Mercury in Ashlesha Nakshatra (Budh in आश्लेषा)

Ashlesha, the 9th of the 27 nakshatras, covers 106°40′ – 120°00′ of the sidereal zodiac, wholly inside Cancer. Ashlesha is ruled by Mercury itself — one of the three nakshatras Mercury rules, with Jyeshtha and Revati — so Mercury in Ashlesha stands in its own star, and there is no second graha’s view to read at the level of the nakshatra.

Mercury in Ashlesha, Pada by Pada

By rashi, Mercury is in an enemy's sign in all four padas of Ashlesha, because the whole nakshatra lies in Cancer. By navamsa the four padas fall in Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. Mercury’s strongest navamsas in Ashlesha are padas 1 (Sagittarius, in a neutral sign), 2 (Capricorn, in a neutral sign) and 3 (Aquarius, in a neutral sign), and its weakest is pada 4 (Pisces, debilitated).

Ashlesha pada 4 (Cancer 26°40′ – 30°00′) is gandanta: one of the six padas on the junction of a water sign and the fire sign after it, and Mercury placed in that quarter of Ashlesha sits on the junction itself.

Neither Mercury’s deepest exaltation (Virgo) nor its deepest debilitation (Pisces) degree falls inside Ashlesha, and Mercury’s moolatrikona lies outside it as well, so in Ashlesha the rashi and navamsa verdicts above are the whole of Mercury’s dignity.

When Mercury Is in Ashlesha, 2026–2028

• 16 August 2026: Mercury enters Ashlesha, and leaves on 22 August 2026 — 6 days.
• 7 August 2027: Mercury enters Ashlesha, and leaves on 14 August 2027 — 7 days.
• 29 July 2028: Mercury enters Ashlesha, and leaves on 5 August 2028 — 7 days.

Those are the three spells Mercury spends in Ashlesha between 1 January 2026 and 1 January 2029, 20 days in all. Over the same span Mercury stands in every one of the 27 nakshatras. The dates are days only; for Mercury in Ashlesha a minute would be more precise than the ayanamsa behind it.

Inside Ashlesha: what the tables locate there for Mercury

Of the 100 complete spells Mercury has in the table, in any nakshatra, the shortest is 4 days and the longest 58; the Ashlesha spells, at 6, 7 and 7 days, sit inside that range.

• 8 August 2027: Mercury meets Ketu at 17° Cancer, in Ashlesha pada 1.
• 11 August 2027: Mercury meets Venus at 23° Cancer, in Ashlesha pada 3.
• 11 August 2027: Mercury meets the Sun at 24° Cancer, in Ashlesha pada 3.

The retrograde table runs from 2024 to 2031, wider than the ingress table, and it places three of Mercury's stations in Ashlesha. On 29 August 2024 Mercury stations direct inside Ashlesha, in pada 4. On 18 July 2025 Mercury stations retrograde inside Ashlesha, in pada 2. On 22 August 2031 Mercury stations direct inside Ashlesha, in pada 2. At a station Mercury’s motion is at its slowest, so these are the days it is most nearly still in Ashlesha.

Ashlesha as the Setting for Mercury

In the nakshatra tables Ashlesha’s deity is listed as Sarpas (Nagas) and its symbol as coiled snake; its gana is Rakshasa, and the muhurta texts put it in the Tikshna class (sharp). Those belong to Ashlesha whichever graha is in it, and they are read on the Ashlesha page. What changes with Mercury is everything above: the dignities in Cancer, its own lordship of Ashlesha, and the dates. None of it is a prediction for anyone born with Mercury in Ashlesha; the house it occupies and the dasha running decide what the placement does in a chart.

Related Placements

The sign-level reading is on Mercury in Cancer; Mercury in all 27 nakshatras is on the Mercury nakshatra table. For the nakshatras themselves, see the 27 nakshatras guide and astrology for beginners.

The Other Grahas in Ashlesha