The mansions of the Moon appear around the 10th-century a.C. in the Book of Instruction in the Elements of the Art of Astrology, written by Abu’l-Rayhan Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Al-Biruni. At that time we also see them on Picatrix, the main source of Medieval and Renaissance Astrological Magic. This book was translated in Latin at the 13th-century a.C. In Picatrix, we see the use of the Mansions in the first book, which is based in Zodiologion of the Hindus and we also find them in the fourth book based in Pliny’s book Zodiologion. Pliny the Elder was a natural philosopher, who lived in the 1st-century A.C.We don’t have the text of Pliny, but we have Picatrix, which is a manual that combines teachings from different astrological magickal texts of antiquity. Picatrix’s lunar mansions were also used by Henry Cornelius Agrippa.

Just like there is a division of 12 zodiac signs for the apparent movement of the Sun, there are 28 zodiacs of the Moon. These are positions of the Moon with a specific energy. The Moon cycle to that lunar zodiac takes 27.3 days to complete. There are the points/lunar zodiacs/mansions in the lunar cycle where the Moon passes and activates their energy. The mansions of the Moon have practical effects in magick from the beginning of the Middle Age, which shows an earlier use in magick from the Arabic book, from the Picatrix and later manuscripts found in Europe.

Each mansion holds 12 degrees and 51 minutes in the tropical zodiac. There are the constellation mansions but they weren't used by magicians. Each mansion has a unique energy that promotes specific actions and is hostile against other actions. This energy is based on the fixed stars that are the boundaries of the constellation mansions. Those stars were interpreted by Hellenistic Astrologers and from their combination, we get the mansion energies. Not only we can use them for electional astrology in order to cast a ritual, but we can also use them in natal astrology and interpret the Moon better. Although the lunar mansions have their energy, we must also consider the lunar light (dark Moon, 1st quarter, full moon, last quarter) to choose the right night for performing a ritual or charging the talisman by invoking the lunar energy to an object that will capture and hold it.

Since the lunar mansion cycle lasts 27.3 days, there is no attribution for each day and a mansion. We have to have a lunar mansion ephemeris to calculate the lunar mansions or use appropriate software. Like a normal ephemeris, the hour is UTC (different for every region and season). First, we have the date number, then the hour that the Moon enters that mansion and then the number of the mansion.

Today it is 11 of February 2020. I visited the blog https://starsandstones.wordpress.com/ and I found the ephemeris for the lunar mansions.

15  00 LI 00' 00"  11 Feb 2020 AD GC  11:37:06 PM

As we see the order is different from the one we described, but it is easy to find our data. The Moon enters the 15^th mansion at 23:37. Hella’s UTC is +2 so the Moon enters this mansion at 1:37 at night. It will remain to this mansion until the hour it enters the 16^th mansion.

Elections

To find the lunar mansion that is appropriate for the work we are going to do, we have to advise the fourth book on Picatrix. Remember that each mansion is favourable for one thing and unfavourable for another thing. We also have to consider the phase of the Moon. To make things better, we calculate the planetary hour and we work at that time period -if it is practical. I would also calculate the scoring points of the Moon and check on what zodiac sign the Moon is positioned.

Basic Election Algorithm

• Choose the appropriate Mansion and define its duration.
• Check the lunar luminosity.
• Make sure that the Sun does not burn the moonlight. If the Sun is close to 8.5 degrees then it burns the Moon.
• Check if the Moon is dignified so that it will have power if you want to gain, grow, increase… If it is not, then use it for negative work. Make sure that for positive work, the negative aspects of Saturn and Mars don’t effect the Moon. So the Moon and those planets do not form conjunction, square or opposition. For negative work, we want the combustion of the Sun and the negative aspects or at least one of the Saturn and Mars. Those are the advice from Picatrix’s Book One.
• Choose a time where the Moon is at a zodiac sign which is not hostile to what you want to achieve. Sagittarius, Taurus, Cancer, Pisces, North Node are empowering the Moon (for good work, increasing, growing etc.) according to Picatrix. When the Moon has less power, we use that energy for negative work, like loss, breaking a habit, losing pounds, banishings etc.

Useful Links

Example

To find the basic properties of each lunar mansion you should read Picatrix or The Mansions of the Moon from Christopher Warnock. Both books are available on Lulu.com

Electional properties of Moon Mansions

Video on the Lunar Mansions