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

Main article: Twenty-Eight Mansions

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

Main article: 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.

Manzil	Associated Nawaa	Significant Stars/Constellations	Zodiac Constellations	Begins on
Sharaṭān	Al Thurayyā	Sheratan in Aries	--	17 May
Pleione	Al Thurayyā	Pleione in the Pleiades	--	31 May
Al-Buṭayn	Al Thurayyā	Albatain in the Pleiades	--	13 June
Al-Tuwaibe'	Al Tuwaibe'	Aldebaran	--	26 June
Al-Haq‘ah	Al Jawzaa/Gemini	Haq‘ah in Orion	Gemini	9 July
Al-Han‘ah	Al Jawzaa/Gemini	Alhena in Gemini	Gemini	22 July
Murzim	Murzim	Canis Major	--	4 August
An Nathra	Kulaibain	An Nathra	--	17 August
Alterf	Suhail	Alterf in Leo	Leo	30 August
Dschuba	Suhail	Dschuba	Scorpio	12 September
Azzubra	Suhail			25 September
Assarfa	Suhail			8 October
Auva	Al Wasm	Auva	Virgo	21 October
Simak	Al Wasm	Spica	--	3 November
Syrma	Al Wasm		--	16 November
Az Zubana	Al Wasm	Acuben	Cancer	29 November
Akleel "The Crown"	Murabaania	Corona Borealis	--	12 December
Qalb al Akraab	Murabaania	Antares	Scorpio	25 December
Shaula	Murabaania	Shaula	Scorpio	3 January
Al Naam	Ash Shabt	Ascella and Nunki	Sagittarius	16 January
Al Baldaah	Ash Shabt	Pi Saggitari	Sagittarius	29 January
Saad Al Thabib	The Three Saads	Beta Capricorni	Capricornus	11 February
Saad Balaa	The Three Saads	Saad Balaa	--	26 February
Saad Al Saud	The Three Saads	Saadalsud	Aquarius	11 March
Saad Al Akhbia	Hameemain	Sadachbia	--	24 March
Almuqaddam	Hameemain	Almuqaddam	--	6 April
Al Muakhar	Al Tharaeen	Pollux	Gemini and Aquarius (in the Arab system)	19 April
Alrescha	Al Tharaeen	Alrescha	Gemini and Aquarius (in the Arab system)	2 May

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 القمر] according to Islamic astronomical system (Arab sources)

