• Wikipedia: Nakshatra

• Each of the 27 Nakshatra is divided into four Pada = 4 quarters. 27*4 = 108 Nakshatra

• Three cycles of 27 nakshatra = 9 nakshatra per paryaya

• Guna of the 27 nakshatra

• Body parts divided into 27 Nakshatra

• List of presiding Deities of the 27 Nakshatra

• Table of Nakshatra Astronomical Locations

• Table of Nakshatra Marga

• Table of Attributes 27 Nakshatra

• Moola Nakshatra

• Adho-mukha Nakshatra

• Dagdha Nakshatra

• Directory of Chandra Pages

• Nine Trines of 27 Nakshatra

• Books about Nakshatra

• smaller Table of Nakshatra Locations

• larger Table of Nakshetra Attributes including Tibetan Names

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• The Four Nakshatra Marga: Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha

• Gana of Nakshatra

• Ayurvedic Nadi of the Nakshatra

• How na-kshetras are calculated

• Ancient Lunar Jyotisha

• Coordinating the two historic systems

• Ordering and Numbering the Nakshatra

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• Nakshatra Names in Mayalam, Sanskritam, Tamil

• A psychic viewof Nakshatra meanings:

• Soul Recognition in Relationship: Nakshatra of the Navamsha lagna

• Nakshatra values in Jyotisha prediction

• the Moon's Nakshatra

• Nakshatra reasoning for Muhurta

27 Sacred trees = one for each nakshatra

www.vedicvanas.com/nakshatravana.html

"Panchaka-dosha" nakshatra = Panchaka

• Five nakshatra said to have a notable dosha = imbalance

• these are the final five nakshatra of the 360 degree circle

1. Dhanishtha

2. Shatavisakhya

3. Purvabhadrapada

4. Uttarabhadrapada

5. Revati

Dosha

definitions from Sanskrit-Tamil digital lexicon

• BPL note: zlesman = kapha = English 'glue'

doSa - dus

• fault , vice , deficiency , want , inconvenience , disadvantage

• badness , wickedness , sinfulness

• offence , transgression , guilt , crime

• to incur guilt

• damage , harm , bad consequence , detrimental effect

• accusation , reproach

• alteration , affection , morbid element , disease (esp. of the 3 humours of the body , viz. pitta, vAyu, zleSman)

Moola Nakshtatra

Jyestha + Mula = "Gandanta Nakshatra" ('the ligature')

1. Azwini

2. Azlesa (Sarpa)

3. Magha

4. Jyestha

5. Mula

6. Revati

Adho-mukha Nakshatra

adho-mukha = "having the face downwards ; headlong ; upside down".

(Adhomukha asana of hatha-yoga = English "Downward Dog")

• In Muhurta, the passage of Chandra via adhomukha nakshatra is considered to be auspicious for activities which involve "mouth-downward" such as excavations, digging wells, scooping, harvesting root vegetables, fishing and diving, laying foundations of buildings, anything else face-down.

1. Bharani

2. Kritika

3. Azlesa

4. Magha

5. Purvaphalguni

6. Vishaka

7. Mula

8. Purvashadha

9. Purvabhadrapada

Dagdha Nakshatra

Dagdha = burned , scorched , consumed by fire, grief, or anguish

• In Muhurta, the days associated with Dagdha nakshatra are considered too much dried-up like cinders lacking the fresh juice needed for new starts. So, these nakshatra are inauspicious for starting new endeavors.

