Mrigashira nakshatra: lord, deity and symbol
Mrigashira is the fifth nakshatra, ruled by Mars, and its traditional name refers to a deer's head.
What it is
Its symbol is the deer's head, and its deity is Soma, the Moon. Its lord Mars has a dasha of 7 years. Mrigashira starts at 53 degrees 20 minutes, in Vrishabha, and crosses into Mithuna at 60 degrees.
How it is worked out or read
Each nakshatra spans 13 degrees 20 minutes of the sidereal zodiac and has four padas of 3 degrees 20 minutes each. Its first two padas are in Vrishabha and the last two in Mithuna.
Where it appears on this site
Mrigashira appears in the panchang as the Moon's nakshatra.
Span across two signs
Mrigashira is the fifth nakshatra and straddles Vrishabha and Mithuna. Its first two padas, from 53 degrees 20 minutes to 60 degrees, lie in Vrishabha, and the last two, from 60 to 66 degrees 40 minutes, lie in Mithuna. A planet near 60 degrees is therefore close to the sign boundary, and the exact sidereal longitude is needed to fix its sign.
Its lord and dasha
Mars is the lord of Mrigashira, and the Mars dasha lasts seven years. A birth with the Moon in Mrigashira begins the sequence with Mars, and the balance is the part of seven years still to run. Mars's shorter period means that the early part of the timeline for such a birth moves through the energetic and quick themes of Mars before reaching the longer periods later on.
Symbol and deity
Mrigashira is shown as the head of a deer, and its presiding deity is Soma, the Moon, in the classical lists. The deer's head is read as alertness and search, and the link to the Moon as deity connects the nakshatra back to the mind. The name is often translated as 'deer's head' and the nakshatra is said to be a place of searching and seeking.
Using Mrigashira in a reading
A reader who meets Mrigashira as the Moon's nakshatra should note Mars as the lord and the deity Soma. Because the nakshatra straddles a sign boundary, the sign must be checked as well as the nakshatra, and the pada decides which sign the Moon is in. The reading uses the nakshatra's traits together with the sign and the house of the Moon, not the nakshatra on its own.
Mrigashira and the search
The image of the deer's head and the nakshatra's reputation for searching make Mrigashira a natural reference for study, research and travel in search of knowledge. Traditional calendars sometimes mention it in connection with journeys and with the seeking of new things. Because its lord is Mars, the search can be read as active and purposeful, rather than passive, and the Moon as its deity links the search to the mind and the imagination.
Because the nakshatra straddles a sign boundary, a planner should check the Moon's exact degree before relying on Mrigashira. A Moon in the first two padas is in Vrishabha and a Moon in the last two is in Mithuna, and the two signs bring different tones to the same nakshatra. The reader can then decide which tone the purpose of the search calls for.