This year, I’m taking journey through the decans! The decans are 10-degree divisions of the 12 zodiac signs, 3 per sign, totaling 36 portals through we can experience the sky and the year.

contents

• Zodiacal Sign: Aries
• Aries 1 Correspondences
• Aries 1 Study Charts
• Posts + Videos to Explore
• Conclusion + Check Out My Patreon!

The decans are intimately connected to both the annual and seasonal path of the Sun, as well as to the fixed stars who project their celestial, alien energies into the decan. As the seasonal solar experience is grounded in the seasonal changes and shifts in the land, I see the decans as providing a way of bridging the gap between above and below, the stars and the land.

Through the year, I’ll be sharing a few posts for each decan, plus a Patreon-only extra:

1. I’ll be sharing basic info and resources to help others dig deep into each decan. All of these posts will be free on my blog.
2. I’ll dig deeper into the myths, images, and stars connected to each decan. I’ll post the majority of these to my Patreon, sharing the first decan of each sign for free on my blog.
3. On Patreon, I’ll create a summary sheet for each decan, complete with fixed star lists, and a huge list keywords. This sheet will be accompanied by some ideas for journaling and meditations to connect with the energy of the decan.

First up: resources and basic info for the first decan of Aries, aka Aries 1!

Zodiacal Sign: Aries

I find it’s helpful to start off reviewing some of the basic info of the sign as a whole:

Zodiacal Dignities and Debilities:

Domicile: Mars

Exaltation: Sun

Detriment/Exile: Venus

Fall/Depression: Saturn

Basic Building Blocks of Aries

Modality/Quadriplicity: Cardinal/Tropical

Element/Triplicity: Fire

Polarity: Masculine/Yang

Aries is the first sign of the tropical zodiac, and the first sign of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Check out this video by Gemini Brett, where he discusses the astronomy of Aries, and why it is the beginning of the astrological year.

Aries 1 Correspondences

Rough Dates

March 21 to March 30

Basic Meaning

Aries 1 is raw beginning, bursting forth, red and bloody. Aggressively pushing forward, heat of passion and violence. Severing from the one, individuation, yet vulnerable. Conquering, colonizing, razing the land for what is to come. An axe that can either be used in battle or in building.

Decan Rulers

Chaldean Ruler: Mars

Triplicity Ruler: Mars

These are the two main systems used to identify a planetary ruler of a decan.

The Chaldean system, which is considered to be the primary rulership system in traditional astrology, starts with Mars as the ruler of Aries 1, then continues through the decans in the order of planets from slowest to fastest (the order is Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon). So, the three decans of Aries are ruled by Mars, Sun, and Venus, respectively, in this system.

The Triplicity system, which is based on the element of the sign, and the rulers of the other signs of that same element. The first decan of a sign is ruled by the ruler of the sign, the second decan is ruled by the ruler of the next sign in zodiacal order which shares the same element, and the third decan is ruled by the ruler of the final sign in zodiacal order which shares the same element. Aries is a fire sign, and the next fire sign in order is Leo, followed by Sagittarius. So, the first decan of Aries is ruled by Mars, the second is ruled by the Sun (ruler of Leo), and the third is ruled by Jupiter (ruler of Sagittarius).

I primarily look at the Chaldean ruler, but find the triplicity ruler a helpful and interesting “mix-in” to generate more meanings.

Decan Names

In this series, I’ll share two sets of names for the decans, one from Austin Coppock, from his book 36 Faces, and one created by T. Susan Chang, author of 36 Secrets.

Coppock Name: The Axe

Chang Name: Seeds of Domination

These evocative names, together with the decan rulers, provide a mental jumping off point to begin internalizing the meanings of the decan, and to begin creating your own meanings and associations.

Decan Images

Traditionally, the decans are associated with “images” which are mysterious, evocative descriptions of a fantastic scene or figure. These images are used in magic and meditation, and are typically left to the individual to actually manifest in the physical form of art or talisman. Several ancient authors and texts share an of image for each decan, notably in the Picatrix, the work of ibn Ezra, and Agrippa. I’ll share one image for each decan, from the Warnock/Greer translation of the Picatrix, though I invite you to seek out others to comtemplate, draw/paint/sculpt, and compare.

