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Vedic (Jyotisha) · Nakshatra 9

Ashlesha

Coiled serpent

Ashlesha, nakshatra 9 of 27 (16°40′ Karka – 30°00′ Karka), ruled by Mercury, presided over by Nagas; symbol: coiled serpent.

Ashlesha is the 9th of the twenty-seven nakshatras, the lunar mansions of Indian astrology, spanning 16°40′ Karka – 30°00′ Karka of the sidereal zodiac. Its presiding deity is Nagas, and its traditional symbol is the coiled serpent. In the Vimshottari system its ruling planet is Mercury, so a person whose moon falls in Ashlesha begins life in the Mercury period (dasha).

Each nakshatra is classified by gana, or temperament — divine (deva), human (manushya) or demonic (rakshasa) — and Ashlesha is counted rakshasa. Astrologers use the nakshatra of the moon at birth for naming (each pada has its own syllable), for matching horoscopes before marriage and for choosing auspicious times (muhurta). The descriptions of each nakshatra in Sanskrit texts such as the Brihat Samhita and in modern handbooks vary, and are best read as traditional associations of its deity and symbol.

Personality

perceptive · shrewd · intuitive · persuasive · secretive · intense

In Vedic astrology a person whose moon falls in Ashlesha is described as shrewd, perceptive and intensely intuitive, with a penetrating, serpent-like intelligence. Its name means 'the embrace' or 'the entwiner', its symbol is a coiled serpent and its deities are the Nagas, the serpent beings of Hindu myth who guard hidden wisdom and treasure.

Traditional descriptions credit Ashlesha natives with insight into people, persuasive speech, determination and a capacity for deep study and healing; they are said to be resourceful and hard to deceive. Their weaknesses are said to be secrecy, suspicion, manipulation, possessiveness and a tendency to cling to people or grievances. Older texts treat the nakshatra as a difficult one for the moon, though modern astrologers stress its powers of perception.

In relationships Ashlesha is portrayed as magnetic and protective but guarded and sometimes controlling. In work it is linked with psychology, research, medicine and pharmacy, politics, business strategy and the occult sciences. Counted among the rakshasa temperaments, its Vimshottari lord is Mercury, whose Navaratna stone is the emerald; the rest of the chart determines how these qualities are expressed.

Stone: Emerald

Sources and further reading