• bhavicharin = graha that is transiting or stationed in a particular amsha, such as a bhava or a nakshatra

Traditionally work is not commenced on weekdays which have these "dagdha" combinations:

1. On a Sunday (suryavara, bhanuvara) when bhavicharin Chandra = moving through Bharani nakshatra

2. On a Monday (somavara, somaha) when bhavicharin Chandra = moving through Chitra nakshatra

3. On a Tuesday (bhaumavara, kulavara) when bhavicharin Chandra = moving through Uttarashadha nakshatra

4. On a Wednesday (saumyavara, budhavara) when bhavicharin Chandra = moving through Dhanishtha nakshatra

5. On a Thursday (brihaspativara, laksmivara) when bhavicharin Chandra = moving through Uttaraphalguni nakshatra

6. On a Friday (brighuvara, zukravara) when bhavicharin Chandra = moving through Jyestha nakshatra

7. On a Saturday (zanivara, zanivasara) when bhavicharin Chandra = moving through Revati nakshatra

English study texts:

1. Valerie Roebuck's classic The Circle of Stars is the clearest, most historically and linguistically advanced introduction of Jyotisha available in English. Roebuck holds a Cambridge Ph.D. in the cultural history of India. IMO, Roebuck's explanation of the Vedic Nakshatra tradition is the best in print.

2. The Nakshatra by Dennis Harness is a brief introductory overview for beginners. May prove useful for those seeking to apply Nakshatra profiles to modern psychological counseling. Not a scholarly text, but a nice easy introduction for the true-beginner student of Jyotisha.

3. P. 168-253 of Bepin Behari's Myths and Symbols of Vedic Astrology contains a theosophical interpretation of Nakshatra symbolism. Philosophically inclined Jyotishi may find this depth of interpretation more beneficial for widening their esoteric awareness of the 'Nakshatranath'.

How na-kshetras are figured:

• Earth's Moon orbits around Earth every (approx) 27 days + 7.75 hours

• zodiac (circle of animals) has 360 degrees

• divide 360 into 27 slices

• each slice = 13 degrees 20 seconds of arc

• Each Nakshatra contains a major star or star-cluster

• The leftover 7.75 hours in a sidereal lunar transit is sometimes accommodated in a mini-slice "intercalary" Nakshatra - the "28th Nakshatra "- called Abhijitya.

Das Goravani says:

• "There are 27 main Nakshatra encircling the entire zodiac

• The Moon travels through roughly one Nakshatra per day

• The Nakshatra are said to be the wives of the Moon.

• Each has a ruler planet, a ruler demigod or a specific nature, and various predictions associated with it.

• The Nakshatra are extremely important in all aspects of vedic astrology. "

A psychic view of Nakshatra meanings:

• Lunar-based astrology "reads" the person primarily from the Astral body, which is a sensual-perceptive-intuitive level of personal reality.

• Nakshatra represent "fields" of psycho-emotional (Chandra) energy composed of past-life images. These fields (kshetra)manifest on the social-material plane as organized patterns of social, mental, and physical behavior.

• The Na-kshatra reveal an ancient psycho-emotional profile used by each graha (but particularly Chandra). This profile or filter is stored in the subconscious memory banks of the astral body.

• It takes a bit of "questioning the dominant paradigm "but even those of us raised in the "leading" ego-mental culture of the super-mentalized dwapara yuga can use Nakshatra categories to interpret the nativity!

Nakshetra placement of Chandra reveals qualities of one's deep emotional character.

This deep emotional character very much influences the repeating life patternsof the native 's instinctive choicesin relationships and social environment.

• The repeating patterns are often instinctive and reactive; the native insists on a fixed emotional response pattern that is characteristic of the traits of the Nakshatra , particularly the Nakshatra 's planetary lord.

• From the reincarnational viewpoint, these patterns are the result of unresolved emotional experiences in past lives. There is often a trauma-pattern embedded in The Moon's Nakshatra . The trauma pattern reveals ways in which the native has learned to get one's emotional needs met while protecting [Chandra] against further hurt.

• he Nakshatra of Chandra intuitively guides the native to behaviors and environments which best support their emotional needs. Success or failure of this self-nourishing and self-protecting strategy depends on the condition of the Nakshatra lordwithin the radix nativity.

Nakshetra of the navamsha Chandra shows the soul's emotional needs.

Although this level of need is generally only satisfied in partnership (human or divine), the pattern which is seeking validation is indeed a spiritual dimension of one's own self of which one is not fully conscious.

• In a successful relationship, the partner should be able to see and validate the Nakshatra qualities of the native 's navamsha.

