Part Two
Each sign of the zodiac is thirty degrees in length. Are the characteristics of the first portion of a sign the same as the characteristics of the middle or the last portion of that sign? Over the years, there have been astrologers who have seen that there is a difference. Thus was born a division, where each of the twelve signs was divided into three parts of ten degrees each. From this division arose the name decan (10) or decanate. Since each sign has a "ruler," each decanate's ruler becomes a sub-ruler of the sign. Knowing the decanate and its "ruler" automatically adds deeper dimension to your interpretation of a planet in a sign.
There are two ways to determine the rulers of the decanates. One of them is ancient and uses the planets in the order in which their speed was determined in ancient times, when the outermost (and slowest) planet was Saturn. They are in exactly the same order as the planets are in Planetary Hours, which I have thoroughly described elsewhere in the Advanced Astrology Section. In this method, Mars is still the ruler of the first decanate of Aries, but the second decanate would be ruled by the Sun, and the third by Venus. The late Barbara Watters used this method to determine the rulerships of the decanates.
The other method for determining the rulers of the decanates is by the triplicities. This is a much easier way to "read" the decanates and their "rulers." Once one is comfortable with the triplicities, one can name the sub-rulers immediately, without having to resort to a list or table of rulerships. It also gives us the opportunity to use Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto as sub-rulers. This is the method that I use and teach. This article is based on the triplicity method.
Each decanate of a sign will be in the same triplicity (fire, earth, air, water) as the sign itself. They are arranged in the same order as they appear in the zodiac. Thus, the first decanate of Aries is Aries, ruled by Mars, the second decanate is Leo, because it is the next fire sign in the zodiac. Leo is ruled by the Sun, so the second decanate of Aries is ruled by the Sun. The third decanate of Aries would be the next fire sign after Leo, which is Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter.
In the same manner, the first decanate of Taurus is Taurus; the second decanate of Taurus is the next Earth sign in the zodiac, Virgo; and the third decanate of Taurus is Capricorn.
Let us look further into the decanates of Aries. We can describe the first ten degrees of Aries as Aries/Aries or Mars/Mars giving an impulsive and pioneering nature to the planet that is there. The second ten degrees of Aries can be described as Aries/Leo or Mars/Sun giving a less aggressive and more sunny nature to the planet there. The third ten degrees of Aries can be described as Aries/Sagittarius or Mars/Jupiter giving a mutable, outgoing nature to the planet there.
We know that people with the Sun in Aries are not all alike. We know that it takes the whole chart to understand a person. With decanates, we have three different kinds of Sun in Aries. Socially, we astrologers are always told other people's birthdays, and asked to say a few words. With decanates in our heads, we can say more than just a few words, and they will be words that hit the target.
Astrologers could have assigned the characteristics to various partitioning methods, such as halves, quarters, ninths, twelfths, etc. However, one popular method is to partition the 30?degree sign into three 10?degree segments for the beginning, the middle, and the end. Ten?degree segments are "decanates," and we recognize the root "dec" for ten.
I teach the use of triplicities to assign rulerships to every decanate. In Part One, I provided examples. Let me review the examples.
The 30 degrees of Aries, a Fire Sign, are divided into three decanates, which are also Fire Signs. Their sequence is the same as their sequence in the Zodiac. The beginning, middle, and ending decanates are Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. The sub?rulers are Mars, the Sun, and Jupiter.
The 30 degrees of Taurus, an Earth Sign, are divided into three equal sections named Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn, also Earth Signs. Notice that their order is the order in which they appear in the Zodiac. Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn correspond to the beginning, middle, and end decanates, respectively, of Taurus. The sub?rulers are, in order, Venus, Mercury, and Saturn.
That is the end of the review. Now we go on to more signs of the Zodiac.
The 30 degrees of Gemini, an Air sign, are divided into three equal sections named Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius, also Air signs. Their order is the same order in which they appear in the Zodiac. If I repeat this enough, you will be able to name the decanates automatically, without hesitation. Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius correspond to the beginning, middle, and end decanates, respectively, of Gemini. The sub?rulers are, in order, Mercury, Venus, and Uranus.
The 30 degrees of Cancer, a Water sign, are divided into three equal sections named Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces, also Water signs. Their order is the same order in which they appear in the Zodiac. Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces correspond to the beginning, middle, and end decanates, respectively, of Cancer. The sub?rulers are, in order, the Moon, Pluto, and Neptune.
The 30 degrees of Leo, a Fire sign, are divided into three equal sections named Leo, Sagittarius, and Aries, also Fire signs. Notice that the first decanate is always named the same as the sign. Their order is the same order in which they appear in the Zodiac. Leo, Sagittarius, and Aries correspond to the beginning, middle, and end decanates, respectively, of Leo. The sub?rulers are, in order, the Sun, Jupiter, and Mars.
The 30 degrees of Virgo, an Earth sign, are divided into three equal sections named Virgo, Capricorn, and Taurus, also Earth signs. Their order is the same order in which they appear in the Zodiac. Virgo, Capricorn, and Taurus correspond to the beginning, middle, and end decanates, respectively, of Virgo. The sub?rulers are Mercury, Saturn, and Venus.
The 30 degrees of Libra, an Air sign, are divided into three equal sections named Libra, Aquarius, and Gemini, also Air signs. Their order is the same order in which they appear in the Zodiac. Libra, Aquarius, and Gemini correspond to the beginning, middle, and end decanates, respectively, of Libra. The sub?rulers are Venus, Uranus, and Mercury.
The 30 degrees of Scorpio, a Water sign, are divided into three equal sections named Scorpio, Pisces, and Cancer, also Water signs. Their order is the same order in which they appear in the Zodiac. Scorpio, Pisces, and Cancer correspond to the beginning, middle, and end decanates, respectively, of Scorpio. The sub?rulers are Pluto, Neptune, and the Moon.
The 30 degrees of Sagittarius, a Fire sign, are divided into three equal sections named Sagittarius, Aries, and Leo, also Fire signs. Their order is the same order in which they appear in the Zodiac. Sagittarius, Aries, and Leo correspond to the beginning, middle, and end decanates, respectively, of Sagittarius. The sub?rulers are Jupiter, Mars, and the Sun.
The 30 degrees of Capricorn, an Earth sign, are divided into three equal sections named Capricorn, Taurus, and Virgo, also Earth signs. Their order is the same order in which they appear in the Zodiac. Capricorn, Taurus, and Virgo correspond to the beginning, middle, and end decanates, respectively, of Capricorn. The sub?rulers are Saturn, Venus, and Mercury.
The 30 degrees of Aquarius, an Air sign, are divided into three equal sections named Aquarius, Gemini, and Libra, also Air signs. Their order is the same order in which they appear in the Zodiac. Aquarius, Gemini, and Libra correspond to the beginning, middle, and end decanates, respectively, of Aquarius. The sub?rulers are Uranus, Mercury, and Venus.
The 30 degrees of Pisces, a Water sign, are divided into three equal sections named Pisces, Cancer, and Scorpio, also Water signs. Their order is the same order in which they appear in the Zodiac. Pisces, Cancer, and Scorpio correspond to the beginning, middle, and end decanates, respectively, of Pisces. The sub?rulers are Neptune, the Moon, and Pluto.