Decans & the Minor Arcana
Decan: (Dec=10) divides the 30º of each zodiac sign in set of 3, with a different planetary rulership for each set. Decans are also referred to Faces…these are the 36 Faces
The Egyptian term for “decan” has been translated to mean “the living,” as the decans rose (i.e. were born), lived, and then set (i.e. died) and was based on the Earth’s diurnal motion (sunrise to sunset to midnight to sunrise) and the stars that rose over the horizon each hour (also known as the Helical Rise)
We see significance of the Decans as early as 22nd century BCE & in many of the Pharaohs tombs between 9th-12th dynasty. One Example is Senenmut’s tomb*
Decans have a have been described visually in sophisticated images and symbolism primarily connected to gods, goddesses, daimons or spirits.
“A fascinating element of ancient Egyptian astronomy that was gradually adopted into Greco-‐‑Roman astrological practice is the decan. The decans were thirty-‐‑six individual stars or small constellations that rose and set at different times of the year, acting as a means of telling time throughout the night for the ancient Egyptians. They were eventually incorporated into the Babylonian zodiac by Hellenistic scholars, astrologers, and priests in Alexandria and beyond. Three decans were assigned to each of the twelve zodiacal signs. Because of their incorporation into an astrological system, they were seen as relevant astrological elements alongside the planets, the constellations, and the zodiac. As hour-‐‑markers, the star or constellation that made up each decan was seen as a lesser protective god, akin to a daimon. Eventually, their protector-‐‑ god role became medical in nature. In the Hermetic tradition that flourished in Alexandria, the decans were each assigned to the different parts of the body and were believed to have a say in the healing or decline of each of their given parts…”
https://qspace.library.queensu.ca/bitstream/handle/1974/24821/Ainsworth_Theresa_201809_MA.pdf
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There are 2 main classifications of the Decans.
The ancient classification is known as the Ptolemaic Order/Chaldean Order,
and the modern classification is done by Triplicity.
Decanic Rulership: Descending Ptolemaic Order/Chaldean Order (DCO)
Based on the Speed of the traditional Planets from Slowest to Fastest: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon (these are also the order of the Planetary Hours: more info on that here: planetaryhours.net) this was created by:
Claudius Ptolemy (100-170AD Alexandria, Egypt)
was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises. He came up with Ptolemaic Order, also known as Geocentric System, that places the Earth at the Center, with the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and then Fixed Stars
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Classification of Decans by Triplicity
Triplicity is the set of 3 signs per element.
Fire: Aries: (Mars), Leo: (Sun), Sagittarius: (Jupiter)
Earth: Taurus: (Venus), Virgo: (Mercury), Capricorn: (Saturn)
Air: Gemini :(Mercury), Libra: (Venus), Aquarius: (Saturn)
Water: Cancer (Moon), Scorpio: (Mars), Pisces: (Jupiter)
The traditional ruler of each element is found in sequence of each element,
starting with the planet that rules that sign.
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Tarot (extremely brief history)
Tarot is a system of divination using specific set of cards with distinct imagery and numerical, and astrological information. The oldest known tarot decks are from the 14th Century, in Italy.
Tarot is based on a long history of Cartomancy a tradition practiced by the Romani people, a nomadic Diaspora from migrated from India, Romania, Hungary Czech Republic and beyond. The Romani peoples have experienced harm, discrimination, neglect and laws taking their cultures away. They continue to experience racial slurs, and discrimination. Tarot has become incredible accessible in the recent past, but it is important to acknowledge the foundations and lineage.
