A decan is the subdivision of a sign in astrology. Ancient astrologers divided the Zodiac Signs into ten-day intervals in order to provide a more comprehensive interpretation. The “decans” or “decantes” are divisions that cover changes in individual features due to minor planetary effects that temper or mix with the period’s dominant influence. The ten-day spans are somewhat random in order to account for the five (and occasionally six) extra days in the year required to complete the thirty-six decans.
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In astrology, what does deacon mean?
Following the Chaldean Order and Elemental triplicities, as well as the Mode/Quality of each Sign, we can assign a Tarot card to each decan (where in the season they fall- beginning for Cardinal Signs, middle for Fixed Signs, or end for Mutable Signs). As a result, if you know the exact degree of your Sun Sign (found in your birth chart), you may figure out your sub-ruler (as well as how you may differ from other people born under your Sun Sign) and your unique Tarot card. Continue reading to find out how!
In astrology, what does each decan represent?
We all know it’s impossible to categorize everyone with the same Sun sign into a neat package of characteristics. Yes, if you’re a Leo, you’re likely to have many Leo characteristics in common with other Leos. However, there are other intricacies in Astrology that give depth and complexity to your planetary placements.
You may understand what a Decan is if you understand Triplicity in Astrology. Triplicity is a fancy phrase for the various elements that make up our zodiac sign. Triplicity refers to a set of three (triple) signs that all pertain to the same element. Three Fire signs (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius), three Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn), three Air signs (Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius), and three Water signs (Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius) are among the zodiac signs (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces).
It’s all about the degrees
It’s vital to understand that every sign has thirty degrees, regardless of whatever sign we’re talking about. It’s also simple to find out your unique degrees by running an Essential Birth Report. Decans are a clever technique of breaking down the attributes of each sign by dividing them into thirds of ten degrees each. Every sign will have three Decans, and each Decan will have a planetary ruler who will serve as the sign’s co-ruler. You can discover more about a planet or other point in your horoscope’s tale and how it may effect your psychology by learning which Decan it is in.
Each Decan must be a member of the same Triplicity (element) as the sign. Decans are positioned in the natural zodiac wheel in the precise order they would appear. We can see that the first Decan of any planet in Aries will apply to the first ten degrees if we take Aries as an example. It will be an Aries-Aries Decan, which means it will be pure, undamaged Aries energy dominated solely by Mars. Any sign’s first Decan will match to the exact sign, giving it a more pure expression of that energy.
There is a little difference if your planet is between ten and twenty degrees of Aries. Now we’re in the Decan of Aries-Leo… it imparts a distinct flavor The Sun will be a co-ruler of this planet, adding to the complexity of interpretation. If your planet is between the degrees of Aries twenty and thirty, it is in the Aries-Sagittarius Decan… It’s got a Mars-Jupiter vibe to it. It’s easy to understand how someone born with a 5 degree Aries Sun, a 15 degree Aries Sun, and a 25 degree Aries Sun will have different solar energy expressions. Fascinating!
In astronomy, what is a decan?
The 36 groups of stars (minor constellations) employed in ancient Egyptian astronomy to split the 360 degree ecliptic into 36 sections of 10 degrees each, both for theurgical and helialical horological purposes, are known as bktw or baktiu. During each daily earth rotation, the decans appeared to ascend in order on the horizon, geocentrically. For the ancient Egyptians, the rising of each decan signaled the start of a new decanal “hour” (Greek hra) of the night, and they were employed as a sidereal star clock as early as the 9th or 10th Dynasty (c. 2100 BCE).
How do I figure out what decan I’m in?
To comprehend decans, you must first comprehend that each astrological sign occupies 30 degrees of the Zodiac, for a total of 360 degrees, according to Lang (12 signs are each comprised of 30 degrees). The decans are made by splitting each sign’s 30 degrees into 10-degree increments.
Your decan is determined by the position of your birthday inside the 30-degree range. The first decan is approximately the first ten days of your sign, the second decan is around the second ten days, and the third decan is approximately the third ten days.
