Magha is the tenth nakshatra and the first of Leo, running from 0° to 13°20′ of the sidereal sign, and its lord is Ketu while its deities are the Pitris, the ancestors. The name means "the great" or "the bountiful", and the nakshatra is associated with lineage, honour, tradition and the dignity of a seat that has been handed down.
Its main star is Regulus, the bright star at the heart of the Lion, which many cultures also linked with kingship.
Where Magha sits
Magha opens Leo, the Sun's sign, and begins the second cycle of nine nakshatras. The whole of Magha lies within the Sun's moolatrikona range of 0° to 20° Leo, which gives it a strongly solar, regal colouring: the wish to lead, to be respected, and to live up to a name.
It follows Ashlesha, and the step from one to the other is sharp. Cancer's private, watery world gives way to Leo's public fire. That crossing is what tradition calls gandanta.
Lord and deity: Ketu and the Pitris
Ketu is the south node of the Moon. It signifies detachment, roots, past skills and what has already been learned. The Pitris are the ancestors honoured in shraddha rites. Together they point backwards in time: Magha looks to the family line, the traditions received from elders, and the obligations that come with inheritance.
That is why Magha is called the nakshatra of heritage. A Magha person may feel the pull of their family's history strongly, take pride in it, or feel called to restore something their elders built. Ketu adds a quiet streak of renunciation: the throne is honoured, yet there is an awareness that it belongs to the line more than to the person sitting on it.
In many families Magha has a place in the annual calendar of ancestor rites, especially during Pitru Paksha, which reflects this same connection.
Symbol, gana, yoni and nadi
The symbol is a royal throne. It suggests authority, ceremony and a clear place in a hierarchy, but a throne is also a responsibility one inherits rather than invents.
Magha is of Rakshasa gana, meaning a strong-willed, independent temperament. Its yoni is the rat, male, and its nadi is Antya (kapha), the same as Ashlesha.
In gun milan, the rat's enemy yoni is the cat (Punarvasu and Ashlesha), and its partner yoni is Purva Phalguni, the female rat. Gana carries 6 points; Rakshasa matches best with Rakshasa, and the scores with the other two ganas vary a little between texts. Same nadi scores zero unless an exception applies. These koota scores describe tendencies in a pairing, and a proper matching studies both full charts.
Muhurta nature: fierce (ugra)
Muhurta Chintamani lists Magha among the fierce (ugra, krura) nakshatras, together with Bharani, Purva Phalguni, Purva Ashadha and Purva Bhadrapada. Tradition assigns them actions that need force or decisive boldness: dealing with opponents, work with fire or weapons, demolition before rebuilding. Yet the same text's own list of marriage nakshatras includes Magha (called Pitrya there, after its deity), which shows that the muhurta class is only one input: the purpose of the event and the rest of the panchang matter as much. Use the muhurat tool, which checks tithi, weekday and yoga together.
Temperament
A Moon in Magha often gives presence. People notice when a Magha native walks into a room. There is natural authority, generosity toward those in one's care, loyalty to family, and a love of ceremony and tradition.
The growth areas are the shadow of the throne. Pride can make it hard to take advice or admit a mistake. Status can matter more than it should, and respect for the past can become resistance to change. Ketu's influence can also bring moments of sudden indifference to the very honours Magha seeks. Many Magha natives mature by leading through service, and by treating the family legacy as something to improve rather than simply defend.
The four padas
Magha's padas begin a new navamsa cycle: Aries, Taurus, Gemini and Cancer.
Pada 1: Leo 0° to 3°20′, Aries navamsa
Fire within fire. This pada is bold, direct and energetic, eager to lead from the front. It is also the gandanta portion at the start of Leo. Naming syllable: Ma.
Pada 2: Leo 3°20′ to 6°40′, Taurus navamsa
Venus's earthy sign adds steadiness, a taste for comfort and beauty, and a focus on wealth and family resources. The authority here is more settled and patient. Naming syllable: Mi.
Pada 3: Leo 6°40′ to 10°, Gemini navamsa
Mercury's sign brings speech, learning and curiosity. This pada is often associated with scholarship about the past, history, genealogy or teaching. Naming syllable: Mu.
Pada 4: Leo 10° to 13°20′, Cancer navamsa
The Moon's sign adds warmth and attachment to home and family. This is the most emotional and protective pada, deeply devoted to the family line. Naming syllable: Me.
The gandanta note
Gandanta marks the three places where a water sign ends and a fire sign begins. Magha's first pada lies on the fire side of the Cancer–Leo junction, matching Ashlesha's last pada on the water side. Classical works ask that a birth or Moon here be read with care, but they disagree on the width of the zone, some taking the whole pada and others only a small arc near 0°. It speaks of a turning point, not of misfortune, and the rest of the chart matters as much.
Naming syllables
For Magha, the north Indian syllables are Ma, Mi, Mu and Me by pada. See the glossary entry on naam akshar.
Moon, lagna and planets in Magha
A Magha Moon starts the Vimshottari dasha with Ketu, whose full period is 7 years; the balance at birth depends on the Moon's degree. After Ketu comes Venus's 20-year period, so many Magha natives enter the Venus mahadasha in childhood or youth.
With the lagna in Magha, Leo rising and the Sun as lagna lord shape a dignified bearing. The Sun placed here sits in its moolatrikona. Other planets in Magha pick up its concern with status, lineage and tradition. None of this stands alone: one factor never decides a chart, and the full kundli is read together.
To find your own Moon nakshatra, make a free chart on the kundli page. The next nakshatra, Purva Phalguni, shows Leo in a lighter, more pleasure-loving mood.