# Lunar station

Often called lunar mansion, a lunar station 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.

## Stations in different cultures

In general, though not always, the zodiac is divided into 27 or 28 segments relative to the vernal equinox point or the fixed stars – one for each day of the lunar month. (A sidereal month lasts about ⁠27+1/3⁠ days.) The Moon's position is charted with respect to those fixed segments. Since the Moon's position at any 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. Tester (1987) explains that they appear in Hellenistic astrology in the 2nd-century list of fixed stars in the Katarchai by Maximus, the Arabic lists by Alchandri and Ibn Abī l-Rijāl, 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."

### 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; (cf. Solar term). 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. According to the modern tradition they start from a point on the ecliptic precisely opposite the star Spica (Sanskrit: Chitrā) and develop eastwards but the oldest traditional method was to use the Vernal Equinox point as the starting point of Ashvini Nakshatra. 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, the new 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: 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.
    ManzilAssociated NawaaSignificant Stars/ConstellationsZodiac ConstellationsBegins on SharaṭānAl ThurayyāSheratan in Aries--17 May PleioneAl ThurayyāPleione in the Pleiades--31 May Al-BuṭaynAl ThurayyāAlbatain in the Pleiades--13 June Al-Tuwaibe'Al Tuwaibe'Aldebaran--26 June Al-Haq‘ahAl Jawzaa/GeminiHaq‘ah in OrionGemini9 July Al-Han‘ahAl Jawzaa/GeminiAlhena in GeminiGemini22 July MurzimMurzimCanis Major--4 August An NathraKulaibainAn Nathra--17 August AlterfSuhailAlterf in LeoLeo30 August DschubaSuhailDschubaScorpio12 September AzzubraSuhail25 September AssarfaSuhail8 October AuvaAl WasmAuvaVirgo21 October SimakAl WasmSpica--3 November SyrmaAl Wasm--16 November Az ZubanaAl WasmAcubenCancer29 November Akleel "The Crown"MurabaaniaCorona Borealis--12 December Qalb al AkraabMurabaaniaAntaresScorpio25 December ShaulaMurabaaniaShaulaScorpio3 January Al NaamAsh ShabtAscella and NunkiSagittarius16 January Al BaldaahAsh ShabtPi SaggitariSagittarius29 January Saad Al ThabibThe Three SaadsBeta CapricorniCapricornus11 February Saad BalaaThe Three SaadsSaad Balaa--26 February Saad Al SaudThe Three SaadsSaadalsudAquarius11 March Saad Al AkhbiaHameemainSadachbia--24 March AlmuqaddamHameemainAlmuqaddam--6 April Al MuakharAl TharaeenPolluxGemini and Aquarius (in the Arab system)19 April AlreschaAl TharaeenAlreschaGemini 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 Sidereal Zodiac sign Constellation ʿAmal 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 Transliteration Letter Name Letter Value (Abjad numerals) Letter (Isolated Form) 1st 5 April 0° 0' Aries Arabic: بُرْجُ ﭐلْحَمَل, romanized: burjuʾl-Ḥamal ʾIsrāfīl إِسْرَافِيل ʾAsh-Sharaṭayn / ʾAn-Naṭḥ ﭐلْشَّرَطَيْن \ ﭐلْنّطح ā / ’ (also ʾ ) alif 1 أ 2nd 18 April 12° 51' Jibrāʾīl جِبْرَائِيل ʾAl-Buṭayn ﭐلْبُطَيْن b bāʾ 2 ب 3rd 1 May 25° 43' Kalkāʾīl* كلكائيل ʾAth-Thurayyā ﭐلْثُّرَيَّا j (also ǧ, g) jīm 3 ج 4th 14 May 8° 34' Taurus Arabic: بُرْجُ ﭐلْثُّور, romanized: burjuʾl-th-Thūr Dardāʾīl* دردَائِيل ʾAd-Dabarān ﭐلْدَّبَرَان d dāl 4 د 5th 27 May 21° 26' Dūryāʾīl* دوريَائِيل ʾAl-Haqʿah ﭐلْهَقْعَة h hāʾ 5 ه 6th 9 June 4° 17' Gemini