ʾAs-Simāk /'' ʾAs-Simāku ʾl-Aʿzil ﭐلْسِّمَاك \ ﭐلْسِّمَاكُ ﭐلأَعْزِل , ''n'' , nūn , 50 , ن , - , 15th , 5 October , 0° 0' , rowspan="3" , Libra ar, بُرْجُ ﭐلْمِيزَان , burju ʾl-Mīzān} , ''Hamrākīl*'' همرَاكيل , ''ʾAl-Ghafr'' ﭐلْغَفْر , ''s'' , sīn , 60 , س , - , 16th , 18 October , 12° 51' , ''Lūmāʾīl*'' لومَائِيل , ''ʾAz-Zubānā'' ﭐلْزُّبَانَى , ‘ (also ''ʿ'' ) , ayn , 70 , ع , - , 17th , 31 October , 25° 43' , ''Sarhamākīl*'' سرهمَاكيل , ''ʾAl-Iklīl /'' ʾAl-Iklīlu ʾl-Jab'hah ﭐلْإِكْلِيل \ ﭐلْإِكْلِيلُ ﭐلْجَبْهَة , ''f'' , fā , 80 , ف , - , 18th , 13 November , 8° 34' , rowspan="2" , Scorpio ar, بُرْجُ ﭐلْعَقْرَب, burju ʾl-ʿAqrab , ''ʾAhjamāʾīl* / ʾUhjamāʾīl*'' اهجمَائِيل , ''ʾAl-Qalb'' ﭐلْقَلْب , ''ṣ'' , ṣād , 90 , ص , - , 19th , 26 November , 21° 26' , ''ʿAṭrāʾīl* / ʿUṭrāʾīl*'' عطرَائِيل , ''ʾAsh-Shawlah'' ﭐلْشَّوْلَة , ''q'' , qāf , 100 , ق , - , 20th , 9 December , 4° 17' , rowspan="2" , Sagittarius ''Burju ''ʾ''l-Qaws'' ar, بُرْجُ ﭐلْقَوْس, burju ʿl-Qaws , ''ʾ'Amwākīl* / ''ʾ''Umwākīl*'' امواكيل , ''ʾAn-Naʿāʾam'' ﭐلْنَّعَائَم , ''r'' , rāʾ , 200 , ر , - , 21st , 22 December , 17° 9' , ''Hamrāʾīl*'' همرَائِيل , ''ʾAl-Baldah'' ﭐلْبَلْدَة , ''sh'' (also ''š'') , shīn , 300 , ش , - , 22nd , 4 January , 0° 0' , rowspan="3" , Capricorn ar, بُرْجُ ﭐلْجِدِّي, burju ʾl-Jiddỳ , '' ʿAzrāʾīl'' عَزْرَائِيل , ''Saʿdu ʾdh-Dhābiḥ / ʾAdh-Dhābiḥ'' سَعْدُ ﭐلْذَّابِح \ ﭐلْذَّابِح , ''t'' , tāʾ , 400 , ت , - , 23rd , 17 January , 12° 51' , ''Mīkāʾīl'' مِيكَائِيل , ''Saʿdu ʾl-Bulʿa / ʾAl-Bulʿa'' سَعْدُ ﭐلْبُلْعَ \ ﭐلْبُلْعَ , ''th'' (also ''ṯ'') , thāʾ , 500 , ث , - , 24th , 30 January , 25° 43' , ''Mahkāʾīl*'' مهكَائِيل , ''Saʿdu ʾs-Suʿud / ʾAs-Suʿud'' سَعْدُ ﭐلْسُّعُود \ ﭐلْسُّعُود , ''kh'' (also ''ḫ, ḵ'') , khāʾ , 600 , خ , - , 25th , 12 February , 8° 34' , rowspan="2" ,

Aquarius Aquarius may refer to: Astrology * Aquarius (astrology), an astrological sign * Age of Aquarius, a time period in the cycle of astrological ages Astronomy * Aquarius (constellation) * Aquarius in Chinese astronomy Arts and entertainment ...

