The Lunar Mansions of Vedic Astrology
The ancient Indians looked up at the stars and divided the sky-scape into 13 20’ sections through the total sky of 360, making 27 subsections called Lunar Mansions or Nakshatras. This was the original form of Indian astrology, which pre-dates the twelve-sign astrology system, that can be traced back to 5,000-10,000 years BC.
According to Vedic astrology Mythology, the Moon spends one day during each monthly cycle in each of the 27 Lunar Mansions, with each of its wives, before going into a “no Moon” state at the end of the cycle. Each of the following Lunar Mansions is steeped in a great deal of Indian Mythology, which gives them their character and individuality.
Vedic astrology is based on the Sidereal Fixed star system of drawing up a chart, where the Moon is the most important planet in the chart. Knowing which Lunar Mansion your Moon is in at birth can give you vital information as to your personality, inner driving forces and purpose. If you know the position of your Moon in your Western chart, all you need to do to convert it to a Sidereal Vedic position is to subtracting 23 from it. This may well mean that your Moon goes back to the previous sign, however, this is the actual position of your Moon at birth. The following readings are for the Sidereal Moon in each of the Lunar Mansions at birth.
1. Aswini The Horse Goddess. 00 degrees 00’ –13 degrees 20’ Aries.
Born here you will have a strong lust for life with a restless streak with a low tolerance for boredom that spurs you on to new experiences and adventures and gives you a sense of pioneering. You will be quick in thought and action and need to take care that too much haste does not lead to rashness and impulsivity and reduced efficiency. Youthful and playful in nature and a free spirit, you may be reluctant to accept responsibility and may become arrogant or aggressive if things don’t go your way. Aswini people are often gifted healers with a natural gift for medicine and herbs.
2. Bharani. The River of Souls. 13 degrees 20’ – 26 degrees 40’ Aries
This is a turbulent sign, which represents a sensuous and artistic temperament, that can be quite passionate and possibly extremist in your social ideals at times. You can be very focused, determined and goal-orientated and have the ability to master turbulent situations and also maintain a sense of compassion. This is a sign where personal transformation can take place through a struggle in which self control, and will-power enable you to triumph over the odds.
This is a sign of a powerful soul traveler that has a mystical or shamanic side to them.
3. Krittica. The Star of Fire . 26 degrees 40’ Aries – 1000’ Taurus.
This is a fiery, intense and emotional sign. You can be quite radical with truth and honesty and need to be careful how you use this, as you are capable of being cutting or critical with your words. You also can be proud, ambitious and self motivated, which can make you a leader as long as you can learn to control your innate impulsivity. Although penetrating and sharp in nature, you also have a witty side and a lively imagination. You are a compassionate nurturer by nature and can be strongly dedicated to a cause or ideal. Generally, you will have a strong appetite and enjoy cooking.
4. Rohini. The Red Goddess 10 degrees 23’ – 23 degrees 20’ Taurus
Rohini is the favorite wife of Siva, the erotic goddess. Being born here will make you attractive, sensuous, charming and artistic. You will be romantic and enjoy beauty, culture and art of all kinds. Truthfulness and the ability to speak well and have firm views are also attributes of this sign, however it is likely that you will also have a more philosophical side to you that can balance your love of luxury and comfort, with wisdom and a practical earthiness. You will need to be careful that you do not become overly enmeshed in the material side of life, as this can result in ultimate dissatisfaction and a tendency to be critical.
5. Mrigashira. Orion. The Star of Searching 23 degrees 20’ Taurus – 06 degrees 40’ Gemini
Born under this star will give you a powerful, passionate and restless nature that will set you on a quest of some sort. Your hunger for knowledge will make you very good at research. You will also be good communicator in both speaking and writing. However, your quick and changeable nature can mean that you have few firm views in life, which may lead to mental vacillation for you and being a little moody and suspicious at times. Although gentle, peaceful and sensuous in nature you might find it hard to resist temptation and may become overindulgent at times. Generally you will prefer to move on rather than be involved in confrontation, hence you will often be found travelling.
