A Bedouin guide once pointed to a cluster of stars and said, “That is the place where the sky rests its head.” He was not being poetic. He was naming a mansion.
Al‑Hak‘ah (الحقعة) is the fourth lunar mansion in the traditional Arabic system of manāzil al‑qamar, the 28 stations the Moon visits each sidereal month. It spans from 12°51′ to 25°42′ of the zodiac sign Leo and is anchored by the star Algieba (Gamma Leonis) and its neighboring fixed stars. In the classical grimoire tradition, Al‑Hak‘ah governs ambition, public recognition, and the tension between legitimate authority and overreach.
What is Al‑Hak‘ah in the lunar mansions?
Al‑Hak‘ah is the fourth of 28 lunar mansions in Arabic astrology and Islamic occult science. It corresponds to approximately 12°51′ to 25°42′ Leo and is associated with the fixed star Algieba (Gamma Leonis) in the constellation Leo. Its name means “the crown” or “the diadem,” and it is considered a mansion of power, visibility, and the testing of one’s moral center.
Where does the name Al‑Hak‘ah come from?
The Arabic root ḥ‑q‑ʿ carries the sense of something set firmly in place, a crown seated on a head, or a throne that does not wobble. Early lexicographers like al‑Fīrūzābādī (1329–1415) connected it to the idea of something “fixed and elevated.” The star cluster that marks the mansion was seen as a diadem resting on the forehead of the Lion.
The 10th‑century astronomer al‑Ṣūfī, in his Book of Fixed Stars (964 CE), described the mansion’s primary stars as forming a curved line like the front of a crown. He noted that Bedouin navigators used these stars to mark the transition from the heat of late summer to the first cool nights of autumn. The name was not abstract. It described what they saw: a crown of light above the desert.
The 28 lunar mansions divide the Moon’s monthly orbit into stations of roughly 12°51′ each. Every night the Moon occupies a new mansion, and that mansion’s character colors the day’s work, magic, or travel. The system predates Islam and was absorbed into Arabic astrology, then into medieval European grimoires through translations from Arabic into Latin.
Al‑Hak‘ah sits in a critical position. It is the fourth mansion, which in many systems marks the point where the Moon moves from the foundational, private energies of the first three mansions into public, visible life. The first three mansions (Al‑Sharṭān, Al‑Butayn, al‑Thurayyā) deal with beginnings, hidden growth, and collective fortune. Al‑Hak‘ah is where the individual steps into the light.
The 13th‑century occultist al‑Būnī placed Al‑Hak‘ah under the rulership of Saturn in his Shams al‑Ma‘ārif, though other sources assign it to the Sun because of its Leo placement. This disagreement matters. Saturn gives the mansion a sober, testing quality. The Sun gives it visibility and pride. The tension between the two is the mansion’s essential character: you will be seen, and you will be judged.
What does Al‑Hak‘ah mean for magical practice?
The Picatrix, the 11th‑century Arabic grimoire translated into Latin in 1256, describes Al‑Hak‘ah as a mansion for “making images for the destruction of enemies, for causing discord, and for separating friends.” That is the Saturn side. But the same text also recommends it for “making talismans for favor and love from rulers and great men.” The Sun side.
A practitioner working with Al‑Hak‘ah must hold both. The mansion is not inherently benevolent or malevolent. It amplifies whatever the operator places under its light. If you seek justice against a corrupt official, Al‑Hak‘ah can expose their faults. If you seek promotion through honest merit, it can open doors. If you seek to harm someone out of spite, it will give you the means, but the Picatrix warns that such operations rebound on the practitioner when the Moon passes into the next mansion.
The key is timing. Al‑Hak‘ah’s influence lasts roughly 24 hours, from the moment the Moon enters 12°51′ Leo until it leaves 25°42′ Leo. During that window, the practitioner inscribes the talisman, performs the invocation, or makes the petition. The traditional materials are red coral or carnelian for the stone, and gold or brass for the metal. The ink is saffron mixed with rose water, written on parchment made from lamb skin.
Al‑Hak‘ah is the first of three mansions that fall within the constellation Leo. The fifth mansion, Al‑Jabhah (الجبهة), spans 25°42′ Leo to 8°34′ Virgo and is marked by the star Regulus, the “heart of the lion.” The sixth mansion, Al‑Zubrah (الزبرة), covers 8°34′ to 21°18′ Virgo and is anchored by Al‑Jabhah’s neighboring stars.