For more info, please read this: http://www.dawnmist.org/craft/tarot.htm
Support Romani creators, tarot readers and witches! An amazing resource is Ylva Mara who teaches workshops, created wares, has written a grimoire entitled A Practical Guide for Witches: Spells, Rituals, and Magic for an Enchanted Life and has correlated an oracle deck: https://www.livingaltar.com/#/
you can find her offerings here: https://www.traditionalmagic.com
Tarot Card Association with the Minor Arcana
“In the early 20th century, members of the British secret society of the Golden Dawn created what would become the world's best-known tarot deck: the Rider Waite Smith tarot. They also created an infrastructure of esoteric correspondences around the deck, assigning each minor card numbered 2 through 10 in each of the four suits, to a decan—a 10° section of the zodiac, and by extension a 10-day section of the calendar year. For magical practitioners, these decans have a deep and lasting relevance; their mythic history, their imagery, and their use in talismanic work date back millennia. In our time, the yearlong "decan walk" has become a means of honoring that occult legacy, a way of experiencing firsthand the qualities reflected in each of these cosmic windows. “
Description from 36 Secrets: A Decanic Journey through the Minor Arcana of the Tarot
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Minor Arcana association with the Deans
36 of the 78 cards are associated with the Decans: 2-10 of each suit.
Fire signs: Wands. Earth signs Pentacles, Air signs Swords & Water signs: Cups
Cards 2, 3, 4 - Correlated to cardinal signs:
Aries, Cancer, Libra,Capricorn.
Cardinal signs initiate a season, and start with Equinoxes and Solstices
.
Cards 5, 6, 7 - Correlated to fixed signs :
Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius
Fixed signs are stable; they are dedicated with strong sense of self.
They represent the middle of their seasons.
.
Card 8, 9, 10 - Correlated to mutable signs :
Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces.
Mutable signs are are the end seasons, they represent closure, and resolution.
Creator of this image is unknown : found here, as well as on other sites: https://horusbehdet.com/2017/10/26/decans-astrology-as-related-to-the-tarots-minor-arcana/
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(DCO) Descending Chaldean Order/ Ptolemic Order:
Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon (repeated)
Triplicity: The rulers of each sign by on the Division of elements, Fire, Earth, Air, Water
Sign in Zodiacal Order : DCO // Triplicity : Minor Arcana Association
Aries: 0º-9.59º : Mars // Mars : 2 of Wands
Aries: 10º-19.59º : Sun // Sun : 3 of Wands
Aries: 20º-29.59º : Venus // Jupiter : 4 of Wands
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Taurus: 0º-9.59º : Mercury // Venus : 5 of Pentacles
Taurus: 10º-19.59º : Moon // Mercury : 6 of Pentacles
Taurus: 20º-29.59º : Saturn // Saturn : 7 of Pentacles
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Gemini: 0º-9.59º : Jupiter //Mercury : 8 of Swords
Gemini: 10º-19.59º : Mars // Venus : 9 of Swords
Gemini: 20º-29.59º : Sun // Saturn :10 of Swords
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Cancer: 0º-9.59º : Venus // Moon : 2 of Cups
Cancer: 10º-19.59º : Mercury // Mars : 3 of Cups
Cancer: 20º-29.59º : Moon // Jupiter : 4 of Cups
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Leo: 0º-9.59º : Saturn // Sun : 5 of Wands
Leo: 10º-19.59º : Jupiter // Jupiter : 6 of Wands
Leo: 20º-29.59º : Mars // Mars : 7 of Wands
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Virgo: 0º-9.59º : Sun // Mercury : 8 of Pentacles
Virgo: 10º-19.59º : Venus // Saturn : 9 of Pentacles
Virgo: 20º-29.59º : Mercury // Venus :10 of Pentacles
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Libra: 0º-9.59º : Moon // Venus : 2 of Swords
Libra: 10º-19.59º : Saturn // Saturn : 3 of Swords
Libra: 20º-29.59º : Jupiter // Mercury : 4 of Swords
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Scorpio: 0º-9.59º : Mars // Mars : 5 of Cups
Scorpio: 10º-19.59º : Sun // Jupiter : 6 of Cups
Scorpio: 20º-29.59º : Venus // Moon : 7 of Cups
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Sagittarius: 00º-9.59º : Mercury // Jupiter : 8 of Wands
Sagittarius: 10º-19.59º : Moon // Mars : 9 of Wands
Sagittarius: 20º-29.59º : Saturn // Sun :10 of Wands
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Capricorn: 0º-9.59º : Jupiter // Saturn : 2 of Pentacles
Capricorn: 10º-19.59º : Mars // Venus : 3 of Pentacles
Capricorn: 20º-29.59º : Sun // Mercury : 4 of Pentacles
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Aquarius: 0º-9.59º : Venus // Saturn : 5 of Swords
Aquarius: 10º-19.59º : Mercury // Mercury : 6 of Swords
Aquarius: 20º-29.59º : Moon // Venus : 7 of Swords
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Pisces: 0º-9.59º : Saturn // Jupiter : 8 of Cups
Pisces: 10º-19.59º : Jupiter // Moon : 9 of Cups
Pisces: 20º-29.59º : Mars // Mars :10 of Cups
Outer wheel is the Chaldean/ Ptolemaic classification of Decans
Inner Wheel is modern classification using Triplicity rulers.