6. Ardra. The Tear Drop 06 degrees 40’ – 20 degrees 00’ Gemini
This is the sign associated with the wild storm god called Rudra. This can create tempestuous emotions both within and around you. You will have a deeply feeling nature with a strong emphasis on the mind and thinking capacity. Born here you will have the capacity to reap great rewards in life, but only through persistent effort and the development of patience. You have the tendency to be impulsive, bold and brash at times, which can be quite destructive and a curiosity and thirst for knowledge that can make you a good writer and speaker.
7. Punavasu. The Light Bringer 20 degrees 00’ Gemini – 03 degrees 20’ Cancer
This is a calmer sign after the storms of the previous Lunar Mansion. Born here you will be amicable and adaptive with a philosophical and spiritual outlook on life. You will be sensitive with an appreciation or ability in poetry arts and crafts and have the ability to launch successful projects. Even though you enjoy your home, family and friends and are fun loving, you will very much enjoy the freedom of travel. Your wish to please everyone can prove troublesome to you at times and cause you to worry or vacillate over small things. You can be content with very little materially.
8. Pushya. Nourishment. 03 degrees 20’ – 16 degrees 40’ Cancer
This is a sign of nourishment, support, growth and abundance. Having these qualities will make you a supportive friend or family member who is wise and mature and ethical. Generally you will be in full control of your emotions and also be a good speaker, however, you will need to be aware of not becoming excessively orthodox, tradition or rigid in your views. The wisdom and generosity in this sign is best directed towards humanitarian goals as you can reap good karma through hard work that can lead to peace of mind. You also have the potential to be creative.
9. Ashlesha. The Coiled Serpent 16 degrees 40’ – 30 degrees 00’ Cancer
Ashlesha gives you the ability to be shrewd and to look deeply with serpentine wisdom. This is the wisdom that comes from gazing or going deeply into the dark places in the soul. You will have a deeply philosophical, thoughtful and penetrating mind and be independent and a bit of a reclusive. You will be a sensuous person with strong intuition, which can make you powerful, so you will need to be careful of how you use this power, as it could backfire on you if not used correctly for the greater good. This sign represents the kundalini and the potential to activate mystical power.
10. Magha. The Forefathers. 00 degrees 00’ – 13 degrees 20’ Leo
Maha means great, so being born here will make you kingly, proud and conservative in general. This is considered to be the gateway to the ancestors. There is a feeling of wanting to follow the path or lineage of the ancestors in some way. You will be a larger than life character who is big hearted, passionate and sensuous, with an undercurrent of restlessness and turbulence. You will have to be careful not to be too involved in power, wealth or too much class or culture consciousness, as you could become a bit of a snob. You have the capacity to be a great soul if you can quell that “Divine discontent” in you.
11. Purva Phalguni. The World Tree Goddess. 13 degrees 20’ – 26 degrees 40’ Leo
This is the star of the erotic goddess of Lunar Mansion 4 where Rohini evolves into the goddess of love and marriage. So romance, love, marriage and partnerships are of great importance to you. You will be passionate, affectionate and display an exuberance and love of life that can be contagious. These qualities often attract good luck to you and fulfillment in life, as you are sociable as well as diplomatic. Take care not to over indulge in the good things in life as this may make you narcissistic or overly impulsive. The more mature of you will have the capacity to see the mystical in ordinary things and situations.
12. Uttara Phalguni. The Marriage Goddess 26 degrees 40’Leo -10 degrees 00Virgo’
Love, marriage and relationships are a source of joy for you, so much so that you may become interested in sexual mysticism or tantra. You have a magnetic personality that is also generous and compassionate that will make you very popular as you will be interested in upholding law and justice and relieving the suffering of others. You need to take care that your wish never to be alone does not result may result in you staying in relationships that may restrict your growth. You will have an interest in the spiritual or metaphysical world and generally be successful in your endeavors.