• One attracts a partner (or ishtadevata) for the purpose of seeing this aspect of the emotional memory-bank reflected in the partner's behavior that is really a response to one's own projections.

• Complicated? No, not too much. It's just important to understand that anything going on in the navamsha is a projection of dormant traits from one's own personality which one is trying to recognize and accept.

• his is emotional material coming up from deep-freeze storage in the ancient subconscious. It's hard to see without a partner who acts like a blank projection screen, showing the past-life movie (again and again and again...)

See the individual descriptions of Chandra in the 27 Nakshatra for details of Chandra in each of the navamsha lagnas.

Ancient Lunar Jyotisha

Ancient Indian Jyotisha was a divinatory system which searched for omens in the sky. The naked eye can observe numerous constellations in the night sky, and the regular placement of these was noted early on.

• the Moon's nighttime travels against the backdrop of sparkling bright constellations provided an excellent way to mark time and -- very importantly -- to generate ritual calendars for the priests.

• As recorded in the Vedas, each of the constellations is ruled by a deity, and has certain divinatory meanings. Stars were consulted for auspicious timing of events such as sacrifices and wars, but no "personal" astrology of the birth chart yet existed.

Later, during the era of strong Greek influence in northern India, the 12-sign astrological zodiac was introduced into Indian thought. (Thus the surprising amount of Greek vocabulary in Sanskrit Jyotisha texts after 300 BCE.)

Greek astrology focused on "jataka" = natal-chart astrology of the person's birth.

Modern Solar Astrology

Ego-positivistic experience (awareness at the level of five senses and social positioning) is best read through the solar houses. Most modern people live their lives rather narrowly constrained by the ego-positivistic paradigm.

• Therefore most modern people really want to know only about material developments such as wealth, social power/career, physical health and sex, children, and food.

The rare individual who is interested in anything outside this narrow realm may be rewarded by a study of the Nakshatra .

Nakshatra a: Solar vs. Lunar astrology

Jyotisha tradition contains both the ancient, "aryan"lunar astrology (from the Rik Veda primarily) as well as a historically later stratum of solar astrology (the 12 houses).

The solar tradition seems to have emerged in the literary world of Jyotisha around the time of Alexander It's hard to say the source of the solar tradition, but it's definitely a later accrual in the Vedic literature. (see Valerie Roebuck The Circle of Stars for a readable literary history of Jyotisha).

• 'Na' = 'moon'; 'kshetra' = 'field' or 'shelter'.

• 'Nakshatra' = 'domain of the Moon'.

In practice, the solar component Of historic Jyotisha (the 12 solar signs and houses) is easier for the modern mind to to manipulate, due to its fairly rational structure.

The lunar component- 27 Nakshatra and their Vaidik deity rulerships = much less rational, and much more complex and subtle.

Understanding and making predictions with Nakshatra astrology requires an intuitive knowledge of deity personalities and acceptance of their background role in shaping human affairs.

Ordering and Numbering the Nakshatra

There are several different traditional enumerationsof the Nakshatra order. I use the conventional ordering at the top of this page.

For comparison, here is ordering from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionary.

1. Sravishtha or Dhanishtha

2. Sata-bhishaj

3. Purva-bhadrapada

4. Uttara-bhadrapada

5. Revati

6. Asvini

7. Bharani

8. Krittika

9. Rohini or Brahmi

10. Mriga-siras or Agrahayani

11. Ardra

12. Punarvasu or Yamakau

13. Pushya or Sidhya

14. Aslesha

15. Magha

16. Purva-phalguni

17. Uttara-phalguni

18. Hasta

19. Citra

20. Svati

21. Visakha or Radha

22. Tanu radha

23. Jyeshtha

24. Mula

25. Purva-shadha

26. Uttara-shadha

27. Abhijit

28. Sravana

Coordinating the two historic systems:

The 360-degree "Circle of Stars" which surrounds our Earth, was rationalized into twenty-seven regular sections of 13 degrees 20 seconds each.

• The Greek twelve "solar "sign system was already set to begin at zero degrees of Aries, which was the point of the Sun at spring equinox.

