‘Decans’ Allow You To Dive Deeper Into Your Astrological Personality Than Ever Before
As those of us absorbed by astrology are well aware, your sun sign can only tell you so much about yourself. There are innumerable ways to deep-dive further into your astrological personality, however, at varying levels of complexity. Beginners might look to their moon or rising sign for more information, for example, while those who are more advanced in their zodiac journey might want to dig into more intricate concepts—like decans (also called “decantes”). “If you’ve ever wondered why people born in the same sign seem different, decans can help answer this puzzle,” says astrologist and intuitive healer Rachel Lang.
To understand decans, you must first understand that each astrological sign occupies 30 degrees of the Zodiac, Lang explains, for a total of 360 degrees (12 signs are each comprised of 30 degrees). Decans are then created by dividing those 30 degrees in each sign into 10-degree increments.
Your decan depends on where your birthday falls within that 30-degree spread. Approximately the first ten days of your sign is the first decan, approximately the second ten days of your sign is the second decan, and approximately the third ten days is the third decan.
Each decan has a unique footprint, so to speak. “Within these decans, we assign planetary sub-rulers to the sign, and those sub-rulers give us additional layers of symbolism to apply to your birth date within your sign,” Lang explains. “If you are born within the first decan, or the first ten degrees (approximately ten days) of a sign, you embody your sign to the fullest. Your planetary sub-ruler is going to be your sign’s ruler.”
If you’re not the first decan, your sub-ruler gets a bit trickier to discern. Basically, Lang says that you need to look at the triplicity of your sign—whether it’s an air, water, fire, or earth sign—in order to figure it out. While the first decan is assigned the same ruler of their sun sign, the second decan is assigned the secondary ruler of the next sign within that same element, and the third decan is assigned the secondary ruler of the next sign after that (within the same element). Got it?
I’m guessing not, but fortunately, Lang helps us out with an Aries example. She says that if you’re an Aries born between March 21 and 30 (with the caveat that this could vary depending on the day the sun enters that sign), you were born in the first decan, so your sub-ruler is the same as the ruler for your entire sign: Mars. “Mars is courageous, independent, and driven,” she says. “It’s the warrior planet. You are a pioneer and ready to take a risk.”
An Aries born between approximately March 31 and April 9, meanwhile, is the second decan. Since the next fire sign in the Zodiac is Leo, and Leo is ruled by the Sun, Aries’ second decan’s sub-ruler is the Sun. “Your main ruling planet is still Mars, but we add the Sun as a planetary sub-ruler,” Lang explains. “The Sun’s influence gives you a strong desire to lead and make a difference. You can be strong-willed and appear confident to others, but at times, others might perceive you as selfish.”
Finally, an Aries born between April 10 and 20 is in the third decan. And since the next fire sign in the Zodiac is Sagittarius, and Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, the third decan’s sub-ruler is Jupiter. “Jupiter adds optimism and enthusiasm to the Mars influence,” says Lang. “Freedom is a keyword for you.”
While Lang doesn’t break down each decan in this level of detail below, she does offer guidance as to which decan you may be as well as what that decan’s sub-ruler is. “If you want to find out more about your decan, look at the symbolism for the sign,” she says. In other words, do a little DIY investigation into the influence of your particular sub-ruler—whether it be the Sun, Mercury, or Saturn—to add some layers to your astrological self-awareness (or stalking—I mean, understanding—of someone else).
How to find your decan, and planetary sub-ruler, according to astrologist Rachel Lang
Aries: Ruled by Mars
The first 0˚ to 10˚ (approximately the first ten days) of the Aries sign is an Aries decan, ruled by Mars.
The second 10˚ to 20˚ (approximately the second ten days) of the Aries sign is a Leo decan, so the Sun is its secondary ruler.
The final 20˚to 30˚ (approximately the third ten days) of the Aries sign is a Sagittarius decan, so Jupiter is its secondary ruler.
Taurus: Ruled by Venus
The first 0˚ to 10˚ (approximately the first ten days) of the Taurus sign is a Taurus decan, ruled by Venus.
The second 10˚ to 20˚ (approximately the second ten days) of the Taurus sign is a Virgo decan, so Mercury is its secondary ruler.
The third 20˚to 30˚ (approximately the third ten days) of the Taurus sign is a Capricorn decan, so Saturn is its secondary ruler.
Gemini: Ruled by Mercury
The first 0˚ to 10˚ (approximately the first ten days) of the Gemini sign is a Gemini decan, ruled by Mercury.