13. Hasta. Skilled Activities. 10 degrees 00’ – 23 degrees 00’ Virgo
Born here will give you a complex character. You will be creative, capable of hard work and industrious with the ability to grasp many things. You will have a sharp and creative intellect, however, due to constantly changing your mind, you may find it hard to make firm decisions. There is also a caring and supportive side to you and a need to explore you’re natural talents in arts, crafts and metaphysics. Hasta people often make good counsellors and palmists and are spiritual in nature.
14. Chitra. The Jewel. 23degrees 20’ Virgo – 06 degrees 40’ Libra
The sign of the jewel, you will want to shine in terms of your mind, elegance, or charisma. You will need to seek ways in which you can be original in some way. In addition will be a balanced thinker or analyzer with strong curiosity that will make you a serious student and the ability to design or create in some way. You have natural flair and may find it hard to understand why others can’t do what you do. You will need to take care that you do not become over indulgent or arrogant.
15. Swati. The Wind God 06 degrees 40’ – 20 degrees 00’ Libra
This is a very independent and restless sign that exudes lightness, flexibility and adaptability. You will have a natural love of learning and appreciation of artistic endeavors in general such as art, literature and music. In addition you are likely to have some business skills. You do have the ability to glitter like Chitra, but with a more generous and charitable nature, that gives strong integrity beneath the charm. There is also a restlessness about you that may make you a bit scattered and distracted, so that you may find it hard to stay on track and prefer to travel or wander instead. Having a delicate constitution you will need regular periods of peace and solitude.
16. Vishakha. The Moon of Power. 20 degrees 00’Libra- 03 degrees 20’ Scorpio
Born here you will be ambitious, competitive and courageous with the tenacity and determination to achieve your goals. However you may need to be aware of those around, as they may find you too obsessed at times. There is a need to be aware of finding a balance in your life, as over activity could easily result in “burn out” from time to time. You will have the ability to research and acquire knowledge at a deep level. Vishakha people do have the capacity to develop patience and fortitude in carrying out a co-operative struggle for the greater good.
17. Anuradha. The Moon of friendship. 0320’ – 1640’ Scorpio
You will be a friendly and cooperative person who has a talent for dealing with people and the ability to maintain a wide variety of friendships. Anuradha people also have the capacity to be great lovers in that you can be gentle and passionate and yet strong and brave as well. Born here it is likely that you will have good organizational skills and will enjoy travelling, in fact you will often be quite successful away from your birthplace. A highly sensitive person, you have a low tolerance for frustration and may find it difficult to control your emotions at times. Generally you will love numbers and statistics and may take an interest in numerology.
16. Jyeshtha The Wisdom Crone. 16 degrees 40’ – 30 degrees 00’Scorpio
Jyeshtha is the ascetic yogi among the goddesses of the Lunar Mansions. Born here you will be crafty, subtle, analytical and skillful. There is often a magical and mystical side to your character and also a turbulent soul. Often quite strong in personality, you may range from being arrogant and irritable, to reclusive and struggling with self-esteem issues. It is likely that you will seek knowledge from deep, dark places such as the supernatural or the occult side of life, however, your deepest wisdom will be gained through life experiences and you will become both a provider to others and receiver of protection from danger and adversity.
19. Mula. The Root of all things. 30 degrees 00’ – 13 degrees 20’Sagittarius
Moola people are deeply inquisitive and philosophical and able to delve into the root of all things. You have the ability to persist in scientific, medical or analytical research and also be a good orator you can be bold, powerful and passionate in nature with a need to follow your own path wherever it takes you. Developing a more philosophical attitude to life will help you to maintain emotional balance through the highs and lows in life. You may feel trapped by circumstances at times and feel that the only way out is through spiritual salvation of some kind.
20. Purva Ashadha. The Moon of Early Victory. 13 degrees 20’ – 26 degrees 40’ Sagittarius
This is the sign of early success in life. You will be proud, invincible and strong with the ability to argue and debate successfully and have power over others, but you will still have an emotional depth and softness about you. Added to this, your strong intuition and empathy for others will make you popular. Purva Ashadha people are also usually philosophical and spiritual and often develop supreme patience through the more difficult periods of their life. You will need to take care that your early successes in life do not lead to you becoming over indulgent and materialistic.
