Lunar station
Often calledlunar mansion,[a]alunar stationorlunar houseis a segment of theeclipticthrough which theMoonpasses inits orbitaround the Earth. The concept was used by several ancient cultures as part of their calendrical system.
Stations in different cultures
[edit]In general, though not always, thezodiacis divided into 27 or 28 segments relative to thevernal equinox pointor thefixed stars– one for each day of thelunar month.(Asidereal monthlasts about27+1/3days.) 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 inits own orbit,lunar stations are an effective system for keeping track of the passage of seasons.
Various cultures have used sets of lunar stationsastrologically;for example, theJyotishaastrologicalnakshatrasof Hindu culture, the Arabicmanzils(manazil al-qamar), theTwenty-Eight MansionsofChinese astronomy,and the 36decansofEgyptian astronomy.Western astrologydoes not use stations, but eachzodiac signcovers two or three. The Chinese system groups houses into four groups related to the seasons.
The concept of lunar stations is thought to originate inBabylonian astronomy.[1][2][3]Tester (1987)[4]explains that they appear inHellenistic astrologyin the 2nd-century list of fixed stars in theKatarchaiby Maximus[b],the Arabic lists by Alchandri andIbn Abī l-Rijāl,and a similarCopticlist with Greek names.
Tester believes that though they were known in theVedic periodof India, all lists "seem to betray" transmission through Greek sources. Though pointing out that the Babylonians had well established lunar groupings by the6th 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 túcxiù
[edit]The28 Lunar Mansions,or more preciselylodgings(Chinese:Nhị thậpBátTúc;pinyin:èrshí bā xiù) are theChineseandEast Asianform of the lunar stations. They can be considered as the equivalent to the Westernzodiac,although the 28 stations reflect the movement of the Moon through asidereal monthrather than the Sun in atropical year;(cf.Solar term). In their final form, they embodied the astral forms of theFour Symbols:two real and two legendary animals important in traditionalChinese culture,such asfeng shui.
Indiannakshatra
[edit]Thenakshatras(or more preciselynákṣatra,lit."stars" ) are theIndianform 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 starSpica(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 classicalHindu mythology,the creation of the nakshatras is attributed toDaksha.They were wives ofChandra,the moon god. The nakshatras of traditionalbhartiya astronomyare based on a list of 28 asterisms found in theAtharvaveda(AVŚ 19.7) and also in theShatapatha Brahmana.The first astronomical text that lists them is theVedanga Jyotisha.The stations are important parts ofIndian astrology.
Arabicmanzil
[edit]In the traditionalArabic astrological system,[5]the new moon was seen to move through 28 distinctmanāzil(singular:manzil"house" ) during the normal solar year, eachmanzillasting, therefore, for about 13 days. One or moremanazilwere then grouped into anawaa(pluralanwaa) 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 intoanwaa,each of which was made up of one moremanazil,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 theZodiac.Moreover, as theanwaarepeat on a regular, solar cycle, they can be correlated to fixed points on the Gregorian calendar.
The following table is a breakdown of theanwaaand their position on the Gregorian calendar.
