Decans

A sign covers thirty degrees and has never been treated as thirty uniform degrees. Each one divides into three decans of ten, and a planet in the first decan of a sign behaves noticeably unlike the same planet in the third.

Two traditions assign the decans their rulers. The older runs the seven planets in Chaldean order through all thirty-six without regard to sign; the modern keeps each decan inside its own element. They agree on nine of the thirty-six, so every page shows both.

• Aries, 0 to 10 degrees. both traditions: Mars. The opening ten degrees of the zodiac, and the only part of Aries that both rulership traditions hand straight back to Mars.
• Aries, 10 to 20 degrees. both traditions: Sun. The middle ten degrees of Aries, where the drive picks up a wish to be seen and both traditions hand the decan to the Sun.
• Aries, 20 to 30 degrees. Venus traditionally, Jupiter in the modern scheme. The closing ten degrees of Aries, where the drive starts asking what it is for, and where the two rulership traditions part company.
• Taurus, 0 to 10 degrees. Mercury traditionally, Venus in the modern scheme. The opening ten degrees of Taurus, the most straightforwardly Venusian stretch of the sign, with an unexpected Mercury behind it in the older tradition.
• Taurus, 10 to 20 degrees. Moon traditionally, Mercury in the modern scheme. The middle ten degrees of Taurus, where the sign's steadiness starts wanting to be useful.
• Taurus, 20 to 30 degrees. both traditions: Saturn. The closing ten degrees of Taurus, where both rulership traditions agree on Saturn and the sign turns to building things that outlast their builder.
• Gemini, 0 to 10 degrees. Jupiter traditionally, Mercury in the modern scheme. The opening ten degrees of Gemini, the most purely Mercurial stretch of the sign, with a surprising Jupiter behind it in the older tradition.
• Gemini, 10 to 20 degrees. Mars traditionally, Venus in the modern scheme. The middle ten degrees of Gemini, where curiosity turns social and the two rulership traditions offer sharply different readings.
• Gemini, 20 to 30 degrees. Sun traditionally, Saturn in the modern scheme. The closing ten degrees of Gemini, where the sign stops collecting and starts looking for the pattern underneath.
• Cancer, 0 to 10 degrees. Venus traditionally, Moon in the modern scheme. The opening ten degrees of Cancer, the most straightforwardly lunar stretch of the sign, with Venus behind it in the older tradition.
• Cancer, 10 to 20 degrees. Mercury traditionally, Mars in the modern scheme. The middle ten degrees of Cancer, where the sign's care acquires depth, memory, and a good deal more reserve.
• Cancer, 20 to 30 degrees. Moon traditionally, Jupiter in the modern scheme. The closing ten degrees of Cancer, where care stops stopping at the family and the boundary gets very hard to find.
• Leo, 0 to 10 degrees. Saturn traditionally, Sun in the modern scheme. The opening ten degrees of Leo, the sign at its most solar, and one of the places the two rulership traditions disagree most sharply.
• Leo, 10 to 20 degrees. both traditions: Jupiter. The middle ten degrees of Leo, where both rulership traditions agree on Jupiter and the warmth acquires something to say.
• Leo, 20 to 30 degrees. both traditions: Mars. The closing ten degrees of Leo, where both traditions agree on Mars and the warmth acquires a fighting edge.
• Virgo, 0 to 10 degrees. Sun traditionally, Mercury in the modern scheme. The opening ten degrees of Virgo, the most purely analytical stretch of the sign, with the Sun behind it in the older tradition.
• Virgo, 10 to 20 degrees. Venus traditionally, Saturn in the modern scheme. The middle ten degrees of Virgo, where the sign's precision turns toward things built to last, with an unexpected Venus in the older tradition.
• Virgo, 20 to 30 degrees. Mercury traditionally, Venus in the modern scheme. The closing ten degrees of Virgo, where the sign's precision comes back into the body and turns into craft.
• Libra, 0 to 10 degrees. Moon traditionally, Venus in the modern scheme. The opening ten degrees of Libra, beginning at the autumn equinox, and the most purely Venusian stretch of the sign.
• Libra, 10 to 20 degrees. both traditions: Saturn. The middle ten degrees of Libra, where both traditions agree on Saturn and fairness stops being personal.
• Libra, 20 to 30 degrees. Jupiter traditionally, Mercury in the modern scheme. The closing ten degrees of Libra, where the balancing turns verbal and the sign is at its lightest.
• Scorpio, 0 to 10 degrees. both traditions: Mars. The opening ten degrees of Scorpio, where both rulership traditions agree on Mars and the sign is at its most concentrated.
• Scorpio, 10 to 20 degrees. Sun traditionally, Jupiter in the modern scheme. The middle ten degrees of Scorpio, where the sign's depth turns toward something beyond the visible.
• Scorpio, 20 to 30 degrees. Venus traditionally, Moon in the modern scheme. The closing ten degrees of Scorpio, where the sign's intensity comes back to attachment, family, and the people it will not let go of.
• Sagittarius, 0 to 10 degrees. Mercury traditionally, Jupiter in the modern scheme. The opening ten degrees of Sagittarius, the most purely Jupiterian stretch of the sign, with Mercury behind it in the older tradition.
• Sagittarius, 10 to 20 degrees. Moon traditionally, Mars in the modern scheme. The middle ten degrees of Sagittarius, where the search acquires urgency and a willingness to fight for what it has found.
• Sagittarius, 20 to 30 degrees. Saturn traditionally, Sun in the modern scheme. The closing ten degrees of Sagittarius, where belief becomes something to be shown, and the older tradition puts an unexpected Saturn underneath it.
• Capricorn, 0 to 10 degrees. Jupiter traditionally, Saturn in the modern scheme. The opening ten degrees of Capricorn, beginning at the winter solstice, and the most purely Saturnian stretch of the sign.
• Capricorn, 10 to 20 degrees. Mars traditionally, Venus in the modern scheme. The middle ten degrees of Capricorn, where ambition acquires an appetite for something solid to show for itself.
• Capricorn, 20 to 30 degrees. Sun traditionally, Mercury in the modern scheme. The closing ten degrees of Capricorn, where the structure gets refined and the standard becomes very hard to satisfy.
• Aquarius, 0 to 10 degrees. Venus traditionally, Saturn in the modern scheme. The opening ten degrees of Aquarius, the most structurally serious stretch of the sign, with an unexpected Venus behind it in the older tradition.
• Aquarius, 10 to 20 degrees. both traditions: Mercury. The middle ten degrees of Aquarius, where both traditions agree on Mercury and the ideas start moving.
• Aquarius, 20 to 30 degrees. Moon traditionally, Venus in the modern scheme. The closing ten degrees of Aquarius, where the principle finally meets the people it was about.
• Pisces, 0 to 10 degrees. Saturn traditionally, Jupiter in the modern scheme. The opening ten degrees of Pisces, the most purely Jupiterian stretch of the sign, with a hard Saturn behind it in the older tradition.
• Pisces, 10 to 20 degrees. Jupiter traditionally, Moon in the modern scheme. The middle ten degrees of Pisces, where the sign's compassion narrows onto the people it belongs to.
• Pisces, 20 to 30 degrees. both traditions: Mars. The closing ten degrees of Pisces, and of the zodiac, where both traditions agree on Mars and the softest sign acquires an edge.