The Moon's resting places
The Moon takes about 27.3 days to travel once around the zodiac. Ancient Indian astronomers divided its path into 27 segments, one for roughly each day of the journey. These are the nakshatras, often translated as lunar mansions. Each is named after a star or group of stars that marks it in the sky.
Each nakshatra spans 13 degrees and 20 minutes of arc, so the 27 together fill the 360-degree circle. Each is further split into four padas (quarters) of 3 degrees 20 minutes. The 108 padas fit exactly into the twelve signs, nine padas to a sign, which is one reason the number 108 is so meaningful in Indian tradition.
The 27, in order
- Ashwini
- Bharani
- Krittika
- Rohini
- Mrigashira
- Ardra
- Punarvasu
- Pushya
- Ashlesha
- Magha
- Purva Phalguni
- Uttara Phalguni
- Hasta
- Chitra
- Swati
- Vishakha
- Anuradha
- Jyeshtha
- Mula
- Purva Ashadha
- Uttara Ashadha
- Shravana
- Dhanishta
- Shatabhisha
- Purva Bhadrapada
- Uttara Bhadrapada
- Revati
The sequence begins at 0 degrees of Mesha with Ashwini and ends at the last degree of Meena with Revati. In muhurta work a 28th, Abhijit, is sometimes added within Uttara Ashadha and Shravana.
Rulers and deities
Each nakshatra has a ruling planet. The rulers follow a repeating cycle of nine: Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury. So Ashwini, Magha and Mula are ruled by Ketu; Bharani, Purva Phalguni and Purva Ashadha by Venus; and so on around the circle.
Each also has a presiding deity and a symbol that describe its character. Ashwini is linked with the Ashwini Kumaras, the divine healers, and has a horse's head as its symbol, suggesting speed and fresh starts. Pushya is linked with Brihaspati, the teacher of the gods, and is widely regarded as one of the most nourishing and auspicious nakshatras.
Your birth star
Your janma nakshatra, or birth star, is the nakshatra the Moon occupied when you were born. It is used in many traditional practices: choosing the first syllable of a child's name, matching horoscopes for marriage, and judging whether a day's nakshatra is favourable for you personally (called tarabala).
Most importantly, the ruler of your birth star decides where your Vimshottari Dasha begins. If the Moon was in Rohini, ruled by the Moon, your life begins in a Moon period; if it was in Pushya, ruled by Saturn, it begins in a Saturn period. How far the Moon had travelled through the nakshatra decides how much of that first period remains.
Nakshatras in daily life
The Moon moves through about one nakshatra a day, so every day has a ruling nakshatra. This is one of the five limbs of the Panchang. Families often check it before beginning journeys, ceremonies or new ventures, since some nakshatras are traditionally considered fixed and good for lasting work, others light and good for travel or learning. Your own birth star also returns once a month, and many families mark the birthday by nakshatra rather than by calendar date, a custom still widely kept in South India.
You can see today's nakshatra on the free Panchang page, for any town.