Station	Period (approx. by Arab sources)	Starting Degree of Zodiac Sign (Sidereal Zodiac)	Constellation [ʾal-burūj ﭐلْبُرُوْج]	‘Amal عمل (lit. "doer"/ "doer of the deed") (The Angel ruling the Manazil and ḥurūf)	Lunar station [Manazilu ʾl-Qamar منازل القمر]	Arabic alphabet [ḥurūf حروف] - Abjadī Order					Position [ʾadad أعداد]
						Transliteration	Letter Name	Letter Name in Arabic script	Letter Value (Abjad numerals)	Letter (Isolated Form)
1st	5 April	0° 0' Aries	Burju ʾl-Ḥamal بُرْجُ ﭐلْحَمَل	ʾIsrāfīl إِسْرَافِيْل	ʾAsh-Sharaṭayn / ʾAn-Naṭḥ أَلْشَّرَطَيْن \ أَلْنّطح	ā / ’ (also ʾ )	alif	ألف	1	أ	1 ١
2nd	18 April	12° 51' Aries	Burju ʾl-Ḥamal بُرْجُ ﭐلْحَمَل	Jibrāʾīl جِبْرَائِيل	ʾAl-Buṭayn أَلْبُطَيْن	b	bā’	باء	2	ب	2 ۲
3rd	1 May	25° 43' Aries	Burju ʾl-Ḥamal بُرْجُ ﭐلْحَمَل	Kalkāʾīl* كلكائيل	ʾAth-Thurayyā أَلْثُّرَيَّا	j (also ǧ, g)	jīm	جيم	3	ج	3 ۳
4th	14 May	8° 34' Taurus	Burju ʾth-Thūr بُرْجُ ﭐلْثُّور	Dardāʾīl* دردَائِيل	ʾAd-Dabarān أَلْدَّبَرَان	d	dāl	دال	4	د	4 ۴
5th	27 May	21° 26' Taurus	Burju ʾth-Thūr بُرْجُ ﭐلْثُّور	Dūryāʾīl* دوريَائِيل	ʾAl-Haq‘ah أَلْهَقْعَة	h	hā’	هاء	5	ه	5 ۵
6th	9 June	4° 17' Gemini	Burju ʾl-Jawzāʾ بُرْجُ ﭐلْجَوْزَاء	Fatmāʾīl* فتمَائِيل	ʾAl-Han‘ah أَلْهَنْعَة	w / ū	wāw	واو	6	و	6 ۶
7th	22 June	17° 9'Gemini	Burju ʾl-Jawzāʾ بُرْجُ ﭐلْجَوْزَاء	Sharfāʾīl* شرفَائِيل	ʾAdh-Dhirā‘ أَلْذِّرَاعْ	z	zayn / zāy	زاي	7	ز	7 ۷
8th	5 July	0° 0' Cancer	Burju ʾs-Sarṭan بُرْجُ ﭐلْسَّرْطَان	Tankafīl* تنكفيل	ʾAn-Nathrah أَلْنَّثْرَة	ḥ	ḥā’	حاء	8	ح	8 ۸
9th	18 July	12° 51' Cancer	Burju ʾs-Sarṭan بُرْجُ ﭐلْسَّرْطَان	ʾIsmā‘īl* إِسْمَاعِيْل	ʾAṭ-Ṭarf / ʾAṭ-Ṭarfah أَلْطَّرْف \ أَلْطَّرْفَة	ṭ	ṭā’	طاء	9	ط	9 ۹
10th	31 July	25° 43' Cancer	Burju ʾs-Sarṭan بُرْجُ ﭐلْسَّرْطَان	Kīṭāʾīl* كيطَائِيل	ʾAl-Jab'hah أَلْجَبْهَة	y , ī / ā , ỳ	yā’ / alif maqṣūrah	ياء \ ألف مقصورة	10	ي \ ى	10 ۱۰
11th	14 Aug	8° 34' Leo	Burju ʾl-ʾAsad بُرْجُ ﭐلْأَسَد	Ḥarūzāʾīl* حروزَائِيل	ʾAz-Zubrah / ʾAl-Kharātān أَلْزُّبْرَة \ أَلْخرَاتَان	k	kāf	كاف	20	ك	11 ۱۱
12th	27 Aug	21° 26' Leo	Burju ʾl-ʾAsad بُرْجُ ﭐلْأَسَد	Ṭāṭāʾīl* طَاطَائِيل	ʾAṣ-Ṣarfah أَلْصَّرْفَة	l	lām	لام	30	ل	12 ۱۲
13th	9 September	4° 17' Virgo	Burju ʾs-Sanabilah / Burju ʾs-Sunbulah بُرْجُ ﭐلْسَّنَبِلَة \ بُرْجُ ﭐلْسُّنْبُلَة	Rūmāʾīl* رومَائِيل	ʾAl-‘Awwāʾ أَلْعَوَّاء	m	mīm	ميم	40	م	13 ۱۳
14th	22 September	17° 9' Virgo	Burju ʾs-Sanabilah / Burju ʾs-Sunbulah بُرْجُ ﭐلْسَّنَبِلَة \ بُرْجُ ﭐلْسُّنْبُلَة	Ḥūlāʾīl* حولَائِيل	ʾAs-Simāk / ʾAs-Simāku ʾl-A‘zil أَلْسِّمَاك \ أَلْسِّمَاكُ ﭐلأَعْزِل	n	nūn	نون	50	ن	14 ۱۴
15th	5 October	0° 0' Libra	Burju ʾl-Mīzān بُرْجُ ﭐلْمِيْزَان	Hamrākīl* همرَاكيل	ʾAl-Ghafr أَلْغَفْر	s	sīn	سين	60	س	15 ۱۵
16th	18 October	12° 51' Libra	Burju ʾl-Mīzān بُرْجُ ﭐلْمِيْزَان	Lūmāʾīl* لومَائِيل	ʾAz-Zubānā أَلْزُّبَانَى	‘ (also ʿ )	ayn	عين	70	ع	16 ۱۶