• The ring of Nakshatra was then formalized to "start" at Azvini, at zero degrees of Aries. Thus was Jyotisha as we currently practice it, conceived.

• he two systems interwove for many centuries. Finally, Varahamihira "the sun-priest"(550 CE) developed a great synthesis of both traditions, articulated in his many works of great genius. Varahamihira's synthesis forms the foundation of Jyotisha as we have it today.

(See historical details in Valerie Roebuck, The Circle of Stars , p. 8)

12 Rashi

The astrological convention of dividing the sky into 12 "rashi"signs (Aries to Pisces) is culturally familiar to most Westerners.

• Dividing the chart into 27 "Nakshatra a"or "lunar constellation"slices give more fine-tuning. Nakshatra are created by dividing the earth's visible sky into 27 pie slices. (In far north Indian areas influenced by Persian culture, sometimes 28 Nakshatra are used.)

• However the majority of Jyotishi uses 27 slices because 27*4 is one of those geometrical relations that produces 108 - a sacred cosmological number which is fundamentally important in Vedic thought.

If the chart is first divided into 12 slices, the major significations of each planet by sign, house, and aspect will be clear.

27 Nakshatra

The next step is to re-analyze the chart by applying 27 divisions of 13 degrees 20 seconds each. After evaluating the influence of Nakshatra lords of each of the planets (Moon, Rahu/Ketu, and lagna are most affected), there will be a much finer understanding of the psycho-emotional subtleties within. Also the interpreter will gain the ability to predict the effects of each planetary period with more detail.

• In classical Jyotisha thought, each of the 27 Nakshatra is a unique residence, which has unique characteristics. The Moon passes through approximately one Nakshatra per day.

• So, the Nakshatra through which the Moon was passing at the time of your birth - called your Janma Nakshatra - has a big effect on your psycho-emotional mentality. The Nakshatra which was rising on the eastern horizon ("lagna Nakshatra ") is very influential too.

• Nakshatra are described as "wives of the Moon", as in a harem. (Chandra, like all graha, is considered masculine or "yang" character because it has creative power.)

Wives, or consorts, may be authentic spousal realities for deities in the spirit world. For humans in the earth world, "wives" are metaphorical mirrored attributes, or distinctive types of perceptive power "radar", that are present in the total portfolio of the Moon.

Nakshatra values in Jyotisha prediction

Judgments from Chandra lagna are essentially readings of the Astral level of personality. What is often called the "astral plane"in English refers to the subtle but tightly structured psycho-emotional particulate patterns which are embedded in the multiple-body entity of a human being, and which determine the human emotional response to life.

• Although Chandra's rashi, bhava, incoming drishti, yuti graha etc. are all essential considerations in predicting events based on Chandra's rulerships in the solar divisions, the Jyotishi who wishes to know the native 's psycho-emotional motivations must contemplate the Moon's Nakshatra .

• Both janma-lagna and Chandra-lagna Nakshatra should be considered when evaluating the native 'spsychic filters.

• The filters are constructed from Accumulated past life emotional memories

Nakshatra attributes define a rather fixed array of programmatic, typically reactive, responses to life's experiences.

This subtle orientation is so ancient, intuitive, reactive, and subconsciously embedded that the native oneself may not be aware the of the way in which one selects and screens one's own psychic experiences.

However whether the native is aware of their subtle identity or not, the Chandra and janma Nakshatra sets active limits on core identity and serves to structure the personality in ways that ultimately direct all the major choices in the incarnation.

Interpreting the Nakshatra influence of Vaidik deities in modern life

In this materialistic age. it is more typical for the native to simply "feel" a general guidance and sense of direction in a non-specific and typically unconscious way, rather than to be in direct communication with the disembodied spiritual personalities that are actively collaborating to shape one's life path through the Nakshatra delineations.

• Due to materialistic modern belief systems, most people cannot independently detect the presence of their own psycho-emotional bodies.