Created by xocean: indigomoonartist
Ways to Work with the Deans
Lay out natal chart with Tarot cards of the corresponding degrees/decans. In addition to planets and angles, Include your Part of Spirit. According to Austin Coppick, The Decan associated with your Low of Spirit describes the core meaning of you life. Because the decans focus on 10º of the chart, you will get a much more detailed interpretation of the signs. As you go along, you will see Aries 1 has different feel than Aries 2 & 3…and so on, for each sign.
Looking at the planets in each decal will give you a deeper meaning of the energy of that planet. For instance, if you have Mars in Aries 1, you have 3x the strength of Aries: it is the ruler in domicile, in a Mars ruled decan. This is going to be slightly different than Mars in Aries 3, which only has 2x the strength of Mars…and so on for each planet.
**It is important to note the decans go up to 9º59/19º59, so 10º&20º start new decan. **
My natal chart, using the Slow Holler Tarot: https://slowholler.com/tarot-deck/blog/
Essential Dignities:
Planets are categorized by dignity: Domicile, Exaltation, Detriment, Fall, and peregrine/lacks dignity
If you have a planet in Fall such as Venus in Virgo is in Fall, if you have Venus in a Venus ruled decan of Virgo (Virgo 2 in DCO/ Virgo 3 in Triplicity) Venus has more autonomy. If you have a planet in detriment such as Jupiter in Gemini, if they are found in Gemini 1 (DCO) they have more strength.
Most Important Essential Dignities and Debilities :www.astro.com/astrowiki/en/Essential_Dignities
Resources:
Info on Tarot & Cartomancy http://www.dawnmist.org/craft/tarot.htm
Podcast about Decans: https://www.thestrology.com/podcast/the-decans
Podcast about Decans: https://theastrologypodcast.com/2014/08/21/austin-coppock-astrology-decans/
Podcast Series discussing each signs’ Decans: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fixed-astrology-podcast/id1544660212
Great Historical Research: https://qspace.library.queensu.ca/bitstream/handle/1974/24821/Ainsworth_Theresa_201809_MA.pdf
Workshop: https://norwac.net/downloads/coppock-austin-exploring-the-decans-workshop/
this is several hours long, and goes into the symbolism of each Decan by Austin Coppock done at NORWAC 2020
Planetary Hours: planetaryhours.net &
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_hours
Ptolomy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptolemy
Senenmut’s tomb:
( https://themathematicaltourist.wordpress.com/2012/10/13/the-decans-in-senenmuts-tomb/
Book: 36 Secrets: A Decanic Journey through the Minor Arcana of the Tarot
Book: 36 Faces: The History, Astrology and Magic of the Decans by Austin Coppock
Great article by Alice Sparkly Kat about essential dignities:
https://www.alicesparklykat.com/articles/254/Planets_in_Fall/