17th	31 October	25° 43' Libra	Burju ʾl-Mīzān بُرْجُ ﭐلْمِيْزَان	Sarhamākīl* سرهمَاكيل	ʾAl-Iklīl / ʾAl-Iklīlu ʾl-Jab'hah أَلْإِكْلِيْل \ أَلْإِكْلِيْلُ ﭐلْجَبْهَة	f	fā	فاء	80	ف	17 ۱۷
18th	13 November	8° 34' Scorpio	Burju ʾl-‘Aqrab بُرْجُ ﭐلْعَقْرَب	ʾAhjamāʾīl* / ʾUhjamāʾīl* اهجمَائِيل	ʾAl-Qalb أَلْقَلْب	ṣ	ṣād	صاد	90	ص	18 ۱۸
19th	26 November	21° 26' Scorpio	Burju ʾl-‘Aqrab بُرْجُ ﭐلْعَقْرَب	‘Aṭrāʾīl* / ‘Uṭrāʾīl* عطرَائِيل	ʾAsh-Shawlah أَلْشَّوْلَة	q	qāf	قاف	100	ق	19 ۱۹
20th	9 December	4° 17' Sagittarius	Burju ʾl-Qaws بُرْجُ ﭐلْقَوْس	ʾAmwākīl* / ʾUmwākīl* امواكيل	ʾAn-Na‘āʾam أَلْنَّعَائَم	r	rā’	راء	200	ر	20 ۲۰
21st	22 December	17° 9' Sagittarius	Burju ʾl-Qaws بُرْجُ ﭐلْقَوْس	Hamrāʾīl* همرَائِيل	ʾAl-Baldah أَلْبَلْدَة	sh (also š)	shīn	شين	300	ش	21 ۲۱
22nd	4 January	0° 0' Capricorn	Burju ʾl-Jiddỳ' / Burju ʾl-Jiddī بُرْجُ ﭐلْجِدِّی \ بُرْجُ ﭐلْجِدِّي	‘Azrāʾīl عَزْرَائِيل	Sa‘du ʾdh-Dhābiḥ / ʾAdh-Dhābiḥ سَعْدُ ﭐلْذَّابِح \ أَلْذَّابِح	t	tā’	تاء	400	ت	22 ۲۲
23rd	17 January	12° 51'Capricorn	Burju ʾl-Jiddỳ' / Burju ʾl-Jiddī بُرْجُ ﭐلْجِدِّی \ بُرْجُ ﭐلْجِدِّي	Mīkāʾīl مِيْكَائِيل	Sa‘du ʾl-Bul‘a / ʾAl-Bul‘a سَعْدُ ﭐلْبُلْعَ \ أَلْبُلْعَ	th (also ṯ)	thā’	ثاء	500	ث	23 ۲۳
24th	30 January	25° 43' Capricorn	Burju ʾl-Jiddỳ' / Burju ʾl-Jiddī بُرْجُ ﭐلْجِدِّی \ بُرْجُ ﭐلْجِدِّي	Mahkāʾīl* مهكَائِيل	Sa‘du ʾs-Su‘ud / ʾAs-Su‘ud سَعْدُ ﭐلْسُّعُود \ أَلْسُّعُود	kh (also ḫ, ḵ)	khā’	خاء	600	خ	24 ۲۴
25th	12 February	8° 34' Aquarius	Burju ʾd-Dalū بُرْجُ ﭐلْدَّلُو	ʾAhrāfīl* / ʾUhrāfīl* اهرَافِيل	Sa‘du ʾl-ʾAkhbiyyah / ʾAl-ʾAkhbiyyah سَعْدُ ﭐلْأَخْبِيَّه \ أَلْأَخْبِيَّه	dh (also ḏ)	dhāl	ذال	700	ذ	25 ۲۵
26th	25 February	21° 26' Aquarius	Burju ʾd-Dalū بُرْجُ ﭐلْدَّلُو	‘Aṭkāʾīl* / ‘Uṭkāʾīl* عطكَائِيل	Farghu ʾd-Dalū ʾl-Muqdim / ʾAl-Muqdim فَرْغُ ﭐلْدَّلُو ﭐلْمُقْدِم \ أَلْمُقْدِم	ḍ	ḍād	ضاد	800	ض	26 ۲۶
27th	10 March	4° 17' Pisces	Burju ʾl-Ḥūt بُرْجُ ﭐلْحُوْت	Tūrāʾīl* تورَائِيل	Farghu ʾd-Dalū ʾl-Muʾkhar / ʾAl-Muʾkhar فَرْغُ ﭐلْدَّلُو ﭐلْمُؤْخَر \ أَلْمُؤْخَر	ẓ	ẓā’	ظاء	900	ظ	27 ۲۷
28th	23 March	17° 9' Pisces	Burju ʾl-Ḥūt بُرْجُ ﭐلْحُوْت	Lūkhāʾīl* لوخَائِيل	ʾAr-Rashāʾ / Buṭnu ʾl-Ḥūt أَلْرَّشَاء \ بَطْنُ ﭐلْحُوت	gh (also ġ, ḡ)	ghayn	غين	100	غ	28 ۲۸

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
Transliteration	Letter Name	Letter Name in Arabic script	Letter Value (Abjad numerals)	Letter (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 (أَبْجَدِي), 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]}

Transliteration	Letter Name	Letter Name in Persian (فارسی)	Letter Value	Letter (Isolation Form)
p	pe [Voiceless bilabial stop p]	پِ	2	پ
č / ch	če / che [Voiceless palato-alveolar affricate t͡ʃ]	چِ	3	چ
ž / zh	že / zhe [Voiced palato-alveolar sibilant ʒ]	ژِ	7	ژ
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