• Much less can the average contemporary human detect the reach-out-and-touch proximity of those deities large and small with whom the human in unconsciously interacting every day of their life.

• Unfortunately if one is not aware of the activities of guiding spirits one cannot undertake collaborative program changes. Therefore Nakshatra delineations will indicate a level of fixed "destiny" limitation for most people.

It is of course possible to be much more aware and articulate of Nakshatra effects which are powerfully energized by these 27 deities and multiple sub-deities. Once the awareness is in place one can negotiate the limitations with the supervising deities, and Nakshatra no longer define the limits of psycho-emotional movement.

Practice considerations

As the Jyotisha tradition has been received in this early part of Dwapara Yuga, an individual's Nakshatra -based "psycho-emotional specialization" = essentially delineated according to the portfolios of the various deities and divisions of labor in Vaidik culture.

• It is not easy to translate this ancient set of cultural categories into modern lingo.

• Unless the native is particularly reflective or has been raised in a culture that specifically recognizes the traditional Nakshatra boundaries, the native may note nothing more specific in their psychic life-response pattern than a sense of defined being-ness in an ocean of responses to life.

• Nevertheless, the Jyotishi knows through study that every native has a strong tendency to interpret one's experience through the filter of the Nakshatra .

• Because Nakshatra influences are so fine and subtle, their power to control the subconscious motivation will interpenetrate all solar actions and ultimately determine what a native can or cannot accomplish in the outside world.

Spiritual vs. Psychological

Due to the constraints of modern belief systems, the Jyotishi will often resort to a psychological rather than spiritual explanation of Nakshatra influences.

• Those capable of holding a spiritual viewpoint will notice that the Nakshatra are territories of particularly deities, who control their turf rather vigorously. The deities are highly organized and productive. Their purpose is to advance human civilization and typically this occurs at a fast clip.

• It is not necessary to accept the limitations of Vaidik literary culture when striving to understand and communicate with the Nakshatra deities. One may establish a natural and intuitive relationship with the governing deities without being constrained to the Vaidik (or "hindu-ized") view. Rather, one can discover the deities' attributes quite independently, through reflective and self-referential meditation. They may look and act quite differently through different cultural frames of reference.

• At the higher levels of consciousness, the practicing Jyotishi will recognize a need to be aware of and willing to participate with their plans for any given individual, some of which can be read through a close knowledge of Chandra and janma Nakshatra .

• It can be a major positive contribution to an individual's welfare to show them the Nakshatra path and their place upon it, and to help guide their communication with the primary deities who regulate that portion of the path. This can be a huge step up in spiritual consciousness for the person who is ready.

It is always beneficial to have a devotional relationshipto the spiritual lords of the Moon's Nakshatra , and a small altar for this purpose should ideally be maintained.

Nakshatra Psychological interpretation

In general practice, few clients actually are ready for the direct spiritual approach. More clients are ready for the psychological approach e.g. the language of behaviors, motivations, trauma response, etc. Psychological interpretation is overall more acceptable to most natives than direct psychic communication with spirits.

• It is true that the psychological approach is incomplete and not entirely accurate. Human lunar programming is profound.

• Yet in practice it will be more pragmatically helpful for most natives to understand their Moon's Nakshatra and janma Nakshatra in psychological terms and not confuse people with tales of lunar civilizations and so forth.

Being psychological then:

The Nakshatra defines a small set of core motivations, repeating behaviors, tastes, abilities, and expectations which are simply carry-forwards from past life identities.Functionally, Soma's Nakshatra creates a psycho-emotional filter which defines a limited range of self-concept and pre-determines certain tastes, motives, and abilities.

For example,

• the native with Chandra in Azvini Nakshatra will have a past-life history of intense communication with quadrupeds particularly horses, and a knowledge of physical medicine, particularly regarding the treatment of injured people and animals.

• the native 's medical and sports orientation is based on many lifetimes of continued development of this particular span of knowledge and experience.

Highly self-aware natives may notice that, due to the ever-present guiding influence of the Azvini Kumaras (a pair of active adolescent fix-it boy twin deities) in their lives, the native is always missing one's twin (whether one has a real twin in this life or not) and that they love and crave the taste of honey.