Manzil Associated Nawaa Significant Stars/Constellations Zodiac Constellations Begins on Sharaṭān Al Thurayyā SherataninAries -- 17 May Pleione Al Thurayyā Pleionein thePleiades -- 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‘ahinOrion Gemini 9 July Al-Han‘ah Al Jawzaa/Gemini AlhenainGemini Gemini 22 July Murzim Murzim Canis Major -- 4 August An Nathra Kulaibain An Nathra -- 17 August Alterf Suhail AlterfinLeo 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 AscellaandNunki 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 GeminiandAquarius(in the Arab system) 19 April Alrescha Al Tharaeen Alrescha GeminiandAquarius(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 -[Manaziluʾl-Qamar منازل القمر] according to Islamic astronomical system (Arab sources) Station Period
(approx. by Arab sources)Starting degree
ofSidereal ZodiacsignConstellation ʿAmalعمل
(lit. "doer" / "doer of the deed")
(The Angel ruling the Manazil andḥurūf)Lunar station
[Manaziluʾl-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 /’ (alsoʾ) 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 (alsoǧ, g) jīm 3 ج 4th 14 May 8° 34' Taurus 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 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 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 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 Hamrākīl* همرَاكيل
ʾAl-Ghafr ﭐلْغَفْر
s sīn 60 س 16th 18 October 12° 51' Lūmāʾīl* لومَائِيل
ʾAz-Zubānā ﭐلْزُّبَانَى
‘ (alsoʿ) 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 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' SagittariusBurjuʾl-Qaws ʾ'Amwākīl* /ʾUmwākīl* امواكيل
ʾAn-Naʿāʾam ﭐلْنَّعَائَم
r rāʾ 200 ر 21st 22 December 17° 9' Hamrāʾīl* همرَائِيل
ʾAl-Baldah ﭐلْبَلْدَة
sh(alsoš) shīn 300 ش 22nd 4 January 0° 0' Capricorn 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(alsoṯ) thāʾ 500 ث 24th 30 January 25° 43' Mahkāʾīl* مهكَائِيل
Saʿdu ʾs-Suʿud / ʾAs-Suʿud سَعْدُ ﭐلْسُّعُود \ ﭐلْسُّعُود
kh(alsoḫ, ḵ) khāʾ 600 خ 25th 12 February 8° 34' Aquarius ʾAhrāfīl* /ʾUhrāfīl* اهرَافِيل
Saʿdu ʾl-ʾAkhbiyyah / ʾAl-ʾAkhbiyyah سَعْدُ ﭐلْأَخْبِيَّه \ ﭐلْأَخْبِيَّه
dh(alsoḏ) 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 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(alsoġ, ḡ) ghayn 1000 غ
Also, the following letters has no alphabetical value innumerology of the Abjad systemknown as"Ilm ul-ʾAdad".
| Arabic alphabet[ḥurūf حروف] - Abjadī Order | ||||
| Transliteration | Letter Name | Letter Name in
Arabic script |
Letter Value | Letter
(Isolated Form) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ’ (alsoʾ/ʔ) | hamzah | همزة | 0 | ء |
| ahorat/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 innumerology of the Abjad systemknown as "Ilmul-ʾAdad ".
(2) theʿAmal(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 innumerology of the Abjad system),manazilu-l-qamar(lunar houses) and constellations (i.e. zodiac signs). Generally speaking, the four Archangels in Islam aceJibrāʼīl,Mīkāʼīl,ʼIsrāfīland Malaku-l-Maut (ʿAzrāʼīl).
(3) the alphabetical orders follows the sequence of the originalabjadīorder (أَبْجَدِي), used forlettering,derives from the order of thePhoenician alphabet,and is therefore similar to the order of other Phoenician-derived alphabets, such as theHebrew alphabet.In this order, letters are also used as numbers,Abjad numerals,and possess the same alphanumeric code/cipheras Hebrewgematriaand Greekisopsephy.
(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 inPersian 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
See also
[edit]Footnotes
[edit]- ^The use of the English word “mansion”, though customary, is an overly literal translation of the Latinmansio,which means simply a stopover, a way station, even roadside lodging, but withoutany grandiose connotation.
- ^This Maximus is the poet and astrologer; not to be confounded withMaximus of Tyre.
References
[edit]- ^
Weinstock, S. (1949). "Lunar mansions and early calendars".Journal of Hellenic Studies.LXIX:cf;
also CCAG IX.1 138 ff.[full citation needed] - ^ Yampolsky, Philip (1950). "The origin of the twenty-eight lunar mansions".Osiris.IX:62–83.doi:10.1086/368524.S2CID144119166.
- ^ Svenberg, I.E. (1963). "Lunaria et zodiologia latina".Studia Graeca et Latina Gothoburgensia.Goteburg.
- ^ab Tester, Jim (1987).A History of Western Astrology.Boydell and Brewer. p. 82.
- ^ O'Neil, William Matthew (1976).Time and the Calendars.Manchester University Press. p. 53.ISBN0-7190-0642-2.
- ^ Hassan, Izzat (2006).Al Azmana wa al Anwaa.Morocco: Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Printing Press.ISBN9954-0-5074-4.
External links
[edit]- "The Lunar Mansions".constellationsofwords.com.The fixed stars and constellations in astrology.
- "W.B. Yeats and" A Vision ": The Arab mansions of the moon".yeatsvision.com.
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