“The first face of Aries is Mars, and there rises in it according to the opinion of the great sages in this science, the image of a black man, with a large and restless body, having red eyes and with an axe in his hand, girded in white cloth, and there is a great value in this face. This is a face of strength, high rank and wealth without shame. This is its form.“

-Picatrix, Book 2, Chapter 11

Tarot and Aries 1

Each decan is associated to three tarot cards in particular, in the tarot tradition formalized by the Golden Dawn, and through the Waite-Smith and Thoth deck lineages: the major arcana (trump) cards associated with the sign, the major arcana card associated with the Chaldean ruling planet of the decan, as well as the minor arcana (aka “decanic minor”) associated with the specific decan itself.

Major card of the sign: The Emperor (Aries)

Major card of the Chaldean decanic ruler: The Tower (Mars)

Decanic Minor: 2 of Wands

The suit of Wands is associated with the fire signs, Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius, while the 2s are associated with the first decans of the cardinal signs, Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn.

I recommend contemplating the meanings of these cards, and comparing images from various decks, especially the Waite-Smith (aka Rider-Waite; pictured here), Thoth, and Tabula Mundi (by deck creater M. M. Mehleen) decks. See the work of T. Susan Chang for more info.

Aries 1 Study Charts

I also decided to include charts of historical figures and celebrities, for quick reference and further study. I chose to include a selection of individuals whose sect light (Sun in a day chart, Moon in a night chart) fall into the relevant decan.

Night Chart, Moon in Aries 1:

• Charles de Gaulle, Rodden Rating AA, 22 November 1890 – 04:00 ( LMT ), Lille, France
• Steve Jobs, Rodden Rating AA, 24 February 1955 – 19:15 (PST), San Francisco, California, USA
• Bill Gates, Rodden Rating A, 28 October 1955 – 22:00 (PST), Seattle, Washington USA
• Antonio Banderas, Rodden Rating AA, 10 August 1960 – 21:00 (CET), Málaga, Spain
• Tyra Banks, Rodden Rating AA, 4 December 1973 – 19:13 (PST), Inglewood, California, USA

Day Chart, Sun in Aries 1:

• Otto von Bismarck, Rodden Rating AA, 1 April 1815 – 13:00 ( LMT ), Schönhausen, Germany
• Vincent Van Gogh, Rodden Rating AA, 30 March 1853 – 11:00 ( LMT ), Zundert, Netherlands
• Wernher von Braun, Rodden Rating A, 23 March 1912 – 09:15 (CET), Wyrzysk, Poland
• MC Hammer, Rodden Rating AA, 30 March 1962 – 11:59 (PST), Oakland, California, USA
• Céline Dion, Rodden Rating A, 30 March 1968 – 12:15 (EST), Charlemagne, Québec, Canada

Posts and videos to explore

Aries in Astrology – by The Astrology Podcast. It’s a great idea to brush up on the entire sign!

Aries 1 – by Hellenistic Astrology channel on Youtube. Here you’ll find a detailed discussion of the decan.

To Boldly Go & Red Ambition – post on Aries 1 by Darkstar Astrology, a concise description of the decan and its basic meanings.

Reading the Decans: Seeds of Dominion [Aries I] – post by T. Susan Chang, an exploration of the decan and the connected minor arcana of the tarot.

Every year, Andrew Watt makes a forecast post for each and every decan, and discusses first and foremost the meanings and associations of the decan itself. These posts are a great way to learn more about the decans, and see them in action connected with transits, versus just theoretically isolated concepts:

• • Sun in Aries 1, 2021
  • Sun in Aries 1, 2022
  • Sun in Aries 1, 2023

conclusion

I hope these notes and resources are helpful in your own journey through the decans! Stay tuned for a post on some of the myths, spirits, and fixed stars of Aries 1.

Plus, join my Patreon for an upcoming info sheet on Aries 1, complete with extensive keywords associated with the decan, and journaling + meditation ideas for exploring the decan further.

Yours amongst the trees and under the stars,