Properties
Sidereal Location: 23:20° in Virgo to 06:40° in Libra.
Tropical Location: 17:20° in Libra to 00:40° in Scorpio.
Corresponding Fixed Stars: Spica, aka α Virginis.
Ruler: Mars, Tvastar – The celestial architect.
Nature: Tamasic
Motive: Kama (pleasure)
Activity: Active
C\M\D: Maintenance
A\P\M: Plant
Elements: Fire, pitta
Qualities and Direction: Soft, friendly, sideways
Sex, Species and Caste: Laborer, demon, tiger, female
Special Power: The ability to accumulate merit in this incarnation.
Main themes: Technical talent and skill, arts and crafts, perfectionism and masterpieces, David and Goliath struggles.
Appropriate activities: Learning and education, music and art, making and wearing new clothes, leisure and games, parties and guests, holidays and family gatherings, trips and vacations, going abroad, purchasing vehicles, constructing roads, bridges and railways.
Description
The Chitra (picture, image) lunar mansion gets its name from the bright star Spica, which is used today for calculating the sidereal zodiac. The deity of this mansion is Tvastr, the architect, builder and blacksmith of the gods and the Hindu version of the Greek Hephaestus and Roman Vulcan, which emphasizes the immense creativity and talent of this mansion. In the mythological story, Tvastr created the thunderbolts used by Indra, the Hindu Zeus, to vanquish the demon Vritra. However, in another version of the story he himself creates Vritra to punish Indra who is vanquished until the other gods intervene. In both stories Tvastr is on the winning side despite the odds being against him, and this mansion often symbolizes victories over powerful enemies.
The technical skills of Tvastr do hoveber carry a price in the form of obsessive perfectionism and in the mythical stories he would often destroy his own creations for not being good enough. This mansion often plays a part in the charts of great engineers such as Christopher Wren (Mercury), Buckminster Fuller (Saturn), Ferdinand De Lesseps and Isambard Kingdom Brunel (Uranus and Saturn).
Venus enters deep debilitation at 27° of Virgo in this lunar mansion, which represents the peak of nitpicky materialism and the complete opposite of pure love.