Decanates:
Part Three
In the previous two articles, I described how many astrologers
have noticed that people born at various portions of a Sun Sign,
while all conforming to the major characteristics of that sign,
appear to have predictable differences from the beginning to the
end of that sign. 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 prefer the use of triplicities to assign rulerships to each decanate.
In Parts One and Two, I provided examples which named the three
decanates of each of the twelve signs of the Zodiac.
In Part One of this series, I examined the three decanates of Aries,
using as examples known personalities whose birth data clearly identified
both their Sun Sign and the proper decanate whose ruler becomes
the sub?ruler of the sign. I used Justice Sandra Day O'Connor as
an example of Aries/Aries; former First Lady Betty Ford as an example
of Aries/Leo; and Wilbur Wright as an example of Aries/Sagittarius.
Let me continue with examples for other signs of the Zodiac.
Suppose Barbra Streisand were to tell you that her birthday is
April 24. Without benefit of an ephemeris, but with your experience
as an astrologer, you would know that her Sun is about 3 to 4 degrees
of Taurus. The approximation is because of Leap Year. In any event,
Barbra's birthdate clearly identifies the Taurus decanate of Taurus.
It is not surprising that Barbra Streisand is known for her voice,
her collections of objets d'art, and her ability to earn and keep
money.
Should you meet Billy Joel, and he tells you that his birthday
is May 9, you would know that his Sun is at about 17 degrees of
Taurus. This is clearly in the second (Virgo ruled by Mercury) decanate
of Taurus. Billy Joel writes the music and the lyrics (Mercury)
to songs he sings (Taurus) and plays the piano to accompany himself.
He enjoys being called the "Piano Man."
The Saturnine satire of George Carlin (born May 12, with the Sun
at about 21 degrees of Taurus) is an example of the third decanate
of Taurus. In this, the Capricorn?ruled?by?Saturn decanate, we see
the Capricorn influence on a performer who makes his living with
his voice (Taurus.) Recall, if you will, that Capricorn is a sign
associated with wit.
There is possibly no better example for the first decanate of Gemini
(Gemini/Gemini) than one of the finest communicators of the twentieth
century: President John F. Kennedy, who was born on May 29. While
most of us have access to his accurate horoscope, let us assume
that all we know is that on May 29, the Sun is at about 7 degrees
of Gemini, in the first decanate. The Mercury sub?rulership of the
Mercury sign gave Kennedy both oratorical and writing ability. He
was the quintessential political salesman.
The famous Architect, Frank Lloyd Wright was born on June 8. This
birthday places his Sun firmly in the second decanate of Gemini.
The second decanate of Gemini is associated with Libra. Libra, as
you know, is associated with Venus, the planet of art and beauty.
Frank Lloyd Wright was an architect who used well his ability to
communicate with his clients to create something of beauty that
suited them. With his Sun in this decanate, he combined the Mercury
of Gemini with the Venus of Libra to bring architectural art and
beauty to his clients and to the world.
Donald Trump has made millions of dollars wheeling and dealing
in real estate, hotels, and casino management. His birthday, June
14, (about 22 or 23 degrees of Gemini) explains why he has written
books about his exploits and successes. His Sun, clearly in the
third decanate (Aquarius, ruled by Uranus), shows us why he works
on such a grand scale, and in a corporate environment. His casinos
are testimonials to modern technology. Before the discovery of Uranus,
Saturn was considered to be the ruler of Aquarius. It is still considered
to be a co?ruler of Aquarius. Perhaps it is the Saturn influence
on Donald Trump that has him involved with real estate.
You have seen, so far, examples of the Sun in Aries modified three
ways, the Sun in Taurus modified three ways, and the Sun in Gemini
modified three ways. Notice how the basic characteristics of the
Sun Sign remain: Aries is still Martian, Taurus is still Venusian,
and Gemini is still Mercurial. The ancient technique of dividing
the 30 degrees of each sign into three segments which augment the
sign with another sign of the same element (Fire, Earth, Air, Water)
brings a richness to one's understanding of the birth day.
In Part Four of this series, I shall continue the discussion of
decanates with more examples. The use of decanates in no way replaces
the proper interpretation of an accurately generated horoscope.
Decanates provide enrichment for the astrologer in communicating
nuances to the client. But here, where we are talking about the
placement of only the Sun, in a social conversational environment,
the use of decanates adds an enhancement to the usual Sun Sign Astrology.
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