What are Nakshatras? The 27 lunar mansions

How they differ from the 12 signs

The 12 signs divide the ecliptic into segments of 30 degrees; the Nakshatras divide the same ecliptic into 27 segments of 13 degrees 20 minutes. Each sign therefore contains two to three mansions. If the sign is the stage on which a life plays out, the mansion is closer to the role played on it, expressing finer temperament and habitual reactions. Each Nakshatra is named after an actual star or star group, and each has a deity, a symbol and a ruling planet fixed by tradition.

What the Moon's Nakshatra shows

What Vedic astrology weighs most is the mansion the Moon occupied at the moment of birth. The Moon is taken to show how the mind moves: what calms it, what stirs it, when it becomes worn down. The mansion distinguishes these inner tendencies. It is not unusual for someone who found the Western Sun-sign description a little thin to say the Moon-mansion description finally clicked. Readings also refer to the mansions occupied by the other planets and the ascendant, but knowing your Moon's mansion is the way in.

Nakshatras and the Dasha

Each of the 27 mansions is assigned to one of the nine planets, and the ruler of your Moon's mansion at birth becomes your first Dasha (planetary period). So the Nakshatra not only describes character; it is the starting point for calculating the flow of a life's periods. How to read the timing is covered in the Dasha guide.

The 27 Nakshatras (ruling planet, sign, keywords)

Below are the 27 mansions in ecliptic order. The keywords summarise the qualities traditionally attributed to each and are only a starting point.

1. Ashwini (Ketu / Aries) — beginnings, healing
2. Bharani (Venus / Aries) — holding, endurance
3. Krittika (Sun / Aries–Taurus) — cutting through, purification
4. Rohini (Moon / Taurus) — nurturing, abundance
5. Mrigashira (Mars / Taurus–Gemini) — searching, sensitivity
6. Ardra (Rahu / Gemini) — storm, transformation
7. Punarvasu (Jupiter / Gemini–Cancer) — renewal, return
8. Pushya (Saturn / Cancer) — nourishment, trust
9. Ashlesha (Mercury / Cancer) — entwining, insight
10. Magha (Ketu / Leo) — lineage, authority
11. Purva Phalguni (Venus / Leo) — rest, enjoyment
12. Uttara Phalguni (Sun / Leo–Virgo) — contracts, cooperation
13. Hasta (Moon / Virgo) — handiwork, dexterity
14. Chitra (Mars / Virgo–Libra) — brilliance, construction
15. Swati (Rahu / Libra) — independence, flexibility
16. Vishakha (Jupiter / Libra–Scorpio) — purpose, ambition
17. Anuradha (Saturn / Scorpio) — devotion, friendship
18. Jyeshtha (Mercury / Scorpio) — seniority, responsibility
19. Mula (Ketu / Sagittarius) — roots, inquiry
20. Purva Ashadha (Venus / Sagittarius) — victory, optimism
21. Uttara Ashadha (Sun / Sagittarius–Capricorn) — persistence, achievement
22. Shravana (Moon / Capricorn) — listening, learning
23. Dhanishta (Mars / Capricorn–Aquarius) — wealth, rhythm
24. Shatabhisha (Rahu / Aquarius) — healing, secrets
25. Purva Bhadrapada (Jupiter / Aquarius–Pisces) — intensity, duality
26. Uttara Bhadrapada (Saturn / Pisces) — depth, stability
27. Revati (Mercury / Pisces) — guidance, completion

How to find your Nakshatra

The Moon passes through a sign in about two and a half days and moves to a new Nakshatra roughly once a day. So the date of birth alone gives a rough answer, but people born near the boundary may land in the neighbouring mansion without the time and place of birth. Enter all three and the Moon's mansion is calculated automatically. The free reading on this site calculates your Moon sign, Nakshatra and ascendant and explains what they mean in full sentences.

Things to keep in mind

A description of a Moon mansion is one of 27 generalities. In an actual reading, the Moon's position within the mansion, the planets sharing its house and its relationship to the ascendant are read together, so the same mansion can give a very different impression. Categorical statements such as "this mansion is unsuited to marriage", even where they appear in traditional texts, should not be applied directly to modern decisions. The most useful way to take them is as a vocabulary for understanding your own tendencies.