Nakshatra reasoning for Muhurta

For muhurta -astrological divinations that inform practical decision making = the current Nakshatra of Chandra and lagna are critically important to gauge the predominant world and local patterns operating on the individual at any given moment of time.

Each of the 27 lunar mansions is independently ruled by a particular planet and deity, whose personality controls the goings-on in his house. As each planet passes through that lord's domain, the planet must temporarily respond to the domestic customs of that Nakshatra .

Chandra is an impressionable graha, emotional and sympathetic in nature. Therefore Chandra's travel through each Nakshatra sets the quality and tone for that day. Stronger effect will be felt by those with natally strong Chandra positions, but everyone benefits from being aware of Chandra's daily Nakshatra .

Here are some examples of practical decision-making and attitude-setting based on awareness of Nakshatra influence:

• When Chandra passes through the dangerous Nakshatra of Azlesa, ruled by graha Budha and deity of Sarpas the Snake God, matters signified by the Moon such as emotional well-being and bodily survival through the link with the mother/nurturer are constrained by complex mental arguments or philosophical sophistry, intentional misrepresentation (lying), and various forms of trickery.

  Chandra has always hated his illegitimate son Mercury, so when Chandra passes through Budha's Nakshatra watch out for sorcery, charlatanism, and dirty tricks. Ruling deity Sarpas is associated with the dangerous actions of a snake: hypnotizing, paralyzing, and eventually poisoning or choking the victim.

  Azlesa is therefore a bad place for the Moon to be, and not a good time for many things except disciplined spiritual practices which raise Kundalini energy, or intensive sexual exploration within the trusting and monogamous bounds of formal marriage. Otherwise, stay home, chant protective mantra, and read holy books!

• Shani and Guru are large Grahawhich travel slowly and remain in a single Nakshatra for a long time. By far the most noticeable effects of any planetary transit will occur when the bhukti of that planet is in effect.

Therefore Shani's behavior in the mansion of His Nakshatra lord is less generally important in "newspaper"muhurta and but very definitely important for the client undergoing a Shani bhukti (any mahadasha).

If Shani is bhukti-pat and he is also gochara in Azlesa, one will be advised to take special precautions during the one day of each month when Chandra also occupies Azlesa (for reasons described above).

However Shani and Budha do not suffer the extremely adversarial relationship of Chandra and Budha,so the auspice for Shani's journey through Azlesa on the other 27+ days is generally OK.

Ruling deity Sarpas is devious and potentially deadly, but Shani is by nature conservative and cautious, slow moving and a survivor. the native should be realistic about the dark side of human nature without becoming paranoid. Wisely conserve resources and act cautiously, without succumbing to the coiling, agitated subconscious fears of death and destruction - which is exactly what Sarpas wants.

Remaining alert to strange behaviors in those around him will prevent any untoward consequences. Unless Shani is yuti Chandra in the radix, even on those 1-per-month days of Chandra gochara Azlesa, there is no threat of overwhelming terror. Simply remain conservative, cautious, and alert.

• A positive signification occurs Surya passes through the Nakshatra of Anu-radha, ruled by graha Shani and deity of Mitra, matters signified by the Sun such as kingship, making broad social policy, receiving state honors etc., are constrained by protocol, public respectability, need to assume a form which is understood by even the lowest people (Shani).

Surya and Shani are planetary enemies. Ruling deity Mitra, being an aspect of Surya and the very exemplar of compassionate friendliness, is warm and welcoming, appreciative and affectionate in his own house. This is a good time therefore for a person with a strong natal Ravi to accept public honors, attend diplomatic functions, other courtly sorts of behavior, provided they wear the appropriate costume and fully respect the customs of the people.

In India, people sometimes do really neurotic divinations to find the precisely right moment to execute a performative statement - e.g., to name a baby or to speak marriage vows -- based on the Moon's Nakshatra location.

