[S]he of all the Planets has the greatest similitude and correspondance with inferior things...to pass by her daily effects which she causes in all things here, and the frequent revolutions about the Elements and Elementary Bodies by reason of the nearness of her Orb to the Earth, and smaller circle than any other Planet; so she seems a Mediatrix between Superior and Inferior Bodies.

In horary astrology the Moon, unless it is a significator of the quesited (thing or person asked about) is always the co-significator of the querent (person asking the question). Certainly, the Moon is also widely used in electional astrology and astrological magic for timing events, actions and magical rituals and astrological talismans.
Often the monthly phases of the Moon are used for timing, particularly in timing magic. Modern western astrologers are probably less familiar with the monthly cycle of the Mansions of the Moon. The lunar mansions, known as the nakshastras, are a key component of Vedic astrology, but they were also significant in medieval Arabic astrology where they were passed to Western Europe as part of the reception of the Arabic New Science in the 12th and 13th centuries.
The eleventh century Arabic astronomer/astrologer Al-Biruni writes that as the Zodiac, which is the course of the Sun throughout the year, is divided into twelve signs, so also the monthly path of the Moon among the fixed stars is divided into twenty eight daily stations, the Mansions of the Moon. Al-Biruni, Book of Instructions in the Elements of Astrology [Ghaznah, 1029] trans. R. Wright London, Luzac, translation originally published 1934, Ballantrae, undated reprint §164, page 81. Thus the Lunar Mansions are, in effect, a Lunar Zodiac. The Arabic Mansions of the Moon, used by medieval and Renaissance astrologers and magicians, are a twenty-eight fold division of the monthly orbit of the Moon as opposed to the Indian Vedic system of twenty seven nakshastras.
According to Richard Hinckley Allen, to the Arabs the mansions were known as Al Nujum al Ahdh, the Stars of Entering or Al Ribatat, the Roadside Inns. They were best known, however, as Al Manazil al-Qamar, the Mansions or Resting Places of the Moon, as manzil originally referred to the noonday halt of camel and rider in the desert. Richard Hinckey Allen, Star Names and Their Meanings [1899] New York, NY, Dover, 1963, page 8.



Constellational, Irregular Mansions

TOP

Originally, the Mansions were constellational, that is, they were based on the movement of the Moon relative to specific indicator stars. The current positions of the Mansions of the Moon, based on the location in the tropical Zodiac of their indicator stars for 2000, with their original names as given by Al-Biruni are as follows:

1. Al-Sharatain 3 Taurus to 18 Taurus. 2. Al-Butain 18 Taurus to 29 Taurus. 3. Al-Thuraiya 29 Taurus-10 Gemini. 4. Al-Dabaran 10 Gemini to 24 Gemini. 5. Al-Haqa 24 Gemini to 9 Cancer. 6. Al-Hana 9 Cancer to 20 Cancer. 7. Al-Dhira 20 Cancer to 7 Leo.	15. Al Ghafr 4 Scorpio to 15 Scorpio. 16. Al-Zubana 15 Scorpio to 3 Sagittarius. 17. Al-Iklil 3 Sagittarius to 10 Sagittarius. 18. Al-Qalb 10 Sagittarius to 24 Sagittarius. 19. Al-Shaulah 24 Sagittarius to 13 Capricorn. 20. Al-Naaim 13 Capricorn to 16 Capricorn. 21. Al-Baldah 16 Capricorn to 4 Aquarius.
8. Al-Nathrah 7 Leo to 18 Leo. 9. Al-Tarf 18 Leo to 28 Leo. 10. Al-Jabhah 28 Leo to 12 Virgo. 11. Al-Zubrah 12 Virgo to 22 Virgo. 12. Al-Sarfah 22 Virgo to 27 Virgo. 13. Al-Awwa 27 Virgo to 24 Libra. 14. Al-Simak 24 Libra to 4 Scorpio.	22. Sa'd al-Dhabih 4 Aquarius to 12 Aquarius. 23. Sa'd Bula 12-23 Aquarius. 24. Sa'd al Suud 23 Aquarius to 4 Pisces. 25. Sa'd al-Akhbiyah 4-23 Pisces. 26. Al Fargh al-Awwal 23 Pisces to 9 Aries. 27. Al Fargh al-Thani 9 Aries to 0 Taurus. 28. Batn al-Hut 0-3 Taurus.

Tropical, Regular Mansions

TOP

Readers will note that the size of the sidereal mansions vary from 3-27 degrees. However, later enumerations of the Mansions related their boundaries to the static measure of the tropical Zodiac without adjusting for the precession of the fixed stars, and fixed the size of each mansion at approximately twelve degrees and fifty one minutes.
Here are the later tropical regular mansions from Cornelius Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Book Two, Chapter 33,

1. Alnath, 0 Aries to 12 Aries 51 2. Allothaim or Albochan 12 Aries 51 to 25 Aries 42 3. Achaomazon or Athoray, 25 Aries 42 to 8 Taurus 34. 4. Aldebaram1 8 Taurus 34 to 21 Taurus 25. 5. Alchatay or Albachay, 21 Taurus 25 to 4 Gemini 17. 6. Alhanna or Alchaya, 4 Gemini 17 to 17 Gemini 8 7. Aldimiach or Alarzach, 17 Gemini 8 to 0 Cancer.