The second 10˚to 20˚ (approximately the second ten days) of the Gemini sign is a Libra decan, so Venus is its secondary ruler.
The third 20˚ to 30˚ (approximately the third ten days) of the Gemini sign is an Aquarius decan, so Uranus is its secondary ruler.
Cancer: Ruled by the Moon
The first 0˚ to 10˚ (approximately the first ten days) of the Cancer sign is a Cancer decan, ruled by the Moon.
The second 10˚ to 20˚ (approximately the second ten days) of the Cancer sign is a Scorpio decan, so Pluto is its secondary ruler.
The third 20˚ to 30˚ (approximately the third ten days) of the Cancer sign is a Pisces decan, so Neptune is its secondary ruler.
Leo: Ruled by the Sun
The first 0˚ to 10˚ (approximately the first ten days) of the Leo sign is a Leo decan, ruled by the Sun.
The second 10˚ to 20˚ (approximately the second ten days) of the Leo sign is a Sagittarius decan, so Jupiter is its secondary ruler.
The third 20˚ to 30˚ (approximately the third ten days) of the Leo sign is an Aries decan, so Mars is its secondary ruler.
Virgo: Ruled by Mercury
The first 0˚ to 10˚ (approximately the first ten days) of the Virgo sign is a Virgo decan, ruled by Mercury.
The second 10˚ to 20˚ (approximately the second ten days) of the Virgo sign is a Capricorn decan, so Saturn is its secondary ruler.
The third 20˚ to 30˚ (approximately the third ten days) of the Virgo sign is a Taurus decan, so Venus is its secondary ruler.
Libra: Ruled by Venus
The first 0˚ to 10˚ (approximately the first ten days) of the Libra sign is a Libra decan, ruled by Venus.
The second 10˚ to 20˚ (approximately the second ten days) of the Libra sign is an Aquarius decan, so Uranus is its secondary ruler.
The third 20˚ to 30˚ (approximately the third ten days) of the Libra is a Gemini decan, so Mercury is its secondary ruler.
Scorpio: Ruled by Pluto
The first 0˚ to 10˚ (approximately the first ten days) of the Scorpio sign is a Scorpio decan, ruled by Pluto.
The second 10˚ to 20˚ (approximately the second ten days) of the Scorpio sign is a Pisces decan, so Neptune is its secondary ruler.
The third 20˚ to 30˚ (approximately the third ten days) of the Scorpio sign is a Cancer decan, so the Moon is its secondary ruler.
Sagittarius: Ruled by Jupiter
The first 0˚ to 10˚ (approximately the first ten days) of the Sagittarius sign is a Sagittarius decan, ruled by Jupiter.
The second 10˚ to 20˚ (approximately the second ten days) of the Sagittarius sign is an Aries decan, so Mars is its secondary ruler.
The third 20˚ to 30˚ (approximately the third ten days) of the Sagittarius sign is a Leo decan, so the Sun is its secondary ruler.
Capricorn: Ruled by Saturn
The first 0˚ to 10˚ (approximately the first ten days) of the Capricorn sign is a Capricorn decan, ruled by Saturn.
The second 10˚ to 20˚ (approximately the second ten days) of the Capricorn sign is a Taurus decan, so Venus is its secondary ruler.
The third 20˚ to 30˚ (approximately the third ten days) of the Capricorn sign is a Virgo decan, so Mercury is its secondary ruler.
Aquarius: Ruled by Uranus
The first 0˚ to 10˚ (approximately the first ten days) of the Aquarius sign is an Aquarius decan, ruled by Uranus.
The second 10˚ to 20˚ (approximately the second ten days) of the Aquarius sign is a Gemini decan, so Mercury is its secondary ruler.
The third 20˚ to 30˚ (approximately the third ten days) of the Aquarius sign is a Libra decan, so Venus is its secondary ruler.
Pisces: Ruled by Neptune
The first 0˚ to 10˚ (approximately the first ten days) of the Pisces sign is a Pisces decan, ruled by Neptune.
The second 10˚ to 20˚ (approximately the second ten days) of the Pisces sign is a Cancer decan, so the Moon is its secondary ruler.
The third 20˚ to 30˚ (approximately the third ten days) of the Pisces sign is a Scorpio decan, so Pluto is its secondary ruler.
This is a syndicated feed. Trade News Network takes no responsibility for any claims made in this article.