Each decan has its own distinct footprint. “We attribute planetary sub-rulers to the sign within these decans,” Lang adds, “and those sub-rulers offer us extra levels of symbolism to apply to your birth date within your sign.” “You fully embody your sign if you are born within the first decan, or the first ten degrees (about 10 days) of a sign. Your sign’s ruler will be your planetary sub-ruler.”
What are Scorpio’s three decans?
A decan related with the sun, God of light and color, begins around November 2 and spans 10-20 Scorpio. The spectacular display of fall color is frequently at its greatest around this time. Outside of the first half of the calendar year, this is one of only three areas where the sun has any essential dignity, and for many people, it can be a type of last hurrah for outdoor and agricultural pursuits. This is the Samhain season, when spirits and faeries can be seen traveling around. Since ancient times, when Neolithic tombs were aligned with the rising sun at this time and later traditions to commemorate ancestors were observed, this decan has been seen as significant.
The second decan of a fixed sign corresponds to the element’s number six card, in this case the Six of Cups. The Rider-Waite version of this card, known as “the Lord of Pleasure” in Book T of the Golden Dawn, depicts a joyous scene of reunion and sharing. This reflects the many celebrations that have traditionally marked this time of year, as well as the many offerings made to the spirits.
What are the Leo decans?
A decan connected with Saturn, the deity of limitations and boundaries, begins at 0 Leo (about July 22) and spans the next 10 degrees.
In the northern hemisphere, we are transitioning from the fertile sign of Cancer to the warmest time of the year. This heat naturally limits what we can do during daylight hours; the dog days of summer bring a sense of lethargy as we seek shelter from the sun’s powerful impact. This is also a lull for farmers, who have nothing to do but wait to see if enough rain falls on the crops to yield a sustainable harvest.
The rulership of Saturn is also vividly visible in the Tarot image for this decan. The “five card of that element,” in this case, the Five of Wands, is associated with the first decan of a fixed sign. In the Golden Dawn Tarot, this card is known as the Lord of Strife, and it frequently depicts pictures of struggle, the nature of which is expressly tied to the fight between the ruler of the sign of Leo (the sun) and the ruler of the first decan (Saturn). The heat of Leo exacerbates Saturn’s dry character, resulting in separative forces that manifest in nature as the occasionally intense thunderstorms that are frequent at this time of year.
What is a Pisces third decan?
- The 1st Pisces Decan is controlled by Neptune and is born between the 19th and 29th of February. Patience and a calculated nature are gifts from the planet.
- The 2nd Pisces Decan is ruled by the Moon, and people born between the 1st and 10th of March are regarded to be in it. The planet bestows onto them the traits necessary to continue to raise a happy family.
- 3rd Pisces People born between the 11th and the 20th of March are known as Decans, and they are ruled by Pluto. Pluto aids in the development of one’s creativity as well as ambition.
What are Capricorn’s three decans?
Long before there was a 12 sign zodiac, Egyptian astrologers kept a close eye on the sky for new stars that appeared every ten days. New Gods and magical powers arose as a result of the rising of these new stars, and these were regarded so vital that they were even utilized as guides for the dead to navigate the afterlife. These ten-degree divisions were included into the zodiac by Mesopotamian astrologers, and they were dubbed “decans” by the Greeks, who accorded them a specific place in the scheme of fundamental dignities. The decans’ particular power has long been associated with fate and our ability to alter it through magic.
The Chaldean order, in which the planets are grouped in order of speed from slow to rapid, so from Saturn, down to Jupiter, Mars, sun, Venus, Mercury, and lastly the moon, is the most frequent system of rulerships for decans. Jupiter, Mars, and the Sun control the three decans of Capricorn in this system. The linked minor arcana cards in the Golden Dawn system and the numerous Tarot decks made by its members (including the Rider-Waite, the most widely used deck) frequently exhibit the influence of these decan lords rather clearly. The three decans of cardinal signs correspond to the 2, 3, and 4 of the accompanying suit in this system. Pentacles are the Tarot suit for earth signs in this situation.
