Decans

Decans. Each sign of the zodiac can be divided into three equal parts of ten degrees, called decans or decanates. Every decan shades the sign a little differently, so the first ten degrees feel somewhat distinct from the last ten. Decans are an old technique for reading within a sign rather than treating all thirty degrees alike. In the most common modern system, the three decans of a sign are linked to the three signs of its own element. The first decan carries the pure quality of the sign, the second takes on a flavor of the next sign in the same element, and the third takes on the flavor of the third. A Taurus born in the second decan, for example, gains a touch of Virgo, while one in the third decan gains a touch of Capricorn. An older tradition instead gives each decan its own planetary ruler, following the Chaldean order of the planets. Decans let an astrologer distinguish people born under the same sign by where in that sign their planets fall. They add a layer of detail, refining a broad sign placement into something more specific. Decans answer the question of where within a sign a planet actually sits.