Wiktionary
n. (context astronomy astrology English) a segment of the ecliptic (often called a station or house) through which the moon moves in its orbit around the earth, often used by ancient cultures as part of their calendar system.
Wikipedia
A lunar mansion is a segment of the ecliptic (often called a station, or house) through which the moon moves in its orbit around the earth, often used by ancient cultures as part of their calendar system. In general, though not always, the zodiac is divided into 27 or 28 segments relative to fixed stars - one for each day of the lunar month, which is 27.3 days long - and the position of the moon is charted with respect to those fixed segments. Since the position of the moon at given stage will vary according to the position of the earth in its own orbit, the mansions of the moon are an effective system for keeping track of the passage of seasons.
Various cultures have used sets of lunar mansions astrologically; for example the Jyotisha astrological Nakshatras of Hindu culture, the Arabic manzils ( manazil al-qamar), the twenty-eight mansions of Chinese astronomy, and the 36 decans of Egyptian astronomy. western astrology doesn't use mansions but each zodiac sign covers 2-3 mansions. The Chinese system groups mansions into four groups related to the seasons.
The concept of the lunar mansions are considered to be Babylonian in origin. Jim Tester, in his History of Western Astrology explains that they appear in Hellenistic astrology as the second century list of fixed stars of Maximus of Tyre, the Arabic lists of Alchandri and Haly Abenragel, a similar Coptic list with Greek names, and that though they were known in Vedic India, all lists "seem to betray" transmission through Greek sources. Though pointing out that the Babylonians had well established lunar groupings by the sixth century B.C., he also notes "the twenty-eight mansion scheme was derived via Egyptian magic by the linking of the lists of lucky and unlucky days of the lunar month with the hemerologies and with the zodiac".
Usage examples of "lunar mansion".
Moreover, let me tell you, that, whereas at Pisa 'twas as if I were your harlot, seeing that the planets in conjunction according to lunar mansion and geometric square intervened between you and me, here with Paganino I deem myself a wife, for he holds me in his arms all night long and hugs and bites me, and how he serves me, God be my witness.