The First Decan of Capricorn (December 21-December 31)
A decan connected with Jupiter and its qualities of travel, expansion, and guidance begins at 0 Capricorn and spans the next 10 degrees. Christmas is one of the busiest travel seasons of the year, and Grandma’s house is typically considerably farther away than “across the river and through the woods” in our modern world. Additionally, the forces of sunshine begin to rise anew after the winter solstice, which is the longest night of the year (in the northern hemisphere). We naturally tend to look ahead as the solar force begins to expand, thinking about what the new year might bring.
The rulership of Jupiter is also vividly visible in the Tarot image for this decan. The first decan of a cardinal sign corresponds to that element’s second card, in this case the two of pentacles. In the Rider-Waite deck, this card is known as “The Lord of Harmonious Change,” and it appears in Book T of the Golden Dawn. It depicts a juggler and ships. The nature of Jupiter’s rulership here is expressed through a feeling of discontent and wandering, which brings about an alternation and need for balance between seeking new experiences and change versus maintaining homeostasis, according to the LWB (“little white book”) for the Hermetic Tarot (based on Golden Dawn teachings).
The Second Decan of Capricorn (December 31- January 10)
A decan related with Mars and the energies of work and industry begins around December 31 and spans 10-20 Capricorn. Mars is exalted in Capricorn, therefore this is where it expresses itself the most. Jupiter’s growth, which began in the preceding decan, has finally found a practical outlet through which the increasing solar energy can be re-engaged usefully. Similarly, we all find ourselves needing to return to work in order to pay for all of our vacation enjoyment.
The number three card of that element, in this case the three of pentacles, is associated with the second decan of a cardinal sign. The Rider-Waite version of this card, known as “the Lord of Material Works” in Book T of the Golden Dawn, depicts a mason laboring in a church and consulting with two other figures carrying drawings. The meanings of this card, like Mars’, are rather simple: planning, collaboration, and manifestation.
The Third Decan of Capricorn (January 10- January 20)
Beginning about January 10, we have a decan controlled by the sun, God of Light and daytime activity, from 20 to 30 Capricorn. Outside of the first half of the year, this is one of the few places where the sun has any essential dignity. This is when we first perceive the solar force re-establishing its strength in the form of increasing daylight hours. Although it is still freezing outside, the increased daylight means that the first flowers, such as snowdrops, will appear before long.
The number four card of that element, in this case, the four of pentacles, is associated with the third decan of a cardinal sign. We see a person possessively holding a golden coin with two others at its feet and one above its head in the traditional Rider-Waite illustration for this card. Also known as “In Book T of the Golden Dawn, the Lord of Earthly Power, this card denotes material prosperity and success, but also greed or domination. In the LWB (, (, (, (, (, (, (, “The nature of the sun’s rulership is depicted here in the Hermetic Tarot (based on Golden Dawn teachings) as the cautious and ordered culmination of earthly authority.
Are Moon signs divided into decans?
No matter what, each of the twelve Zodiac signs is made up of thirty degrees. Decans are formed by dividing thirty degrees by three. Decans have a strong affinity towards triplicity, or elementality. For each of the four astrological elements, there are three signs. Every sign has a governing planet that influences and defines it; decans serve as co-rulers, giving the archetype more depth. Because it is regulated by its own planet, the first decan of a sign is always its simplest, purest form; the remaining decans are co-dominated by the planet of one of the two signs that share its element.
The first Aries decan, for example, is dominated by Mars, the sign’s ruling planet; the second Aries decan is ruled by the sun, Leo’s ruling planet, and Leo, like Aries, is a fire sign. Because the sign also has a ruling planet, the planets of the second and third decans co-rule the natives born during the prescribed ten degrees of their sun sign, however the first decan does not because the sign and decan share the same planet.
Decans mostly affect sun signs, but they also have a little impact on the other planets in a natal chart. Simply look at the degree and convert the proper description below into lunar territoryemotions, instincts, and needs if you want to interpret your moon’s decan, for example.