So by now we should all know that you are more than just your sun sign. While that particular sign is important, even more insight can be gained by getting to know your moon sign and rising sign, as well as the signs of your other planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) and what houses they dwell in.
But even though your sun sign is the most accessible — and some might say, generic — aspect of your chart, it actually is a lot more nuanced than that. Because someone born at the beginning of Taurus season won’t be the same shade of bull as someone born at the end of Taurus season. And to help explain that, we’re going to talk about decans.
Your birth chart is a wheel, and as such is made up of 360 degrees. There are twelve astrological signs, each taking up 30 degrees apiece. And to divide that even further, each sign can be divided into three 10 degree sections, or decans.
Depending on what degree your sun sign is at in your birth chart will determine whether you’re in the first, second, or third decan of that sign. And each can have quite different personality traits.
Let’s take Leo as an example. Leo is a fire sign, and its planetary ruler is the sun. And yes, I realize this is a bit of a misnomer since technically the sun isn’t a planet, it’s a star. Which could sound like a bit of a cop out, but since Leo isn’t technically ruled by a planet, its ruler also can never go into retrograde, which makes Leo one of the luckiest signs.
But I digress.
A Leo born between 0° and 9° — or the first decan — is a Leo in the truest sense of the word. They are a classic representation of their sign. But for the second and third sets of ten degrees, we look to Leo’s triplicity, which is a fancy way of saying “the other two signs in the element of fire.”
A Leo born in the second decan would take on additional traits from the next fire sign in the birth chart, which would be Sagittarius. This would cause the Leo in question to have a secondary planetary ruler of Jupiter, and they would likely be more adventurous, playful, and outspoken than a classic Leo.
Likewise, a Leo born in the third decan would take on additional traits of the next fire sign, which is Aries. Mars would be their secondary planetary ruler, and they’d likely be bolder, a bit more rash, and more passionate overall than a typical Leo.
Scratching your head yet? Don’t worry, it’ll click soon. Because like everything in astrology, it all comes down to patterns. So read on to discover your decan and what that means for the interpretation of your sun sign. Don’t know what degree your sun sign is at in your chart? Get a free chart reading here.
Aries
1st Decan: 0°-9°
Planetary Ruler: Mars
True Aries energy
2nd Decan: 10°-19°
Planetary Ruler: The Sun
Aries tempered by Leo traits
3rd Decan: 20°-29°
Planetary Ruler: Jupiter
Aries tempered by Sagittarius traits
Taurus
1st Decan: 0°-9°
Planetary Ruler: Venus
True Taurean energy
2nd Decan: 10°-19°
Planetary Ruler: Mercury
Taurus tempered by Virgo traits
3rd Decan: 20°-29°
Planetary Ruler: Saturn
Taurus tempered by Capricorn traits
Gemini
1st Decan: 0°-9°
Planetary Ruler: Mercury
True Gemini energy
2nd Decan: 10°-19°
Planetary Ruler: Venus
Gemini tempered by Libra traits
3rd Decan: 20°-29°
Planetary Ruler: Uranus
Gemini tempered by Aquarian traits
Cancer
1st Decan: 0°-9°
Planetary Ruler: The Moon
True Cancer energy
2nd Decan: 10°-19°
Planetary Ruler: Pluto
Cancer tempered by Scorpio traits
3rd Decan: 20°-29°
Planetary Ruler: Neptune
Cancer tempered by Pisces traits
Leo
1st Decan: 0°-9°
Planetary Ruler: The Sun
True Leo energy
2nd Decan: 10°-19°
Planetary Ruler: Jupiter
Leo tempered by Sagittarian traits
3rd Decan: 20°-29°
Planetary Ruler: Mars
Leo tempered by Aries traits
Virgo
1st Decan: 0°-9°
Planetary Ruler: Venus
True Virgo energy
2nd Decan: 10°-19°
Planetary Ruler: Saturn
Virgo tempered by Capricorn traits
3rd Decan: 20°-29°
Planetary Ruler: Venus
Virgo tempered by Taurean traits
Libra
1st Decan: 0°-9°
Planetary Ruler: Venus
True Libra energy
2nd Decan: 10°-19°
Planetary Ruler: Uranus
Libra tempered by Aquarian traits
3rd Decan: 20°-29°
Planetary Ruler: Mercury
Libra tempered by Gemini traits
Scorpio
1st Decan: 0°-9°
Planetary Ruler: Pluto
True Scorpio energy
2nd Decan: 10°-19°
Planetary Ruler: Neptune
Scorpio tempered by Pisces traits
3rd Decan: 20°-29°
Planetary Ruler: The Moon
Scorpio tempered by Cancerian traits
Sagittarius
1st Decan: 0°-9°
Planetary Ruler: Jupiter
True Sagittarius energy
2nd Decan: 10°-19°
Planetary Ruler: Mars
Sagittarius tempered by Aries traits
3rd Decan: 20°-29°
Planetary Ruler: The Sun
Sagittarius tempered by Leo traits
Capricorn
1st Decan: 0°-9°
Planetary Ruler: Saturn
True Capricorn energy
2nd Decan: 10°-19°
Planetary Ruler: Venus
Capricorn tempered by Taurean traits
3rd Decan: 20°-29°
Planetary Ruler: Mercury
Capricorn tempered by Virgo traits
Aquarius
1st Decan: 0°-9°
Planetary Ruler: Uranus
True Aquarian energy
2nd Decan: 10°-19°
Planetary Ruler: Mercury
Aquarius tempered by Gemini traits
3rd Decan: 20°-29°
Planetary Ruler: Venus
Aquarius tempered by Libra traits
Pisces
1st Decan: 0°-9°
Planetary Ruler: Neptune
True Pisces energy
2nd Decan: 10°-19°
Planetary Ruler: The Moon
Pisces tempered by Cancer traits
3rd Decan: 20°-29°
Planetary Ruler: Pluto
Pisces tempered by Scorpio traits