Arabic: بُرْجُ ﭐلْجَوْزَاء, romanized: burju ʾl-Jawzā Fatmāʾīl* فتمَائِيل ʾAl-Hanʿah ﭐلْهَنْعَة w / ū wāw 6 و 7th 22 June 17° 9' Sharfāʾīl* شرفَائِيل ʾAdh-Dhirāʿ ﭐلْذِّرَاعْ z zayn / zāy 7 ز 8th 5 July 0° 0' Cancer Arabic: بُرْجُ ﭐلْسَّرْطَان, romanized: burju ʾs-Sartan Tankafīl* تنكفيل ʾAn-Nathrah ﭐلْنَّثْرَة ḥ ḥāʾ 8 ح 9th 18 July 12° 51' ʾIsmāʿīl* إِسْمَاعِيل ʾAṭ-Ṭarf / ʾAṭ-Ṭarfah ﭐلْطَّرْف \ ﭐلْطَّرْفَة ṭ ṭāʾ 9 ط 10th 31 July 25° 43' Kīṭāʾīl* كيطَائِيل ʾAl-Jab'hah ﭐلْجَبْهَة y , ī / ā , ỳ yāʾ / alif maqṣūrah 10 ي \ ى 11th 14 Aug 8° 34' Leo Arabic: بُرْجُ ﭐلْأَسَد, romanized: burju ʾl-Asad بُرْجُ ﭐلْأَسَد Ḥarūzāʾīl* حروزَائِيل ʾAz-Zubrah / ʾAl-Kharātān ﭐلْزُّبْرَة \ ﭐلْخرَاتَان k kāf 20 ك 12th 27 Aug 21° 26' Ṭāṭāʾīl* طَاطَائِيل ʾAṣ-Ṣarfah ﭐلْصَّرْفَة l lām 30 ل 13th 9 September 4° 17' Virgo Arabic: بُرْجُ العَذْراء, romanized: burju aleadhra' Rūmāʾīl* رومَائِيل ʾAl-ʿAwwāʾ ﭐلْعَوَّاء m mīm 40 م 14th 22 September 17° 9' Ḥūlāʾīl* حولَائِيل ʾAs-Simāk / ʾAs-Simāku ʾl-Aʿzil ﭐلْسِّمَاك \ ﭐلْسِّمَاكُ ﭐلأَعْزِل n nūn 50 ن 15th 5 October 0° 0' Libra Arabic: بُرْجُ ﭐلْمِيزَان, romanized: burju ʾl-Mīzān Hamrākīl* همرَاكيل ʾAl-Ghafr ﭐلْغَفْر s sīn 60 س 16th 18 October 12° 51' Lūmāʾīl* لومَائِيل ʾAz-Zubānā ﭐلْزُّبَانَى ‘ (also ʿ ) ayn 70 ع 17th 31 October 25° 43' Sarhamākīl* سرهمَاكيل ʾAl-Iklīl / ʾAl-Iklīlu ʾl-Jab'hah ﭐلْإِكْلِيل \ ﭐلْإِكْلِيلُ ﭐلْجَبْهَة f fā 80 ف 18th 13 November 8° 34' Scorpio Arabic: بُرْجُ ﭐلْعَقْرَب, romanized: burju ʾl-ʿAqrab ʾAhjamāʾīl* / ʾUhjamāʾīl* اهجمَائِيل ʾAl-Qalb ﭐلْقَلْب ṣ ṣād 90 ص 19th 26 November 21° 26' ʿAṭrāʾīl* / ʿUṭrāʾīl* عطرَائِيل ʾAsh-Shawlah ﭐلْشَّوْلَة q qāf 100 ق 20th 9 December 4° 17' Sagittarius Burju ʾl-Qaws Arabic: بُرْجُ ﭐلْقَوْس, romanized: burju ʿl-Qaws ʾAmwākīl* / ʾUmwākīl* امواكيل ʾAn-Naʿāʾam ﭐلْنَّعَائَم r rāʾ 200 ر 21st 22 December 17° 9' Hamrāʾīl* همرَائِيل ʾAl-Baldah ﭐلْبَلْدَة sh (also š) shīn 300 ش 22nd 4 January 0° 0' Capricorn Arabic: بُرْجُ ﭐلْجِدِّي, romanized: burju ʾl-Jiddỳ ʿAzrāʾīl عَزْرَائِيل Saʿdu ʾdh-Dhābiḥ / ʾAdh-Dhābiḥ سَعْدُ ﭐلْذَّابِح \ ﭐلْذَّابِح t tāʾ 400 ت 23rd 17 January 12° 51' Mīkāʾīl مِيكَائِيل Saʿdu ʾl-Bulʿa / ʾAl-Bulʿa سَعْدُ ﭐلْبُلْعَ \ ﭐلْبُلْعَ th (also ṯ) thāʾ 500 ث 24th 30 January 25° 43' Mahkāʾīl* مهكَائِيل Saʿdu ʾs-Suʿud / ʾAs-Suʿud سَعْدُ ﭐلْسُّعُود \ ﭐلْسُّعُود kh (also ḫ, ḵ) khāʾ 600 خ 25th 12 February 8° 34' Aquarius Arabic: بُرْجُ ﭐلْدَّلُو, romanized: burju ʾd-Dalū ʾAhrāfīl* / ʾUhrāfīl* اهرَافِيل Saʿdu ʾl-ʾAkhbiyyah / ʾAl-ʾAkhbiyyah سَعْدُ ﭐلْأَخْبِيَّه \ ﭐلْأَخْبِيَّه dh (also ḏ) dhāl 700 ذ 26th 25 February 21° 26' ʿAṭkāʾīl* / ʿUṭkāʾīl* عطكَائِيل Farghu ʾd-Dalū ʾl-Muqdim / ʾAl-Muqdim فَرْغُ ﭐلْدَّلُو ﭐلْمُقْدِم \ ﭐلْمُقْدِم ḍ ḍād 800 ض 27th 10 March 4° 17' Pisces Arabic: بُرْجُ ﭐلْحُوت, romanized: burju ʾl-Ḥūt Tūrāʾīl* تورَائِيل Farghu ʾd-Dalū ʾl-Muʾkhar / ʾAl-Muʾkhar فَرْغُ ﭐلْدَّلُو ﭐلْمُؤْخَر \ ﭐلْمُؤْخَر ẓ ẓāʾ 900 ظ 28th 23 March 17° 9' Lūkhāʾīl* لوخَائِيل ʾAr-Rashāʾ / Buṭnu ʾl-Ḥūt ﭐلْرَّشَاء \ بَطْنُ ﭐلْحُوت gh (also ġ, ḡ) ghayn 1000 غ
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 ʿAmal (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 (ʿAzrāʼīl).
(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:
    Transliteration Letter Name Letter Name in Persian Letter Value Letter (Isolation Form) p pe [Voiceless bilabial stop p] په 2 پ č / ch če / che [Voiceless palato-alveolar affricate t͡ʃ] چه 3 چ ž / zh že / zhe [Voiced palato-alveolar sibilant ʒ] ژه 7 ژ g gāf [Voiced velar stop ɡ] گاف 20 گ