Each has a distinct function. Al‑Jabhah governs courage and the heart’s desires. Al‑Zubrah rules hidden knowledge and secrets. Al‑Hak‘ah sits between them as the mansion of public identity. It is not about what you feel (Al‑Jabhah) or what you know (Al‑Zubrah). It is about what you show.
In the medieval European tradition, Cornelius Agrippa (1486–1535) assigned Al‑Hak‘ah to the image of a man crowned, seated on a throne, holding a scepter. That image appears in his Three Books of Occult Philosophy (1533) as a talismanic figure for gaining honor and dignity. Agrippa drew directly from the Picatrix, which had been circulating in Latin for nearly three centuries by his time.
The mansion’s primary marker is Algieba (Gamma Leonis), a binary star system approximately 130 light‑years from Earth. In Arabic, Al‑Jabhah means “the forehead,” and Algieba sits on the Lion’s forehead in the constellation figure. Its companion star is a red giant, giving the pair a slightly orange tint visible through a small telescope.
The other stars in the mansion’s field include Eta Leonis and Zeta Leonis, both of which were used by Bedouin navigators to calibrate their night journeys. The 9th‑century Persian astronomer al‑Farghānī recorded that Al‑Hak‘ah’s stars rise in early September in the latitude of Baghdad, marking the end of the date harvest.
In fixed‑star astrology, Algieba is considered a star of ambition and authority, but with a tendency toward violence if crossed. Ptolemy (c. 150 CE) gave it a Saturn‑Mars nature in the Tetrabiblos, which matches the mansion’s dual character. Modern astrologers often describe it as “the star of the ambitious leader who must watch his back.”
Common misconceptions about Al‑Hak‘ah
Misconception 1: Al‑Hak‘ah is the same as the Hindu nakshatra Magha. The two systems share a common origin in the 28 lunar stations, but they diverged centuries ago. Magha (मघा) spans 0°00′ to 13°20′ Leo and is ruled by the Pitris, the ancestral spirits. Al‑Hak‘ah covers a different degree range (12°51′ to 25°42′ Leo) and has no ancestral association. They overlap partially but are not identical.
Misconception 2: Al‑Hak‘ah is purely malefic. The Picatrix lists destructive uses, but it also lists constructive ones. The mansion’s character depends on the operator’s intent and the Moon’s phase. A waxing Moon in Al‑Hak‘ah favors building reputation. A waning Moon favors exposing corruption.
Misconception 3: The mansion system is only for astrology. In traditional practice, the mansions were used for navigation, agriculture, and medicine as much as for astrology. Al‑Hak‘ah’s rising marked the time to harvest dates and to treat fevers with cooling herbs. The magical applications were one layer of a thicker practice.
FAQ
Is Al‑Hak‘ah used in Western astrology? Not directly. Western sidereal astrology uses the 28 mansions primarily through the Picatrix tradition, but most Western astrologers work with the 12 zodiac signs rather than the lunar stations. Al‑Hak‘ah appears mainly in grimoire‑based magic and Arabic astrology.
What day of the lunar month does Al‑Hak‘ah fall on? It depends on the Moon’s position, not the calendar date. The Moon enters Al‑Hak‘ah roughly every 27.3 days, staying for about 24 hours. Online lunar mansion calculators can give the exact time for any location.
Can I work with Al‑Hak‘ah without knowing Arabic? Yes. The mansion’s energy is astronomical, not linguistic. Knowing the name and its meaning helps focus the intent, but the stars do not require translation.
Does Al‑Hak‘ah have a corresponding angel or spirit? In the Picatrix, the mansion’s spirit is called “Sahil” or “Sahl,” though sources disagree on the spelling. The 17th‑century English magician John Dee assigned it to the angel “Graphiel” in his Enochian system, but this is a later Christian adaptation.
Al‑Hak‘ah asks a question that every practitioner must answer eventually: What do you want to be seen for? The crown is visible, but it is also heavy. The throne is elevated, but it is also exposed. The mansion does not promise that visibility will be comfortable. It promises only that you will be seen.
The 28 mansions form a complete circuit of the sky, and Al‑Hak‘ah is the point where the Moon steps into public view. What you do with that visibility is your own work. The mansion provides the light. You provide the shape.
For a deeper understanding of how the 28 mansions work as a system, see our guide to the lunar mansions. For the specific correspondences of each mansion’s fixed stars, visit the glossary of Arabic star names. And for the practical timing of talismanic operations, read our guide to lunar mansion magic.