21. Uttara Ashadha. The Moon of Later Victory. 26 degrees 40’ Sagittarius – 10 degrees 00’Capricorn
This is a humanitarian and idealistic person who is honest and strongly committed to social goals. You will have high ambitions and a strong sense of responsibility with a more refined side to you that is capable of strong psychological insights. Generally your successes will be later in life when you have found a balance between your intense enthusiasm and restlessness, contrasting periods of laziness and apathy. You will want your achievements to have a sense of permanence, however you may find it difficult to complete all of the things that you start. Generally you form good friendships and are a good communicator.
22. Shravana. The Moon of Listening. 10 degrees 00’ – 23 degrees 20’ Capricorn
Born here you will have a strong passion for a wide variety of knowledge and truth. You will generally prefer the oral traditions of passing on knowledge and hence, more traditional, rather than the highly technical or New Age forms of knowledge. This will make you a serious student and possibly a teacher too. You will be a person who will often frequent libraries and bookshops in order to feed your insatiable hunger for information and you may have some writing skills as well. It is likely that you will be a very sensitive person who may experience some setbacks in early life, but will become more successful in later life.
23. Danishtha. The Drummer 23 degrees 20’Capricorn – 06 degrees 40’ Aquarius
You will be an optimistic and liberal person who is powerful, ambitious, adventurous and highly motivated, with a strong personality. Generally you will like to be in control and will often be more successful away from your home. However, you will need to be careful that your natural need for power does not make you ruthless, arrogant or overly materialist and self absorbed. There will be a need for the Danishtha person to develop the virtue of patience so that your basically generous nature can be used with their ability to see the bigger picture, as you join with others in causes for the greater good.
24. Shatabhisha. The Divine Healer. 06 degrees 40’ – 20 degrees 00’ Aquarius
Shatabhisha born are independent, reclusive and mystical in nature, with a talent for delving into the philosophical, scientific, psychological or metaphysical worlds. Generally you will prefer solitude and become so involved in your studies that you can feel cut off or discontent with the outside world. This is quite an intellectual sign with possible literary skills as well. There is a sense of you being a wounded healer, who experiences extremes in life and has the capacity to a turn a crisis into self-realization. Overcoming a health crisis can transform you into a powerful healer.
25. Purva Bhadrapada. The fire Dragon. 20 degrees 00’ Aquarius – 03 degrees 20’ Pisces
This is the sign of purification and transformation, discarding the old so that the new can emerge. You will be a good speaker, with fire and passion and a commitment to your vision of social reform. In addition it is likely that you will be unique, powerful, eccentric and a little mystical, with the power to be impetuous and opinionated at times. You may also perceive the world as an unfriendly place, which may make you a little suspicious in general. This may lead to you being a little harsh or critical of those around you at times. It is better for you not dwell too much on the injustices of life and to forge ahead with your vision of personal and social transformation.
26. Uttara Bhadrapada. The dragon of the Deep. 03 degrees 20’ – 16 degrees 40’ Pisces
Born here you will have a skill for speaking and writing that can be passionate and fiery, but also restrained by discipline and intellect. You have extraordinary insight and clarity. Generally you will be quite lucky and protected particularly in the financial areas of life. This is the sign of the Dragon Serpent of the Deep, representing a person who will need time alone and can be quite secretive and magical. You will need to decide how you are going to use your intuition and wisdom, as you have the choice to use it for the higher or lesser good. The kundalini can be awakened here.
27. Revati. The Moon of Splendour. 16 degrees 40’ – 30 degrees 00’ Pisces
This is a sweet nurturing and responsible person who is a true humanitarian and will always provide help and care to the needy and is likely to have a love of animals. You will generally prefer to help or heal rather than pursue material goals nevertheless, you will generally be blessed in receiving what you need in terms of material wealth. You will have a sensitive, soft nature that is also artistic and creative and are likely to receive some disappointments in early life. You may experience the world as a rather harsh environment. This is a strongly spiritual sign.