This is an entry in a continuing series of posts looking at the Moon's position and condition in the week ahead with an eye to the Mansions of the Moon. This is an exercise to help track the speed of the Moon, organize my thoughts on the Mansions, and think about the practical applications.
All times are for me locally, United States Pacific Time. I will be making note of the Moon's phase, speed, and Mansion position in my assessment. Currently, I'm not considering aspects with other planets.
The image of Aldebaran in the Latin Picatrix is a knight on horseback holding a viper in his hand. This image is very similar to more than a few goetic spirits from the Lemegeton. In its beneficial face I look more to the approximate Nakshatra, Rohini, the Red Goddess, who has connotations of love, beauty, luxury, romance, and sensual eroticism.
When March 31st ends, the Moon is in Almices.
Tuesday, April 1st, 2025. The Moon is in Almices, The Brilliant One, when April 1st begins. The Moon entered Almices at 11:29pm on March 31st. The Moon moves out of Almices at 8:27pm on April 1st and enters the next Mansion, Alhana, the Mark, and spends the rest of April 1st there. The phase is Waxing Crescent which is best for works of renewal, sprouting, and rooting.
The Moon will be in Almices from 11:29pm on March 31st until 8:27pm on April 1st. This 20 hours and 58 minutes long. The Moon is in a fast period but this is 22 minutes longer than the previous Mansion, so she is slowing down. A fast Moon can ignite fast action in magical works but may also cause effects to burn out quickly.
The beneficial powers of Almices are for the welfare of children, for advancing education, for the safety of travelers, for the safe structure of buildings, promoting the reconciliation between spouses (Gayat al Hakim), your desires will be satisfied by kings and nobles (Ibn Hatim), for youths to learn arts, salvation of travelers, for sailors to travel safely, improve buildings, for favor between husband and wife, to receive good from kings and officials, to see things in sleep (Latin Picatrix), potent for lamp oracles and divinations, aids all memory, mental powers, and intellectual endeavors, protection from harm, and social success and favor (Celestial Magic).
The image in the Latin Picatrix for this Mansion is a disembodied head. I take this to be the head of the hunter Orion, whose constellation is nearby. Orion's name means the "dweller on the mountain" and he was a skilled hunter. The king Oenopion promised Orion that if he could rid the island of dangerous beasts that plagued it, he would promise his daughter to Orion. Orion rid the island of the beasts but when the time came for the marriage, the king refused. In a drunken rage Orion raped the princess. King Oenopion had Orion's eyes put out and dumped him on the seashore. An oracle declared that if Orion traveled to the east to the edge of the furthest ocean and turned his eye sockets to the sun when it first rose from the sea, his sight would be restored. Orion did this and when the sun rose, Eos, Goddess of the dawn, saw him, fell in love with him and restored his sight. Thus Almices has connotations of redemption and spiritual sight.
The Moon ends April 1st in Alhana.
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025. April 2nd opens with the Moon in Alhana, the Mark, which she entered at 8:27pm the day before. The Moon will continue through Alhana until 5:51pm on April 2nd and will then move into Aldira, the Forearm. The phase is Waxing Crescent, a beneficial phase which supports work of establishment and commencement.
It will take the Moon 21 hours and 24 minutes to go through Alhana. This is till fast but the Moon continues to decelerate, spending 26 minutes longer in this Mansion than the previous one. A fast Moon can make magical effects happen quickly but may also make them dissipate quickly.
The beneficial powers of Alhana are promoting the welfare of partners, improving the conditions for hunting (Gayat al Hakim), for love, for medical treatment (Ibn Htim), cause friendship between two people, improve hunting in the country, to put love between two people (Latin Picatrix), break resistance (Celestial Magic), and for gathering with those far away and separated (Shams al Marif).
The image for this Mansion in the Latin Picatrix is a white man embracing a white woman. The title The Mark refers to a mark signifying ownership, like a brand on livestock. This is a Mansion of declaring commitments. Another symbol for it might be a wedding ring. The white man and the white woman are twin halves of a whole and Alhana weds them together.
The image for this Mansion is a man raising his arms as if supplicating to heaven. The traditional indicator stars for this Mansion are Castor and Pollox, the twins from Greek myth. These stars have been equated with twins for a long, long time. One was a celestial twin the other was an underworld twin. The man with his hands raised is one twin calling to the other in the other world. This is a Mansion suited to creating spiritual alliances.
The beneficial powers of Annathra are reconciling love and friendship to an estranged couple, the welfare of a traveler, repel mice and bedbugs (Gayat al Hakim), to excel in battles (Ibn Hatim), and for gaining victory (Latin Picatrix).