15. Agrapha or Algarpha 0 Libra to 12 Libra 51. 16. Azubene or Ahubene 12 Libra 51 to 25 Libra 42. 17. Alchil, 25 Libra 42 to 8 Scorpio 34. 18. Alchas or Altob, 8 Scorpio 34 to 21 Scorpio 25 19. Allatha or Achala3 21 Scorpio 25 to 4 Sagittarius 17 20. Abnahaya, 4 Sagittarius 17 to 17 Sagittarius 8 21. Abeda or Albeldach, 17 Sagittarius 8 to 0 Capricorn

8. Alnaza or Anatchtraya, 0 Cancer to 12 Cancer 51. 9. Archaam or Arcaph, 12 Cancer 51 to 25 Cancer 42 10. Algelioche or Albgebh, 25 Cancer 42 to 8 Leo 34 11. Azobra or Ardurf 8 Leo 34 to 21 Leo 25 12. Alzarpha or Azarpha, 21 Leo 25 to 4 Virgo 17 13. Alhaire, 4 Virgo 17 to 17 Virgo 8 14. Achurethor Arimet2 17 Virgo 8 to 0 Libra

22. Sadahacha or Zodeboluch4 O Capricorn to 12 Capricorn 51 23. Zabadola or Zobrach, 12 Capricorn 51 to 25 Capricorn 42 24. Sadabath or Chadezoad, 25 Capricorn 42 to 8 Aquarius 34 25. Sadalbracha or Sadalachia, 8 Aquarius 34 to 21 Aquarius 25 26. Alpharg or Phragol Mocaden, 21 Aquarius 25 to 4 Pisces 17 27. Alcharya or Alhalgalmoad, 4 Pisces 17 to 17 Pisces 8 28. Albotham or Alchalcy, 17 Pisces 8 to 0 Aries

¹Also Aldelamen.
²Also Azimeth, Alhumech or Alcheymech.
³Also Hycula or Axala.
⁴Also Zandeldena.

I also provide a more detailed listing of the tropical mansions, their names and uses at Lunar Mansions in the Magus.



Uses of the Mansions

TOP

The Mansions were used in traditional astrology for electing appropriate times for various activities and for astrological magic. I provide another excerpt from Picatrix on Magical Talismans & the Mansions of the Moon.
Thus we note that, for example, that mansions 1, 5, 11, 13, 21 and 28 help journeys and voyages while mansions 9, 15 and 16 hinder them (14 hinders journeys by land). If we wished to take a trip, therefore, we would select a time when the Moon was in an appropriate mansion and avoid times when she was in a mansion that hindered travel.
Here are a number of examples of actual electional charts for talismans using the Mansions of the Moon. Each of them comes from Picatrix, an encyclopedic compedium of medieval Islamic astrological magic. The first three, the 6th Mansion Love Talisman, the 15th Lunar Mansion-Friendship Talisman and the 11th Lunar Mansions-Respect Talisman use the original sidereal boundaries of the Mansions. The talisman for the 17th Lunar Mansion To Repel Thieves uses the tropical boundaries of the Mansions.
Generally the Mansions were used for electional astrology and for astrological talismans. However, in Astromagia, a text of medieval Arabic astrological magic translated at the court of Alphonso the Wise of Castile, we have a listing of the Natal Moon in her Mansions, indicating what it means to be born with the Moon in a particular mansion. The complete Astromagia mansion listings of elections, talismans and natal Mansion placements can only be found in my Mansions of the Moon Mini-Course.
A complete introduction to the Mansions, plus an ephemeris for 2006-2018, English translations of the complete Picatrix sections on the Mansions, 28 black and white Mansions images by Nigel Jackson and much more can be found in my book Mansions of the Moon, published by Renaissance Astrology.

Mansions of the Moon Mini-Course

TOP

The Mansions of the Moon Mini-Course is a fully self contained course that requires no knowledge of magic or astrology. The Mini-Course provides a complete introduction to the 28 Mansions of the Moon. Students also receive instruction in using free, on-line software to find the location of the Moon in the appropriate mansion for a particular talisman.
Also included are 28 mansion images from Picatrix by the renowned occult researcher and artist Nigel Jackson which students can download and use to make their own talismans. Complete instructions for talisman ritual and consecration are provided.





TOP


HOME


Please Contact me with any Questions & Comments

Specializing in Horary Astrology, Electional Astrology Astrological Magic and Astrological Talismans.

Copyright 2001-2002, Christopher Warnock, All Rights Reserved.