Ashwini nakshatra
Ashwini is the first of the 27 nakshatras, spanning 0°00′–13°20′ of sidereal Aries. Ruled by Ketu and presided over by the Ashwini Kumaras, the divine physicians, it is the star of swift starts and healing.
Also known as: Ashvini, Aswini, Asvini, Aswathy, Ashwini star
Ashwini opens the zodiac, covering the first 13°20′ of Aries. Its symbol is a horse’s head, and its deities are the Ashwini Kumaras, the twin horsemen who serve as physicians to the gods. Its stars are the pair at the head of the Ram, Sheratan and Mesarthim.
Tradition counts Ashwini among the swift (kshipra) nakshatras. Muhurat texts favour it for beginnings that should move quickly: starting treatment, travel, learning and trade. Its lord is Ketu, so a person born with the Moon here begins life in Ketu’s seven-year dasha.
Its padas give the name syllables Chu, Che, Cho and La. Because it begins exactly where Pisces meets Aries, Ashwini is one of six ‘gandmool’ stars. Some families hold a short shanti puja when the Moon returns to the birth star, about 27 days after birth. It is a custom of reassurance, not a judgement on the child.