Lunar station
A lunar station, also called a lunar
mansion 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. In general, though not always, the
zodiac is divided into 27 or 28 segments
relative to the fixed stars – one for each
day of the lunar month. (A sidereal month
lasts about 27.3 days.) The Moon's
position is charted with respect to those
fixed segments. Since the Moon's position
at 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, and the 36 decans of
Egyptian astronomy. 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.[1][2][3] In
his A History of Western Astrology, Jim
Tester explains that they appear in
Hellenistic astrology in the 2nd-century list
of fixed stars in the Katarchai by Maximus
(the poet and astrologer, not to be
confounded with Maximus of Tyre), the
Arabic lists by Alchandri and Haly
Abenragel, 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."[4]
Chinese 宿 xiù
The 28 Lunar Mansions, or more precisely
lodgings (Chinese: ⼆⼗⼋宿; pinyin: èrshí
bā xiù) are the Chinese and East Asian
form of the lunar stations. They can be
considered as the equivalent to the
Western zodiac, although the 28 stations
reflect the movement of the Moon through
a sidereal month rather than the Sun in a
tropical year. In their final form, they
embodied the astral forms of the Four
Symbols: two real and two legendary
animals important in traditional Chinese
culture, such as feng shui.
Indian nakshatra
The nakshatras (or more precisely
nákṣatra, lit. "stars") are the Indian form of
lunar stations. They usually number 27 but
sometimes 28 and their names are related
to the most prominent constellations in
each sector. They start from a point on the
ecliptic precisely opposite the star Spica
(Sanskrit: Chitrā) and develop eastwards.
In classical Hindu mythology, the creation
of the nakshatras is attributed to Daksha.
They were wives of Chandra, 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 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,[5] the 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:[6] 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. 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.
Associated Significant
Manzil Zodiac Constellations Begins on
Nawaa Stars/Constellations
Sheratan Al Thuraya Sheratan in Aries -- 17 May
Pleione in the
Pleione Al Thuraya -- 31 May
Pleiades
Albatain in the
Albatain Al Thuraya -- 13 June
Pleiades
Al Tuwaibe' Al Tuwaibe' Aldebaran -- 26 June
Al
Heka Heka in Orion Gemini 9 July
Jawzaa/Gemini
Al
Alhena Alhena in Gemini Gemini 22 July
Jawzaa/Gemini
Murzim Murzim Canis Major -- 4 August
An Nathra Kulaibain An Nathra -- 17 August
Alterf Suhail Alterf in Leo Leo 30 August
12
Dschuba Suhail Dschuba Scorpio
September
25
Azzubra Suhail
September
Assarfa Suhail 8 October
21
Auva Al Wasm Auva Virgo
October
3
Simak Al Wasm Spica --
November
16
Syrma Al Wasm --
November
29
Az Zubana Al Wasm Acuben Cancer
November
Akleel "The 12
Murabaania Corona Borealis --
Crown" December
Qalb al Murabaania Antares Scorpio 25
Akraab December
Shaula Murabaania Shaula Scorpio 3 January
16
Al Naam Ash Shabt Ascella and Nunki Sagittarius
January
29
Al Baldaah Ash Shabt Pi Saggitari Sagittarius
January
Saad Al The Three 11
Beta Capricorni Capricornus
Thabib Saads February
The Three 26
Saad Balaa Saad Balaa --
Saads February
The Three
Saad Al Saud Saadalsud Aquarius 11 March
Saads
Saad Al
Hameemain Sadachbia -- 24 March
Akhbia
Almuqaddam Hameemain Almuqaddam -- 6 April
Gemini and Aquarius (in the
Al Muakhar Al Tharaeen Pollux 19 April
Arab system)
Gemini and Aquarius (in the
Alrescha Al Tharaeen Alrescha 2 May
Arab system)
The dates above are approximate; notice
that there are 2 days missing from a solar
year in the table above.
