What are the Lunar Mansions?
Simply put, the Lunar Mansions are a form of Lunar Zodiac which splits the ecliptic into 28 sections. Although based on an older sidereal form, we will be using the Mansion system used in the Picatrix which is based on the tropical zodiac.
Each Mansion is said to have a particular effect (which you can find here or in one of the translations of the Picatrix), and the position of the moon in any of these mansions can be used either to simply elect a time to perform a certain action (e.g., with the moon in the 5th mansion, it’s a good to ask for favours from kings – or to ask your boss for a raise, if you do not work for your monarch directly) or to create a talisman for a magical effect (e.g., with the moon in the 3rd Mansion, it is a good time to make a talisman to bring good luck).
The great thing about using the mansions is that they can be utilised with whatever system you currently work with to add a little celestial oomph to your magick. As an example, if you do not want to create a silver ring bearing the image of a woman with her hand raised over her head for luck during the 3rd Mansion of the Moon, and would prefer to create a mojo hand instead, that is certainly another possibility.
How to elect a suitable time
The basic requirement is that the moon is in the required Mansion. However, you will note that many of the Mansions can be used for both benefic and malefic works, and some even have contrary effects (e.g., the 3rd Mansion can be used to both free a prisoner or extend his captivity). The Picatrix makes it clear that the moon should be afflicted if the work is malefic, and should be fortified if the work is benefic in nature. It gives the following suggestions:
For benefic works: Moon should not be combust, making an applying trine or sextile to either of the Fortunes (Jupiter and Venus), or, better yet separating from one Fortune and directly applying to the other (if none of these are possible, the Picatrix says that a Fortune in the ascendant or culminating will also work in a pinch)
For malefic works: Moon should be afflicted by combustion, or making a harsh aspect (square or opposition) to one of the Infortunes (Mars or Saturn), or even better separating from an aspect to one Infortune and applying to the the other
What Images, Materials, Incense should I use?
The Picatrix gives an example ritual and image for each of the Mansions, but it is clear from the rest of the text that the incense used, the material upon which the Image is made, and the figure of the Image itself is dependent upon the nature of the effect that is required. Iron (the metal of Mars) and black (the colour of Saturn) wax is used when the destruction of an enemy is wanted in the ritual for the 1st Mansion. In the ritual of the 28th Mansion to attract fish to a certain place, the talisman is censed with fish skins. To destroy a well during the 27th Mansion, the Image used to accomplish this is a man holding a bowl with holes in it and a bone.
As long as we understand that the ritual requires the use of things that are in sympathy with the aim of the ritual, this gives us quite a bit of freedom. For example, if we want to increase love and friendship between spouses, we can use a photograph of the man and wife in an embrace along with any personal concerns. We can either use the sweet smelling incenses suggested by the Picatrix (usually amber, musk, calamus or mastic) or any of the herbs of Venus or love incenses.
The last thing to consider is where the Image we have created will be placed. In general, Images used to bring you wealth, a safe journey, or love are carried on your person. The Picatrix recommends that Images made to bring a specific person to you be buried on your premises. Images to bring trade to a place of business can be kept at that place of business, and those used to destroy a place can be buried at that place where no one will find it. In our example of increasing the love between spouses, we might keep the image in the room of the home in which the couple spend most of their time or under the marriage bed.
The rituals used in the Picatrix are fairly free form and simple invocations of the Spirit associated with the Mansion, e.g., You, Geyel, bind these tongues so they don’t say evil things and make me secure and let me escape from my enemies for the 22nd Mansion, and you are free to expand on them as you wish.