The image for Annathra in the Latin Picatrix is an eagle with a man's face. The eagle is a frequent military image signifying fierceness, speed, and power. Annathra’s title, The Gap, was imagined to be the gap between the lion constellation’s jaws, or maybe under his chin. The essence of Annathra’s power to grant victory in battle is in being able to escape danger.
The beneficial powers of Atarfa include removing diseases of the eyes (Ibn Hatim), help defend a man from being attacked (Latin Picatrix), protection against curses and slander (Celestial Magic).
The image in the Latin Picatrix for this Mansion is a eunuch covering his eyes with his hands. In multiple sources this Mansion has rather negative connotations so the list of beneficial powers is light.
The Moon ends April 4th in Atarfa.
Saturday, April 5th, 2025. The Moon is in Atarfa, the Glance of the Lion as April 5th begins at midnight. The Moon entered Atarfa at 2:24pm the day before. She will move out of Atarfa and into the next Mansion, Algebha, the Brow of the Lion, at 1:38pm. The phase is now Waxing Gibbous which is best for magic that enhances, grows, and ripens.
The Moon will travel across Atarfa for 23 hours and 14 minutes between April 4th at 2:24pm and April 5th at 1:38pm. This is fairly close to an average speed for the Moon to cross the 12˚ and 51' of a lunar Mansion but is, technically, on the fast side. April 5th is the last day of the Moon's fast period this cycle. She is still slowing down, spending 40 minutes longer in Atarfa than in the last Mansion. A fast Moon may tend to make the effects of magic happen more quickly but also sap its power more quickly.
The beneficial powers of Atarfa include removing diseases of the eyes (Ibn Hatim), help defend a man from being attacked (Latin Picatrix), protection against curses and slander (Celestial Magic).
The image in the Latin Picatrix for this Mansion is a eunuch covering his eyes with his hands. In multiple sources this Mansion has rather negative connotations so the list of beneficial powers is light.
The beneficial powers of Algebha are reconciling differences between spouses, strengthening the structure of a building, bringing partners together for their mutual benefit (Gayat al Hakim), curing diseases, to see wonders (Ibn Hatim), for love between husband and wife, the strengthening and completion of buildings, for the love of allies and fore their mutual help, cure infirmities, ease childbirth (Latin Picatrix), attract optimism and benevolence, and it is efficacious for all love magic (Celestial Magic).
The image in the Latin Picatrix for this Mansion is a lion's head. The Mansion embodies the symbolic qualities of a lion; strength, power, and nobility. The traditional indicator star for this Mansion is Regulus, Cor Leonis, the Heart of the Lion, also called the King Star. Regulus is one of the 15 Behenian Stars. Agrippa writes, "Under Cor Leonis they made an image of a lion, cat, or the figure of a respected man sitting in a chair: these make a man temperate, keep anger away, and give grace."
The Moon ends April 5th in Algebha.
Sunday, April 6th, 2025. The Moon is in the middle of her transit across Algebha, the Brow of the Lion, when April 6th begins. She will traverse Algebha until 1:33pm on April 6th and will step into the next Mansion, Azobra, the Lion's Mane. The Moon is separating from the Sun and the phase is Waxing Gibbous which is good for works of bringing to fruition and building up of power.
The Moon will be in Algebha for 23 hours and 55 minutes. This 41 minutes longer than the previous Mansion and is on the slow side of her average speed. The time in Algebha is from 1:38pm on April 5th until 1:33pm on April 6th. A slow Moon may delay the effects of magical works but they may also make them more long lasting.
The beneficial powers of Algebha are reconciling differences between spouses, strengthening the structure of a building, bringing partners together for their mutual benefit (Gayat al Hakim), curing diseases, to see wonders (Ibn Hatim), for love between husband and wife, the strengthening and completion of buildings, for the love of allies and fore their mutual help, cure infirmities, ease childbirth (Latin Picatrix), attract optimism and benevolence, and it is efficacious for all love magic (Celestial Magic).
The image in the Latin Picatrix for this Mansion is a lion's head. The Mansion embodies the symbolic qualities of a lion; strength, power, and nobility. The traditional indicator star for this Mansion is Regulus, Cor Leonis, the Heart of the Lion, also called the King Star. Regulus is one of the 15 Behenian Stars. Agrippa writes, "Under Cor Leonis they made an image of a lion, cat, or the figure of a respected man sitting in a chair: these make a man temperate, keep anger away, and give grace."
The image for this Mansion in the Latin Picatrix is a man riding the back of a lion holding its ear in his hand. In its most beneficial aspect the lion is fully controlled by the figure on its back and adds its ferocity and strength to the figure’s bearing (despite the figure’s somewhat precarious position). This concept of being next to danger but safe from it is a big theme of Azobra.
The Moon will end April 6th in Azobra.
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