Lunar station - [Manazilu ʾl-Qamar ]ﻣﻨﺎزل اﻟﻘﻤﺮaccording to Islamic astronomical system (Arab
sources)
‘Amal ﻋﻤﻞ Arabic alphabet [ḥurūf
Starting (lit. "doer"/
Lunar
Period Degree of "doer of the
Constellation station
(approx. deed")
Zodiac Sign [ʾal-burūj [Manazilu
Station Lette
by Arab (The Angel
(Sidereal ] ْٱﻟ ُﺒﺮُ وْ ج ʾl-Qamar Transliteration
sources) ruling the Nam
Zodiac) ]ﻣﻨﺎزل اﻟﻘﻤﺮ
Manazil
and ḥurūf)
ʾAsh-
Sharaṭayn
Burju ʾl-Ḥamal ʾIsrāfīl
/ ʾAn-Naṭḥ
1st 5 April 0° 0' Aries ā / ’ (also ʾ ) alif
ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟ َﺤ َﻤﻞ اﻓ ْﻴﻞ
ِ ا ْﺳ َﺮ
\ ا ْﻟﺸﺮَ َﻃ ْﻴﻦ
ا ْﻟ ّﻨﻄﺢ
Burju ʾl-Ḥamal Jibrāʾīl ʾAl-Buṭayn
2nd 18 April 12° 51' Aries b bā’
ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟ َﺤ َﻤﻞ ِﺟ ْﺒ َﺮا ِﺋﻴﻞ ا ْﻟ ُﺒ َﻄ ْﻴﻦ
ʾAth-
Burju ʾl-Ḥamal Kalkāʾīl*
Thurayyā
3rd 1 May 25° 43' Aries j (also ǧ, g) jīm
ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟ َﺤ َﻤﻞ ﻛﻠﻜﺎﺋﻴﻞ
ا ْﻟﺜﺮَ ﻳﺎ
ʾAd-
Burju ʾth-Thūr Dardāʾīl*
8° 34' Dabarān
4th 14 May d dāl
Taurus ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟﺜﻮر دردَ ا ِﺋﻴﻞ
ا ْﻟﺪﺑَﺮَ ان
Burju ʾth-Thūr Dūryāʾīl* ʾAl-Haq‘ah
21° 26'
5th 27 May h hā’
Taurus ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟﺜﻮر دورﻳَ ﺎ ِﺋﻴﻞ ا ْﻟ َﻬ ْﻘﻌَ ﺔ
Burju ʾl-
Fatmāʾīl* ʾAl-Han‘ah
4° 17' Jawzāʾ
6th 9 June w/ū wāw
Gemini ﻓﺘﻤﺎ ِﺋﻴﻞ
َ ا ْﻟ َﻬﻨْﻌَ ﺔ
ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟ َﺠ ْﻮ َزاء
7th 22 June 17° 9'Gemini Burju ʾl- Sharfāʾīl* ʾAdh- z zayn /
Jawzāʾ َ
ﺷﺮﻓﺎ ِﺋﻴﻞ Dhirā‘
ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟ َﺠ ْﻮ َزاء ْ َا ْﻟﺬر
اع
Burju ʾs- ʾAn-
Tankafīl*
Sarṭan Nathrah
8th 5 July 0° 0' Cancer ḥ ḥā’
ﺗﻨﻜﻔﻴﻞ
ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟﺴ ْﺮ َﻃﺎن ا ْﻟﻨ ْﺜﺮَ ة
ʾAṭ-Ṭarf /
Burju ʾs-
ʾIsmā‘īl* ʾAṭ-Ṭarfah
12° 51' Sarṭan
9th 18 July ṭ ṭā’
Cancer ﺎﻋ ْﻴﻞ
ِ ا ْﺳ َﻤ \ ا ْﻟﻄﺮْ ف
ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟﺴ ْﺮ َﻃﺎن
ا ْﻟﻄﺮْ َﻓﺔ
Burju ʾs- ʾAl-
Kīṭāʾīl*
25° 43' Sarṭan Jab'hah yā’ / al
10th 31 July y,ī/ā,ỳ
Cancer ﻛﻴﻄﺎ ِﺋﻴﻞ
َ maqṣū
ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟﺴ ْﺮ َﻃﺎن ا ْﻟﺠَ ْﺒ َﻬﺔ
ʾAz-
Zubrah /
Burju ʾl-ʾAsad Ḥarūzāʾīl* ʾAl-
11th 14 Aug 8° 34' Leo Kharātān k kāf
ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻻ َﺳﺪ ﺣﺮو َزا ِﺋﻴﻞ
\ ا ْﻟﺰﺑْﺮَ ة
َ َا ْﻟﺨﺮ
اﺗﺎن
Burju ʾl-ʾAsad Ṭāṭāʾīl* ʾAṣ-Ṣarfah
12th 27 Aug 21° 26' Leo l lām
ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻻ َﺳﺪ ﺎﻃﺎ ِﺋﻴﻞ
َ َﻃ ا ْﻟﺼﺮْ َﻓﺔ
Burju ʾs-
Sanabilah /
Burju ʾs- Rūmāʾīl* ʾAl-‘Awwāʾ
9
13th 4° 17' Virgo Sunbulah m mīm
September روﻣﺎ ِﺋﻴﻞ
َ ا ْﻟﻌَ ﻮاء
\ ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟﺴﻨ َِﺒﻠَﺔ
ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟﺴ ْﻨ ُﺒﻠَﺔ
14th 22 17° 9' Virgo Burju ʾs- Ḥūlāʾīl* ʾAs-Simāk n nūn
September Sanabilah / َ
ﺣﻮﻻ ِﺋﻴﻞ / ʾAs-
Burju ʾs- Simāku ʾl-
Sunbulah A‘zil
\ ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟﺴﻨ َِﺒﻠَﺔ \ ا ْﻟﺴﻤَ ﺎك
ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟﺴ ْﻨ ُﺒﻠَﺔ ُا ْﻟﺴﻤَ ﺎك
ٱﻻﻋْ ِﺰل
Burju ʾl-Mīzān Hamrākīl* ʾAl-Ghafr
15th 5 October 0° 0' Libra s sīn
ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟ ِﻤ ْﻴ َﺰان ﻫﻤﺮاﻛﻴﻞ
َ ا ْﻟ َﻐ ْﻔﺮ
ʾAz-
Burju ʾl-Mīzān Lūmāʾīl*
18 Zubānā
16th 12° 51' Libra ‘ (also ʿ ) ayn
October ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟ ِﻤ ْﻴ َﺰان ﻟﻮﻣﺎ ِﺋﻴﻞ
َ
َ ا ْﻟﺰﺑ
َﺎﻧﻰ
ʾAl-Iklīl /
ʾAl-Iklīlu ʾl-
Burju ʾl-Mīzān Sarhamākīl* Jab'hah
31
17th 25° 43' Libra f fā
October ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟ ِﻤ ْﻴ َﺰان ﺳﺮﻫﻤﺎﻛﻴﻞ
َ \ ا ْﻻﻛْ ِﻠ ْﻴﻞ
ا ْﻻﻛْ ِﻠ ْﻴ ُﻞ
ْٱﻟﺠَ ْﺒ َﻬﺔ
ʾAhjamāʾīl* /
Burju ʾl-‘Aqrab ʾAl-Qalb
13 8° 34' ʾUhjamāʾīl*
18th ṣ ṣād
November Scorpio ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟﻌَ ْﻘ َﺮب ا ْﻟ َﻘ ْﻠﺐ
اﻫﺠﻤﺎ ِﺋﻴﻞ
َ
‘Aṭrāʾīl* / ʾAsh-
Burju ʾl-‘Aqrab
26 21° 26' ‘Uṭrāʾīl* Shawlah
19th q qāf
November Scorpio ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟﻌَ ْﻘ َﺮب
ﻋﻄﺮا ِﺋﻴﻞ
َ ا ْﻟﺸ ْﻮﻟَﺔ
ʾAmwākīl* / ʾAn-
Burju ʾl-Qaws
9 4° 17' ʾUmwākīl* Na‘āʾam
20th r rā’
December Sagittarius ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟ َﻘ ْﻮس
اﻣﻮاﻛﻴﻞ َ َا ْﻟﻨﻌ
ﺎﺋﻢ
21st 22 17° 9' Burju ʾl-Qaws Hamrāʾīl* ʾAl-Baldah sh (also š) shīn
December Sagittarius ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟ َﻘ ْﻮس ﻫﻤﺮا ِﺋﻴﻞ ا ْﻟ َﺒ ْﻠ َﺪة
َ
Sa‘du ʾdh-
Burju ʾl-Jiddỳ' Dhābiḥ /
/ Burju ʾl-Jiddī ‘Azrāʾīl ʾAdh-
0° 0'
22nd 4 January Dhābiḥ t tā’
Capricorn ﻋَ ْﺰ َرا ِﺋﻴﻞ ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟ ِﺠﺪی \ ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج
ْٱﻟ ِﺠﺪي \ َﺳﻌْ ﺪُ ْٱﻟﺬ ِاﺑﺢ
ا ْﻟﺬ ِاﺑﺢ
Sa‘du ʾl-
Burju ʾl-Jiddỳ'
Bul‘a / ʾAl-
/ Burju ʾl-Jiddī Mīkāʾīl
17 12° Bul‘a
23rd ْ th (also ṯ) thā’
January 51'Capricorn ِﻣ ْﻴﻜَﺎ ِﺋﻴﻞ ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ٱﻟ ِﺠﺪی \ ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج
\ ََﺳﻌْ ﺪُ ْٱﻟ ُﺒ ْﻠﻊ
ْٱﻟ ِﺠﺪي
َا ْﻟ ُﺒ ْﻠﻊ
Sa‘du ʾs-
Burju ʾl-Jiddỳ'
Su‘ud /
/ Burju ʾl-Jiddī Mahkāʾīl*
30 25° 43' ʾAs-Su‘ud
24th kh (also ḫ, ḵ) khā’
January Capricorn ﻣﻬﻜَﺎ ِﺋﻴﻞ ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟ ِﺠﺪی \ ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج
َﺳﻌْ ﺪُ ْٱﻟﺴﻌُ ﻮد
ْٱﻟ ِﺠﺪي
\ ا ْﻟﺴﻌُ ﻮد
Sa‘du ʾl-
ʾAkhbiyyah
ʾAhrāfīl* /
Burju ʾd-Dalū / ʾAl-
12 8° 34' ʾUhrāfīl*
25th ʾAkhbiyyah dh (also ḏ) dhāl
February Aquarius ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟﺪ ُﻟﻮ