Although it would be nice to have this level of certainty about coordinating flawlessly with Divine purpose, IMO pure intention of heart is much more influential in guaranteeing a good outcome.

In the west, I find the biggest value of knowing the Moon and lagna Nakshatra is to understand the esoteric significance of the moment of one's birth.

However awareness of the transits of the bhukti-pat and the Moon is always good consciousness. Obviously different Ayanamshas will produce different transit tables, so the vexed matter of the ayanamsha must be addressed before predictions can have value.

Separate from muhurta inquiries, Nakshatra lords impact all vargas during their time-lordship periods

• E.g., for rising Nakshatra = Mrigashira, ruled by Mangala: Mars gets extra psychic-body power in your chart, similar to the lagnesha's power to structure the physical body. Natal position of Mars is significant for estimation of emotional vitality, subtle appearance of the aura, ayurvedic constitution with a view toward "moods", etc.

  Mars periods therefore have psycho-emotionally enlivening and energizing qualities which wake up the active psychic identity that occupies the interstitial spaces in the physical body. This body emanates through the physical body which is associated with the lagna+Lagnesha.

• For janma Nakshatra = Uttara-Phalguni, ruled by Surya: Sun periods stimulate your psycho-emotional sensitivities, increasing intuitive leadership powers. Natal position of Ravi contributes to overall attunement with life, compassion and acceptance, joie de vivre, etc.

• Chanting the planetary mantra of the lord of the janma Nakshatra is always beneficial for self-knowledge, even if that lord owns malefic houses. The mantra of the lord of the janma Nakshatra supports well-being and "return to self".

Q:

Dear Barbara, Namaste!

Many thanks for the vast and wonderful selection that you have made available. It is indeed a treat for beginners and advanced users alike.

I came across a few reference like 'Navamsha Moon in Azlesa' or 'Navamsha moon in X Nakshatra ' and could not comprehend what it means. Aren't navamsha divisions limited upto rashi? We are not familiar to this concept.

For example, My Rashi Lagna is Taurus and Navamsha Lagna is Gemini. Moon occupies Azlesa Pada 3 and falls in Aquarius in Navamsha chart.

There isn't really a further division possible, is it? I asked some fellow students of astrology who had the same question. Could you please help.

Warm Regards ... from Mumbai

A: Namaste,

There should be no problem to comprehend that the navamsha Moon will occupy a Nakshatra . The navamsha chart, similar to any varga chart, is a circle of 360 degrees. According to the ancient lunar astrology of na-kshetra, the 360 degrees of thezo-diaccan be divided into 27 sub-sections measuring 13 degrees 20 seconds each.

Each 13:20 section is further conventionally divided into four quarters (padaa). Naturally, each point on the circle of 360 degrees of the navamsha will fall into one of the 27 Nakshatra padaa. Therefore the Moon in navamsha will occupy a particular Nakshatra padaa. The position of Shukra in dashamsha will also occupy some Nakshatra padaa. The position of Rahu in Trimshamsha will also occupy some Nakshatra pada. Every Shastiamsha corresponds to some Nakshatra padaa.

This match between the solar varga system of 12 bhava and the lunar Nakshatra system of 27 field of Chandra should be quite straightforward.

It may be true that before the computer age, most Jyotishi did not wish to take the time to establish the degree of navamsha graha out to two decimal places. Perhaps that is why some do not identify the Nakshatra of graha in the varga charts. But with modern computer software, the calculation of a varga position extended to two decimal places is indeed effortless.

Wishing you best success in Jyotisha studies,

Sincerely, Barbara Pijan Lama, Jyotisha

Q: Namaste Barbara

I was able to create a chart with signs i.e. Navamsa Moon in Pisces, Lagna in Aquarius...but not sure which Nakshatra s they actually fall in.

On your website you indicate how the Nakshatras gives clues to understanding subconscious drives, partner needs, etc. If, for example, navamsa moon was in uttara bhadrapada Nakshatra , would I attract someone who's natal moon falls in Uttara bhadrapada?

Do you find it to be that literal or does it just indicate qualities/behavior? Just curious to understand how it works.