ar, بُرْجُ ﭐلْدَّلُو, burju ʾd-Dalū , ''ʾAhrāfīl* / ''ʾUhrāfīl* اهرَافِيل , ''Saʿdu ʾl-ʾAkhbiyyah / ʾAl-ʾAkhbiyyah'' سَعْدُ ﭐلْأَخْبِيَّه \ ﭐلْأَخْبِيَّه , ''dh'' (also ''ḏ'') , dhāl , 700 , ذ , - , 26th , 25 February , 21° 26' , ''ʿAṭkāʾīl* / ʿUṭkāʾīl*'' عطكَائِيل , ''Farghu ʾd-Dalū ʾl-Muqdim / ʾAl-Muqdim'' فَرْغُ ﭐلْدَّلُو ﭐلْمُقْدِم \ ﭐلْمُقْدِم , ''ḍ'' , ḍād , 800 , ض , - , 27th , 10 March , 4° 17' , rowspan="2" ,

Pisces Pisces may refer to: * Pisces, an obsolete (because of land vertebrates) taxonomic superclass including all fish *Pisces (astrology), an astrological sign *Pisces (constellation), a constellation ** Pisces Overdensity, an overdensity of stars in t ...

ar, بُرْجُ ﭐلْحُوت, burju ʾl-Ḥūt , ''Tūrāʾīl*'' تورَائِيل , ''Farghu ʾd-Dalū ʾl-Muʾkhar / ʾAl-Muʾkhar'' فَرْغُ ﭐلْدَّلُو ﭐلْمُؤْخَر \ ﭐلْمُؤْخَر , ''ẓ'' , ẓāʾ , 900 , ظ , - , 28th , 23 March , 17° 9' , ''Lūkhāʾīl*'' لوخَائِيل , ''ʾAr-Rashāʾ / Buṭnu ʾl-Ḥūt'' ﭐلْرَّشَاء \ بَطْنُ ﭐلْحُوت , ''gh'' (also ''ġ, ḡ'') , ghayn , 1000 , غ Also, the following letters has no alphabetical value in numerology of the Abjad system known as ''"Ilm ul-ʾAdad".'' Notes of the table above in accordance to strict traditional Arab Islamic astronomy and theology: (1) the Arabic alphabet resonates the alphabetical value in numerology of the Abjad system known as "''Ilm'' ul-''ʾAdad".'' (2) the ʿAmal (Islamic view of angels, equivalent to rank of the "Watcher" or "Guardian Angel") is the Angel that rules the corresponding Arabic alphabet (rhythm of the alphabet in numerology of the Abjad system), ''manazilu-l-qamar'' (lunar houses) and constellations (i.e. zodiac signs). Generally speaking, the four Archangels in Islam ace Jibrāʼīl, Mīkāʼīl, ʼIsrāfīl and Malaku-l-Maut ( ʿAzrāʼīl). (3) the alphabetical orders follows the sequence of the original ''abjadī'' order (أَبْجَدِي), used for lettering, derives from the order of the

Phoenician alphabet The Phoenician alphabet is an alphabet (more specifically, an abjad) known in modern times from the Canaanite and Aramaic inscriptions found across the Mediterranean region. The name comes from the Phoenician civilization. The Phoenician al ...

, and is therefore similar to the order of other Phoenician-derived alphabets, such as the

Hebrew alphabet The Hebrew alphabet ( he, אָלֶף־בֵּית עִבְרִי, ), known variously by scholars as the Ktav Ashuri, Jewish script, square script and block script, is an abjad script used in the writing of the Hebrew language and other Jewi ...

. In this order, letters are also used as numbers, Abjad numerals, and possess the same alphanumeric code/ cipher as Hebrew gematria and Greek isopsephy. (4) those angel name with an "asterisk" needs source citation upon Arabic transliteration but the given is the closest pronunciation based upon uttering the consonants. A few of the numerical values are different in the alternative Abjad order. For four Persian letters these values are used: :

Footnotes

References

External links

* * {{The Moon Astrology Orbit of the Moon