اﻓﻴﻞ
ِ َاﻫﺮ
َﺳﻌْ ﺪُ ْٱﻻ ْﺧ ِﺒﻴﻪ
\ ا ْﻻ ْﺧ ِﺒﻴﻪ
Farghu ʾd-
Dalū ʾl-
Muqdim /
‘Aṭkāʾīl* /
Burju ʾd-Dalū ʾAl-
25 21° 26' ‘Uṭkāʾīl*
26th Muqdim ḍ ḍād
February Aquarius ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟﺪ ُﻟﻮ
ﻋﻄﻜَﺎ ِﺋﻴﻞ
َﻓ ْﺮ ُغ ْٱﻟﺪ ُﻟﻮ
\ ْٱﻟ ُﻤ ْﻘ ِﺪم
ا ْﻟ ُﻤ ْﻘ ِﺪم
27th 10 March 4° 17' Burju ʾl-Ḥūt Tūrāʾīl* Farghu ʾd- ẓ ẓā’
Pisces ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟ ُﺤ ْﻮت ﺗﻮ َرا ِﺋﻴﻞ Dalū ʾl-
Muʾkhar /
ʾAl-
Muʾkhar
َﻓ ْﺮ ُغ ْٱﻟﺪ ُﻟﻮ
\ ْٱﻟ ُﻤ ْﺆ َﺧﺮ
ا ْﻟ ُﻤ ْﺆ َﺧﺮ
ʾAr-Rashāʾ
/ Buṭnu ʾl-
Burju ʾl-Ḥūt Lūkhāʾīl*
17° 9' Ḥūt
28th 23 March gh (also ġ, ḡ) ghayn
Pisces ﺑ ُْﺮ ُج ْٱﻟ ُﺤ ْﻮت َ
ﻟﻮﺧﺎ ِﺋﻴﻞ
ا ْﻟﺮ َﺷﺎء \ ﺑ َْﻄ ُﻦ
ْٱﻟ ُﺤﻮت
Also, the following letters has no
alphabetical value in numerology of the
Abjad system known as "Ilm ul-ʾAdad".
Arabic alphabet [ḥurūf ]ﺣﺮوف- Abjadī Order
Letter Name in Letter Value Letter
Transliteration Letter Name
Arabic script (Abjad numerals) (Isolated Form)
’ (also ʾ / ʔ) hamzah ﻫﻤﺰة 0 ء
ah or at / ah / aẗ tāʼ marbūṭah ﺗﺎء ﻣﺮﺑﻮﻃﺔ 0 ة
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 ʽAmal (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 (ʽAzrāʼīl).
3) the alphabetical orders follows the
sequence of the original abjadī order
()ا ْﺑ َﺠ ِﺪي, used for lettering, derives from the
order of the Phoenician alphabet, and is
therefore similar to the order of other
Phoenician-derived alphabets, such as the
Hebrew alphabet. 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:
[citation needed]
Letter Name in Letter
Persian Letter
Transliteration Letter Name (Isolation
Value
()ﻓﺎرﺳﯽ Form)
p pe [Voiceless bilabial stop p] ِپ 2 پ
če / che [Voiceless palato-alveolar
č / ch ِچ 3 چ
affricate tʃ͡ ]
že / zhe [Voiced palato-alveolar
ž / zh ِژ 7 ژ
sibilant ʒ]
g gāf [Voiced velar stop ɡ] ﮔﺎف 20 گ
References
1. S. Weinstock, 'Lunar Mansions and
Early Calendars', Journal of Hellenic
Studies, LXIX (1949); cf. also CCAG
IX.1 138ff.
2. Philip Yampolsky, 'The origin of the
Twenty-eight Lunar Mansions', Osiris,
IX (1950), pp.62-83.
3. I. E. Svenberg, 'Lunaria et Zodiologia
Latina', Studia Graeca et Latina
Gothoburgensia (Goteburg, 1963).
4. Tester, Jim (1987). A History of
Western Astrology. Boydell and
Brewer. p. 82.
5. Matthew O'Neil, William (1976). Time
and the Calendars. Manchester
University Press. p. 53. ISBN 0-7190-
0642-2.
6. Hassan, Izzat (2006). Al Azmana wa al
Anwaa. Morocco: Awqaf and Islamic
Affairs Printing Press. ISBN 9954-0-
5074-4.
External links
The Fixed Stars and Constellations in
Astrology: The Lunar Mansions
W. B. Yeats and "A Vision": The Arab
Mansions of the Moon
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